D&D General 6-8 encounters (combat?)

[Minigiant]

FWIW, Im going to be sorely tempted to limit 'X per long rest = to proficiency bonus' abilities (which now seem to be the norm) to no more than once per encounter.

Possibly allowing a PC to expect inspiration to do it a second time in the same encounter.

That to me seems to be a good way to curb nova then rest 5MWD shennanigans.

Just getting to this.

The main reason why WOTC moved to Proficiency Mod per long rest is to let character nova on short adventure days.

Instead of "1/short rest and you should have 2 short rests to let you get 3 uses per long.", It's "you have 3 uses per long rest. Use them in half your fights in a 6 encounter day or 3 times in your 1 encounter day."

 

[iserith]

Pretty sure those are mutually exclusive things.

But it seems I was correct in my recollection. You do random encounters differently than the book does. By default they are a resource drain, not a time pressure.

That's why I very specifically said "in your standard D&D world." Dragonlance and Council of Wyrms would be settings with many more dragons in them.

I definitely saw the "out" you gave yourself in that sentence. Again, you just appear to be criticizing bad implementation, in this case, going against the campaign's atmosphere or theme. Solution: Don't implement time pressures badly.

But I am referring to the DMG when I'm talking about random encounters. It says specifically that they create urgency as well as drain resources (among a whole list of other things). It also says to establish a frequency for them based on how active the area is. They include suggestions for what things other than time triggers them - drawing attention, resting, journeying, etc. So one could have a random encounter check happen every hour, for example, as well as every time the PCs make significant noise.

 

[tetrasodium]

Yet this tomb may well have random encounters - another time pressure, another contrivance.

Either they're all contrivances or none of them are in my view. It's a game based on childhood games of make-believe. It's all made up.

It's not really a "random encounter" if it resembles starship troopers. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the main characters in that movie have fewer encounters where they fight the bugs from the opening titles to end credits than the 5e 6-8 encounter expectations

 

[iserith]

It's not really a "random encounter" if it resembles starship troopers. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the main characters in that movie have fewer encounters where they fight the bugs from the opening titles to end credits than the 5e 6-8 encounter expectations

I don't know if I see 6 to 8 encounters as being on the same scale as the battles in that movie. It certainly could be if you, say, roll a random encounter check and get 1 hobgoblin captain, 3d10 hobgoblins, and 4d12 goblins (84 on the Forest encounter table for level 5-10). That'd be neat.

 

[tetrasodium]

Spoiler: numbers on both sides matter

[/spoilers]
I count dozens if not hundreds of troopers in some of those. 6-8 encounters for each group probbly won't fit in the movie's runtime though.

 

[Maxperson]

I definitely saw the "out" you gave yourself in that sentence.

It wasn't an "out." I just try to avoid talking in absolutes since there are almost always( ) exceptions.

Again, you just appear to be criticizing bad implementation, in this case, going against the campaign's atmosphere or theme. Solution: Don't implement time pressures badly.

There is no implementation of it that will not seem contrived to me. No matter how you portray it, I will be under constant pressure from the wandering monster method you use and will see other time limits as they come up. It will be glaringly apparent that we are on a clock that doesn't allow for leisure resting.

I'm sure you do it well and your players enjoy it, but that's not the kind of game that I would enjoy.

But I am referring to the DMG when I'm talking about random encounters. It says specifically that they create urgency as well as drain resources (among a whole list of other things). It also says to establish a frequency for them based on how active the area is. They include suggestions for what things other than time triggers them - drawing attention, resting, journeying, etc. So one could have a random encounter check happen every hour, for example, as well as every time the PCs make significant noise.

A check, yes. The key is that it's random. If it's not random, it's not a random encounter. It's a non-random encounter with perhaps a random monster, and perhaps not even that depending on how the monster(s) are determined.

 

[iserith]

It wasn't an "out." I just try to avoid talking in absolutes since there are almost always( ) exceptions.

There is no implementation of it that will not seem contrived to me. No matter how you portray it, I will be under constant pressure from the wandering monster method you use and will see other time limits as they come up. It will be glaringly apparent that we are on a clock that doesn't allow for leisure resting.

I'm sure you do it well and your players enjoy it, but that's not the kind of game that I would enjoy.

What is "leisure resting?" Why do you assume whatever that is isn't a possibility in my games?

As far as seeing things as contrivances, that goes back to my comment earlier about bringing incredulity to a game based on make-believe. That doesn't seem like a great strategy to me.

A check, yes. The key is that it's random. If it's not random, it's not a random encounter. It's a non-random encounter with perhaps a random monster, and perhaps not even that depending on how the monster(s) are determined.

The only part of a random encounter the DMG requires to be random is what monster is indicated and even still the DM can reroll if it doesn't make sense to them. The DM can choose to have an encounter, roll what type, and it's still a random encounter. And random encounters don't even need to be monsters or NPCs.

 

[Flamestrike]

Social Encounters that don't drain resources don't drain resources.

An encounter doesnt have to drain resources to be an encounter. It only has to potentially drain resources.

If the PCs can overcome it with Skill checks, cantrips or at will abilities, so much the better for them.

 

[Flamestrike]

Just getting to this.

The main reason why WOTC moved to Proficiency Mod per long rest is to let character nova on short adventure days.

Which is a terrible design choice if true (and you have no evidence it is true by the way, just your assumption).

I find rocket tag to be boring and deeply unsatisfying.

 

[James Gasik]

Which is a terrible design choice if true (and you have no evidence it is true by the way, just your assumption).

I find rocket tag to be boring and deeply unsatisfying.

Well, Monsters of the Multiverse did this for racial abilities, so it seems likely?