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Message: <blockquote data-quote="payn" data-source="post: 9392232" data-attributes="member: 90374">I think of D&D resource management in two forms. There is the tracking of every arrow and morsel of food simulation attempt at resource mgmt, and there is the adventuring day form thats more abstract part of the "G" of the RPG. The first form died back in TSR era. It's got it's fans still, but WOTC D&D let that well dry up. The second form has a mixed history. 3E tried to keep the adventuring day balanced around HP, spell slots, abilities, etc.. problem is they built in a cheat code in spell in a can that just borked the entire endeavor. 4E tried to give the game more legs and make encounters more tactical and team based, but let healing surges work as the adventuring day clock. Not a bad idea, but a bit of a departure that came before that ended up being a bit divisive leaving non-combat to skill challenges. 5E split the difference between them which has worked out to some very very long adventuring days. Part of that is removing a uniform utility spread of 4E and doing a mixture of long and short rest classes. Experiences vary greatly as some mixtures are copecetic, and others are vexatious.  Puzzles have traditionally been part of the exploration pillar. They are rather varied as some are mere traps to disarm, and others are mazes that require navigation. The trick long has been how to make a puzzle on par with a combat. How do you engage every character, sap some of their reources, and account for the adventuring day allotment? How do you keep adding them without things getting repetitive? I think these are questions that were raised during NEXT but have still gone unanswered.I like running social situations. Protests, ballroom jaunts, courtroom standoffs, political intrigue, etc.. There is information to be gained, allies to make, enemies to thwart, and every character has their role to play. Although, some of the same questions about social encoutners arise as the puzzle/exploration pillar; how do they fit in the adventuring day? There is even fewer tools provided by modern D&D to engage the social pillar. Making the three pillar philosophy a bit of a mystery in execution.You may be saying, "who cares about the adventuring day, I just want varied challenges!" but I think its important to examine challenges into the dynamic of D&D play. 5E retreated from an encoutners design back into the adventuring day. That might be why a lot of challenges are limited to combat and reource mgmt. There is a tangible element to combat that has ate up an enourmous amount of deisng space. You could just slip puzzles and social events into the adventuring day and let combat be the realm of resource mgmt, but those are going to be some even longer days. This is largely been my puzzle with 5E and also largely the reason ive stayed away from it. Trying to fit too many forms, while neglecting some of the most enticing parts of play. YMMV.</blockquote>

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