D&D 5E [+] Ways to fix the caster / non-caster gap

[Raiztt]

Well it can be quite a bit easier to brainstorm when the trolls are removed.

I have literally solved this problem with an elegant house rule already, posted in it's own thread. But people definitely don't care about real solutions otherwise they'd be talking about those instead of trying to engage in arguments.

 

[TwoSix]

You need some realism.
Any work of fiction that has no realism at all can't be understood.

No one is questioning that you need to create a framework of familiar elements into a work of speculative fantasy in order to make the fantastical elements stand out.

No one is questioning that the humans of a speculative fantasy would presumably think, feel, and be physiologically similar to us as Earth humans.

The difference in opinion is I believe that since those humans exist in a universe that doesn't operate under standard physical laws (as shooting fire with your mind would necessitate different physics), we simply can't assume that any normal boundary of physics or biology is actually in place.

One side says "I know an Oerth human can shoot fire from their brain after reading a book a few times, but that doesn't mean an Oerth human can lift 1000 pounds after a few weeks of weight training and Orc killing. That's obviously implausible."

I'm saying "If an Oerth human can shoot fire from their brain after reading a book a few times, who the hell knows what else they can do?"

 

[overgeeked]

The breaking point for verisimilitude is for every person different.
Like people complained about GOT TV Characters staying fat wild being month in the wild with barley any food.
That can be a deal breaker, because we expect fat people to loose weight when they don't have food.
It wasn't for a deal breaker for me, but I can understand when it puts people out of the fantasy.
Like for example what it did for me where the first two JJ Abrams Star Trek Movies, where for cinematic effect the flight times were reduced to seconds between different solar systems and were a cadets was put as a captain and stuff. It was all stuff that Star Trek did before but it was so over the top, that it just ruined the movies for me.
Or the super nova that destroys several star systems. I was like - what is that stupidity! Super novas don't behave that way!
While later I read up on that and I was wrong. Supernovae can be so big that they destroy several Star systems ...

So you see, verisimilitude is quite subjective and can also be based on wrong notions of what people think is realistic. I can tell you what I think would break verisimilitude for a lot of people:

If humans wouldn't be humans anymore in an TTRPG.

Good for them. So they shouldn’t be playing D&D as humans in D&D, especially PCs, are wildly beyond human capabilities by default.

 

[Gammadoodler]

Give fighters the ability to teleport.

Sure, or fly, whip-swing, tunnel, cut/break boulders, doors, walls whatever.

My biggest frustration with most D&D martials is that environmental challenges and hordes do not get meaningfully easier to deal with from levels 1 to level 20.

 

[Vaalingrade]

You're adorable. I will bet you literally any amount of money that whatever is coming down the pipe is virtually identical to what you've already got.

I prefer 'cuddly', thank you very much. And I know we're just going to get slop in our trough: that's why I used 'ostensibly'.

 

[Neonchameleon]

We are literally in the middle of a playtest where WotC is ostensibly asking us to contribute on how to make the game better.

While at the same time not offering very much to higher level fighters and barbarians. They're still moving the same 30' per round and still swinging the same sharpened pieces of metal fast and hard they were at level 1.

 

[overgeeked]

I have literally solved this problem with an elegant house rule already, posted in it's own thread. But people definitely don't care about real solutions otherwise they'd be talking about those instead of trying to engage in arguments.

So then stop engaging in arguments?

 

[Raiztt]

I prefer 'cuddly', thank you very much. And I know we're just going to get slop in our trough: that's why I used 'ostensibly'.

So looks like you better 'cuddle' up to your DM and ask for some house rules.

 

[Raiztt]

So then stop engaging in arguments?

Brother, it takes more than one person to argue.

 

[mamba]

Good for them. So they shouldn’t be playing D&D as humans in D&D, especially PCs, are wildly beyond human capabilities by default.

these are two different things, just because someone is a human does not mean they can only do exactly what they can do on Earth. I haven't heard anyone say that humans should not be allowed to be casters...