D&D 5E When RAW goes too far

[Fenris-77]

I think someone's players have been playing too much Minecraft. Oh look, I have wood and string! Hmmm, I know, I'll craft a longbow!

 

[Horwath]

It was giant frogs. Honestly, the javelin things sounds like a bigger deal than it was. It was basically them wanting to make javelins from bones, I ask them to use a tool, they do, and they got the javelin anyways. I just want them to understand that I'm being consistent so they won't think that because they can make javelins without tools that they can make a longbow without tools because they think weapons are free. Does it break anything to let them do these things for free? probably just immersion and consistency. But without those, what even is a TTRPG besides a nonsensical OC fanfic roleplay?

there is no harm in making simple weapons for (almost) free, even without special tool.

You can make a wooden spear with a decent knife in a few minutes.

However, I would not give away making of martial weapon or crossbows without tools and relevant proficiency in those tool.

Maybe a makeshift longbow that deals 1d4 instead of 1d8 damage and has 50ft instead of 150ft range.

clubs, quarterstaffs a greatclub should be made for free for anyone to make with intelligence 10 and some tools(knife, hatchet to clear twigs and bark)

 

[Oofta]

It was giant frogs. Honestly, the javelin things sounds like a bigger deal than it was. It was basically them wanting to make javelins from bones, I ask them to use a tool, they do, and they got the javelin anyways. I just want them to understand that I'm being consistent so they won't think that because they can make javelins without tools that they can make a longbow without tools because they think weapons are free. Does it break anything to let them do these things for free? probably just immersion and consistency. But without those, what even is a TTRPG besides a nonsensical OC fanfic roleplay?

I follow standard crafting rules in my campaign. As long as someone has the background or is willing to pay for training they can craft anything they want from the PHB. We've even had PCs forge their own armor out of special materials. I think it's kind of fun as long as they're still paying a price which includes time along with material and upkeep costs for more complex items.

So I agree with you - it's not a big deal.

 

[clearstream]

That's 3e thinking, at its worst.

In 1e and in 5e, it's "If the game doesn't say you can do it, there's nothing stopping you from trying anyway. Success not guaranteed."

A small fix. There's nothing to stop you saying that you want to do it. The DM will tell you if it can even be attempted, and if so... etc etc...

 

[SkidAce]

Also, javelins are cheaper than spears in D&D so I imagined them as a more primitive but still well-made version and spears are a bit more well-crafted.

Oddly, I suspect its the other way around. Depends on the refinement of the spear i suppose.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Oddly, I suspect its the other way around. Depends on the refinement of the spear i suppose.

On the one hand, there's more evidence of neolithic throwing spears than holding(?) spears (and quite a few atlatls, which are also called spear-throwers...)

On the other hand, DnD isn't really accurate to history or physics when those get in the way of fantasy tropes.

 

[tetrasodium]

In D&D, everyday things—walls, gravity, bread, laughter—work the way we expect them to, except for when the rules say otherwise.

Spoiler: Unfortunately....

Crawford/wotc refuse to address the biggest problem with his logic. There is no "dome of force" or even "wall/cube of force" that an be compared to in real life and the rules very strongly suggest that a third level ritual spell is an improved forcecage but 5 levels lower. Even spells such as forcecage & wall of force support the absurd. Things like the pane of glass ruling raised earlier by @Todd Roybark do not help either.

Spoiler: forcecage

Spoiler: wall of force

 

[billd91]

Crawford/wotc refuse to address the biggest problem with his logic.

There's a logic problem here, alright. But it's not Crawford's. None of the spells you're quoting are everyday things - walls, gravity, bread, laughter - that we have experience with. Hence, his statement is really touching those spells at all. Why would you expect it to?

 

[Lanefan]

A small fix. There's nothing to stop you saying that you want to do it. The DM will tell you if it can even be attempted, and if so... etc etc...

I disagree.

Anything, no matter how ridiculous, can be attempted.

The DM can tell me my PC has absolutely zero chance of success and might even hurt or kill itself in the process, but she's overstepped her bounds if she tells me I can't make the attempt.

Put another way, there's a very big difference between her telling me I can't succeed and telling me I can't try.

 

[tetrasodium]

There's a logic problem here, alright. But it's not Crawford's. None of the spells you're quoting are everyday things - walls, gravity, bread, laughter - that we have experience with. Hence, his statement is really touching those spells at all. Why would you expect it to?

because the rules as written suggest pretty strongly that a third level ritual spell is on par with or better than a 5th or 7th level spell & it causes many arguments. His statement is great & all when talking about a wooden or stone wall but is completely inapplicable for all the reasons you point out to the absurd wording of tiny hut but will be used to tenuously fill in for the long overdue errata