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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheSword" data-source="post: 8870118" data-attributes="member: 6879661">Power gaming is a problem of relativity. Between different players and between the expectations of a GM and the players. For all that bounded accuracy is a thing, a set of well crafted characters can curb stomp things Many many CR higher than their APL. Despite crafty intelligent monster play. I’ve seen that many many times over my DMing career. Some times I’ve even made the problem worse with an unforeseen Magic item, more generous points buy, or a free feat at 1st level that has damaged the math of the game. That isn’t in itself a problem if the DM can keep upping the difficulty of the game to compensate.The problem is that the more powerful the party the more hoops the GM has to jump through to challenge the party. Monster Manual creatures no longer provide a challenge, even AC18+ creatures many CR higher become trivial to hit. Party damage increases exponentially and NPC and DMs must rely on tricks to last more than a round.As a DM I don’t want to play in a game that runs like a CRPG on story mode. Where foes are trivial. I want a sense of achievement, use of tactics, and combat seen as dangerous. The risk of death (not by rocks falling) has to be present in the game otherwise it might as well not include combat in my opinion. That’s not to same some people might not like it, it just isn’t my cup of tea. I’m interested in playing out foregone conclusions.That said, I’m all for an honest conversation. I had such a conversation in our last session where the party had hit level 10 and were throwing CR 13-15 creatures around like kids toys. I explained how I felt and the group suggested some mitigations, one player gave up wearing a magic shield that was increasing their armour class substantially and switched to two handed. Another agreed to a modification to the grapple rules. Another suggested switching an item power that increased spell DCs to something else.I think it’s acceptable as a DM to say, look guys, I’m not enjoying this because you have gotten too powerful. If you want to carry on playing these characters then we need to change something. I then meet them half way and do my own work to keep the campaign going. The following session then went well.I have learnt to set expectations very early on and be very careful not to increase party power any more than the structure of the game allows. No bonuses, no magic items that increase spell DCs or ability scores, Magic +1 weapons extremely limited. In short, tactical options not force multipliers.I do think that One D&D fixes a lot of my greatest concerns.</blockquote>

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