It's not because jump distances in D&D are based on mathematical precision and real life measurement. They're based on simplicity and happen to be in the ballpark.
D&D General Compelling and Differentiated Gameplay For Spellcasters and Martial Classes
- Thread starter Campbell
- Start date
It's not because jump distances in D&D are based on mathematical precision and real life measurement. They're based on simplicity and happen to be in the ballpark.
Garthanos
Arcadian Knight
We are arguing that the game assumes and limits non magic characters to almost entirely realistic caliber movement and impact on the environment (like that size limit on the grapple) AND almost never anything that corresponds to Beowulf fighting for an hour underwater without air. That wasn't something he made up.
Garthanos
Arcadian Knight
Ballpark of COMPLETELY and UTTERLY NON-Heroic Class effect
And with that ... I'm outta here. If you can ever have a calm conversation without getting bent out of shape let me know.
Sacrosanct
Legend
Jumping is horribly designed anyway, to be used as an example of strength. Not only for reasons you gave, but look how high jump is factored. In D&D land, the strongest people are the best high jumpers. Obviously that's not remotely accurate in real life. And to use that one example while ignoring everything else related to strength seems pretty disingenuous to me.
The fact is, is that the D&D fighter can emulate many of the heroic actions from heroes and legends of folklore (Perseus, et al), and do things no other human has a hope of doing. That's the definition of heroic/superhuman. To claim they can't because they don't have a power to teleport or go all Dragonball Z on someone is simply false. You don't have to be able to replicate spells in order to be considered heroic or superhuman.
Garthanos
Arcadian Knight
And you gonna let that 16 CON fighter fight underwater for an hour
Garthanos
Arcadian Knight
Actually if you add athletics proficiency bonus to the full jump and halve it the 20 attribute character being able to then jump 12.5 feet (if their proficiency was 5?) become the world record holder distance.
And the Football player may even be only that 18 attribute
The numbers are not horrid but they are terribly tied to the range of realistic.
Manbearcat
Legend
Quick point of minor disagreement (or perhaps just clarification).
It’s not that these effects yield non-heroic play. It’s that (a) the ceiling of efficacy is attained early on in play (fair enough), (b) therefore they don’t scale as (c) the obstacles faced should/will be scaling (in breadth and raw difficulty) and (d) Spellcasters’ capabilities (both breadth and raw power) will be scaling hugely while (e) not interacting with action resolution mechanics to determine their success/effect.
Sacrosanct
Legend
A fighter (untrained with no other expertise or history in swimming) being able to hold their breath for 6 minutes certainly is heroic. And not everything has to do with fighting. Half the complaints you've (and others) have made is about how they don't have any out of combat tricks. I can't think of several ways that holding your breath for 6 minutes can be extremely impacful out of combat.
Why am I not following my own advice? Especially since you've continued to show how you completely ignore anything anyone says that effectively disputes your claims. Like cutting off my quotes that have the relevant points to them and acting like they were never said.
*Edit for clarity, since I predict you pointing out the one or two people who can hold their breath for a long time
Last edited:
Similar Threads
