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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TornadoCreator" data-source="post: 6626129" data-attributes="member: 6672078">Roleplaying is equal parts puzzle solving board game and improv amateur dramatics. If you don't make the puzzles challenging, rewarding smart thinking and punishing bad planning or lack of thought, there's no challenge and no fun. D&D especially is a game you're supposed to lose at if you screw up, and I've never been a fan of the challenge rating idea. Encounters should be fluid and the players should know when something is too much for them. A good team composition will have enough knowledge skills that even if they're complete newbies, they can roll skills and examine the situation in character to know when something is too much.Depends entirely on what you're carrying. I've worn suits of armour, and I can move about and be very mobile in chainmail (which should NOT be heavy armour, and in my game isn't because it's wrong), but you carry a full suit of chainmail in a backpack and you'll be tired in minutes and certainly not well weighted or suited for climbing, swimming etc. Now there's no armour check penalty, it just causes disadvantage for Stealth, but back when there was the idea that you could take off an entire suit of plate armour and put it in your bag, and so long as you're now encumbered you're fine... that never sat well with me. (I also impose disadvantage on Athletics and Acrobatics when wearing heavy armour, because it should!). In fact, I practically re-write the armour rules. I don't allow studded leather, because there's no such thing, and it's a stupid idea that doesn't work. I switch Scale Mail and Chain Mail around, because small interlocking scales would be both heavier and more defensive than chain, so that's the way it should be. I also outright ban "Ring Mail", which is again, made up nonsense of the highest order that not only wouldn't work but would be downright uncomfortable and even dangerous to it's wearer... what can I say, it bothers me when fantasy works get this crap wrong and I'm not prepared to sit around and pretend. I will however allow someone to get a Buckler for +1 AC, and a Heavy Shield for +3 AC as "Shield" on it's own is not even close to adequate. They're 5gp and 50gp, and weigh 2lbs and 10lbs respectively. I also allow my players to buy a Helmet for an additional +1 AC, costing 25gp and weighing 3lbs (though I let them know this is included in plate, though it's optional to wear it, plate without the helmet still gives 19 AC). I do however impose disadvantage to Perception if you're wearing a helmet.I think my rules on armour are more realistic and far more fair. Stupid things like "Ring Mail" and "Studded Leather" genuinely annoy me. I know they're there to give a natural upgrade path for characters but considering they start many classes with Chainmail (or in my campaign Scale), no-one's going to ever use "Ring Mail" are they.Depends entirely how it's distributed, if you make sure to put the links in the correct orientation when making chainmail, it will hug the body and it honestly feels less bulky than a leather jacket. If you gave me that same chainmail shirt folded up in a bag, it would be uncomfortably heavy to carry. I'm sure soldiers do fight carrying bags, but it's just foolish to suggest it doesn't impact their fighting capabilities; also modern soldiers are kneeling, squatting, sitting etc. and pulling a trigger... hardly compares to charging into combat with a sword, axe, mace, or other such weapon and fighting in melee. Firing a gun with a pack on sure, a swordfight with a pack on... you're dead!And it's still stupid. Duelling as a sport is not the same as effective fighting. You CANNOT fight faster with two weapons than you can with one, it is physical impossibility. Give a trained man a rapier and leave his off-hand empty and he will cut faster and more often than anyone with two weapons. Having actually trained with multiple weapons, I can say with confidence, that two weapon fighting is a crock of <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> done only for show, and the only exception is fighting with a long dagger in the off hand, which is basically used like a buckler... in other words, it's a pointy shield. It's for when carrying a shield is impractical, and was used primarily to parry a blow, or disarm, in much the same way you would with a small shield. Two full sized swords did not happen.  I do play Shadowrun... every Monday, what's your point? A main-gauche is basically a shield as I said, it's just a strangely shaped shield. Yes you could stab with it, but you could also bash people with the rim of the shield, or punch with the central boss. Hell, a metal gauntlet was an effective weapon if you punched someone hard enough... so let's not pretend that the main-gauche is what people are doing. It's not... Two weapon fighting is being used by people who want to run around with a Conan fantasy wielding two massive battleaxes simultaneously, or Drizzt Do'Urden fanboys who desperately want two scimitars... or there's an outside chance it's yet another hopeless weeaboo with a katana fetish who want to wield a Katana and Wakizashi at the same time, and I don't allow Japan-wank in my games, it just encourages them. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":P" title="Stick out tongue    :P"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":P" />I'm hardly going to just sit there and let them die... I'll tell them periodically that there's a lot of smoke, the smell of the torches is getting very strong, the smoke is starting to make your eyes sting, it's getting hard to breath in here now... etc.Eventually they'll figure it out, or they're die horribly of asphyxiation while holding a massive chimney in their hand. PC's that stupid deserve to die at their own hands. Especially when there's quite clearly "hooded lamp" marked on their character sheet.As for well ventilated... no they weren't, they were stone and thatch houses that would have needed to stand up to the weather and maintain heat. They would have had windows, a chimney etc. but they didn't understand air-flow in medieval times. That said, that's completely besides the point. We're not in medieval times, we're in a fantasy world with no relation to Earth at all, so who's to say what their buildings are like; and more-so what their underground multi-levelled dungeons and cultist temples are like. They're most certainly NOT well ventilated, especially if you're going deep enough that you're entering the Upperdark caverns.  