D&D (2024) What type of ranger would your prefer for 2024?

[Charlaquin]

The key is to do both. You keep a generic system in reserve and then dictate a set of DC lists correlating to some typical challenges.

Works even better in both cases if you assume a degree of success system.

GMs who don't want to follow the book are still free to and have a dearth of examples to draw from, and those who can't deal with improvising it on the fly get plenty to go on too.

So, like 10 for easy, 15 for medium, 20 for hard? We have that already.

 

[Vaalingrade]

On the flip side, you don’t need a person to DM if everything is pre-formulated. The advantage of TRPGs over CRPGs is that the former are run by humans instead of computers. Reducing DMing to following instructions removes that advantage.

Making DCs easy to determine isn't making 'everything pre-formulated' it's making it just a tiny bit user friendly.

This is exactly why there's a DM shortage. People want DMing to be Dark Souls where you just have to 'get good scrub' instead of getting actual support because that would remove the exclusive elite feel to sitting in the big chair.

 

[Charlaquin]

Making DCs easy to determine isn't making 'everything pre-formulated' it's making it just a tiny bit user friendly.

DCs are easy to determine. Extensive tables of tasks and DCs for them isn’t making DCs easy to determine, it’s telling the DM to follow preformulated instructions instead of using their brain.

This is exactly why there's a DM shortage. People want DMing to be Dark Souls where you just have to 'get good scrub' instead of getting actual support because that would remove the exclusive elite feel to sitting in the big chair.

Not at all. I think there’s a severe lack of actionable DMing advice available, and more such advice or better quality is desperately needed. I just believe that among that advice should be how to set DCs yourself instead of relying on a table of static DCs. We need to teach new DMs to actually run games, not just execute instructions like a very slow meat computer.

 

[Charlaquin]

To paraphrase a well-known proverb, give a DM a table of DCs, they’ll run a module. Teach a DM to set DCs, they’ll run campaigns.

 

[Vaalingrade]

DCs are easy to determine. Extensive tables of tasks and DCs for them isn’t making DCs easy to determine, it’s telling the DM to follow preformulated instructions instead of using their brain.

Let me put it this way:

Why is this a bad thing?

Why is it bad to not have to use your brain and waste time making up DCs on the fly and instead use that brainpower on interesting, useful things. Why is it bad for a human to use tools? Why use a hammer when you can engage your brain and simply punch nails in?

Not at all. I think there’s a severe lack of actionable DMing advice available, and more such advice or better quality is desperately needed. I just believe that among that advice should be how to set DCs yourself instead of relying on a table of static DCs. We need to teach new DMs to actually run games, not just execute instructions like a very slow meat computer.

It's just making extra work to crush people with for some sort of weird pride thing.

And you're slowing down that meat computer with extra, unnecessary commands!

 

[Vaalingrade]

Also, final woodcraft. Entangling Strike and Fog Cloud are items, detect magic is not a thing rangers do, so this is the last.

Speak with Animals: You are capable of reading and understanding the body language and vocalizations of animals and adjust your own to make yours understood to them.

Animals lack the rich inner life of a sapient being and thus don’t really hold conversations or philosophize, so this allows you to communicate and discern basic information about mood, intent, hunger, fear, aggression and other simple concepts as well as directions and the locations of food, shelter or local landmarks.

 

[Incenjucar]

I could actually see rangers being able to detect unnatural things, including magic and undead, as a Perception check, the same way they could smell machine oil in a flower field.

 

[FrogReaver]

I like the idea of essentially a fighter with expertise and something akin to reliable talent in ranger skills. I don’t need magic but I need at least rogue level skills if I don’t have that. I prefer no magic.

 

[Charlaquin]

Let me put it this way:

Why is this a bad thing?

Because it’s severely limiting to a DM’s flexibility and ability to adapt to unexpected situations. If all you know how to do is consult the chart of pre-formulated DCs, you’ll struggle with what to do when the players try something that isn’t on your chart. You’ll also be more inclined to use the DCs on your chart for any actions that resemble the example actions on your chart, even when a different DC might be more appropriate in the situation. In short, it makes people worse DMs.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Because it’s severely limiting to a DM’s flexibility and ability to adapt to unexpected situations.

DMs have always had the option to not use the rules. The difference here is that you're taking tools away to leave them no choice.