D&D 5E People don't read the 5E DMG for a reason

[Ancalagon]

The class in question was open fist monk. I had to draw a "chart" to help them run their character. They actually got competent at it, but they still almost never used the open hand subclass features (besides healing). (I can't seem to find said chart, a pity)

I'm happy to report that with D&D beyond they seem to be doing better now (playing a swarmskeeper ranger which suits them better).

But yeah, a lot of people just don't want to put in any "work". I have people casting spells without ever reading them.

 

[Nikosandros]

I'm always amazed when I have to let people know what their class can do. I get it, you're a casual player. But you can't read 2 pages of text?

It happens to me all the time. Both when I'm running a game and - currently - with fellow players. Yep, reading (or at least recalling) 2 pages of text is too much for some...

 

[Oofta]

Lots of people just hate reading instructions. It's why the video game manual has been phased out in favor of the mandatory in-game tutorial. I've never understood it myself, I'm a habitual manual reader. But I can recognize that it's a common enough phenomena that it has to be accounted for.

I do admit that I even read through the owners manuals for every car I purchase. I may skim it, but I at least read through it.

I just don't think it's too much to ask a person to read the two pages on their class. I get that how specific rules or the interaction of the rules can be complex but 2 pages? I don't think it's asking too much.

 

[Kurotowa]

I just don't think it's too much to ask a person to read the two pages on their class. I get that how specific rules or the interaction of the rules can be complex but 2 pages? I don't think it's asking too much.

While I share your mystification, I'm also autistic. There is so much about how other people think and act that mystifies me. Enough that I've got a big old list of "That's just how some people be" situations that I've given up trying to understand and just work to account for on a practical level.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Enough that I've got a big old list of "That's just how some people be" situations that I've given up trying to understand and just work to account for on a practical level.

Honestly, this puts you ahead of 99% of the human race.

 

[Oofta]

While I share your mystification, I'm also autistic. There is so much about how other people think and act that mystifies me. Enough that I've got a big old list of "That's just how some people be" situations that I've given up trying to understand and just work to account for on a practical level.

I may express my frustration online, I will never express it in person.

 

[MichaelSomething]

For the people who don't want to read any text regarding game rules, maybe a Power by the Apoloypse system would be a better fit? The system can support a rules free player experience where they just operate in the fiction. At least that's my experience in Monster Hearts.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

For the people who don't want to read any text regarding game rules, maybe a Power by the Apoloypse system would be a better fit? The system can support a rules free player experience where they just operate in the fiction. At least that's my experience in Monster Hearts.

Or, a slight step down from that, many PbtA games, and the family of OSR games that started with Beyond the Wall, reduce everything the player needs to know about to a playbook/character sheet that often fits on a two-sided piece of paper.

I suspect it'd be possible to get close with that in 5E (I've seen newbie-friendly sheets like that), other than all of the spells. But even there, a document that was just the spells the character had access to would make things a lot less intimidating. (I've done something similar for one of my players and it made a huge difference.)

 

[John Lloyd1]

Or, a slight step down from that, many PbtA games, and the family of OSR games that started with Beyond the Wall, reduce everything the player needs to know about to a playbook/character sheet that often fits on a two-sided piece of paper.

I suspect it'd be possible to get close with that in 5E (I've seen newbie-friendly sheets like that), other than all of the spells. But even there, a document that was just the spells the character had access to would make things a lot less intimidating. (I've done something similar for one of my players and it made a huge difference.)

I've been hoping the new layout on the 2024 books will allow me to photocopy the background, race, class & subclass I am using. Resulting in an easy do-it-yourself playbook.

 

[tetrasodium]

I've been hoping the new layout on the 2024 books will allow me to photocopy the background, race, class & subclass I am using. Resulting in an easy do-it-yourself playbook.

huh?