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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Composer99" data-source="post: 9752293" data-attributes="member: 7030042">First, I'm annoyed that I feel compelled to repeat myself here: an optional "logistics matter" rules module is contingent on D&D wanting to remain a "biggest tent possible" game. D&D has certainly gone further in moving away from that ambition in the 2024 rules update, but to my mind the very fact this kind of topic has come up again suggests the game still gives out a "big tent" impression, deliberately or not, to this day.If D&D were willing to ditch its vestigial survival-sim mechanics and fully embrace being a heroic-fantasy game with little concern for quotidian logistics, we wouldn't be having these discussions, because players who enjoy "logistics matter" play wouldn't be misled into thinking there is something in D&D for that kind of play. I don't even think that would make an appreciable dent in sales numbers.Second, and again I'm annoyed that I feel compelled to repeat myself, an optional "logistics matter" rules module is just that. Just as no one is obliged to play with Bastions in their games, or no one is obliged to play Schiffskrieg in Axis Empires, no one would be obliged to add "logistics matter" content, with whatever implications that might have for other rules, to a D&D heroic fantasy core.Third, the 2024 Ranger, at least, has no "I win" buttons related to exploration or logistics in their class features:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At 2nd level, they get expertise in a skill and two extra languages.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At 9th level, they get expertise in two more skills.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At 10th level, they can reduce Exhaustion on a short rest as well as a long one.</li> </ul>All their other features are combat-focused.There are a few spells rangers get that can be "I win" buttons, such as alarm or goodberry, but I rather doubt any of these are so integral to the ranger class identity that changing their availability in an optional rules module requires ditching the ranger as a whole.Fourth, it feels a bit academic to be arguing over whether or not it's possible to make logistics matter in contemporary D&D since, as far as I am aware, EN World's 5e-like Level Up! has done just that.[HR][/HR]As a final word, I'm personally inclined to just ditch survival-sim or logistics rules in D&D and lean into the heroic fantasy. You can include light touches that add some survival-like pizzazz by way of events that can occur during overland or dungeon exploration, not unlike the Exploration Challenges in Level Up!For instance, instead of having to either meticulously track food supplies or handwave them with goodberry, just assume that the adventurers have the food they need, and once a campaign or so, you could have an event to the effect of, "rats might get into your food supply!"Such events would, to my mind, need to have opportunities for the player characters to be rewarded, as opposed to just punishing them for, say, not happening to have the correct spell prepared that day or a character of the correct class in the party.</blockquote>

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