D&D 5E (2014) Does your group use inspiration? If not, why not?

[Raith5]

We had a bard who (continually) riffed songs and poems off his traits etc to get the DM to give inspiration. As a group we had to make choice between having bards or inspiration in future campaigns and having bards won.

 

[Li Shenron]

I dunno. Maybe because we are playing a cooperative game? And I already spent mine on something that saved your bacon?

There is no "mine" in, "if the dragon's breath recharges before we kill it, we are all toast."

It's not like not using inspiration (or using it, but ignoring the option for passing to someone else) makes the game non-cooperative...

The weirdness of this "player handing over inspiration to another" is that it has a faint shade of player-DM adversity. It sounds like it can be used when the DM doesn't grant player X inspiration, and player Y disagrees and steps in granting her own. So the DM has decided it is not enough to grant inspiration, but the player can override the decision (although at a personal cost)... it doesn't vibe with me.

On one hand, it doesn't sound that different from handing over a healing potion, does it? On the other hand, it feels more similar to passing over your XP or a condition. To me it feels just as goofy as one player saying "hey your Wizard is near levelling up, my Fighter is far away, have 500XP of mine and the whole party will be stronger", or "I have this Bless bonus but I don't need it right now, let me pass it on to someone else". Yes, it's very cooperative, but it just doesn't feel right to me.

And possibly the second half of the reason is that it doesn't feel justified enough by narrative. A potion is an object, no reason to explain how you can pass it around. But inspiration? If you have become inspired, how do you pass it around? I am sure someone immediately thinks "I make an awesome speech and inspire the others!" but the rule is disconnected from the PC's ability to make a speech, and it's way too open and generic... rephrasing the last question, if you have become inspired by playing according to your values (e.g. being generous -> donating to the poor), how do you pass your inspiration to a character that has different/conflicting values (e.g. greedy -> steals from everyone)? And even if you can pass it around by making a speech, why do you lose it in the process?

 

[Teemu]

I’ve ditched inspiration a while ago. We tried different ways of handling it (DM gives, players grant it, etc.) but everyone always forgot to use it or give it. I adopted a version of 4e’s action points instead and it’s been working well.

 

[Aldarc]

Though I can both see and understand their appeal to some, mechanics like this are far too 'meta' for my liking.

You were one of the people, along with @prabe, I had in mind when I said that Inspiration falls into the uncanny valley of meta mechanics. Unsurprisingly, I'm on the other side of the valley. In Fate, there is a fate point economy where simply roleplaying and playing the game will reinforce the Aspects (the closest equivalent of bonds, flaws, ideals) of the character and generate more points. But Fate points are integrated into the game not as a vestigial limb, but as a core part of it. Inspiration seems too detached from character, and the feedback loop of how Inspiration is rewarded and spent seems incredibly off (design-wise) from what it seems like it's meant to do. If feels like a half-arsed Fate point system, but doesn't really please the people who like Fate mechanics, but even half an arse is too much arse for those who dislike Fate point systems.

 

[CubicsRube]

You were one of the people, along with @prabe, I had in mind when I said that Inspiration falls into the uncanny valley of meta mechanics. Unsurprisingly, I'm on the other side of the valley. In Fate, there is a fate point economy where simply roleplaying and playing the game will reinforce the Aspects (the closest equivalent of bonds, flaws, ideals) of the character and generate more points. But Fate points are integrated into the game not as a vestigial limb, but as a core part of it. Inspiration seems too detached from character, and the feedback loop of how Inspiration is rewarded and spent seems incredibly off (design-wise) from what it seems like it's meant to do. If feels like a half-arsed Fate point system, but doesn't really please the people who like Fate mechanics, but even half an arse is too much arse for those who dislike Fate point systems.

That was my thought behind allowing advantage for actions that utilise the ITBFs rather than inspiration.

Like a rogue who can get advantage on a stealth roll because their ideal is the be the "sneakiest thief in the world" or perhaps that they can get advantage on a deception roll because "I naturally distrust everyone".

 

[prabe]

You were one of the people, along with @prabe, I had in mind when I said that Inspiration falls into the uncanny valley of meta mechanics. Unsurprisingly, I'm on the other side of the valley. In Fate, there is a fate point economy where simply roleplaying and playing the game will reinforce the Aspects (the closest equivalent of bonds, flaws, ideals) of the character and generate more points. But Fate points are integrated into the game not as a vestigial limb, but as a core part of it. Inspiration seems too detached from character, and the feedback loop of how Inspiration is rewarded and spent seems incredibly off (design-wise) from what it seems like it's meant to do. If feels like a half-arsed Fate point system, but doesn't really please the people who like Fate mechanics, but even half an arse is too much arse for those who dislike Fate point systems.

Heh. My own issues are that it doesn't do enough, and it is as written a lot of extra load on the DM. There are five things per character to keep track of, and I have tables with six and five players; I can keep track of major backstory points for that many characters, and tie them into the campaign, but that many discreet facts--not so much. If you've seen me rant about meta mechanics that allow someone else to play the character, this--maybe strangely--doesn't scrape against those: It's all reward and entirely by player choice.

 

[The Green Hermit]

Heh. My own issues are that it doesn't do enough, and it is as written a lot of extra load on the DM. There are five things per character to keep track of, and I have tables with six and five players; I can keep track of major backstory points for that many characters, and tie them into the campaign, but that many discreet facts--not so much. If you've seen me rant about meta mechanics that allow someone else to play the character, this--maybe strangely--doesn't scrape against those: It's all reward and entirely by player choice.

That's why I award them for good roleplaying/good ideas, and not on keeping track of their flaws/bonds/etc.

 

[prabe]

That's why I award them for good roleplaying/good ideas, and not on keeping track of their flaws/bonds/etc.

That would probably be the way I'd do it, if I were to do it (though I'd then be worried about playing favorites, or only encouraging a certain type of roleplay--which is entirely about my concerns about myself, to be clear). Fortunately, the players I DM for roleplay extraordinarily well without it.

 

[Azzy]

Yes, but... My group tends to forget about it and it's been inconsistent. I'm hoping to rectify this in my current campaign.

 

[rgoodbb]

As I most often (as an occasional DM) forget, I get the players to grant it to other players for inspired roleplay. It is one d20 that is often banded around or completely forgotten by players. Either way I as a DM do not have to think about it and the players do. Win/Win.