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[Very Long] Combat as Sport vs. Combat as War: a Key Difference in D&D Play Styles...
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<blockquote data-quote="Gadget" data-source="post: 5807271" data-attributes="member: 23716"><p>You know, this is a brilliant analysis of some of the differences between old school and newer game styles. It does put a lot of things into perspective for me.</p><p></p><p>I guess I would say that <em>ideally</em> I like to CAW style with some CAS thrown in for spice. But I have some reservations based on past play experience: </p><p></p><p>1) it is much more difficult to DM in a logical and consistent manner. Too often, you end up in a laborious discussion/debate about the physics/logistics of the environment while you try to convince the DM to allow the stuff you saw on MacGuyver last night to work. The first time you melt oyster shells down over a camp fire to get the toxic powder that you toss at you foes to blind them was neat. The next five times: not so much. Honestly, I wonder why they ever invented hand grenades with how effective a flask of oil and a torch was at times back in the day. This stuff was extremely hard to DM in a fair and consistent manner. Not to mention the ridiculous plots and plans that would only work on an episode of Scooby Doo (Now Shaggy, you cover yourself in strawberry ice ream to lure the monster in, while Scooby slides across the room on bars of soap...); the example in the original post falls into this bucket, IMHO.</p><p></p><p>2) It would encourage gaming/exploiting the spell system beyond any reasonable bounds. Arguments about how a wall of force could be infinitely thin and infinitely sharp from the side, therefore able to cut foes who came upon it unawares in half, abounded. Not to mention the: "Well, the spell's name is <em>Grease</em>, it must be flammable, so if we toss a torch in there when they are caught in the AOE... " Combine this with number one above, and you too can defeat the orc tribe with a rope, a bucket of frogs, a tree and <em>Ray of Frost. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> </em>Now you may say that the DM just needs to grow a backbone, and it is a matter of group dynamics, and sure, you're probably right. </p><p></p><p>It is, IMO, a very thin sweet spot of group preferences and DM skill to hit, but when you do hit it, boy it really works.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gadget, post: 5807271, member: 23716"] You know, this is a brilliant analysis of some of the differences between old school and newer game styles. It does put a lot of things into perspective for me. I guess I would say that [I]ideally[/I] I like to CAW style with some CAS thrown in for spice. But I have some reservations based on past play experience: 1) it is much more difficult to DM in a logical and consistent manner. Too often, you end up in a laborious discussion/debate about the physics/logistics of the environment while you try to convince the DM to allow the stuff you saw on MacGuyver last night to work. The first time you melt oyster shells down over a camp fire to get the toxic powder that you toss at you foes to blind them was neat. The next five times: not so much. Honestly, I wonder why they ever invented hand grenades with how effective a flask of oil and a torch was at times back in the day. This stuff was extremely hard to DM in a fair and consistent manner. Not to mention the ridiculous plots and plans that would only work on an episode of Scooby Doo (Now Shaggy, you cover yourself in strawberry ice ream to lure the monster in, while Scooby slides across the room on bars of soap...); the example in the original post falls into this bucket, IMHO. 2) It would encourage gaming/exploiting the spell system beyond any reasonable bounds. Arguments about how a wall of force could be infinitely thin and infinitely sharp from the side, therefore able to cut foes who came upon it unawares in half, abounded. Not to mention the: "Well, the spell's name is [I]Grease[/I], it must be flammable, so if we toss a torch in there when they are caught in the AOE... " Combine this with number one above, and you too can defeat the orc tribe with a rope, a bucket of frogs, a tree and [I]Ray of Frost. :) [/I]Now you may say that the DM just needs to grow a backbone, and it is a matter of group dynamics, and sure, you're probably right. It is, IMO, a very thin sweet spot of group preferences and DM skill to hit, but when you do hit it, boy it really works. [/QUOTE]
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