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Message: <blockquote data-quote="El Mahdi" data-source="post: 6751693" data-attributes="member: 59506">Well said, Mellored.  I'd like to expound on this though - and on other questions that have been raised in this thread - for the reading audience.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />The label Lazylord simply highlights that the character isn't "physically" active in combat most of the time.  They are however, always "mentally" active - always observing, thinking, analyzing, and communicating.  They are most certainly not being Lazy.But another issue was raised: What is a Warlord doing to enable other characters to do more than they normally would?  To be better than they normally would?  How does a Warlord make someone that is already doing everything they can, be better?To answer that, we first need to make a clarification: D&D characters are not always performing optimally - and I'm not talking about how they are played.If D&D characters were somehow performing at peak efficiency at every moment - something that should be noted is impossible even in real-life - then they wouldn't need to roll a D20.  They'd only have a static number modeling their peak level of performance, and we would simply compare that with a target number.  There would be little or no randomness - no dice rolling.The dice have multiple purposes: 1) because it's a game; 2) to generate a sense of uncertainty and tension; and 3) to model the variability from moment to moment of people's actions - variable focus, variable effort, variable success.We see this in real-life all the time.  Just watch any sports event to see it in action.  These are professional athletes, trained to the peak of performance.  Shouldn't they be performing optimally at every moment?If this were true, there'd be no need to even play the game.  Simply quantify the abilities of each participant, factor in any external conditions that may be present, and then compare them in a simulation.  That's it.  You have your winner.But it doesn't work that way.How often have we seen a sporting event where inspiration or momentum makes the difference between victory and defeat?How many football games where the defense feeds off of the success of the offense, and vice-versa, even though there are technically two separate games being played that have no physical bearing on the other?How often have we seen a baseball team rally after a big hit - or a dramatic defensive play?  How many times have we seen a team rally around a pitcher throwing an amazing game?  Watching a team rise to the occasion, going above-and-beyond to preserve a no-hitter or a shutout?How many times have we seen a team that rallies around a player?  A player we call a "locker-room" leader...not necessarily the best player, but the one that people listen to, take advice from, the heart of the team?That's a Leader.That's a Warlord.So, the Warlord creates situations, provides timely advice, acts as a second set of eyes or a second brain, and provides inspiration - and we model that with a bonus (whether a simple plus or advantage) - a bonus that mitigates the randomness and variability of reality.And that's it.  Easy Peasy.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

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