D&D 5E Xanathar's Poll

[Charlaquin]

Thee life-story tables have to be my favorite, but those parts are amazing, too.

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I think I feel about those the way a lot of people feel about the names. Why do I need the book to give me a list of backstory ideas when I can easily come up with better ones on my own? That said, I appreciate their presence because even if they’re not useful to me personally, I can easily see them being useful to other people. They are among the more popular features in the book, and not without good reason.

 

[DM Howard]

I said that I "Dislike It" but only because I felt it was ~$10 more than it should have been.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I think I feel about those the way a lot of people feel about the names. Why do I need the book to give me a list of backstory ideas when I can easily come up with better ones on my own? That said, I appreciate their presence because even if they’re not useful to me personally, I can easily see them being useful to other people. They are among the more popular features in the book, and not without good reason.

My solution to how I can use it, is having a "Totally Random Characters" theme adventure. Not only will you roll random stats--in order--(though I have a way of keeping them equal), but everything about your character is random, including race, class, skills, and starting spells and equipment. We 'll use those tables to roll up the remainder of their life stories. We can even make a use for the random name tables that way

We'll probably roll one more character than there are players, and then each player chooses which of the random characters they get to play. It will probably run 8-12 sessions (maybe less).

 

[Parmandur]

My solution to how I can use it, is having a "Totally Random Characters" theme adventure. Not only will you roll random stats--in order--(though I have a way of keeping them equal), but everything about your character is random, including race, class, skills, and starting spells and equipment. We 'll use those tables to roll up the remainder of their life stories. We can even make a use for the random name tables that way

We'll probably roll one more character than there are players, and then each player chooses which of the random characters they get to play. It will probably run 8-12 sessions (maybe less).

As part of the UA playtesting for Xanathar's Guide, they did trial balloon random PC rules.

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[Raith5]

That is just standard for forums: they represent an overall much more negative view of the product. It is the nature of people to put more effort into complaining and denigrating than praising.

That and forumgoers tend to be on the more hardcore and 'technical' fraction of a game's customer base, so most products are aimed a little further towards the casual end of the spectrum than we'd like.

Sure, but isnt it really the case we should consider people giving opinions with reasons as being more valuable and useful to the community than a click on the poll?

 

[Azzy]

Sure, but isnt it really the case we should consider people giving opinions with reasons as being more valuable and useful to the community than a click on the poll?

Not really.

 

[schnee]

Sure, but isnt it really the case we should consider people giving opinions with reasons as being more valuable and useful to the community than a click on the poll?

Happy people aren't motivated to say much, because they're happy.

Miserable people want to be heard by everyone, because misery loves company.

So, from me, that'd be a 'not necessarily'.

 

[Raith5]

Happy people aren't motivated to say much, because they're happy.

Miserable people want to be heard by everyone, because misery loves company.

So, from me, that'd be a 'not necessarily'.

I guess my point is that I dont see how questioning the utility of a product equates with misery or unhappiness with game, or the world. I am glad that the product has widespread appeal but I cant see how the comments here saying they disliked it are mindlessly negative or denigrating it. I come to this forum to consider views different from my own!

 

[schnee]

I guess my point is that I dont see how questioning the utility of a product equates with misery or unhappiness with game, or the world. I am glad that the product has widespread appeal but I cant see how the comments here saying they disliked it are mindlessly negative or denigrating it. I come to this forum to consider views different from my own!

Well, that's why I said 'not necessarily' instead of a flat 'no'.

Some of the critiques are definitely legitimate, but coming from a table that's 50% newbies, a lot of the stuff in the book that's being ragged on is actually perfect for them.

RE the name charts, even if someone doesn't use the names randomly, they're inspirational and useful as a reference - and honestly, better written to me than the procedural online guides I've tried that every critical poster seems to prefer.

RE the random encounter charts, they're also useful for world building just looking through them. They're also an index for monsters to consider first when building encounters in different types of terrain.

RE the deeper lore and tables with the classes are doing the same thing. They're planting seeds of more ways to role play, more ways to build character and personality.

The rather new-to-the-game DM at my table loves the book for those things. They're helping her to start writing her own adventures, design more interesting NPCs, and really get into a groove as a DM.

So, I'm a bit less concerned with how extremely experienced, jaded gamers feel. (Even if I'm one of them.) It's making the newest people at our tables happiest.

Edit: I do have my own critiques of the book. I think the Cleric was completely short-changed in spells, the Wizard got too many, and I'd have liked to see more stuff for martials outside of new subclasses. I'm also glad for the critique online, because, for example, from what a bunch of the analysis I'm seeing it seems the Hexblade is probably too strong. I like being prepared for stuff like that rather than having to nerf it at the table. So, I do agree with some of it, just not all of it.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Sure, but isnt it really the case we should consider people giving opinions with reasons as being more valuable and useful to the community than a click on the poll?

No. People who express their opinion by clicking on the poll are just as valuable as those who feel the need to explain or justify those opinions by posting them as well.

It is more useful to evaluate those opinions when they are stated of course. But this poll is just counting numbers of people happy/unhappy.

I guess my point is that I dont see how questioning the utility of a product equates with misery or unhappiness with game, or the world.

Has anyone actually said that?
No one other than you has suggested that some people's opinions are worth more than others. Some people didn't like the product: That is only to be expected. Sometimes that opinion will push them to make claims about the product or the producers that they might not express as only their personal opinion. That sort of accusation can be argued against without negating their right to have an opinion.

I am glad that the product has widespread appeal but I cant see how the comments here saying they disliked it are mindlessly negative or denigrating it. I come to this forum to consider views different from my own!

There is a difference in stating an opinion such as "I didn't like it because I thought X", and making a claim such as "This is full of filler material and the producers are lazy and incompetent!"