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Is D&D combat fun?
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<blockquote data-quote="mrswing" data-source="post: 8410135" data-attributes="member: 9984"><p>I would also have voted for 50/50 if that were possible on the poll.</p><p></p><p>The fact is, I love the idea of D&D combat. And I have always been disappointed by it. In 1e AD&D we quit playing halfway through the module The Gauntlet because there was this fort full of medium-level humanoids (5 to 7 HD) barring the way of the party, and the fight lasted FOREVER to the point where the players just gave up. </p><p></p><p>Now, in 5e, I am still not happy with combat, not when I run it, not when another DM runs it while I am a PC. There are moments where it's fun - the well-placed crit, the final blow that takes down a scary threat, etc. But mostly, it's a slog. Players almost always fall back on the same approaches (ranger: sharpshooter + dread ambusher, fighter: I hit it with my sword, Barbarian: I get mad and hit it REALLY hard with my axe, Cleric: here come the spirit guardians!, artificer: here's my turret blasting everybody to smithereens etc.). So every fight is approached in exactly the same way - and not doing so would be stupid. </p><p></p><p>I also have come to the conclusion that the generic actions (shove etc.) are almost never used even though it's good that they are explicitly present in the ruleset. Also, the AoO rule now basically ensures that no one runs away from their opponent because that either means a free attack on you or a Disengage which means you do nothing 'cool' (which really means 'violent') this turn. </p><p></p><p>Then there's the strange phenomenon that many fights start out with a feeling that the PCs are going to get stomped really bad, and then hafway through it changes: victory becomes inevitable. But because of the hit point bloat and not enough options to take opponents out of the fight in a non-lethal way, the fight drags on and on and loses most of its excitement. In real life, pointing your sword at the chest or head of a disarmed opponent would be enough to make them reconsider their options; in D&D, they 'know' they can take 'just a flesh wound if even that' and have no reason not to continue the fight. </p><p></p><p>Personally, I think the rules need to stimulate the visual aspects of the fight (hit locations, called shots, detailed crits, specific moves) - that's what I would call cinematic combat. Many of these options are present as optional rules in the DMG but rarely if ever used.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="mrswing, post: 8410135, member: 9984"] I would also have voted for 50/50 if that were possible on the poll. The fact is, I love the idea of D&D combat. And I have always been disappointed by it. In 1e AD&D we quit playing halfway through the module The Gauntlet because there was this fort full of medium-level humanoids (5 to 7 HD) barring the way of the party, and the fight lasted FOREVER to the point where the players just gave up. Now, in 5e, I am still not happy with combat, not when I run it, not when another DM runs it while I am a PC. There are moments where it's fun - the well-placed crit, the final blow that takes down a scary threat, etc. But mostly, it's a slog. Players almost always fall back on the same approaches (ranger: sharpshooter + dread ambusher, fighter: I hit it with my sword, Barbarian: I get mad and hit it REALLY hard with my axe, Cleric: here come the spirit guardians!, artificer: here's my turret blasting everybody to smithereens etc.). So every fight is approached in exactly the same way - and not doing so would be stupid. I also have come to the conclusion that the generic actions (shove etc.) are almost never used even though it's good that they are explicitly present in the ruleset. Also, the AoO rule now basically ensures that no one runs away from their opponent because that either means a free attack on you or a Disengage which means you do nothing 'cool' (which really means 'violent') this turn. Then there's the strange phenomenon that many fights start out with a feeling that the PCs are going to get stomped really bad, and then hafway through it changes: victory becomes inevitable. But because of the hit point bloat and not enough options to take opponents out of the fight in a non-lethal way, the fight drags on and on and loses most of its excitement. In real life, pointing your sword at the chest or head of a disarmed opponent would be enough to make them reconsider their options; in D&D, they 'know' they can take 'just a flesh wound if even that' and have no reason not to continue the fight. Personally, I think the rules need to stimulate the visual aspects of the fight (hit locations, called shots, detailed crits, specific moves) - that's what I would call cinematic combat. Many of these options are present as optional rules in the DMG but rarely if ever used. [/QUOTE]
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