MichaelSomething
Legend
We don't need instructions to play Dungeons and Dragons. If a person needs to learns how, they can just watch Matt Mercer!
The kind that involve a few shreds of realism here and there, where yes if the space you're in doesn't allow you to stand upright yet someone shorter can, the tall person will be at mechanical penalty for - at the very least - movement rate.What kind of games are you playing a 1 foot difference in height has substantial mechanical effects on gameplay???
And by that you mean the throw-realism-out-the-window revolution? No thanks.The Narrativist revolution cannot come soon enough.
Absolutely!So are you saying you'd be okay with a list that a player can look at for ideas?
And in the later sessions...do they become more relevant and-or enforced, or less? If less, or not at all, then we're in agreement here.Because the way I use it, that's basically what the BIFTs are, especially in the early sessions.
I’m stealing this.Maze Rats is a great example of how to start off a PC with some keywords for their physical appearance, clothing, personality, and background. It takes 5 minutes and works as a jumping off point rather than anything determinative. Alternatively, I would ask my players to fill out the following
- Physical appearance: 2 adjectives + signature item of clothing
- Personality: 3 adjectives
- Backstory: 2-3 bullet points, <100 words
- What does your character want?
- What does your character not want?
Well, they do the same thing but with more mechanics, at least.I mean, they're fine for reminding new players that they should actually roleplay, sure. The argument against them is that lots of other non-D&D games have mechanics that do the same thing, but better.
Non-starter for me; as I'd never want to play in (or run) a system that used meta-currency (e.g. Inspiration). The very idea is rather abhorrent to me, and IMO is one of 5e's (surprisingly few, overall) really glaring mistakes.
I'm curious to know if you two feel the same way about advantage and disadvantage. The Dungeon Masters Guide instructs Dungeon Masters to "consider granting advantage when a player shows exceptional creativity or cunning in attempting or describing a task."I'm not a fan of inspiration either. Not because I object to meta-currency, but because I hate the feeling of begging for approval-cookies. Thankfully, it's easy to ignore.
In my experience as a new player (5e was the first game I ever played), I found the BIFTs kind of off-putting and distracting.For my new players, it really helps them think about their character as more than just a class and a race.
I like this analogy!They're meant to be a compass, not a map.