There's a difference between punishing characters for the players lack of knowledge, and punishing bad roleplaying. As you say, you know more about sailing than the players. I know absolutely nothing about sailing, but if I was going to play a sailor I'd probably stat someone with the 'Sailor' background, which gives me proficiency in Athletics & Perception and tool proficiencies for Navigator's Tools, and Water Vehicles. I'd then likely go with either Ranger or Rogue, either way I'm getting a minimum of 3 skills, maybe as many as 5, if I'm using the Variant Human. So, with that I'd make sure to take Nature, Survival and whatever others best fit the concept. If possible, I'd want to start with proficiency in Cartographer's Tools too, so I'd probably go Variant Human Ranger, and grab a feat that would let me have an additional tool proficiency. I'd make sure I had a decent Strength, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Constitution... probably leaving my Dexterity and Charisma for my lower stats as they're less important... Now, with that character I should be a damn fine sailor. Especially if I pick "The Sea" as my terrain for 'Natural Explorer', giving me advantage on any Perception and Knowledge checks pertaining to that terrain, making it impossible for me to become lost or ambushed at sea, and making it so that I can forage for food easier (which I'd interpret as meaning I know how to effectively fish in the open ocean). With all this, I'd then make a point of asking the GM if there's anything my character feels is missing, and even ask if I can make rolls for my various skills. "Can I make a Nature check to determine if it's save to embark". Things along those lines. I'd use common sense to make sure I've thought of things I feel I'd need. If as a GM someone is doing that, playing the character at least sensibly, I'd probably let things slide that their character should know, but they clearly don't out of character... it's all about getting the balance right, but players love to feel smart, and the best way you can do that is by making them actually think, put themselves into the mindset of the character in question.If you've put your character in a position where he got crippled, blinded, and lost an arm... what the hell where you doing?!Seriously, in reality we have one body, one life... I've managed to live the last 30 years without crippling myself, blinding myself, misplacing my limbs, or dying hideously. Now yes, I get that this is a fantasy world, where warfare is commonplace, so the risk is much higher, but if you let everything not matter; the players will treat it like it doesn't matter. The players will think nothing of killing everything because that's what happens in D&D. The players won't bother to plan ahead, after all, it's 1000gp to come back to life and we're level 12 now, so 1000gp is pocket change... my magic sword costs 5 times that much! This is madness. If death had no weight attached to it, how do you raise the stakes. Why would anyone have a backstory about avenging the death of a friend of family member... just work as a merc for a year, buy a diamond and magically clone your loved one at your local friendly temple-r-us.Some of the best games I've played in have actual consequence. There's no resurrection in Shadowrun or World Of Darkness. Death is death... as is a major piece of character development, such as losing a limb or having a major injury. I had one player play his character blind, despite being a cleric who could heal himself at any time according to the rules; because he wanted to prove to his God and temple that he was worthy of his sight being returned by returning with his party and bringing the tyrant who blinded him to justice. It was great roleplaying, and only worked because of the cost. Another time the player playing the Rogue followed a villain of unknown origin who stole a book of lore needed for their quest from the Wizard, finding the book in a fire, and having no way to put it out, he reached into the fire and took the book out, burning his hands terribly. For the next three sessions, he worked with the Wizard coaching him in how to disarm traps using mage hand, as the Wizard was so grateful. The party worked with him, helping him prepare his food and set up his tent, and because he couldn't fire his bow; he instead fell back on using his skills to help the party. After a few sessions they got to a temple and got a Restoration spell; they even got it for free as the Cleric made an appeal to the temple of Illmater for healing, as this man was willing to sacrifice his livelihood to support his allies... this was great roleplaying and would have been completely screwed if the players could just sleep for 8 hours and *bing* you heal everything; those massive burns, that big stab wound in your leg, the arrow sticking out of your shoulder... go to sleep it'll all be healed in the morning. That kind of healing makes D&D into nothing but a damn cartoon.   For the most part, that's what I do... but injuries still happen.  Fair enough... You weren't invited anyway.Each to their own. I've been GMing now for 12 years, and my games have always been so popular I've had to turn players away. I welcome hearing how others roleplay, but you're not going to convince me my way is wrong. I've had too much good feedback to even entertain such a thing. It may not be to your taste, but it's certainly fun.</blockquote>

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