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I often have strict linear dungeons because that’s what makes sense. I don’t design a dungeon to be interesting as a place for gamers to explore. It exists for a reason. For example, most tombs are a simple linear design ( and often use maps of actual tombs). Sometimes there are a couple of...

I have lots of players that do that. In particular I’ve seen a lot of rogues that don’t use Sneak Attack or Cunning Action. We’ve tweaked the rules a lot impart to address this. First, as a DM I’m always happy to consider other abilities, skills, feats, or class abilities from another class if...

I end up tweaking the rules heavily over time to fit out old-schooling sort of AD&Dish approach while taking what we like from the new mechanics. It’s come to the point where it is quite different and yet oddly still feels like D&D and even 5e. We don’t use initiative or 6 second rounds...

But this implies that the DM is driving the plot. I’d recommend the opposite, that the DM be responsible for the world (and potential plot hooks and background themes and schemes) and let the players focus on the plot through their characters’ goals, decisions and actions. When the players...

Yeah, that's kind of where I usually land too. Thanks for doing the math, though, it helps clarify that. Although the 20th level math in D&D is still a lot higher than my preference across the board. Really, I guess if the Sneak Attack damage isn't enough for some, the easiest option would be...

Absolutely. Not to mention the fact that the APs that have been released provide lots of exploration, adventuring, and scenarios where combat isn't the preferred option for resolution. Designing combat rules is complex, and has a lot of parts to address. Which means more words. In addition, the...

OK, I'll start with the last question. You know where I stand, I think the rogue plays just fine as it is. And I will also state that this thread is like many others where there is a declared "problem" with the game, with the assumption that it's a problem for everybody. So when you ask for...

Although in a game that is not as focused on combat, the rogue is often a central character through the non-combat encounters. So bumping them up to be as good as the others in combat unbalances those games. Another option would be to look at the other options and consider reducing the damage...

And I say that I obviously need you to show me where that's wrong. Because he specifically recommends that the players don't have any authority to author the fiction outside of advocacy of their characters, other than possibly (part of) the backstory. After that point, what happens in the world...

So the absurd examples is really to have you answer this question: If it's not obvious by the fiction, and the rules don't give clarity, who decides yes or no? And it's not so much about people doing absurd things like giving themselves a holy sword. It's about the players who aren't as fully...

That was exactly my point. Don't project YOUR experiences on others either. Not everybody has a combat heavy game. That's what the OP did, and I responded specifically to that projection. I certainly won't disagree that the current design might not work well for all combat-heavy games. But...

In my 35+ years of D&D it has been anything but a combat heavy game. I’d say it has generally been 80% exploration (including social interaction which varies a lot depending on circumstances and scenario), 20% combat. I realize that for folks that started in 3e or especially 4e that combat...

Agreed. And, no, I like those too actually. Nothing is really that binary. Just an off-hand thought with no real support, I guess.

First, does "no myth" mean there is no established setting, and it's invented by the players and/or GM as the game progresses? So, when I read this example I'm just reading a railroad, the only real difference from a traditional railroad is that in theory the "plot" came from the character. But...

I think it's a few things, some of which have little to do with the game. 1 and 2. The design is elegant and simple, yes, but I think the real win is that it seems to have a feel that makes players of any earlier edition feel at home. Perhaps 4e players are the least served by this, but to me...

OK, I'm sitting here working on some things while my wife is watching NCIS LA. And the bit of the scene I just saw I think speaks to both what I think many are trying to accomplish with Story Now, and also highlights what I don't like about this approach. I wasn't paying much attention to the...

OK. Part of my issue is the fact that I still don't think Agency is a good term because it can mean too many things to too many people. In my comments, I was referring to agency as what the player is allowed to do within the context of the game. So when the rules allow something, and the DM...

The feats (we’ve rewritten them for our campaign) largely avoid this by granting bonuses or advantage instead of new abilities. Where we do provide additional abilities, it is the sort of thing that we feel would be known to fewer people who have training in that specific thing. For example...

This is Eero's definition of advocacy: "Character advocacy Players can have different roles in a roleplaying game. Typical overarching categories are “player roles” and “GM roles”, which are fuzzy and historically determined expressions of natural language. One type of player role is when the...

But this is still all missing my point. I never once indicated that my game is, or that I ever wanted it to be, a “standard narrativist game.” Which means that this specific definition of player agency is irrelevant to me. The narrativist model is one way to design or play an RPG. Not using...