D&D 5E "As DM, I Know How All the PCs' Abilities, Spells, and Items Work" (a poll)

[Charlaquin]

I added the "to the best of my ability" caveat because I know it is virtually impossible to know how everything works or to remember it accurately all the time, so the poll question here is about intention not results. We all forget some things some time, so just because you have forgotten how something works at some point doesn't mean it is false, if it is your objective to know how they all work.

I don’t understand what the question actually is, then. Is it “I try to remember how all the PCs’ abilities work”?

 

[LordEntrails]

F' no, I'm not their parent.

Err, well, I am for one of my players, but not my responsibility. The players are responsible for knowing their own "stuff", I got plenty of other things to worry about. The players are capable of learning how to code their own effects. And I certainly don't need to know the details in order to create challenging encounters for them. I don't believe encounters need (or should) be perfectly balanced. Nor do I need to worry if a challenge is actually winnable. My players are smart and creative problem solvers. I just give them a problem based on how I thin the BBEG (or opponent) would set things up and make the players figure out how to beat it.

For example, current campaign and current problem: a town that has one of their arch-enemies forces in it. So I gave some simple details of local NPCs and laid out a few clues on how they might get leads to where the BBEG is, or at least to the bad guys local stronghold (which can lead them to the BBEG stronghold). But, we ended the last session with the player doing no social interactions in the town. No investigations, no talking to NPCs. They used divination magic to figure out where the local stronghold is and are planning to hit it with an earthquake. Who knows if they are then going to be able to get a lead to the BBEG hideout.

Not my problem. the BBEG will just go about their business either way (which no doubt will give other possible clues later). I present challenges, it is up to them to determine how to solve them, or to run away and maybe come back later.

 

[tetrasodium]

I have five players who are currently level 6-7ish, that's a huge number of things I'd need to know. I'll generally have some vague idea that might even be solid for many of them but most of them are going to have more than one niche edge case ability
edit most of my games run to low to mid teens

 

[Redwizard007]

All? No, but im pretty close. Building OP min-maxed munchkins as a thought exercise has helped me understand the classes better. What does occasionally catch me off guard, is different players combining abilities in ways I hadn't expected.

My favorite move is, "read the ability out loud. Uh, huh. And what does the next sentence say?" 99% of the time the answer to "can I _____," is right after the punctuation the player stopped reading at. Blows my freaking mind.

 

[tetrasodium]

All? No, but im pretty close. Building OP min-maxed munchkins as a thought exercise has helped me understand the classes better. What does occasionally catch me off guard, is different players combining abilities in ways I hadn't expected.

My favorite move is, "read the ability out loud. Uh, huh. And what does the next sentence say?" 99% of the time the answer to "can I _____," is right after the punctuation the player stopped reading at. Blows my freaking mind.

So very true. Last session I had a player arguing to use an ability that let's him "lways" add his wisdom mod to a particular skill being refused... "what exactly does it say"" - >"you can add your wisdom mod to a different skill under specific circumstances"

Its sad how often that kind of thing happens these days

 

[cbwjm]

I probably used to, but that was with the PHB, and even then many spells i wouldn't know. Now, with all the various subclasses, or even the artificer, I don't know anywhere near as much as previously.

 

[cbwjm]

All? No, but im pretty close. Building OP min-maxed munchkins as a thought exercise has helped me understand the classes better. What does occasionally catch me off guard, is different players combining abilities in ways I hadn't expected.

My favorite move is, "read the ability out loud. Uh, huh. And what does the next sentence say?" 99% of the time the answer to "can I _____," is right after the punctuation the player stopped reading at. Blows my freaking mind.

There are a number or questions on reddit that look like they could be solved just by reading the class feature in question.

 

[Peter BOSCO'S]

All but the Druid, who might have prepared any of scores of spells that day, and the Warlock, whose player seems to think that leveling up requires rebuilding, and not merely permits it in my game. The Fighter and the Rogue I understand.

 

[AnotherGuy]

The last time this statement was true for me (as DM) was during 2e.

 

[wedgeski]

I know the in's and out's of the classes in play in my weekly game, but I couldn't recite the level progression table off the top of my head.

I've never had the best recall and don't see it as an attainable goal. We bat rules questions around the table until an agreement is reached, and if we get things wrong around the edges sometimes, no biggie.

 

[BookTenTiger]

True, but not because of some Orwellian surveillance state at my table.

I'm just really interested and invested in the characters. We use Dndbeyond, and it's fun for me to explore their characters' new abilities are each level. I also have a good memory for D&D rules. I guess I'm a "fan" of the characters, and because of that I know what they can do!

 

[BrokenTwin]

I'd like to not, but two of my players have infamously poor knowledge retention, and another has some absolutely baffling interpretations of character building rules (and thus needs his sheet audited after pretty much every level up). I TELL them that I'm not responsible for knowing the minutae of their character sheets, but it feels like a lost cause sometimes.
Doesn't help that I'm usually teaching newbies, too.

 

[Mannahnin]

So very true. Last session I had a player arguing to use an ability that let's him "lways" add his wisdom mod to a particular skill being refused... "what exactly does it say"" - >"you can add your wisdom mod to a different skill under specific circumstances"

Its sad how often that kind of thing happens these days

It's always been this way. Back in the 90s we called it "pulling a Kyle" when someone failed to read the entire spell description and missed a key proviso or limitation, because our gaming buddy Kyle did it so often.

 

[Nebulous]

When they level up I go around the group and ask them what new abilities they gained, so myself and the other players are aware.

 

[Guest 7034872]

I chose "False" because there was no listed option for "Oh, dear God, no." I certainly do try to learn this stuff as best I can, but that little "as best I can" clause hides a lot. Were I to devote my every spare waking minute to mastering the material, learning absolutely every rule and absolutely every detail of every spell, ability, and item, I surely could know this stuff far better than I do.

But will I do that? Not unless someone decides to start paying me an awful lot of money for it, no.

My friends and I play this game for fun; we play it because it's fun and because we enjoy each other's company and because every one of us loves a good story. We don't play it with any notion of mastering all details of the system. I mean, I was DMing just last night--dog tired at the time, so I was not able to bring my "A game"--and I had to look up how contested Stealth checks went. One of the players had to help me out with where to look it up in the PHB. Is that something that a DM ideally would know? Of course. Did I feel guilty about it? No, of course not--don't be silly.

I almost think there should be a section devoted to this somewhere early on in the PHB and the DMG: "Managing Expectations."

 

[tetrasodium]

I almost think there should be a section devoted to this somewhere early on in the PHB and the DMG: "Managing Expectations."

That would help a lot to be able to say "Bob can you look at page xx & start doing it" instead of Bob staring at me and getting salty because the umpteenth session in a row I've corrected him on what is basically blatant cheating disguised by "oh... That was an honest mistake, I don't know how I overlooked that...." possibly with a side if "Chill out I'm not cheating or doing it on purpose" if ever really questioned or called on it.

 

[el-remmen]

I don’t understand what the question actually is, then. Is it “I try to remember how all the PCs’ abilities work”?

Basically. Or "I study the PCs' abilities."

 

[Seramus]

I generally know about 90% since I'm a mechanics junkie and love to learn how all the pieces can fit together. I also love Legos, Erector Sets, and Lincoln Logs.

 

[Charlaquin]

Basically. Or "I study the PCs' abilities."

Ok. That’s a yes from me then.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I generally do, but not because I need to, I just hyper focus on the game and learn as much as I can, so I still voted no. If someone plays a cleric, l have much less idea what is happening.