D&D 5E Hex Shenanigans

[jaelis]

Because the person who pulls this kinda crap is the kinda person who's a PITA at the table?

People who make effective characters are PITAs? I ... guess that just hasn't been my experience.

 

[Fenris-77]

There's also a thing called post-hoc justification, which I feel is what is happening here.

In some cases perhaps, but not all by any means. I go about realizing a concept that doesn't fit neatly into one class or another exactly the same way. I don't really care about optimization, just finding the right bag of tricks.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

People who make effective characters are PITAs? I ... guess that just hasn't been my experience.

yes, that is exactly what I said.

I think it says a lot about you that you consider a multiclass monstrosity like Fighter 3/Sorcerer 4/Rogue 7 to be "effective" and not "multiclass munchkin monstrosity with a scotch-taped on story"

 

[jaelis]

yes, that is exactly what I said.

I think it says a lot about you that you consider a multiclass monstrosity like Fighter 3/Sorcerer 4/Rogue 7 to be "effective" and not "multiclass munchkin monstrosity with a scotch-taped on story"

Is it monstrous because it is effective or because it is a multiclass? Because I doubt that build is more powerful than any number of single-class characters.

I like to think I'm not a PITA, and if the DM tells me that a game won't use multiclassing, that would not bother me at all. But if we are playing with multiclassing and I use those rules to put together a character that I think will be interesting and fun to play, I would be pretty taken aback if the DM turned around and said I was a monstrous munchkin.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Well, it seems from this thread that what some people see as gaming the system, others see as just playing the game. Being able to explain the basis of your own reaction seems helpful for resolving that kind of dispute.

Bear in mind I pretty much agree with you here on not liking it. But I think I can say why: first, because it is up to the DM to decide if something like a chicken counts as a creature, so if you just assume it works then you're appropriating that decision. Second, I think it is up to the DM to decide whether a longer-than-necessary period of rest counts as multiple rests or not. Again I would be annoyed with a player who didn't feel that was my decision.

Maybe those are the things that bother you, I don't know. But for me, if a player just asked what counted as a target for hex, and how I wanted sequential rests to work, and then abided by my decision, I would have no ill feelings at all.

I actually don't think it is unreasonable for the player to assume that a chicken can be hexed, barring an existing ruling to the contrary. Certainly, if the DM objects I don't think the player should belabor the point, but I think it's a reasonable assumption.

I also don't really see the rest distinction. I mean, I'll respect the DM's ruling either way, but I see no real bearing on how recent the long rest was to whether the warlock can recover spells. Once he interrupts his long rest it is over. If he takes a short rest he recovers his spells. The warlock is designed to work on a short rest recovery, and I don't really mind them leveraging that per se.

This is more about a player who performs mental gymnastics to justify actions that are silly when examined in the context of the world. Like a character who walks around everywhere with an Eldritch Blast readied to fly.

If the player has trouble grasping it, my players or I can loan them a few issues of Knights of the Dinner Table. Before doing something, consider whether it's something those characters might do. If it is, don't do it. Is the hex chicken something I could see then doing? Absolutely.

The reason I dislike such behavior is because it is disruptive. It destroys immersion. I don't run a game like KoDT so don't bring a caricature that belongs in it to my table. (Mind you, I love KoDT. It's hilarious. I just wouldn't want to play with most of those guys.)

 

[jasper]

What's that? I played some AL but I never multi-classed an AL PC so didn't look into it.

Free level bump from 4 to 5 spend 20 days, 10 to 11 80 days, 16 to 17 200 days.
edit to add.
Thanks for asking this question Oofta. I just notice my DM screen has last years rules. Need to up date the screen.

 

[jaelis]

This is more about a player who performs mental gymnastics to justify actions that are silly when examined in the context of the world.

I don't understand why this would be silly in the context of your world. If its uncontroversial that a warlock can hex a chicken, and that any warlock can renew their arcane power whenever they sit and chill for an hour, then why wouldn't every warlock just do that? What is disruptive or immersion-breaking about it?

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

I don't understand why this would be silly in the context of your world. If its uncontroversial that a warlock can hex a chicken, and that any warlock can renew their arcane power whenever they sit and chill for an hour, then why wouldn't every warlock just do that? What is disruptive or immersion-breaking about it?

Again with the overly logical thinking.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I don't understand why this would be silly in the context of your world. If its uncontroversial that a warlock can hex a chicken, and that any warlock can renew their arcane power whenever they sit and chill for an hour, then why wouldn't every warlock just do that?

Because you're not thinking of this as rules for a game that happen to take place in an imaginary world.

Instead, you are trying to say that the rules define this imaginary world.

In other words, in your conception, a 20th level fighter says, "Hey, I don't have time to wait for feather fall, so I'll just jump down that 200' chasm since I know it won't kill me, and I don't feel pain, or anything like that."

It's a completely different understanding of, um, playing D&D. It's okay, but it's different.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Because you're not thinking of this as rules for a game that happen to take place in an imaginary world.

Instead, you are trying to say that the rules define this imaginary world.

In other words, in your conception, a 20th level fighter says, "Hey, I don't have time to wait for feather fall, so I'll just jump down that 200' chasm since I know it won't kill me, and I don't feel pain, or anything like that."

It's a completely different understanding of, um, playing D&D. It's okay, but it's different.

@jaelis This.