D&D 5E Why Don't We Simplify 5e?

[Eubani]

Outlander Background: You find food for 5 people is one of the most blatant skip exploration issue that is easily available, I found it appearing in every group I ran for so I swapped it for a back track ability.

 

[Eubani]

I wish that a lot of the exploration pillar abilities provided more sideways/interaction ability rather than ignore or roll to ignore. Example: When hunting found various types of supplies for things such as herbs, spell components and weapon ammunition. Rather avoiding battles/ambushes start off in a more advantageous position. Basically what I am saying is abilities should make your exploration activities more interesting and beneficial not just a skip button.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Risk aversion is an endemic problem; when it comes to survival elements, the truth is not that many people find it engaging enough to find the risks anything but an impediment.

(I do have to note that there's a difference in not being interested in survival and not being interested in exploration though; its just the usual "everyone wants to go to Heaven but no one wants to die" thing).

 

[Eubani]

Let's take a moment to see what the differences in what you get out of suceeding combat Vs Exploration, I find this very telling:
Combat you get:
Not dead
Treasure
XP
Possible ending to current adventure/campaign
That particular threat removed

Exploration you get:
Not dead
Make it to destination
Threat still there

 

[Thomas Shey]

Let's take a moment to see what the differences in what you get out of suceeding combat Vs Exploration, I find this very telling:
Combat you get:
Not dead
Treasure
XP
Possible ending to current adventure/campaign

Exploration you get:
Not dead
Make it to destination

To be fair, it can be set up so that the latter is "find something new and interesting", but that tends to require at least a little sandbox in the mix, and still isn't that compelling to some people.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

Maybe this will help simplify?

 

[Eubani]

In my experience it’s almost the reverse of that. If the DM says they’re going to make exploration important, the players pick all the skip buttons. If the DM doesn’t make it clear exploration is important the players don’t bother wasting resources assuming the DM will simply skip exploration. When exploration comes up, the players complain...then pick all the skip buttons they can.

Players don’t want to bother tracking food and water, so they take the skip buttons. Players don’t want to bother tracking torches or light sources so they take the skip buttons. Gods forbid you as the DM remind them how darkvision actually works (disadvantage on Perception checks in total darkness). Then they complain some more and pull out the skip buttons for that, too. There’s not really anything in the exploration pillar that doesn’t have a skip button. It’s really too bad.

In defence of the players most of the spells/abilities they have access to that deal with the exploration pillar have been skip buttons instead of being interactive in nature.

 

[mrpopstar]

Let's take a moment to see what the differences in what you get out of suceeding combat Vs Exploration, I find this very telling:
Combat you get:
Not dead
Treasure

"Magic items are ... discovered in long-lost vaults." DMG 135

XP

"You decide whether to award experience to characters outside of combat. If the adventurers ... successfully navigate the Chasm of Doom, you might decide that they deserve an XP reward." DMG 261

Possible ending to current adventure/campaign

There are wilderness goals outlined for location-based adventures. DMG 73
Achieving any one of the 19 goals outlined could be the possible ending to the current adventure.

That particular threat removed

The wilderness goals table also outlines the removal of threats as possible goals for a location-based adventure. DMG 73

Exploration you get:
Not dead
Make it to destination
Threat still there

"Creating an adventure involves blending scenes of exploration, social interaction, and combat into a unified whole... ." DMG 71

Viewing exploration and combat as separate entities isn't how the game intends you approach adventure building.

 

[Eubani]

Whilst it's nice and all but vaults are more often then not guarded by a monster/npc and a high portion of items are taken off the body of a defeated foe. Also many DM's simply don't give XP for getting past natural roadblocks and obstacles. In fact the only place the game truly defines just what it worth to defeat is on monsters.

 

[Eubani]

Let's not kid ourselves the exploration pillar is poorly fleshed out, the mechanics are largely defined as an ability check then done. After that it is as mentioned skipped by class abilities and spells IF the DM even bothers to cover that part at all.