Difficulty levels in D&D?

[howandwhy99]

I was wondering if D&D might succeed in this fashion by increasing the difficulty levels. Instead of expecting you to fight every encounter, the adventure module might almost expect you to think of alternatives, especially if the players don't feel confident that they will beat every encounter like they're used to in a standard D&D game. This might seem contrary to the spirit of D&D, and especially to the philosophy of 4E, but for someone like me who considers consecutive battles to be often repetitive and tiresome (tactics is not the end-all-be-all for me), could it work to increase difficulty to tweak the feel of D&D?

So your first sentence and your last refer to difficulty, but which do you mean? Is it less of a "sweet spot" for die rolls, More complexity for encounters resulting in combat, thereby making them desirable to flee, or maybe too emotionally off putting given the circumstances depicted? If you're hoping to stop players from engaging in anything but combats with low degrees of success, then only offer those. At least offer something else as an alternative to combat, if you don't wish it to be a primary element. Either way get the players to sign on first. Maybe they like this kind of play? If your the player and don't, they probably will not engage.

And like a video game, could the difficulty level be layered over the standard adventure so that you could play one way or another without segmenting your customers?

You mentioned adventure design expectations upon the players. I think focus is needed, but a scripted storyline is something I don't care for either. What I do is an attempt / result game. Players have total autonomy (within table rules) for what their PCs attempt. I tell them the results even if it's simply an Okay. Then I put them in a big dungeon (world) based upon bog standard D&D. You're in level 1. You can attempt to go to level 10, if you desire, but each level you pass through will be progressively more challenging in every way.

Yeah, you could still go grim and gritty and increase the die roll difficulty, but I'd be wary of going too far in either direction with this. Players will generally advance or retreat quickly to the difficulty level where they are happy, which is commonly proficient yet interesting. It's sort of "just tough enough". They'll also move towards their desired type of interaction with the game, if a variety of interfaces keep showing themselves.. I wouldn't worry too much about them following their own desires once the expected event fol]lowing is gone and once they get the idea that the game covers everything they can convey. Well, as long are actually they are "in" a dynamic game world.

 

[NoWayJose]

So your first sentence and your last refer to difficulty, but which do you mean? Is it less of a "sweet spot" for die rolls, More complexity for encounters resulting in combat, thereby making them desirable to flee, or maybe too emotionally off putting given the circumstances depicted?

I don't know exactly. If you think difficulty level is a misnomer, maybe just label it 'choose your style' (fun and casual, gritty and challenging, etc.) where mechanics and adventure is structured to facilitate that play style. Like I wrote initially, this is just a thought experiment.

If you're hoping to stop players from engaging in anything but combats with low degrees of success, then only offer those.

I wasn't leaning to tweaking a homegrown campaign. I was curious if this was theoretically possible for official WoTC, Pathfinder or 3rd party publisher materials.

At least offer something else as an alternative to combat, if you don't wish it to be a primary element.

I have been out of RPing for a while, but do most published adventures suggest something else as an alternative to combat, or does the adventure and/or DM more-or-less expect the PCs to slug it out through every encounter? I remember some sessions where it didn't seem to matter what the players said to try to talk their way out of combat, we almost always ended up in combat, maybe because our persuasive roleplaying sucked, maybe because the DM had planned for and expected to "use up" every major encounter, maybe because the adventure was structured to best fit that kind of 'next battle, ok, next battle' formula.

Either way get the players to sign on first. Maybe they like this kind of play? If your the player and don't, they probably will not engage.

That's exactly why I emphasized an optional higher difficulty that is layered over the standard rules. DM buys a new adventure, it offers casual, normal, difficult, and DM and/or players have a consensus on which level or play style they'd like to attempt.

Yeah, you could still go grim and gritty and increase the die roll difficulty, but I'd be wary of going too far in either direction with this. Players will generally advance or retreat quickly to the difficulty level where they are happy, which is commonly proficient yet interesting.

I think the difficulty level they're happy with depends very much on their expectations from the system. I could be happy with a casual difficulty level in 4E D&D, and yet be paradoxically happy with a high difficulty level in Call of Cthulhu. If D&D doesn't offer a gritty alternative, or a think-before-you-act alternative, how would players know to be happy with anything but the status quo?

 

[Scott DeWar]

every one knows about combat and traps, but have you tried skill based challenges?

 

[howandwhy99]

snip

I think I'm coming off a bit harsh. If it's a hypothetical exploration of game design you're after, try defining as clearly as you feel comfortable the goal you are seeking. My breakdown was of three different kinds of difficulties, but there could be more and someone else will likely do it differently. If you know what you're looking for, it should be easier to find it.

As for adventure expectations I think it is in part both the DM and the designers who plan the module. There are many module design philosophies too, so if you don't like one, don't use it. I don't care for the fight, fight, fight model myself either. It's not quite A thru Z in the monster manual, but it can feel like it.