Sadras
Legend
@Crazy Jerome - cant give you more XP currently, but I concur with everything you've said.
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D&D 5E Stuff not skills
- Thread starter Frostmarrow
- Start date
For what it's worth, I like the idea of skills, because they help differentiate between PCs with training in one area or another. On the other hand, I think a lot more could be done to make equipment neat or useful, especially mundane equipment.
But with the bounded accuracy idea, I don't know if straight bonuses is the way to go. I think it works better leveraging the advantage or DC aspects of the system. For instance, climbing a wall might be a hard DC, but climbing a wall with a grappling hook and rope is easy. Picking a lock without lockpicks is an epic feat, with lockpicks hard, and with the right key it is so trivially easy that everyone with an intelligence above 3 & opposable thumbs doesn't even have to roll. Advantage and disadvantage could work well to make certain tools special or better than others, for instance, a Dwarven hammer or elven clothing might grant advantage on their respective skill checks.
I just think making items about bonuses leads to more of a Christmas tree effect. Having them adjust DCs makes it about having the right tool for the right job. Making it about advantage or disadvantage makes it worthwhile to hold onto that terrifically useful dwarven hammer or whatever other cool item you found.
Also, the locked door example was totally not inspired by my puppy staring at a door in an effort to figure out how to open it at this very moment.
But with the bounded accuracy idea, I don't know if straight bonuses is the way to go. I think it works better leveraging the advantage or DC aspects of the system. For instance, climbing a wall might be a hard DC, but climbing a wall with a grappling hook and rope is easy. Picking a lock without lockpicks is an epic feat, with lockpicks hard, and with the right key it is so trivially easy that everyone with an intelligence above 3 & opposable thumbs doesn't even have to roll. Advantage and disadvantage could work well to make certain tools special or better than others, for instance, a Dwarven hammer or elven clothing might grant advantage on their respective skill checks.
I just think making items about bonuses leads to more of a Christmas tree effect. Having them adjust DCs makes it about having the right tool for the right job. Making it about advantage or disadvantage makes it worthwhile to hold onto that terrifically useful dwarven hammer or whatever other cool item you found.
Also, the locked door example was totally not inspired by my puppy staring at a door in an effort to figure out how to open it at this very moment.
verzimulinaturde?
Me fail English? The unpossible.
But to your point, well stated. What you have said in favor of gear as the governing meta system is well stated and argued. Kudos.
However : rope.
Rope? Yes rope. Rope is the item that I use to gauge how to integrate gear into any game. Why? Cause its so easy to solve things with it. Can I create a tripping trap? Yes, you have rope. Can I climb that cliff? Yes, you have rope (and other bits too). Rather than my team-mate having to climb (as he does have a climb skill) can we lower a rope and lift him up?
Its cheap, its easily available. Every party member has one.
Basically, without some other mechanism in place, entire sub-sets of challenges are utterly trivialized by this item. That Im not fond of.
Im more for it being a combination. Skill + Equipment = success.
Me fail English? The unpossible.
But to your point, well stated. What you have said in favor of gear as the governing meta system is well stated and argued. Kudos.
However : rope.
Rope? Yes rope. Rope is the item that I use to gauge how to integrate gear into any game. Why? Cause its so easy to solve things with it. Can I create a tripping trap? Yes, you have rope. Can I climb that cliff? Yes, you have rope (and other bits too). Rather than my team-mate having to climb (as he does have a climb skill) can we lower a rope and lift him up?
Its cheap, its easily available. Every party member has one.
Basically, without some other mechanism in place, entire sub-sets of challenges are utterly trivialized by this item. That Im not fond of.
Im more for it being a combination. Skill + Equipment = success.
