Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
New Legends & Lore: Player vs. Character
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Balesir" data-source="post: 5670155" data-attributes="member: 27160"><p>I've said elsewhere that I don't think DM fiat is (ever) useful in judging in-play outcomes; I stand by that. I think the way to engage players, for D&D, specifically, is to handle non-combat a similar way to the way combat is handled. Make the 'roll play' happen in the context of a mini-game. No-one I have encountered asks a player to swing a (replica) greatsword to show how thier character does it, or to demonstrate how they wrestle a troll to the ground. The fact that hit points and armour class are wildly unrealistic representations of how creatures may be damaged and tough clothing protects the body doesn't phase anyone. The mini-game is seen, and - importantly - understood by all at the table for what it is: a fun game inspired by and representative of a cinematic version of combat. Why not do the same for exploration and social "encounters"?</p><p></p><p>For the statue example, how about some variant of a Skill Challenge? Don't announce the level of the challenge and so on - just allow Perception and Thievery rolls (and maybe others, if the mode of use can be explained); successes bring items of information ("there are scrape marks on the floor near the base", "you find a small protrusion that looks like it might push in if pressed"). Three failures mean all future rolls are treated as failures. Failures may mean "you find nothing" or you actually find something that would have become evident in time anyway - you find the panel you are looking for, when a success would have also told you that the panel itself is trapped...</p><p></p><p>Combat works well as a mini-game because everyone can read the rules and grasp from that the basics of how to play it; non-combat should work the same way. This applies to the type of game supported by D&D; it matches with D&D combat. For other games that aim at a different dynamic, other methods might be preferable (Primetime Adventures' resolution system works fine for any type of "encounter" - no combat/non-combat distinction is required, just for example).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Balesir, post: 5670155, member: 27160"] I've said elsewhere that I don't think DM fiat is (ever) useful in judging in-play outcomes; I stand by that. I think the way to engage players, for D&D, specifically, is to handle non-combat a similar way to the way combat is handled. Make the 'roll play' happen in the context of a mini-game. No-one I have encountered asks a player to swing a (replica) greatsword to show how thier character does it, or to demonstrate how they wrestle a troll to the ground. The fact that hit points and armour class are wildly unrealistic representations of how creatures may be damaged and tough clothing protects the body doesn't phase anyone. The mini-game is seen, and - importantly - understood by all at the table for what it is: a fun game inspired by and representative of a cinematic version of combat. Why not do the same for exploration and social "encounters"? For the statue example, how about some variant of a Skill Challenge? Don't announce the level of the challenge and so on - just allow Perception and Thievery rolls (and maybe others, if the mode of use can be explained); successes bring items of information ("there are scrape marks on the floor near the base", "you find a small protrusion that looks like it might push in if pressed"). Three failures mean all future rolls are treated as failures. Failures may mean "you find nothing" or you actually find something that would have become evident in time anyway - you find the panel you are looking for, when a success would have also told you that the panel itself is trapped... Combat works well as a mini-game because everyone can read the rules and grasp from that the basics of how to play it; non-combat should work the same way. This applies to the type of game supported by D&D; it matches with D&D combat. For other games that aim at a different dynamic, other methods might be preferable (Primetime Adventures' resolution system works fine for any type of "encounter" - no combat/non-combat distinction is required, just for example). [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
New Legends & Lore: Player vs. Character
Top