D&D (2024) Homebrew and the Origins playtest, how does it affect your rules?

[FitzTheRuke]

I'll treat it like I treat new games, new editions, and new recipes. Follow along as written at least once, then fiddle with it.

That said, the autosuccess on a nat 20 is going to be a pain to deal with. The current player habit is to shout out a skill name and chuck a d20 before waiting for the referee to even acknowledge the player's said something, much less sussed out the actual interaction of the situation. A player who's yelled a skill name, thrown a die across the table, and sees a nat 20 is going to be even harder to talk down when the rules specifically tell them they've autosucceeded at whatever random thing they think they're doing without consulting the referee first.

Not much you can do with the rules to avoid inconsiderate players. The best thing to do there is to tell them that they have to "play nice with others" (and that this behavior doesn't qualify). Heck, maybe being told that their unasked-for crit does not, in fact, count for anything, will help to teach them to wait before they roll, because there's actual consequences for them for their bad behavior.

 

[overgeeked]

Not much you can do with the rules to avoid inconsiderate players. The best thing to do there is to tell them that they have to "play nice with others" (and that this behavior doesn't qualify). Heck, maybe being told that their unasked-for crit does not, in fact, count for anything, will help to teach them to wait before they roll, because there's actual consequences for them for their bad behavior.

You'd think, but no. It's an uphill battle that I've been fighting the entire length of this edition, hasn't stopped a single player from doing it. I cannot fight against the entire culture of 5E by myself at my table. This is also why the designers decided to change the rules of critting skill check...because that's simply how everyone plays anyway, rather than fight it, they changed the game to match.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

You'd think, but no. It's an uphill battle that I've been fighting the entire length of this edition, hasn't stopped a single player from doing it. I cannot fight against the entire culture of 5E by myself at my table. This is also why the designers decided to change the rules of critting skill check...because that's simply how everyone plays anyway, rather than fight it, they changed the game to match.

I have to admit, I do know about D&D editions encouraging certain bad behaviors (for example, I didn't enjoy 3.x for most of its run because it did so much to encourage power gamers and rules lawyers). I also wasn't too fond of PF2's 3-action economy (looks GREAT on paper!) because I always had to enforce it when players constantly tried to do FOUR (or stop at 2!) actions on their turn.

I haven't found 5e to be too bad for this, but I often play with people who are either new (so therefore listen to what they're told) or my home group (so have long ago worked out how we do things) OR here on PBP (who are generally on their best behavior, for the most part).

In spite of running in-store games, I haven't played with a lot of people who know what they're doing, but have a lot of bad habits. Not lately. (I have done it A LOT in the past!)

So 5e has been good for me when it comes to this. I can see how this new rule could potentially cause some friction, though thankfully it won't come up often. (They would have to BOTH roll out-of-turn AND get a crit.) It will be annoying when it happens, though!

 

[darjr]

I'll treat it like I treat new games, new editions, and new recipes. Follow along as written at least once, then fiddle with it.

That said, the autosuccess on a nat 20 is going to be a pain to deal with. The current player habit is to shout out a skill name and chuck a d20 before waiting for the referee to even acknowledge the player's said something, much less sussed out the actual interaction of the situation. A player who's yelled a skill name, thrown a die across the table, and sees a nat 20 is going to be even harder to talk down when the rules specifically tell them they've autosucceeded at whatever random thing they think they're doing without consulting the referee first.

I dint generally have this problem. I do have players considering a nat 20 a success on skills but usually only new players and after I tell them the real rule they go along.

Also the rule does say it’s for things that are possible, jus throwing out a skill doesn’t mean attempting it means there is a possible success to be had. I think players, at least most of the knee I’ve run for, would be fine with that.

Though I am now thinking of a house rule were if a player attempts a thing that is not possible to succeed at I’ll allow it but with a sacrifice, scaled to the wildness if the attempt.

 

[Bupp]

I'll treat it like I treat new games, new editions, and new recipes. Follow along as written at least once, then fiddle with it.

