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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 7427439" data-attributes="member: 45197">Hiya.I did NOT read the whole thread, so if this has been mentioned upstream, sorry. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />WARNING!! Semi-Rant cause by flare up of Grognardia Curmudgeonitis! For those that don't want to read: "It's not a system problem...it's a DM problem" is the gist of it all.IMNSHO, Matt Colville is "DM'ing wrong"...at least from where I stand on RPG's. From what I gather, he's a DM that "builds to the PC's". I am 99% against that whole concept. If you do this, and I'm pretty sure he does, then yeah, the "5 minute work day" is going to be a thing simply because you are making it a thing. Players aren't stupid. If they are 3rd level and they just took on a bunch of goblins without too much trouble, they will continue on. If the next "encounter" is a hobgoblin and his pet mountain lion, the players "know" that he is within the realm of possibility to be defeated. Why? Because they KNOW that the DM "built this encounter specifically for them". After defeating this guy, and being beaten up and using a couple 1-per-day resources....they WILL stop. Because they KNOW that you, the DM, have built encounters "specifically for them"...at 'full capability'. So they KNOW that the next encounter WILL be far more tough...or should be. If, for whatever reason they press on, then they KNOW that you, the DM, WILL adjust-on-the-fly the next encounter so that it's no overwhelmingly likely to be a TPK.THAT is Matt's problem. Not the system and not any "rules mechanics". It's him. He's DM'ing "wrong"...at least IMNSHO.If the DM ignores the PC's specific make up and only thinks in terms of "there's 5 of them and they're about level 3", it will be better. When the DM does what he is supposed to (as per "old skool" DM thinking), which is design the world and adventures logically as his campaign setting dictates, you won't have the "5 minute workday". We never had this problem up until 3e. When I was playing 3e (not DM'ing), the system pretty much encouraged the "kill, kill, Nova-kill, rest" mantra because, well, EVERYTHING in the game was designed around this idea of PC's being "at full". With 3e onward, the game designers all had this sort of "players should win most of the time" mentality. Maybe it was from their upbringing, maybe it was from video games, maybe it was from something else...the point is that RPG'ing became not so much as a "use your imagination and co-operation to defeat/overcome challenges", but more of a "use your imagination, co-operation, and special abilities to win". When a game system gives the Players choices and powers every level, more or less, it is encouraging the "use these abilities...stop when you run out". This, again IMNSHO, does a rather large harm to RPG'ing. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />Right. So enough b'chin and whi'nin from me. Matt (or any other DM out there), if you are reading this for whatever reason, next time you "design an adventure", try designing it being high-level without having any consideration for the PC's at all...not even level. Then place it in front of them during a session. See if they are smart enough to figure out "Whoa! We're level 3 and that right there, guarding that huge entrance, is a 6-pack of Hellhounds!?  ...uh...nope!...Time to turn around guys!". IF they do...that is a GOOD sign! If they DON'T...then it's proof that they are "expecting to win because you build encounters to suit them". If the later, then you need to adjust your DM'ing style...not adjust "encouragements" to the players to continue.^_^Paul L. Ming (...STILL a "Killer DM"...I guess...)</blockquote>

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