D&D 5E 5e consequence-resolution

[Quickleaf]

I do a non-binary gradient of success/partial/failure with many rolls in my games, with an eye towards conflict resolution. It involves less rolls, IME, than are typically called for in D&D games. So it's definitely a table style / game culture shift. For groups who find lots of dice rolling fun, or just helping them to loosen up, or are really committed to that style of play, I wouldn't recommend my approach. It definitely needs to be a right fit for the group.

 

[clearstream]

Thanks for the explanation. Don't they discuss that as an option in the DMG? How if you fail by 5 or less you may have partial success? I have to go back to digging ditches post holes or I'd look it up. Doesn't that achieve the same thing or am I missing something?

DMG 242 is the page those specific gradients come from.

And yes, you are right Happily they achieve the same thing, as they are the same thing. The sliding index is just really painful to implement at the table. And then as @Quickleaf said, once you start using a gradient (as made more possible by the fixed-index version) it really can impact your style of play.

 

[Oofta]

Well, in the first paragraph you said you have no intention of purchasing other games, and that you don't think you can really grasp other games without actually playing them.

So anyone who may offer you an answer is offering you something you can't by your own definition accept, and so it's pointless. You've rendered anyone's ability to offer you any meaningful suggestions moot.

Reading text and having a conversation are two different things. In addition, does it really matter if I don't grok something? I assume a ton of people read these threads and never post. Telling people to figure it out for themselves instead of just spending 2 minutes to explain something is unhelpful at best.

 

[Oofta]

I do a non-binary gradient of success/partial/failure with many rolls in my games, with an eye towards conflict resolution. It involves less rolls, IME, than are typically called for in D&D games. So it's definitely a table style / game culture shift. For groups who find lots of dice rolling fun, or just helping them to loosen up, or are really committed to that style of play, I wouldn't recommend my approach. It definitely needs to be a right fit for the group.

For me it kind of depends. Opening a safe quickly is kind of a pass-fail thing. Knowing some details about a religious symbol or a particular sect of a religion is where I do a lot of variable DCs.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

For me it kind of depends. Opening a safe quickly is kind of a pass-fail thing. Knowing some details about a religious symbol or a particular sect of a religion is where I do a lot of variable DCs.

Yep. I like using degree of success, but it doesn't make sense for every situation.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Reading text and having a conversation are two different things. In addition, does it really matter if I don't grok something? I assume a ton of people read these threads and never post. Telling people to figure it out for themselves instead of just spending 2 minutes to explain something is unhelpful at best.

I don't disagree. But I hope you can see the part you play in the frustration someone may have in these discussions.

If a suggestion was made, maybe something like "Powered by the Apocalypse games work so well because they have static results, so players always know the odds" what would your response have been?

My guess is "Oh, well I've never played that game and I have no problem with how 5e does it, so ".

If it would have been something different than that, great....let us know.

 

[Oofta]

I don't disagree. But I hope you can see the part you play in the frustration someone may have in these discussions.

If a suggestion was made, maybe something like "Powered by the Apocalypse games work so well because they have static results, so players always know the odds" what would your response have been?

My guess is "Oh, well I've never played that game and I have no problem with how 5e does it, so ".

If it would have been something different than that, great....let us know.

If someone mentions a specific aspect of a specific game, I may look to see if I can find the info online. If it's "there are thousands of games that do it better" it's unhelpful.

I try to explain my thoughts and reasoning even if people disagree. I provide references when I can, or at least explain my logic. I don't think it's that much to ask. If you don't want to answer, don't respond.

 

[hawkeyefan]

If someone mentions a specific aspect of a specific game, I may look to see if I can find the info online. If it's "there are thousands of games that do it better" it's unhelpful.

I try to explain my thoughts and reasoning even if people disagree. I provide references when I can, or at least explain my logic. I don't think it's that much to ask. If you don't want to answer, don't respond.

Okay, so I just offered an example. What do you think about Powered by the Apocalypse? The use of static targets for success, success with consequence, and failure.

How do you think that may impact how a game functions? What are your thoughts on that?

 

[Oofta]

Okay, so I just offered an example. What do you think about Powered by the Apocalypse? The use of static targets for success, success with consequence, and failure.

How do you think that may impact how a game functions? What are your thoughts on that?

My lunch break is almost over (I really need to find a husbands union rep). I will say that when I mistakenly tried to have a conversation on the other thread about D&D being gamist, I gave up once I realized that the definitions were all over the place. That you had to read a book in order to understand it.

So with that in mind if I spend a few minutes later looking at, this article for example, will it tell me what I need to know? Because these things seem like catch-22s. I explain that I don't have opportunity to play other games but then people complain and say game X does it better then I ask for why they believe that or can they give me examples which leads to people just telling me I should play the other games I don't have opportunity to play. Then one of the moderators steps in and tells me to not bother asking these kind of questions ... so yeah. I get a bit frustrated.

I guarantee there are many people out there who for one reason or another only play D&D. If you think there is a better option, why is it so difficult to simply try to explain how those other options work?

P.S. The success/consequence/failure thing is interesting but this originally came up because of a discussion about how to set target numbers. My original question was how do you set those target numbers.

 

[hawkeyefan]

My lunch break is almost over (I really need to find a husbands union rep). I will say that when I mistakenly tried to have a conversation on the other thread about D&D being gamist, I gave up once I realized that the definitions were all over the place. That you had to read a book in order to understand it.

So with that in mind if I spend a few minutes later looking at, this article for example, will it tell me what I need to know? Because these things seem like catch-22s. I explain that I don't have opportunity to play other games but then people complain and say game X does it better then I ask for why they believe that or can they give me examples which leads to people just telling me I should play the other games I don't have opportunity to play. Then one of the moderators steps in and tells me to not bother asking these kind of questions ... so yeah. I get a bit frustrated.

I guarantee there are many people out there who for one reason or another only play D&D. If you think there is a better option, why is it so difficult to simply try to explain how those other options work?

P.S. The success/consequence/failure thing is interesting but this originally came up because of a discussion about how to set target numbers. My original question was how do you set those target numbers.

Okay, so that's what I'm asking about. Having set target numbers. From the article you linked:

To do something roll+stat.

• On a 10+ you do the thing, with no complications.
• On a 7-9 you do the thing, but with complications.
• On a 6- the GM will determine what happens.

The complications that come from a 7-9 are often in the form of some list that the player can select and then present to the GM.

So there are set Target Numbers. How do you think this would benefit a game? What might be the drawbacks?