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Why Exploration Is the Worst Pillar
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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 8376177" data-attributes="member: 97077"><p>I would say it helps with some. I'm not sure a claim of "vast majority" really holds up in any objective sense. Maybe that's true with the sort of traps you're used to in your games, but that's not every game. As I said upthread, when someone has an assertion, complaint, or objection, we have to imagine what must be true in that person's game for the assertion, complaint, or objection to make sense. A claim of "vast majority" tells me that the variation in traps presented is likely to be very small, probably a lot of one-and-done traps, and that the DM's interpretation of what the unseen servant can do is overly broad. In those conditions, you have a point. But that's only true of some games.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Again, setting off a trap isn't always good or wise and may ultimately be a failure - unseen servant or no - depending on what is at stake. If it's a complex trap that resets, for example, it only reveals the trap is there and perhaps what it's capable of doing. It does not answer any other questions about what to do next.</p><p></p><p></p><p>For one, the use of rituals to overcome exploration challenges <em>isn't </em>a problem in my view. But it also isn't as "free" as some would have us believe - at least not in all games. It's a problem in <em>some </em>games that are run in <em>particular ways</em>, perhaps. So the question is, as I see it, "What is it about how I'm prepping and running my game that creates these conditions?" not "What the heck is wrong with these rules?"</p><p></p><p>Further, time pressure by way of wandering monsters or countdowns is simply a way to increase the difficulty of an exploration challenge. It isn't a punishment. It makes the decisions the players need to make harder. Without it, you're decreasing difficulty and it's no wonder your unseen servant is an unstoppable trap destroying machine. So, again, it's worth considering how you're designing and presenting your challenges first.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="iserith, post: 8376177, member: 97077"] I would say it helps with some. I'm not sure a claim of "vast majority" really holds up in any objective sense. Maybe that's true with the sort of traps you're used to in your games, but that's not every game. As I said upthread, when someone has an assertion, complaint, or objection, we have to imagine what must be true in that person's game for the assertion, complaint, or objection to make sense. A claim of "vast majority" tells me that the variation in traps presented is likely to be very small, probably a lot of one-and-done traps, and that the DM's interpretation of what the unseen servant can do is overly broad. In those conditions, you have a point. But that's only true of some games. Again, setting off a trap isn't always good or wise and may ultimately be a failure - unseen servant or no - depending on what is at stake. If it's a complex trap that resets, for example, it only reveals the trap is there and perhaps what it's capable of doing. It does not answer any other questions about what to do next. For one, the use of rituals to overcome exploration challenges [I]isn't [/I]a problem in my view. But it also isn't as "free" as some would have us believe - at least not in all games. It's a problem in [I]some [/I]games that are run in [I]particular ways[/I], perhaps. So the question is, as I see it, "What is it about how I'm prepping and running my game that creates these conditions?" not "What the heck is wrong with these rules?" Further, time pressure by way of wandering monsters or countdowns is simply a way to increase the difficulty of an exploration challenge. It isn't a punishment. It makes the decisions the players need to make harder. Without it, you're decreasing difficulty and it's no wonder your unseen servant is an unstoppable trap destroying machine. So, again, it's worth considering how you're designing and presenting your challenges first. [/QUOTE]
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