D&D 5E Would you play D&D if you knew there would be no combat?

[DND_Reborn]

Without combat and the threat to life, the game is boring. It doesn't have to be all the time of course. If the story is compelling and the people are friendly, etc. I would try a low combat game (even just once per session maybe).

 

[Fenris-77]

There's at least some combat in every RPG, even the ones focused on personal interaction or investigation. I think it's safe to assume that combat is on the 'some' scale, probably lower down. There's an enormous difference between 'not combat heavy' and 'no combat'. D&D is fine for the first and pants for the second.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I voted Yes, just because I'd be curious as all get out how the DM was going to run the game.

• It's a person I don't even know running it... so let's say a convention DM.
• They are running exploration / mystery / horror and yet are using the D&D rules.
• There is little to no combat, despite 90% of any character sheet being made up of statistics meant for combat.

Which means either one of two things-- either this is a really interesting DM with probably a lot of game knowledge and a very esoteric idea that they want to try out (in which case, yeah, I'm be extremely curious to see what they've come up with)... or they are an exceedingly inexperienced DM who doesn't realize other game systems exist for these sort of games, and I'd find myself probably advocating for new systems and the like while participating in the game. Trying to help expand the DM's horizons while trying to remain faithful to what they are trying to accomplish with this game.

I wouldn't expect either game to last more than a session or two because quite frankly in both cases the DM will probably come to a quick conclusion that D&D is not the system suited for what they really want to do. But it'd be interesting to go on that journey with them for the session they did run.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

Without combat and the threat to life, the game is boring. It doesn't have to be all the time of course. If the story is compelling and the people are friendly, etc. I would try a low combat game (even just once per session maybe).

Based on the discussion that this one is spawned from, I'd think the idea is more that, if there is a combat, the player characters die. So there is definitely a threat of death, it would just come in some other form than traditional D&D combat (which has, as a core presumption, that you might not die).

 

[TwoSix]

I very rarely say "no" to any particular game offer, but I think there's a mismatch between D&D and no combat. I mean, why play anything but a full caster at that point?

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Absolutely. While I enjoy combat quite a bit, I love getting into my character and RPing. But I might have reservations since I don't know the DM in the listed example. At a con game, sure, but for an extended campaign, I'd probably be more hesitant. But really, that'd be the case regardless of the amount of combat in the game.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I would play CoC with a good GM but D&D with no battles? Nope.

 

[jayoungr]

Half the time my group figures out ways to avoid combat anyway, so yeah, I'd be down for a no-combat game.

 

[Umbran]

Prompted by another thread; if you were involved in a new D&D game and were aware up front it would NOT be a combat heavy game, or hardly any combat at all, but rather exploration and mystery and horror, would you still play? Assume you do not know the DM and he is not a friend, this is all 100% new.

For a one-shot, sure. Why not?

For a campaign.... that's getting really hypothetical, as I am unlikely to get involved in a campaign where I don't at least know the GM, so you're asking what I'd do in a weird situation.

I've no problem with the concept of playing an RPG that has no combat. But D&D... isn't really designed for the kind of game you're suggesting here. I might still do it but I'd really want to talk to the GM first about why they are choosing this, because there are other engines that would handle it so much better.

 

[GlassJaw]

I voted "NO" but it's more of a "probably not" for 2 reasons:

1. There are far better systems for a combat-light campaign, and
2. I'm iffy on joining a group with people I don't know, especially for game that is going to be a big departure from the norm.