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Off-Topic / Re: D&D Meta Thread
« Last post by Alice on Today at 04:11:38 pm »I agree I like it better that way because it makes things much more unpredictable and thus interesting. We have no monster expert, at best Cat has some experience with a few. We shouldn't know the monsters stats, strengths and weaknesses. And neither should they all be clones. But this does create some serious gameplay problems. We don't look up monsters we don't know anything about. But if we already encountered them and think we know them (or because it's common sense that a ghoul is undead) but they're special snowflakes who are just different - that's fun but it either leads to catastrophic events like Yulya wasting a Turn Undead on an obvious undead who's surprisingly not undead at all, and everyone getting killed - or endless discussions like we have now.
So what to do about this? Realistically, it should happen frequently that we use ineffective attacks against monsters we misjudge. But realistically, adventurers would perish after a few encounters, and never live long enough to level up or become heroes. I'm not sure how to resolve this. One method I proposed is to plot us against more low-level but cunning enemies who can be adjusted to permit serious mistakes without immediate TPK. But this would drag out the game for years due to XP starving.
On the other hand, right now we are up against such high level foes that we basically have to execute every attack perfectly in order to have some chance. And telling us beforehand what doesn't work isn't really fun either and - as I frequently criticize - leads to a scripted story that leaves us no options, and no means to make mistakes. But I understand mistakes mess up the game and create even more work for Joy. I still think we should be permitted to make serious and epic fails.
So my suggestion - if an enemy deviates significantly from what is commonly expected, give us a hint by describing it. We will accept any monster stat you design, from living skeletons to corporeal ghosts, but there should be at least some clue. In exchange - no more telling us beforehand what doesn't work. Only by observation or divine intervention should we learn something like that.
Does that sound good?
So what to do about this? Realistically, it should happen frequently that we use ineffective attacks against monsters we misjudge. But realistically, adventurers would perish after a few encounters, and never live long enough to level up or become heroes. I'm not sure how to resolve this. One method I proposed is to plot us against more low-level but cunning enemies who can be adjusted to permit serious mistakes without immediate TPK. But this would drag out the game for years due to XP starving.
On the other hand, right now we are up against such high level foes that we basically have to execute every attack perfectly in order to have some chance. And telling us beforehand what doesn't work isn't really fun either and - as I frequently criticize - leads to a scripted story that leaves us no options, and no means to make mistakes. But I understand mistakes mess up the game and create even more work for Joy. I still think we should be permitted to make serious and epic fails.
So my suggestion - if an enemy deviates significantly from what is commonly expected, give us a hint by describing it. We will accept any monster stat you design, from living skeletons to corporeal ghosts, but there should be at least some clue. In exchange - no more telling us beforehand what doesn't work. Only by observation or divine intervention should we learn something like that.
Does that sound good?
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