D&D General Alternate thought - rule of cool is bad for gaming

In a world full of crazy wizards that can store their essence in a used peanut butter jar for later use, hippo men fly spaceships and sentient slimes live in underground complexes...I think its safe to say that the word "impossible" is heavy handed.
There's a difference. There are rules when playing D&D that spell out what the PC can do and encourages improvised actions, perhaps with a chance of failure. Perhaps it means stretching what your PC can do normally or creatively utilizing resources like using A to accomplish B in a way not negated by the rules but also not spelled out. Then there's doing something explicitly and clearly covered by the rules. Then the DM allows a 30 foot vertical jump when according to the rules that's more than double the max any normal PC could do. It's grappling a creature more than one time your size and, because of how you described it, also making it prone with the same action, effectively turning the grapple into restrained for no reason other than "it's cool". It's looking at the rules and saying "Nah. I'm just gonna ignore those silly rules completely because it sounds cool."

Of course it's not "impossible" in our imagination, but there does come a point where it is impossible according to the rules of the game. There's nothing wrong with throwing out the rules of the game and letting narrative drive the game if that's what you want, even if I may question whether D&D is the engine you should be using. Just be up front about it before the game starts because it's not for me.
 

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There's a difference. There are rules when playing D&D that spell out what the PC can do and encourages improvised actions, perhaps with a chance of failure. Perhaps it means stretching what your PC can do normally or creatively utilizing resources like using A to accomplish B in a way not negated by the rules but also not spelled out. Then there's doing something explicitly and clearly covered by the rules. Then the DM allows a 30 foot vertical jump when according to the rules that's more than double the max any normal PC could do. It's grappling a creature more than one time your size and, because of how you described it, also making it prone with the same action, effectively turning the grapple into restrained for no reason other than "it's cool". It's looking at the rules and saying "Nah. I'm just gonna ignore those silly rules completely because it sounds cool."

Of course it's not "impossible" in our imagination, but there does come a point where it is impossible according to the rules of the game. There's nothing wrong with throwing out the rules of the game and letting narrative drive the game if that's what you want, even if I may question whether D&D is the engine you should be using. Just be up front about it before the game starts because it's not for me.
Yes; I agree.
 


This thread's title should really be:

Alternate thought - rule of cool is bad for certain tables​

or ...
Alternate thought - if you follow rule of cool you should discuss it with everyone to make sure everyone is on board because it means different things to different people and it may be a play style some people don't enjoy.

Which is a bit too long of a title, but that's my take.
 

When a player says to me: "I would like to do this totally implausible thing" My response is sure...here are all of the things going against you. Then I come up with a target number for them to beat. I then tell them you may use whatever skill, proficiency, magic item, spell etc. to accomplish this task. This way when they roll and fail...they failed...I didn't fail them.

With the use of skill challenges or difficulty checks or simply "don't roll a 1"...all things are possible even though they may not be very plausible. Does this open the door for the truly ridiculous? Of course. Does this allow for some truly awesome stories that we'll be retelling for the rest of our lives?....you bet.
 

or ...
Alternate thought - if you follow rule of cool you should discuss it with everyone to make sure everyone is on board because it means different things to different people and it may be a play style some people don't enjoy.

Which is a bit too long of a title, but that's my take.
Unfortunately... the concept of 'Talk to your players' is one that too many people just can't handle.

The irony of course being all the people who continually call WotC chicken for not taking risks with the game, while at the same time being unwilling and afraid to talk to their players and tell them "No". So they keep whining about how WotC won't put the rules into the game they want so that they don't HAVE to tell their players "No". They can just shrug their shoulders and say "I'd like to let you do X, but the rules say you can't! Blame WotC, not me!"
 

or ...
Alternate thought - if you follow rule of cool you should discuss it with everyone to make sure everyone is on board because it means different things to different people and it may be a play style some people don't enjoy.

Which is a bit too long of a title, but that's my take.
This is why i simply don't game with people who don't game the way I game. If i'm the DM and the players don't jive with me....they don't get invited back or are welcome to leave...no harm no foul. If i'm the player I leave and explain why. Also no harm no foul. Not all games are for all people. Game your own game. Cultivate your own gaming culture. But mostly....have fun.
 

So to respond to the title thread (which was a statement and not a question): The Rule of Cool may be bad for your game....but it's not bad for every game.
 

So to respond to the title thread (which was a statement and not a question): The Rule of Cool may be bad for your game....but it's not bad for every game.
I mean, it'd help a heck of a lot to use it with care and concern for all people at the table, rather than just one person. But apparently "consider the consequences of your actions" is overruled by the Rule of Cool now!
 

I mean, it'd help a heck of a lot to use it with care and concern for all people at the table, rather than just one person. But apparently "consider the consequences of your actions" is overruled by the Rule of Cool now!
Only if you let it be. If that's what the DM wants....maybe switch up DMs. If the problem is that the players don't like how the DM runs the game....what's stopping someone else from DMing? If the problem is some players are getting their way and some players aren't.....that has nothing to do with the rule of anything.
 

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