payn
I don't believe in the no-win scenario
I'll be honest and it didn't occur to me that being competent might mean not being overshadowed. It makes sense, but I haven't had this problem at the table in years. The more I think about it has to do with recognizing much of the above list and instituting it. I dont have a list myself, and probably would never write one, but yes I do some of the above.In 5e that third one ("I want to be competent") demands game knowledge on behalf of DM and players. As an example of the sorts of considerations they should have
- The group need to play what I call "DMG D&D" which means at minimum applying the DMG ability check rules, the social interaction mechanics, and the full rules for earning XP.
- GM should simplify their thinking on setting difficulty classes, using a small set of well-telegraphed (if not outright announced) step values
- Players need to understand their characters mechanically
- The group should talk about the kind of campaign they will play, so that characters with effective features can be chosen (there's a huge diversity of options, and some are most effective in specific kinds of campaign)
- Use either standard array or points buy and agree on a judicious subset of races (otherwise you may see overshadowing, which can make some characters feel less competent)
- Only allow multiclassing if all players have strong game knowledge (otherwise, again, those with stronger knowledge may overshadow those without)
- Don't allow bladesingers, and restrict sharpshooter's extra-damage attack to heavy ranged weapons (I would call these out as most likely to overshadow, again risking making others feel less competent)
- Encourage players to confer as they generate characters so that they can create space for and synergies with one another
Now this part is interesting. At no point did we ever feel incompetent in PbtA Monster of the Week, and certainly nobody felt overshadowed by another's playbook. The more narrative style is a lot more satisfying in my opinion from a competence stand point. Maybe I've just ditched optimizing powergamers but its strange to even consider the topic for pbta in my experiences with it.No doubt folk can disagree with that list. The resilient point is that "I want to be competent" will often demand both game knowledge and choices about the game. To give an example from a PbtA game - Monster of the Week - think carefully before allowing The Divine (and in particular Angel Wings) because that playbook/power can very easily overshadow others, making them feel less competent.