D&D General [rant]The conservatism of D&D fans is exhausting.

[Faolyn]

If this was true, there would be no difference between - say - resolving a combat by the GM just deciding and resolving the combat using standard D&D rules.

Therefore it's obviously false.

No, because the group is adhering to the rules, which state that they need to determine what happens in the fictional by getting into a combat.

 

[CellarHeroes]

rant

Who gives a flippety-flop about the specifics of the conversation at the table? You keep dragging things back to this dry analysis over and over again, and for the (my guess is vast) majority of us it just doesn't matter.

The only thing that matters is what happens in the fiction: by sneaking in the back of the castle the characters bypassed a potential encounter on the drawbridge. Good job them, they reduced the risk to themselves and can carry on to whatever they're doing next. And you say you can't understand this?

The fiction is why we play the damn game!

/rant

I can see how the word "bypass" could confuse someone, especially in this example with the castle. I have always used the term "overcome the obstacle" when referring to the various ways adventurers get from Point A to Point B, especially when it came to creative solutions.

In a couple other examples, it seems "bypass" was used when the adventurers actually just "ignored" the encounter.

 

[AlViking]

I can see how the word "bypass" could confuse someone, especially in this example with the castle. I have always used the term "overcome the obstacle" when referring to the various ways adventurers get from Point A to Point B, especially when it came to creative solutions.

In a couple other examples, it seems "bypass" was used when the adventurers actually just "ignored" the encounter.

Why does it matter? Would this be an issue if the synonym "avoided" an encounter had been used instead?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Notice how important "planned" is in that definition being viable, and how much it assumes a norm of pre-planned, module or dungeon-crawl style play.

So what? Are you unfamiliar with those kinds of play? Is non-Narrativist gaming a complete mystery to you?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Legend of the Five Rings, Fifth Edition is one of my favorite roleplaying games ever made (right up there with my group's Vampire hack, Apocalypse Keys and Dune 2d20). From my perspective, much like how Vampire - The Requiem, Second Edition finally makes good on promise of a game of personal horror, the 5th Edition of L5R finally makes good on being a game where you play samurai and must deal with internal strife while struggling maintain face. Add to that the focus on your duty to your lord compared to your personal desires led to games that finally feel like they were living up to what I wanted from the game from the start.

Plus, you actually get broken katanas and armor that needs to be repaired and all sorts of events you see in samurai movies all the time but would never see in L5R before. Stances are so much fun and a really cool strategic layer as well.

As a Scorpion enjoyer I also really appreciate setting the clock back on some very dumb metaplot that kind of messed with their conceptual space in the setting.

I am that dude.
My favorite iteration of L5R is 5e
My favorite iteration of Vampire is Requiem, Second Edition
My favorite iterations of D&D are 4e and B/X.
My favorite iteration of Pathfinder is Second Edition.

Based on your responses, you and I would likely never enjoy sitting at the same table together for a game.

 

[Faolyn]

I haven't asked what an encounter is. I've asked what a bypassed encounter is.

I’ve read enough of your posts to know you’re smart; I don’t understand why you can’t understand what those two words mean when used together.

 

[robertsconley]

I can see how the word "bypass" could confuse someone, especially in this example with the castle. I have always used the term "overcome the obstacle" when referring to the various ways adventurers get from Point A to Point B, especially when it came to creative solutions.

In a couple other examples, it seems "bypass" was used when the adventurers actually just "ignored" the encounter.

I'm reviewing the various posts, and what often gets overlooked is that there is a geographical component to all this.

Using @Lanefan's example. There is a castle, there is a map of the castle, and on that map, there is a drawbridge with guards. There are also the other sides of the castle. Any one of these is fair game for the party to use to gain entrance to the inside of the castle. If the chosen side doesn't involve the one with the drawbridge and the guard, then that encounter is avoided, ignored, bypassed, etc.

All of this presumes you have a basic layout of the castle sketched with a rough idea of who is where when the PCs arrive at the location. Doesn't have to be as detailed as the below. But you need a sense of how the space is laid out and where the characters are within that space.

If a campaign play style does not do that. Then that is probably the cause of the misunderstanding.

 

[CellarHeroes]

Why does it matter? Would this be an issue if the synonym "avoided" an encounter had been used instead?

I'm on your side here, I have no problem understanding what "bypass" means in these examples. I'm just thinking that an inexperienced GM may view "bypass" in a different sense.

I'm one of those DMs that refuses to "get with the times" and still uses XP for level advancement. It is an important distinction to me if the adventurers overcame an obstacle (whether they found a creative route around or just fast-talked) or if they just walked away to pick flowers in the field. In the former, they are awarded the XP from the encounter.

 

[Faolyn]

Notice how important "planned" is in that definition being viable, and how much it assumes a norm of pre-planned, module or dungeon-crawl style play.

No. The GM can completely improvise something and the players can still avoid it. Example: the player asks if they see tracks. The GM didn’t plan anything previously but, due to the game they are playing, says yes—they see heavy boot prints (maybe this is a PbtA game and the GM is using a “reveal future badness” move, without having planned out the future badness). The players can say “let’s not go that way.”

 

[pemerton]

I’ve read enough of your posts to know you’re smart; I don’t understand why you can’t understand what those two words mean when used together.

Because an encounter is a thing that occurs.

If no encounter occurs, then what is it that was bypassed?

The answer seems to be - the thing the GM had otherwise planned to have occur.

(An alternative answer: "bypass the encounter" really just means "resolved the encounter".)