Recent content by saviirkad

This is outstanding news. I've been a fan of their work since they were lead writer on D&D Beyond.

You're adding unnecessary details to make the excuse for a full rejection to be the only solution. There was nothing presented within the hypothetical that "makes no sense" nor has any impact on non-Tortle additions. These are details you add to the hypothetical in order for there to be no room...

I think this is a fair topic, to illustrate that a mentioned concern is, frankly, an entirely different issue that requires an entirely different response. If Player 1 chose their character and then Player 2 picked theirs specifically to mess with Player 1, then you've got a new issue. You've...

The latter does not follow from the former, which makes it sound more like an excuse than an argument. 99% of what they want would be a huge change to what you've been arguing. That's fully conceding to the player. That's telling a player who wants to be a tortle from a northern prehistoric...

If "how can I make this work in a way that doesn't break your world" means the same to you as the player getting their way without compromising, then it sounds to me like your stance actually is that only the DM gets the final say and the player gets no say. I know you've stated that's not the...

FWIW, you might want to look at surveys and online character repositories to best present the argument. These sources will closely mirror actual gameplay and playstyles. Forum threads, websites, video content, etc., not only represent just a small slice of the whole, but can also be at odds...

The other posts I was referencing were those focusing on the DM's own preferences for desirable character options, assumptions that the player could only be interested in the mechanics of their choice, or suggestions that the player would be provably in the wrong if they did not choose instead...

I presented a scenario, one where a single individual does not care about the interests or enjoyments of the others at their table. I do not know you, I do not know how you run your games, how you interact with the others at your table, and nor will I know these things. So if your question is...

Regardless of the position or role of the person involved, whether DM or player, whether it's about their choice of character or choice of setting tone, it will always be a red flag when one's own preference is given such precedence and priority that everyone else must adjust to suit it. That...

It's always nice to see someone saying a thing so much better than you have been trying and failing to convey yourself.

And a key addition to this is working with the player to identify what it is they're really looking for, and what alternatives they would be interested in, if any. A lot of responses I'm seeing read like either a flat no, or the player must accept the DM's alternative or it'll be a flat no. And...

I think this example highlights the disconnect between the "sides" here. It's not the only post to do so, just not interested in quote chaining them all. This is not a criticism of you, Belen, or the example you give here, as you are rightfully and simply expressing a lived experience. But with...

Perhaps I just have the extreme fortune and privilege to have a group filled with such rarities, which in either case I am very thankful for. We did put in the work together, mostly. I do more of it, because I'm the DM who is doing the world-building and their involvement is primarily to ensure...

Yeah, I'm fortunate myself that while I get to DM Saturdays, I get to also play on Wednesdays in a game DMed by one of my Saturday players. We frequently connect with each other on how things are proceeding so we can build up each other's skills, and we play in each other's games with an eye to...

I think what this thread is ultimately teaching me is that monsters knew what they were doing in 2014, but in 2024 the monsters can only respond to players using the worst faith possible interpretation of what they are saying and doing, never once actually reacting to what is being said or done...