D&D General 6E But A + Thread

[Micah Sweet]

I think that's the fault of Wizards. They absolutely could have provided adventures that start at higher level. Looking at the ocean of content out there, it's weird of Wizards actually and just another black mark on their management of the game.

D&D has offered adventures that start at higher levels. WotC's just afraid to risk losing potential sales. They want everyone to buy everything.

 

[Scribe]

I have no idea whether they are or aren't, but by your own arguments they aren't? Like...you literally just blamed the fact this doesn't happen on WotC not putting out adventures that start at higher levels...?????

Yeah, I looked and that vast majority start at 1st. I was confused as you said you avoided pre-written stuff.

I would blame Wizards.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Yeah, I looked and that vast majority start at 1st. I was confused as you said you avoided pre-written stuff.

I would blame Wizards.

My point was that I was focused on those things that aren't WotC's fault--unless WotC is somehow making GMs start their homebrew games at 1st level.

 

[Lanefan]

Depends on the edition and array. In older editions, you only got a great benefit from your prim ability score.

In modern editions, you can get great benefit from moderately good scores and supplementing/boating with spells.

Boating?

Either that's a typo (though I'm not sure of what) or you've hit a term I've never heard in this context.

That said, the linear every-two-points bonus system does have its drawbacks. The U-curve bonuses of 0e and 1e do a much better job of reflecting the bell curve IMO; where those stats at the tails of the bell curve get bonuses and penalties while nothing comes from stats in the mushy middle.

 

[Lanefan]

Yeah exactly where I'm at. Array would be the assumption, point buy would get you less than Array, but you could at least 'choose your own' adventure, and rolling would be tucked off in the DMG or something.

Nah.

If you're gonna have dice, put 'em to use.

That, and not everyone is cut from the same cloth even in fantasy.

 

[Lanefan]

I've been fireballed from my own group enough to understand risk reward and given a choice between risk/reward and stability, I prefer the latter. While some classes can and should have the option for greater risk/reward (barbarian, wild mage) the vast majority should be like Todd Howard: It Just Works.

Fine, but boring.

Then again, I detest the AD&D style of gambling and mechanical bull riding play and I did my time in that edition to know I don't ever want that as the default method of play again.

Where I want that as the default method of play all day long. If the game wasn't at heart a gamble, it wouldn't use dice.

Predictability is boring. Stability is boring. Can't speak for you, but I ain't here to be bored.

 

[Lanefan]

“Check out my Drow fighter/thief PC, I’ve got 3 18s. Totally rolled them first time out. Honest.”

If you didn't roll them in front of me, chuck 'em out and start over.

 

[Minigiant]

Boating?

Either that's a typo (though I'm not sure of what) or you've hit a term I've never heard in this context.

That said, the linear every-two-points bonus system does have its drawbacks. The U-curve bonuses of 0e and 1e do a much better job of reflecting the bell curve IMO; where those stats at the tails of the bell curve get bonuses and penalties while nothing comes from stats in the mushy middle.

Boosting. Or was it Buffing? One of those.

IMHO as long as we stick to the (Score-10)/2 system, we have to artificially buff Fighter stats.
ESPECIALLY if we keep "Attack with your Spellcasting mod" attack features.

 

[Lanefan]

"We are playing this adventure, it starts at level 5."

It's that simple?

If you're just playing that one adventure, this is common: you roll up characters to the suggested level on the adventure cover.

If you're looking to start a persistent campaign, however, that would be very uncommon. Persistent or ongoing or long-term campaigns nearly always start at 1st and sometimes even stay there for a while.

 

[Lanefan]

If people were exclusively running canned adventures, I would agree.

I specifically avoided games using pre-written adventures. I wanted to see what GMs were doing.

I found all of two games starting at higher level, and only got into one of them (which, of course, died an early death, as I have said elsewhere). 5e GMs simply do not want to start at higher levels, and those I felt I had any hope of persuading to do otherwise always flatly refused. Sometimes neutrally, sometimes condesecendingly, sometimes with hostility. But they always outright and unequivocally refused.

Another option, which may or may not be available at any given time, might be to jump into an existing mid-to-high level campaign as a replacement for a player who had to bail for whatever reason (rolling up your own character, of course, not taking on the one the previous player left behind).