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D&D 5E Should martial characters be mundane or supernatural?


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Micah Sweet

Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
In Star Wars the Force is everywhere and in all people, but those protagonists who are not strong in the force/force trained are generally limited to being mundane awesome space opera heroes. Jedi could potentially force jump over tall walls. Super competent experienced legendary bounty hunters and elite clone special force soldiers need time to climb, or gadget grappling hooks, or rocket packs if they are going to do effectively the same thing. They can't just jump ridiculously high with their legs alone. They are generally well trained people in a world with the Force and Jedi.

I think that is a decent analogy for a D&D supernatural/mundane class split.
It also heavily encourages gear, and so do I.
 

Minigiant

Legend
Supporter
This is why I called out Combat Sport (Boxing/MMA/etc) vs acting. Which yes, wrestling is.
But outside of CGI, wires, and pads, acting combat is still done by humans.

And D&D humans can be stronger, more dexterous, and tougher than real humans.
So unassisted acting and wrestling stunts would be mundane. And some of the assisted.
Or at least what @ECMO3 and @Tony Vargas say is Extraordinary.

I know Macho Man was Macho, Cream of the Crop, and a King, he wasn't magic. And neither is JCVD.
 


Voadam

Legend
The feats, the impact of said feats, the reaction, within an action movie, or wrestling, are not real, in the way bodies/people react when actually involved in combat sports.

Combat Sport, is mundane. Acting, is fake.
I would still call wrestling hit moves mundane on the D&D mundane/supernatural split.

They are faking a mundane action. Faking a supernatural mind control or voodoo doll body control power would be different.

I would consider the Vulcan nerve pinch a mundane action and the Vulcan Mind Meld a supernatural one for purposes of this discussion.
 

Warpiglet-7

Cry havoc! And let slip the pigs of war!
The feats, the impact of said feats, the reaction, within an action movie, or wrestling, are not real, in the way bodies/people react when actually involved in combat sports.

Combat Sport, is mundane. Acting, is fake.
I was joking around, friend😉
 


Warpiglet-7

Cry havoc! And let slip the pigs of war!
Internet, sarcasm, the like. ;)
It just made me laugh because the wwf or one grouphad to come out and declare it was “sports entertainment” vs. “real” which is hilarious!
 

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Remathilis

Legend
In Star Wars the Force is everywhere and in all people, but those protagonists who are not strong in the force/force trained are generally limited to being mundane awesome space opera heroes. Jedi could potentially force jump over tall walls. Super competent experienced legendary bounty hunters and elite clone special force soldiers need time to climb, or gadget grappling hooks, or rocket packs if they are going to do effectively the same thing. They can't just jump ridiculously high with their legs alone. They are generally well trained people in a world with the Force and Jedi.

I think that is a decent analogy for a D&D supernatural/mundane class split.
Jedi though illustrate the point: the Force is basically magic (and Force users are space wizards) and magic does things you can't do mundanely. There are thirty canonical Force abilities in just the movies and most of them can only be matched with superior technology. And unfortunately, superior technology is available to the Jedi too. Anakin can be the Chosen One and still be as good or better a pilot than Han Solo. Likewise, boots of flying work just as well on a sorcerer as on a rogue.
 

Micah Sweet

Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
Jedi though illustrate the point: the Force is basically magic (and Force users are space wizards) and magic does things you can't do mundanely. There are thirty canonical Force abilities in just the movies and most of them can only be matched with superior technology. And unfortunately, superior technology is available to the Jedi too. Anakin can be the Chosen One and still be as good or better a pilot than Han Solo. Likewise, boots of flying work just as well on a sorcerer as on a rogue.
The price you pay I guess. Got to rely on the DM and player good faith to resolve stuff like that.

Or go narrative.
 

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