D&D 5E Question for folks who use D&D Beyond: How well does it work with the new rules?

[billd91]

I think this has been a long time coming, going all the way back to the 2E Core Rules program. I think more and more players are using character creation programs as a substitute for actually reading the rules. They can't even identify when something isn't right with their character.

I come to the conclusion that they didn't even read the text I sent them, maybe at the least skimmed it but I doubt they even did that.

If I get a new player, I'll help them out for the first few sessions, making their first PC, but after 3-4 games it's their responsibility to take initiative and read the rules at least what applies to their character, general combat and skills. It's not fair for players to expect the DM to learn and memorize all the rules.

I don't think this is particularly the impact of character builder tools. If they're not engaging with the rules (or your texts), it's not because they're using a character builder. It's because they're not engaging with that method or facet of the game. Maybe you can prod them to be more into it, but a lot of people just aren't all that literate. And I don't mean with respect to ability to read words and comprehend them. They just don't like interacting with text very much.
Consider recording a Tik Tok or two about rules relevant to them. Or, less jokingly, a short, bullet-pointed summary or PowerPoint that at least helps them avoid feeling mired in text.

 

[billd91]

A great example of not understanding the game is the players on Critical Role. How many times has Matt had to explain how even basic things work? I don't expect them to understand all the rules of the game, but good grief, the least you could do would be read the section on your chosen character class and their spells.

Repetition helps - if the specific set of rules aren't being hit constantly, people will forget or lose some second-nature familiarity. And there are substantial times on CR where they aren't tapping into specific rule subsystems.
But even when someone forgets a rule, is it really that surprising? They're playing in a higher pressure environment than most of us and they have to maintain a high degree of attentiveness, even when not being directly interacted with. That's fatiguing. So of course things occasionally get forgotten or missed. It just helps drive home that, while they do have advanced role-playing improv skills, they're refreshingly normal - occasionally forgetting abilities, spell effects, misadding rolls, etc. Just like every other gaming table.

Sadly it's not just limited to them. I still have to correct one of my players about how sneak attack works, sometimes more than once in a single session. Then again this is the guy that refuses to use Steady Aim even when he doesn't move on his turn and won't get sneak attack without it. Then I have the player who runs a druid and the only thing she really uses of her abilities is to occasionally shapechange. In the first campaign I made a pregen champion fighter because it was simple but this time she wanted to play a druid. A druid that never casts a spell other than shillelagh so she can hit things. Unless she's shapechanged so she's better at hitting things.

You can lead a horse to water but even if you explain how to do it you can't get them to drink.

In some of these cases, it may be that they just aren't interested in getting the optimal performance out of their PC - or even moderately optimized performance. They're thinking more in the narrative sense of who their character is, not the mechanical sense. If the rogue doesn't use Steady Aim to take his shot, though it's legal to do so, yeah, he may have forgotten but he probably doesn't care that much because he's thinking of just taking the shot - not of maximizing his chance of hitting with the shot. And the druid bashing things with her shillelagh - it's an iconic look and feel. She probably loves it even if there are things she could do that would be more optimal. Maybe help her redesign her PC to make her more effective at what she wants to do rather than what she could do or should do in an optimal situation. She'll probably get more out of that.

 

[AlViking]

Repetition helps - if the specific set of rules aren't being hit constantly, people will forget or lose some second-nature familiarity. And there are substantial times on CR where they aren't tapping into specific rule subsystems.
But even when someone forgets a rule, is it really that surprising? They're playing in a higher pressure environment than most of us and they have to maintain a high degree of attentiveness, even when not being directly interacted with. That's fatiguing. So of course things occasionally get forgotten or missed. It just helps drive home that, while they do have advanced role-playing improv skills, they're refreshingly normal - occasionally forgetting abilities, spell effects, misadding rolls, etc. Just like every other gaming table.

In some of these cases, it may be that they just aren't interested in getting the optimal performance out of their PC - or even moderately optimized performance. They're thinking more in the narrative sense of who their character is, not the mechanical sense. If the rogue doesn't use Steady Aim to take his shot, though it's legal to do so, yeah, he may have forgotten but he probably doesn't care that much because he's thinking of just taking the shot - not of maximizing his chance of hitting with the shot. And the druid bashing things with her shillelagh - it's an iconic look and feel. She probably loves it even if there are things she could do that would be more optimal. Maybe help her redesign her PC to make her more effective at what she wants to do rather than what she could do or should do in an optimal situation. She'll probably get more out of that.

for our first campaign I gave her a dirt simple fighter that basically ran around hitting things but typically did a lot of damage and made a good tank. For this campaign she really wanted to play a druid but then only runs around (fairly inneffectively) hitting things while pretending to be a tank with lower HP and a far worse AC.

What can I say? It's her character and she can run what she wants. Even if the sort-of optimizer in me cringes.

 

[billd91]

for our first campaign I gave her a dirt simple fighter that basically ran around hitting things but typically did a lot of damage and made a good tank. For this campaign she really wanted to play a druid but then only runs around (fairly inneffectively) hitting things while pretending to be a tank with lower HP and a far worse AC.

What can I say? It's her character and she can run what she wants. Even if the sort-of optimizer in me cringes.

Is there something you can help her redesign with her character so that she's less fairly ineffective at what she wants to do? Rearrange her stats to emphasize strength and deemphasize non-buff spell casting? Toughness feat to boost her hit points? Suggest a couple level dip into barbarian? Kit up additional copies of her character sheet in various iconic wildshape forms like bears for when mauling a target feels right?
How are you helping her be a successful player?