No Longer an Interest Check - 5E Rise of Tiamat + Corebooks PBP - OOC

[billd91]

Well, that escalated quickly.

Might I suggest that people take a few steps back and chill out? Neither of you are entirely wrong... nor entirely right. tglassy is right that D&D incorporates tiers that transform the type of game that's being played... but I'd say 5e isn't nearly as extreme as either 3e or 4e because it lowers the curve substantially. Envisioner is right that the designers don't expect the PCs to be all optimized out to succeed or even excel, but they do expect the players will use class ability and spell combinations effectively - and that's OK. Wild shape is really nice in 5e... but it's not as wacky out of control as it was in 3e where a druid PC could dump their physical stats, cherry pick an animal with really good physical stats, and cast spells due to the natural spell feat. And, honestly, 5e is a good game for not having to meticulously plan out challenges and letting things emerge as the group settles into its style of play.

So can we settle that, relax a bit, and get to the game?

 

[mips42]

It's a codified game of "let's pretend". In the end, the rules aren't all that important as long as everyone agrees on them.
Play on.

 

[Envisioner]

I did not perceive any vitriol, Tglassy, and I apologize if I projected any. I think everybody's cool here, let's move on. Billd, I'll read your character when I get a moment. Mips, I'm still waiting for inspiration on how to handle Dumos's entry. LowKey, I'll give you another look-see but I think you're pretty much approved, and unlike Mips, your character seems like the type to just randomly be somewhere for no reason, so I will possibly introduce you before Dumos; I hope that doesn't annoy anyone.

 

[Envisioner]

Bannor and Robyn are approved. Tglassy, feel free to keep an eye on how I handle Robyn in particular; as a Cleric of a deity, I can always use divine intervention if I feel a spell is going to cause me difficulties, saying that Selune simply declines to provide that spell on a given day, leaving her servant with a feeling of "trust me, this other thing will serve us better" in the wake of his daily prayers (it means I'll have to haggle a bit whenever he does his preparation, but hopefully this problem will sort itself out quickly as I get more used to the available spells). I'd love to have Keth join the game later if you end up deciding that my style is satisfactory to you.

Tglassy has also persuaded me to use the Encumbrance rules. Everyone please update your character sheets (when you get a minute, it's not a high priority since we're nowhere near combat yet) to reflect their carrying capacity (5x their strength or they lose 10 speed, 10x their strength or they lose 20 speed and have disadvantage on everything physical) and the combined weight of their selected gear. I probably won't be tracking food religiously, but leave some of your carryweight reserved for at least a few servings of trail rations, in case I decide to make an issue of it in some particular situation.

GargoyleKing, feel free to post a character if you'd like, but at the moment you're an alternate.

 

[jmucchiello]

Why aren't you using the existing 5E encumbrance rules? And don't you think we might have needed to know encumbrance was in play when we set our ability scores?

 

[tglassy]

Im in a better place today than i was yesterday. And I do want to try playing Keth. He’s interesting, and the only Druid I have ever been interested in playing (other than the Earth Genasi, but that’s not an option here).

I don’t mind Home rules, or even denying a spell. I just hate making a choice, only to have it ripped from me because I use it effectively. So if we can work through PM before we get started as to how some of these spells are supposed to work, specifically Wild Shape and Conjure Animals, and how I would use them and what you would not allow, then I would have an idea of what to choose going forward, which, in the end, will determine if I want to be a Druid at all. I like outside of the box uses of spells. If every spell I try will be nurfed, then why did I pick this class? I could just change him to a Champion Fighter and be as simple as possible.

But even then, while Champion Fighters are simple, they’re beastly in a fight. They crit 10% of the time, and Half Orcs do more damage on a crit. Which is the point of the class. Would that combination need to be nerfed?

PM me if you want to start going over that and see if we can reach a common ground. I rarely get a chance to play characters even this high of a level in Play By Post. I’ve been in a few games that are three years old, but we’ve only gotten to lvl 4, almost lvl 5.

 

[mips42]

I have no issues waiting for "the right tine". Will update encumbrance when i get the opportunity (likely later today). Still pondering Dumos' backstory. May be expanding it.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Envisioner]

Why aren't you using the existing 5E encumbrance rules?

I was quoting the optional 5E encumbrance rules from the PHB. Did I get them wrong?

And don't you think we might have needed to know encumbrance was in play when we set our ability scores?

If you want to shift your ability scores around a little, go ahead.

 

[Envisioner]

GargoyleKnight, it begins to look as if this game is Going To Eleven (or at least like eight), so please do begin making a character. Recruitment is also open for anybody new who finds this thread.

Low Key and Mips and Billd, did you guys all find the IC thread okay?

But even then, while Champion Fighters are simple, they’re beastly in a fight. They crit 10% of the time, and Half Orcs do more damage on a crit. Which is the point of the class. Would that combination need to be nerfed?

Almost certainly not, just because LFQW is a thing. The most overpowered fighter in D&D history still barely pulls level with an average wizard, and druids are possibly even stronger than wizards, at least until the absolute top levels when things like Planar Binding and Wish become available to the latter. I admittedly haven't really mathed out the Champion's effectiveness, since the numbers are not the part of the game I tend to pay the most attention to; my old group noticed that 5E's rules in general tend toward "rocket tag", with damage amounts far outstripping AC and other defenses as the relevant factor for deciding combat. (In the end, Bannor's Alert feet with its +5 initiative might end up being the most OP thing in the entire party, but I decided I was okay with risking that.)

PM me if you want to start going over that and see if we can reach a common ground. I rarely get a chance to play characters even this high of a level in Play By Post. I’ve been in a few games that are three years old, but we’ve only gotten to lvl 4, almost lvl 5.

Yes, high-level play is a rarity, specifically because of these many problems. I thought following an adventure path would make it easier, but if anything it's been the reverse; so many of the cool situations in the book which I'd like to engineer become impossible if the players just make a freaking Perception roll from a mile away or something (no that's not a swipe at Annaliese, I only remembered she had that skill after I started this sentence). Still, I won't give up now after having done this much prep work....