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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Should D&D Be "Hard"
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<blockquote data-quote="payn" data-source="post: 9087227" data-attributes="member: 90374"><p>I hate to be a broken record, but I had real high hopes for modularity in 5E. I was hoping it would act as a difficulty slider among many things. I think D&D would benefit greatly from it, but its not really needed because 5E is successful without it. </p><p></p><p>I think the 5E default is what I would call "normal" in video game terms. That means if a group is following the books the challenge is casual, but a savvy GM can turn up a decent challenge. If the default was "hard" I imagine challenge level would be high and death would be common. I think that would not work for casual players, nor folks who enjoy a player driven dramatic campaign. So, I guess my answer is, no, D&D shouldn't be "hard" by default, but it would be nice if you could dial it up.</p><p></p><p>Now, the above is general speaking. What is "hard" can come in many forms. I was just having discussion yesterday here at EN world about PF2. To summarize the system, the higher level an encounter, the more players need to rely on tactics and team work. The game math works in a way that players most impactful options will be sidelined in favor of less powerful options. The players need to work together well, because the enemy will have a great chance at scoring critical hits and landing devastating blows. This makes it possible to have a solo fight that doesn't just get overwhelmed by the action economy. By limiting the PCs best options, focus fire isnt an option either. The players must widdle the enemy down while avoiding its attacks which for some folks feels <em>hard</em> and scary.</p><p></p><p>I think the above example is "hard" but its not an enjoyable feel, YMMV. I want the PCs to toss out their big bangs and score those timely criticals to save the day. I'd rather save the middling slow the enemy by 5ft or standard attack options for the goblin patrol. Make the boss fight a big damn spectacle. So, while I can admit that PF2 design can and is "hard" its not the type of "hard" im looking for. However, the CR is very accurate in PF2, so the slider idea of difficulty can be done well.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="payn, post: 9087227, member: 90374"] I hate to be a broken record, but I had real high hopes for modularity in 5E. I was hoping it would act as a difficulty slider among many things. I think D&D would benefit greatly from it, but its not really needed because 5E is successful without it. I think the 5E default is what I would call "normal" in video game terms. That means if a group is following the books the challenge is casual, but a savvy GM can turn up a decent challenge. If the default was "hard" I imagine challenge level would be high and death would be common. I think that would not work for casual players, nor folks who enjoy a player driven dramatic campaign. So, I guess my answer is, no, D&D shouldn't be "hard" by default, but it would be nice if you could dial it up. Now, the above is general speaking. What is "hard" can come in many forms. I was just having discussion yesterday here at EN world about PF2. To summarize the system, the higher level an encounter, the more players need to rely on tactics and team work. The game math works in a way that players most impactful options will be sidelined in favor of less powerful options. The players need to work together well, because the enemy will have a great chance at scoring critical hits and landing devastating blows. This makes it possible to have a solo fight that doesn't just get overwhelmed by the action economy. By limiting the PCs best options, focus fire isnt an option either. The players must widdle the enemy down while avoiding its attacks which for some folks feels [I]hard[/I] and scary. I think the above example is "hard" but its not an enjoyable feel, YMMV. I want the PCs to toss out their big bangs and score those timely criticals to save the day. I'd rather save the middling slow the enemy by 5ft or standard attack options for the goblin patrol. Make the boss fight a big damn spectacle. So, while I can admit that PF2 design can and is "hard" its not the type of "hard" im looking for. However, the CR is very accurate in PF2, so the slider idea of difficulty can be done well. [/QUOTE]
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