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ShortQuests -- Pocket Sized Adventures! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed for 1-2 game sessions.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Benjamin Olson" data-source="post: 9871826" data-attributes="member: 6988941">I think if it's something a new player, not knowing the rules, is likely to think their character should be able to try doing in these "try anything" games, it's really a lot better if there are general rules that cover it. It's just a huge turnoff if many reasonable asks are answered with "no, I'm sorry, that's a special ability of X."Yes it complicates the core rules, but it actually adds another sort of complication if something is gated by a special ability, because then one feels like they have to have system mastery to know that "no you can't do a called shot, because that's a special Marksman ability (and thus I worry the designers don't want me figuring out a way to arbitrate it with the core mechanics)" or whatever in order to run the game well. It hasn't really been made simpler as an overall system, it's just been made to look simpler by taking away freedom.If something like a "called shot" is too complicating to implement at all, most players can accept it just not being in the game. But if someone gets it, and its something anyone should be able to try then everyone should be able to try it. The person with the relevant class or ability might be the only one who's any good at it, but not being allowed to even try (if it's something achievable with luck in real life at least) just feels like an imposition.Gating things behind classes or feats just to make that class or feat feel special is also a bad idea if its something most people are likely to feel like their characters should be able to do. Nobody wants to play the TTRPG where you need a level of Orator to speak in a complete sentence (unless that's serving a really good overall design purpose).I'm struggling with this in the game I'm designing right now, because it does seem messy and complicating to have the general combat rules have a bunch of special attack options. But I'm going to set them apart from the "basic" ways to spend an action, and they will cost a "Spirit" resource to use, which hopefully helps make them something people don't feel like they have to use constantly and master to play the game, but which are easy to find and understand when someone wants to try and trip an enemy, or intimidate them or whatever.</blockquote>

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