D&D 5E Players: Why Do You Want to Roll a d20?

[Seramus]

I'm wondering if that's how it is working here. maybe you can get iserith to replay if he does have me blocked as I suspect.

I am willing to ask him for the sake of science. @iserith Do you currently have FrogReaver blocked?

 

[Maxperson]

yes. I'm wondering if that's how it is working here. maybe you can get iserith to replay if he does have me blocked as I suspect.

In another thread Morrus stated that the block function worked differently on this platform.

 

[Oofta]

I'm sufficiently familiar with Iserith's forum presence to doubt that this is really the reason.

I don't know the real reason he blocked me. I tried asking once when he unblocked me for a couple of days. I responded to one of his posts and literally his reply was "don't do that". I replied "what, exactly?" Then he blocked me again with no clarification. I will admit that when he was laying out is approach I pointed out that he skipped a clarifying sentence, ignored the subsequent paragraph/bullet points and didn't mention the DMG section on traps.

I have no problem whatsoever with different people having different styles or different interpretation of the rules. Different approaches to the game are going to work for different people. I do get tired of people saying "The rules say" when it's only one interpretation. Or that somehow "the rules say" implies that any other opinion is not valid. When Jeremy Crawford or one of the devs comes out extolling the virtues of "Goal and Approach" along with some of the other guidelines and say that those styles are what they intended, I'll give it a little more weight. Ignore it most likely, but at least then it would have some legitimacy.

Then again I've never blocked anyone. But differences of opinion? Sometimes we're going to agree sometimes we're not. If I found someone was being offensive or making personal attacks I'd report it. All I know is that he's never reported me for offensive behavior as far as I can tell.

 

[iserith]

I am willing to ask him for the sake of science. @iserith Do you currently have FrogReaver blocked?

Yes. I can see the reaction on my post, but it doesn't come up as a notification.

 

[Oofta]

Maybe you remember all of those things, but a lot of other people remember less. You just rolled higher than they did and remember more. Why? Because memory DOES work that way. You don't always remember everything, and sometimes you remember very little.

My point is, I don't remember specifically what kind of breath weapon a dragon has. I think "what do I know about red dragons".

But nobody has answered my question. If I ask "Do trolls have ranged attacks" (or whatever the proper phrasing would be) do I also know about their regen? Is it the same DC or automatic like the answer to my specific question?

 

[Seramus]

Then again I've never blocked anyone. But differences of opinion? Sometimes we're going to agree sometimes we're not. If I found someone was being offensive or making personal attacks I'd report it.

I do it when some quality of a poster consistently makes the experience of reading their posts unpleasant. Like someone who types in all caps, repeatedly hates on 5E, too much pedantry, etc.

But nobody has answered my question. If I ask "Do trolls have ranged attacks" (or whatever the proper phrasing would be) do I also know about their regen? Is it the same DC or automatic like the answer to my specific question?

I am not those other posters, but I certainly would inform you about the regeneration of trolls. I mentally assign certain DC to certain information, and if the player exceeds that DC then I also provide that additional information.

Actions CAN change the DC though, but usually no more than 5. If a trap lies in the chandelier, and someone searches under the rug, I won’t auto fail someone for searching the rug. But I will increase the DC to notice the chandelier trap by 5 and let the dice determine the outcome.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yeah, it’s ignoring now, not blocking. The ignored user can still see your posts, you just can’t see theirs. Which is a little annoying, but at least we no longer have the problem where if someone blocks you it screws up redirects in any thread they’ve posted in.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Sure but when it comes to lore recollection there's really not a gotya type moment.

So what if my approach is emember my life experiences and try to recall anything about trolls from those. I've been told that's to vague an approach... but is that actually a vague approach at all? It seems pretty clear and straightforward to me.

Right, but as I've mentioned I don't require much in the way of approach, just goal. "Can I use History to see if I know about X" is okay in my book. Just pointing out that specifying your approach can prevent the DM from making assumptions in that regard. For something where approach isn't especially relevant (like trying to remember something) it's not likely to be an issue.

 

[Oofta]

Right, but as I've mentioned I don't require much in the way of approach, just goal. "Can I use History to see if I know about X" is okay in my book. Just pointing out that specifying your approach can prevent the DM from making assumptions in that regard. For something where approach isn't especially relevant (like trying to remember something) it's not likely to be an issue.

So can you answer the question. I ask about trolls and ranged attacks. Do I also know about regen at the same DC?

While I realize that not everyone plays the same, if asking for specific info grants you only that specific info and nothing more (or at a higher DC) then I think it's a game of 20 questions. If not, then why bother asking for specifics?

 

[Maxperson]

How exactly is the newbie supposed to know what weakness to ask about? Should he just cover all million possible weaknesses, specifically, so as he is not being to vague?

I will repeat. There is nothing wrong with learning by doing. "Look! The wound is closing"(doing). Followed by, "I draw upon the lore my grandfather taught me about his adventuring days and figure out how to prevent that from happening"(more doing). Followed by, DM: "You succeed!", "You fail!", or "Roll a d20 and let's see if you know.

And before we get more "magic words" crap, that's not even close to the only way a newbie could phrase it to find out. All without knowing a thing about the game.