D&D 5E (2024) ADHD Medication Design Challenge: Let's skin this cat.

[Steampunkette]

SO!

On Sunday of this week, for the first time in 30 years, I'm going to get a prescription to medicate my ADHD, again. Everything I've produced has been in sporadic bursts of throwing 5,000+ words at a page in a day because my brain decided I -HAVE- to write that idea down and flesh it out. Often at 2 or 3 in the morning.

So. I'm gonna do a design challenge for my first day of Ritalin which should be Monday the 22nd.

But that's where I need y'all's help!

What should I design? That's what this poll is about. So get your votes in, early, and let's see what I can throw together with some controlled hyperfocus.

Your options are:

1) Archetypes (1-3)
2) Feats (5-10)
3) Magic Items (5-10)
4) Heritages/Species (2-3)
5) Spells (5-10)
6) Class (... just one. But this could hurt!)

When you vote, put in a post about what it is you want.

The poll will run for 4 days, then I'll go through people's suggestions and select something from a post, here.

After that, I'll write it up and we'll see how it goes!

 

[Timespike]

I vote for magic items and heritages! You've done a lot of the other stuff and comparatively few of those, so I'm interested to see what you come up with.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Okay I know it’s mean to vote class but hear me out.


What if the monk was the basis for a subtle magic swordmaster with an esoteric/occult/hermetic flair.

A mix of martial prowess, discipline, ritual magic, and stuff like the Star Wars saga edition’s Force Regimens.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

First:
I appreciate you being open about how ADHD influences the work flow.
I myself have written most of my exam papers (60 to100 pages) on the last weekend of a 3 month period and still face the problem of only being productive in short bursts of creativity, often very close to the deadlines.

Second:
I think we need well designed spells.
Spells that use the save mechanic correctly (save each turn). Maybe even damage spells that are nice than just save for half damage.

Third:
I really want to know, after the work is done, how the medication helped you to actually work on things for prolonged times.

Thank you very much.

 

[Distracted DM]

Godspeed to ya! I'll take 3) Magic Items and 1) Archetypes for 4(00), Alex. (oh we can only vote for 1. done!)

ADHD meds vary from person to person, as far as what works for whom and to what efficacy. I've been through almost the whole range, stimulants and non, adderall XR seems to work best for me whereas stuff that others swear by did nothing or had some really negative side effects. It's far from a magic bullet for my ADHD though... I was diagnosed in my early 30s, wish my parents had taken me to get diagnosed as a kid like my teachers suggested, but there was a big stigma around medicating for "ADD" at the time (I still remember that King of the Hill episode where Bobbie goes on Ritalin and gets super weird).

 

[GMMichael]

More spells! I must have been a wizard in another campaign, because I can never have too many spells in my spellbook.

 

[Charlaquin]

Congratulations on the new meds! I don’t know where you’re from, but here in Ameriksland, most ADHD medications are very tightly controlled and have been in short supply for quite some time, so getting access to them is an infuriatingly difficult thing.

Anyway, I voted for Archetypes cause I’m not really sure what that means in this context but I’m curious to find out!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Ritalin has been (mis)used by people without medical needs in order to cram for exams. Thus it tends to be controlled, and there is a black market.

My personal experience, based on teaching children with ADHD, is that Ritalin is a mixed blessing, and can have a negative impact on creativity (even if it makes a teacher's life easier).

Of course, the impact of ADHD changes at various stages of your life. It is likely that I have ADHD, but I have never had an official diagnosis or tried medication. My dyslexia was a higher priority when I was in education. Ironically, technology means that doesn't matter much now.