D&D (2024) Not loving weapon mastery with beginners

[jayoungr]

You can have fun in any edition but hitting for say triple damage the big number is fun.

I can honestly say that the damage numbers are so far down on my list of things I enjoy about D&D as to be virtually nonexistent.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I like to find my fun in the adventure, not on my character sheet, but I know many people are more into the character sheet than the adventure.

Wanting to actually do things is not 'being interested in the character sheet'. No on is 'interested in the character sheet' beyond hypothetical builds, that's just a tried insult that gets banged about to attack people who want character abilities and rules rather than fiat.

 

[Zardnaar]

I can honestly say that the damage numbers are so far down on my list of things I enjoy about D&D as to be virtually nonexistent.

It's fairly integral to 5E design.
. I remember Mearls taking about it. Missing isn't fun they lowered AC and bloated the hit points to compensate.
And forgot about the -5/+10 feats.

 

[jayoungr]

It's fairly integral to 5E design.

Yeah, well. I'm already on record as being a heretic about other things that I'm assured are "integral to 5E design," so I guess we'll just have to add this to the list.

 

[Distracted DM]

It's fairly integral to 5E design.
. I remember Mearls taking about it. Missing isn't fun they lowered AC and bloated the hit points to compensate.
And forgot about the -5/+10 feats.

Oh is that the case? It'd make sense, I suppose... any idea where we could see the original context/post?
I wonder how they bloated hit points...

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

No, masteries are much slower. Spellcasters take a lot longer to create because of the choices, but in play at level 1, they are pretty straightforward. In combat, the player only has a couple choices and the tooltip for the spell is right there. Masteries are another step at level 1, and also usually involve tactical considerations that the beginning player has no context for. They also involve more math, which is a bigger barrier for more new players than a lot of folks realize.

I've been running the D&D Club at my school for years. I have lots of experience. What I've noticed in the first few sessions this year is that weapon masteries, specifically, are grinding things to a halt.

Like I said, no issue for us, but we are. It new players.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

No I do and my limited experience with mastery so far is the opposite. New players learn what their spells do in combat very quickly and based on limited experience so far, much quicker than they learn weapon masteries.

It is not even close really, spells seem to be a lot easier for new players at my table. They are easier than a lot of class and in 2014 subclass features too.

Where spells take forever IME is when creating a character.

I will trust that has been your experience. It has just has not been mine.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I've been playing with new players last few weeks.

Smart one last night asked for help at level 3 with a fighter. Wife broke down the numbers for her battlemaster vs Champion.

Then I was asked what maneuvers were good. And thats a fighter with 2 pages of stuff to read.

Not sure how this applies to weapon masteries or are you saying battlesmastrrs are already complex?

 

[Zardnaar]

Oh is that the case? It'd make sense, I suppose... any idea where we could see the original context/post?
I wonder how they bloated hit points...

It was during the run up to 5E.

I think it was Mearls anyway. Low AC high ht points. From memory the average AC was 14.5 or 15 in the MM.

 

[ezo]

Wanting to actually do things is not 'being interested in the character sheet'. No on is 'interested in the character sheet' beyond hypothetical builds, that's just a tried insult that gets banged about to attack people who want character abilities and rules rather than fiat.

Since D&D began, for example, fighters attack, and attack, and attack. And yes, that has always been fun because of the situation/ adventure you're in. Hitting and hoping you drop your enemy, missing and hoping they don't hit you back, that has always been the ebb and flow of combat. Is that "boring" to you? Fluff it however you want to make it more engaging and exciting--that is the narrative and story-telling aspect of the game.

If you are focusing on "character abilities" (which, hey, are on the character sheet generally... ), you are worried more about the "cool things you can do" than the adventure. As I said, I know a lot of players that that is what makes the game more fun for them. They don't often care as much about the story or adventure, just whether or not they can perfom a mega-uber-awesome ability or something. They care more about leveling up to get the next "cool feature" than the story. And yeah, a lot of time they are planning out their character build for the fun stuff they get from choice A over choice B.

If that is the fun part for you, have at it!! That just ins't the fun part for me. I'm more interested in the story I craft with my friends. To each, their own.