D&D 5E Defining fun

[Mistwell]

I'm actually fine with that. Let it be written! Let it be done!

Given your total lack of objection for the past 14 years, I think it's fair to suspect you're altering your viewpoint purely because it's now a fighter-type that has it, rather than because it was always viewed by you as an unfun-type mechanic.

 

[Hussar]

I'm actually fine with that. Let it be written! Let it be done!



You can play any way you want. I was merely answering the assertion that there were no rules for such things. I think perhaps some of the confusion stems from a subjective interpretation of what a RULE is. A particular treatment of something can be governed by rules without being a complete procedural dice wankfest that doesn't require human input to resolve. Crazy right?

So the reaction rule is the baseline situation. It is there because the players have little to no control over first reactions. This is why a decent CHA score isn't such a bad idea if you happen to have it.


If the reaction roll permits anything other than raw hostility, the players get to engage the situation and roleplay outside of combat. I don't consider opportunities for freeform roleplay in an rpg to be "throwing up my hands" because there aren't any rules to cover it. For those that do want the rules to handle every aspect of play for them there are plenty of those rules available to use.

But your initial response was to a comment that AD&D doesn't have rules for determining the outcome of the talky bits. And that's a fair criticism. None of the mechanics you point to resolve the outcome of the talky bits.

Morale rules only come into play after you've beaten on a critter for a while. Granted, they do allow a fight to end before reducing baddies to 0 HP, but, the goal of beating on something is pretty much to reduce something to 0 HP. Then again, I wish Morale rules were something that would come back. I LIKE them.

But, a complete absence of rules is not a rule. Sorry, it's like talking about the rules for fatigue in Monopoly. They just aren't there.