"I'm good at D&D"

[kitsune9]

Can one be "good at D&D"? What does being good at this game mean? Are you good at D&D?

Has the concept of being good at D&D changed through the years since 1974?

Bullgrit

Interesting question Bullgrit. I think the answers are going to be subjective along the lines of "What is game balance?" or "What makes a good rpg?" So we'll probably see a wide range of ideas and thoughts here. Anyways, here's my own take on it:

Being "good at D&D" is:

1. Knowing the rules as player or DM
2. Being a team player or knowing your role in a team.
3. Trying to make the experience of playing D&D not only enjoyable for yourself, but for everyone at the table.

Being "bad at D&D" is:

1. Being lazy about not knowing the rules. The point here to clarify is that there are new players who don't know the rules and are learning, and there are lazy players who don't know the rules and don't bother to learn.
2. Not being a team player when the campaign/adventure calls for it.
3. Having fun at everyone else's expense.

 

[pawsplay]

To me, being good at D&D means fluency. You don't have to be good at any particular aspect such as tactical mastery, acting, improvising social cohesion, or sharing knowledge, but you must be somewhat good at some of them. A good roleplayer has a useful response to a challenge requiring resolution. A good GM is good at posing challenges that inspire good roleplaying.

The party unexpectedly encounters the evil Duke's guard. A PC might:
- Attack the guard, taking advantage of surprise, flanking, and prepared abilities.
- Try to bluff or trick the guard.
- Surrender, trying to gain some assurances of safety.
- Shriek in terror and act like a loon.
- Run.

Any of those are fluent responses. Contrast with:
- Declaring they are rolling for initiative, and blundering into combat.
- Declaring the guard is evil and they are not cooperating.
- Attacking clearly superior opponents, or surrendering to enemies who have an obvious goal of killing them.
- Derailing the encounter with out-of-character chatter or random actions.
- Looking around for someone else to make a decision.

Those resposes lack fluency; the player does not know how to deal with a roleplaying game. Anything from a comedic response to a resounding victory to an interesting interaction can be a good outcome, whereas absurdity that lacks wit, incompetence, or stilted, unproductive interactions is generally a bad outcome.

 

[Lord Ipplepop]

As I did not go through all of the replies, I apologize if I double up on another's post.

Being "good" at D&D is, in fact, possible... and, of course, the opposite is much more likely to be noticed.

To be "good" at D&D (or any other rpg), requires that one have:
a solid knowledge of the rules
the ability to fake it- should they not have that knowledge
The ability to ROLE PLAY (not just roll dice)
The ability to take whatever role the party requires (leader, supporting act, etc)
Mostly, a player must be willing to play as a member of a team, and to help the others achieve the goal, even if it does not give them the spotlight.

I know I missed a few; however, this is what my group teaches the kids in our after school group.

 

[Betote]

It's simple. The more things you kill and the more stuff you take from them, the better you are at D&D.

 

[Phaezen]

The one who is "good" at D&D is the one who has the most fun possible when everyone else is having the most fun possible.

This.

 

[howandwhy99]

Yep, you can be "good at D&D". Here are some ways:

-Recognizing when it's time to fight and when it's time to run
-Knowing what abilities monsters have and what "level" they are
-Knowing when to check for traps and disarm them
-Knowing how to check for traps and disarm them
-Mapping well
-Working as a team in combat
-Avoiding combat if possible (pre-3E)
-Knowing when the risk is worth the reward
-Being able to solve riddles and puzzles
-Building a powerful character (more for 3E and on)
-Knowing when to rest
-Knowing what spells to memorize and when to cast them

I totally agree. It has nothing to do with rules knowledge in truth. It has to do with superior roleplaying. Since these are games about role performance, those who perform the roles best are the best at roleplaying. (if you regularly have tons of XP after only a few times playing, then this is you)

The best roleplayer is always going to be the one who is better than anyone else at the table at performing the role. In D&D's case, it's the best fighting-man, magic-user, thief, or cleric.

EDIT:

It's simple. The more things you kill and the more stuff you take from them, the better you are at D&D.

Betote understands role performance metrics. (though I personally prefer more than these two for each role)

 

[Dice4Hire]

I agree with most of the above posters. D&D is a game, and you can be 'good' at the game. Defining what 'good' is might be harder, but I think most people recognize it.

 

[FireLance]

More and more, I am starting to believe that D&D is not one game, but a combination of various mini-games, each of which requires slightly different skills and abilities to be good at. For example:

1. Character Creation
Imagination and Creativity: To come up with an interesting concept and back story.
Rules Mastery: To identify mechanically optimal and/or thematically suitable options.

2. Combat
Rules Mastery: To create a mechanically optimal character and use it well.
Teamwork: To work well together as a party.

3. Structured Problem-Solving e.g. standard traps, logic puzzles
Rules Mastery: To create a mechanically optimal character and follow the "correct" procedure (where relevant).
Logical Thinking: To work out logical solutions to problems.

4. Unstructured Problem-Solving e.g. open-ended problems, achieving long-term plans and goals
General Knowledge: To bring in relevant real-world experience and information.
Imagination and Creativity: To come up with novel solutions.

5. Story-telling
Imagination and Creativity: To create an interesting character and have it perform amusing or dramatic actions.
Description: To narrate ongoing game events in an entertaining manner.​

There may be other mini-games and skills that enable you to be good at them, but these are what I can come up with for now.