What is "railroading" to you (as a player)?

[Reynard]

But what if their character isn't that smart?

From the perspective of mental attributes, a character is only what the player decides to play them as. Most of the time, a PC is exactly as smart as the player, for obvious reasons. On some occassions, they are dumber than the player. They cannot, by definition, be smarter than the player.

This is a separate issue from what bonus the PC gets to their Arcana skill or spell DC. Those things are what "Intelligence" measures, not how smart or dumb the player is allowed to play their character.

 

[Hriston]

No. Players still have lots of setting to explore, and plenty of choices to make through their PCs (including looking for another way out if they wish).

My post wasn't about the OP.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I, personally, choose how to narratively justify my characters’ stats in 5e. But no else at the table has any standing to decide whether or not I’m doing it right.

Like I said, your choice.

 

[Micah Sweet]

From the perspective of mental attributes, a character is only what the player decides to play them as. Most of the time, a PC is exactly as smart as the player, for obvious reasons. On some occassions, they are dumber than the player. They cannot, by definition, be smarter than the player.

This is a separate issue from what bonus the PC gets to their Arcana skill or spell DC. Those things are what "Intelligence" measures, not how smart or dumb the player is allowed to play their character.

That's a choice, not a requirement. As has been said, if you don't want your intelligence score to have any bearing on how smart your character is, maybe call it something else or otherwise play a game that doesn't have mental stats.

If the mechanics you mention are all intelligence is for, it should be called "knowledge".

 

[Reynard]

That's a choice, not a requirement. As has been said, if you don't want your intelligence score to have any bearing on how smart your character is, maybe call it something else or otherwise play a game that doesn't have mental stats.

If the mechanics you mention are all intelligence is for, it should be called "knowledge".

Do you want to show me in the rule books where it says that the GM can deny you your action because you are playing your attributes wrong?

 

[TwoSix]

That's a choice, not a requirement. As has been said, if you don't want your intelligence score to have any bearing on how smart your character is, maybe call it something else or otherwise play a game that doesn't have mental stats.

If the mechanics you mention are all intelligence is for, it should be called "knowledge".

Honestly, this feels like they shouldn't call different editions of D&D "D&D" because the game changed argument again, just under a different topic.

Don't worry so much about names or the words being used. Worry about the context. What Intelligence means in 5e is different than what it meant in AD&D, and that's OK.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Do you want to show me in the rule books where it says that the GM can deny you your action because you are playing your attributes wrong?

Can you show me in the rule books where it says your attributes have no bearing on your character beyond die rolls?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Honestly, this feels like they shouldn't call different editions of D&D "D&D" because the game changed argument again, just under a different topic.

Don't worry so much about names or the words being used. Worry about the context. What Intelligence means in 5e is different than what it meant in AD&D, and that's OK.

Just telling me, "you're wrong. Accept it and move on" is not an argument.

Does someone have the description of intelligence in 5.5?

And I stand by my D&D edition argument.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Sandbox is my One True Way, but there's other schools of thought.

"One True Way" is a term that by its nature, denies the legitimacy of other approaches. I don't think that's what you're intending here.

 

[Thomas Shey]

And I think running away should be fine. It is in my game. This is why I prep a large area, and why I run sandbox. I welcome "run away".

I suspect even you would get tired if they kept running away from everything they weren't debating about about until the end of time.