Community

A lot of people have commented that levelling up allows for the sense of growth and accomplishment. They have also mentioned that more options can be fun; in that players have more room to do what they do best. They have been expressed succinctly and elegantly, so I wont belabour these points.

What I'm having some trouble with is OP's assumption that more options means more work for the DM. Hopefully what follows will be a reasoned arguement against this, using 4e as a baseline as 4e is relatively complex mechanically.

I run a 4e campaign and find the number of options available to players overwhelming. So much so that I have told the players that they are responsible for their characters. As long as their characters are legal as per the character builder, that is where my involvment in the mechanics of their character ends.

My responsibility is to craft a story and deliver challenges to the players. I also act as an arbiter. Just because my player has had to spend 45 minutes agonising whether to pick power X vs power Y, does not mean that my work has increased by any amount.

In combat, my responsibility is simply to give the players a spicier version of "Monster attacks, gets 25. Does that hit your AC" - "Yes" - "Ok it does 15 damage" - "I am bloodied". The players responsibility is to say "I attack monster with power #9. I roll 25." - "That hits" - "I deal 19 damage" - "The monster is bloodied". It is also their responsibility to give truthful and accurate values.

My work has not increased just because they had 8 other powers to choose from. They player's has but he or she is greatful for the choice to create the character that they wish to play. But that's not the OPs point; his point is that it is an increase in the work of the DM and that alienates them from the game.

Outside of combat, my responsibility is to deliver a compelling story that inspires and drives my players. Complex tactical rules do not hinder this. Nor do increased player options and their ability to progress. In fact, it actually makes it easier to produce a sense of growth and achievement that comes with a compelling story.

My work does increase from having to remember Marks etc, as well as conditions like bloodied and that I shouldn't try shift monsters when they are next to the Paladin or what have you. Next reduces this considerably and I personally hope that all of these things are gone forever. I hate the feeling when something has slipped my mind and a player has an "Aha! Gotcha" moment when their one obscure power comes into play to thwart my plans. Presently, none of this is in Next.

So where is this additional work for the DM in Next?

Sep 24, 2012 -- 10:56PM, Shasarak wrote:

Sep 24, 2012 -- 5:01PM, Garthanos wrote:

Xena lacks a sense of progression for her character... but Gabriel goes from a lazylord style clever bard to a full combatant bard multiclassed skirmishing ranger.  The nature of her contributions to the story change over time - but maybe the measure of them didnt need to change much.

I was always disappointed that Xena never got as powerful as Lucy Lawless.

Did not have a chance to level up enough, I guess.

"But Xena can't fly."  "I told you, I'm not Xena.  I'm Lucy Lawless"


Commentary on the OPs suggestion to redesign D&D to remove advancement: imgs.xkcd.com/comics/think_logically.png




Carl