D&D General Harshest House Rule (in use)?

[bloodtide]

Then I believe no one in your game is choosing any skill that involves the recalling of knowledge. Do rogues use their disarm device skill? Should the player just stand up and pick the door to your garage?

Your confusing skill actions with knowledge. Skill actions are not effected.

Unless you are running the game in the real world and even then it wouldn't really be the real world, how could a person study up on your private world. If you just have everything detailed out and I can just grab your notes and go to town, does that mean I can essentially know everything about your world?

Yes. I have plenty of notes for players to read. If a player wants to have real knowledge they are welcome to read them as "homework" and then use that real knowledge in the game.

Not to be offensive at all but I am honestly baffled how this works. Even in 1e, without skills, I'd either think "yeah they'd know something about that", or I'd roll a d6 with 1 being not much and 6 being a lot. Maybe intelligence helps.

If you, the player, don't know it, then neither does your character.

For the sake of verisimilitude for your game I'd suggest all your PCs get teleported blind into your campaign and thus lose all their background knowledge from their old world. Because that is how you are making them play.

Well...they make new characters for my game. That is fairly standard.

Oh if I'd grown up in a monastery, I'd have read all the books in it. If I'd been raised on a farm, I'd know at least some of the local villagers and my neighbors. Think about all the people you know even if you are living in your mom's basement you will know people.

Not always. Sure "most" farmers know a bit about town....but not ALL of them. And how about a monastery with no books? Or even just a 'monk' that does not like to read?

I'd find your campaign as you play it pretty unbelievable.

Well....it is Harsh.

So definitely pawn stance. Character knowledge is a function purely of player knowledge; assignment of a metagame resource (skills, class levels, backgrounds, etc.) can't be used as a resource to call upon character knowledge the player doesn't already know.

I'm not really into all these fancy game words. I'd say my game is unique and not some "word" everyone says it is.

 

[TwoSix]

I'm not really into all these fancy game words. I'd say my game is unique and not some "word" everyone says it is.

I would agree that pawn stance play using a modern game engine is pretty uncommon, possibly even unique within a pretty wide area.

 

[bloodtide]

I would agree that pawn stance play using a modern game engine is pretty uncommon, possibly even unique within a pretty wide area.

So what is a pawn stance?

 

[TwoSix]

So what is a pawn stance?

I defined it back on post #169.

So definitely pawn stance. Character knowledge is a function purely of player knowledge; assignment of a metagame resource (skills, class levels, backgrounds, etc.) can't be used as a resource to call upon character knowledge the player doesn't already know.

Basically, extreme old school play. Your character's concept is entirely embodied within their class proficiencies and how you (the player) play them. The focus of play is on defeating the challenges of the dungeon through smart, cautious play. You disarm traps from player experience of knowing to cut tripwires and use ball bearings and ear trumpets, not because your character is a "thief".

 

[CreamCloud0]

Well...they make new characters for my game. That is fairly standard.

but these characters who are assumed to of existed in this world for the entirety of their lives up until this point before the campaign started and the narrative camera focused in on them? ...they know nothing about it? not even who the people in their hometown are? because you refuse to 'tell them what my character would know' about this world of which's full details exist entirely in your head.

 

[bloodtide]

but these characters who are assumed to of existed in this world for the entirety of their lives up until this point before the campaign started and the narrative camera focused in on them? ...they know nothing about it? not even who the people in their hometown are? because you refuse to 'tell them what my character would know' about this world of which's full details exist entirely in your head.

I only refused to tell them as DM during the game play. Any other time is ok with me.

Though yes, by default a character will be a culeless berk in my game. I do recommend players play such characters. And if you do want to play something else, the burden of knowledge is on you to know-things.

I defined it back on post #169.

Basically, extreme old school play. Your character's concept is entirely embodied within their class proficiencies and how you (the player) play them. The focus of play is on defeating the challenges of the dungeon through smart, cautious play. You disarm traps from player experience of knowing to cut tripwires and use ball bearings and ear trumpets, not because your character is a "thief".

Then no, that is not my game. I don't follow others 'words or definitions'.

 

[TwoSix]

Then no, that is not my game. I don't follow others 'words or definitions'.

Your play is certainly hard to pin down. It's pawn stance characterization, but outside of its normal "map-and-key" dungeon exploration home.

 

[Mannahnin]

I would firmly say "you know X NPCs." If they want to know more, they can meet them.

If you mean a player that has a character will a high skill in history. Then no.

In no way, will I ever as a DM, just tell a player endless things forever just as they wrote something like "my character is super duper smart" on a scrap of paper.

While I do like it if the characters all start knowing each other or even friends.....I leave that 100% up to the players.

So by "intro" you were just talking about a limited game? Ok. Well, in general, I do like the unlimited game. So I avoid the limited "everyone is X", unless the players really, really, really want it.

And the players can say "my character has lived in town for 20 years", and that won't change anything with me.

Oh, @ezo ...

This is a pretty extraordinary stance. The idea that in bloodtide's game you can make a character who's grown up in a village, is twenty years old, but by default the character still doesn't know the other villagers.

 

[Guest 7037866]

Oh, @ezo ...

This is a pretty extraordinary stance. The idea that in bloodtide's game you can make a character who's grown up in a village, is twenty years old, but by default the character still doesn't know the other villagers.

Yep, I'm aware of it since I was engaging with them about their game earlier upthread, but it isn't like your PC is a mindless entity in their game. They provide materials for you to learn about their game, you interact with NPCs to learn more about their game world, etc.

I agree this isn't the type of game that would appeal to many IMO. Not allowing a player to roll an Intelligence (History) check to see if the PC happens to know some piece of history seems odd at best. But they play their way and that's ok.

 

[Mannahnin]

Yep, I'm aware of it since I was engaging with them about their game earlier upthread, but it isn't like your PC is a mindless entity in their game. They provide materials for you to learn about their game, you interact with NPCs to learn more about their game world, etc.

I agree this isn't the type of game that would appeal to many IMO. Not allowing a player to roll an Intelligence (History) check to see if the PC happens to know some piece of history seems odd at best. But they play their way and that's ok.

I can't imagine running a game where the aforementioned PC went to talk to the town blacksmith or miller and when the player asked me "Ok, what's his name and what do I know about him?" replying "You know nothing. Yes, I understand you've lived in the same village of 100 people with him since you were born. You're a clueless berk."

For me it has nothing to do with rolling a History check, and much more to do with the concept that obviously virtually any PC in that situation would already know who the blacksmith or miller was, their name, where they live, and some basic biographical data, at least.

As for "provide materials for you to learn about their game", they explicitly said they'd give you a paragraph of basically useless general data. "And sure, "some basic info" will be in the player handout. But, it's about useless. Even just a small town, the players won't get more then a paragraph of things. And a single paragraph won't tell you much about a town at all. "

I, too, would usually give a short paragraph of data about the starting village, but primarily in the interests of speed and not making the players do a bunch of homework. If they ask me the name of the village healer or headman of the village they grew up in, I just TELL them.