That said, the autosuccess on a nat 20 is going to be a pain to deal with. The current player habit is to shout out a skill name and chuck a d20 before waiting for the referee to even acknowledge the player's said something, much less sussed out the actual interaction of the situation. A player who's yelled a skill name, thrown a die across the table, and sees a nat 20 is going to be even harder to talk down when the rules specifically tell them they've autosucceeded at whatever random thing they think they're doing without consulting the referee first.

I tell my players that a die roll doesn't count unless I call for it.

 

[Li Shenron]

You'd think, but no. It's an uphill battle that I've been fighting the entire length of this edition, hasn't stopped a single player from doing it. I cannot fight against the entire culture of 5E by myself at my table.

I thought you were a bit overreacting on one of your previous posts, but then you posted this... doesn't sound like you're playing with nice people at all. If they're your best friend I can understand not wanting to lose them, but if not, I'd just kick them out and not play with them at all. Do you have other options for people to play with?

I haven't found 5e to be too bad for this, but I often play with people who are either new (so therefore listen to what they're told) or my home group (so have long ago worked out how we do things) OR here on PBP (who are generally on their best behavior, for the most part).

In spite of running in-store games, I haven't played with a lot of people who know what they're doing, but have a lot of bad habits. Not lately. (I have done it A LOT in the past!)

I share the same experience. Since 5e I've almost exclusively been playing with beginners and casual gamers, people who "I've heard about D&D and would like to try". And it's been a blessing. No rules lawyering, no powergaming, no obsession with optimization, no need for house rules (to stay on-topic)... just a lot of curiosity, and sometimes even a sense of wonder for stuff that veterans can't appreciate anymore. Can you believe that last time we organized a little one-shot at the workplace, some workmates freaked out at skeletons? It made me think... well if in real life one day I walked somewhere and saw an actual skeleton moving on its own, I'd pretty much panic or faint

 

[overgeeked]

I thought you were a bit overreacting on one of your previous posts, but then you posted this... doesn't sound like you're playing with nice people at all. If they're your best friend I can understand not wanting to lose them, but if not, I'd just kick them out and not play with them at all. Do you have other options for people to play with?

This is my experience with roughly 200 5E players over the last near-decade. I’ve booted players, had players rage-quit over taking one point of damage, had players rage-quit because mold earth wasn’t high-level earth bending, and various other hilariously petty player reactions to me just trying to run this version of the game.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'll treat it like I treat new games, new editions, and new recipes. Follow along as written at least once, then fiddle with it.

That said, the autosuccess on a nat 20 is going to be a pain to deal with. The current player habit is to shout out a skill name and chuck a d20 before waiting for the referee to even acknowledge the player's said something, much less sussed out the actual interaction of the situation. A player who's yelled a skill name, thrown a die across the table, and sees a nat 20 is going to be even harder to talk down when the rules specifically tell them they've autosucceeded at whatever random thing they think they're doing without consulting the referee first.

I mean, don't ignore the other rule that everyone talking about 1/20 is ignoring, that's also in the playtest. That being, PCs shouldn't even be rolling for something where the DC is 5 or less, or 30 or more. If it's DC30 or 31 to do the thing, they don't even get to roll.

If they're so rowdy they don't wait for you to tell them to roll, well, that's a table problem not a rules problem. It's already a problem - this won't help but you need to deal with the actual problem, the rules now already preclude that behaviour, they just need to be enforced.

 

[dave2008]

Reading all the commentary it struck me that home rules are something WotC may only have an idea of besides any if thier own or those from famous streams or players.

That got me thinking about how the playtest may be interacting with peoples home rules. How are yours being effected?

Though I don't mind the new no monster crit guideline, we can't use it in our home game because crits are the only true "hits" that take damage off your vitality (unless your HP is 0).

I think everything else works fine with our homebrew

 

[dave2008]

The current player habit is to shout out a skill name and chuck a d20 before waiting for the referee to even acknowledge the player's said something, much less sussed out the actual interaction of the situation. A player who's yelled a skill name, thrown a die across the table, and sees a nat 20 is going to be even harder to talk down when the rules specifically tell them they've autosucceeded at whatever random thing they think they're doing without consulting the referee first.

Wow, I've never had a player do that. It is firmly established in my game that you describe your action first, and I tell what, if anything, you need to roll. Never had some throw out dice first.