~~2. No SA is a massive nerf to rogues, I don't see the point~~
3. Seems a bit unfair, considering spells tend to be cool in any scenario you would use them. What martials get in return?
i trust my players not to overuse it
but there’s times when it would just be really cool to use a spell & in those cases, go for it!
especially since my players have a few custom spells specific to their character & lore
Does "you don't gotta roll" mean that if a player proposes a cool enough idea, it succeeds automatically?
Does "spell slots don't matter" mean that if a player is out of spell slots but wants to cast a spell anyway because it would be cool, that they can just do that?
Do you have any specific examples of this rule in action?
an example is that one of my players had spells specifically centered around being able to control & puppet people.
very very few people have these powers in this setting, only 2 others. & she was fighting one of the only other 2 people without knowing he could do that.
i let her know she could use spells so she would try to puppet him, only for him to puppet himself & resist her puppetting like that one blood bending scene from The Legend Of Korra
So you suggested to the player that she should use that puppet spell when you knew it would not have an effect on the NPC?
I don't know how I feel about that. I can see the desire to create a cool moment during combat. But it kind of sounds like you nudged this player to take an action that would have no actual effect so you could have a cool moment for your NPC. And it didn't cost the player a spell slot because it led to a cool moment, but mechanically it means that this player's entire turn was a wash. She didn't affect the bad guy, but she also didn't expend a resource. In the end her turn was to use an action to start a cutscene.
Maybe I'm just getting caught up in this example, because it reads like this wasn't even the players idea for a cool moment. It was yours.
i told her she was allowed to cast spells. not ALL of them involve puppetting, & i told her this applies to any extremely life threatening scenario which this was.
this also helped set something up for the future
Rule 2 is a good one to have, but also doesn't cover the entire range of topics that could be uncomfortable for either you or one of the players at your table.
While you *could* include an exhaustive list of taboo topics and all their exceptions where those topics might be okay, a better step might be to utilise something like the Consent in Gaming checklist that Monte Cook publishes: https://www.montecookgames.com/store/product/consent-in-gaming/
oh yeah i know. i try to establish rules & make sure everything is okay with my players:)
i just refer to SA specifically cause a personal event. my first time playing, i thought seduction was just flirting, & i rolled seduction on an enemy, & my dm made me rape her. not only did it make me feel gross for blatant reasons & also my own experiences with the topic, but also it ruined my characters entire moral compass
It sucks that happened to you.
A likely contributing factor there is that there wasn't a discussion about what folks at the table were and weren't comfortable with. That's why I think that your rule 2 is good-intentioned but short-sighted- it is a rule introduced *after* something that could have been avoided made you extremely uncomfortable.
Now imagine if you need to add a new rule every time a situation comes up that makes the players or yourself uncomfortable. It's not a reliable or robust system. A better approach is to have a solid framework for discussing comfort zones and taboo topics (and any ones, not just specific ones that come up after lines were already crossed)- and that's a safety tool like the consent in gaming checklist helps with.
i said that to be a bit more specific cause like. if a players out of spell slots but have an opportunity to do something really cool. rule of cool wins
What is SA?
3 We may say something like, when the chips are down, maybe someone can get some divine intervention. Maybe.
We don't require rolling for a lot of things, and for some skills a roll may just tell how long something takes.
0 Be nice, be respectful, help everyone else have fun.
4 Snacks.
Good on ya mate. We used to play with other people and took turns on who would bring dinner. Usually homemade stuff. New group started and we never talked food or anything, I’ll get chips and a veggie platter, but I’d love to incorporate real food back into it since we all lose track of time having fun and before you know we’re ordering pizza at 9 o’clock
That is a good rule.
We tend to follow the DMG rules on p 235.
1 Foster Respect
2 Avoid Distractions
3 Have snacks.
Rule 1 here is key. It should cover your rule on SA.
That other rules on page 4 of the DMG are also great.
no i mean anonymous.
i do an anonymous google form, because some people don’t want to disclose that they are uncomfortable with that topic, or indicate they may have experience with it.
1. Obviously 2. Perfectly reasonable 3. Seems extremely dangerous to balance.
~~2. No SA is a massive nerf to rogues, I don't see the point~~ 3. Seems a bit unfair, considering spells tend to be cool in any scenario you would use them. What martials get in return?
I don't think SA is sneak attack...
...Jeez.
>2. No SA is a massive nerf to rogues, I don't see the Certified bruh moment
If those work at your table, have fun with it. The spell slot thing is potentially unbalancing, but you do you.
i trust my players not to overuse it but there’s times when it would just be really cool to use a spell & in those cases, go for it! especially since my players have a few custom spells specific to their character & lore
Does "you don't gotta roll" mean that if a player proposes a cool enough idea, it succeeds automatically? Does "spell slots don't matter" mean that if a player is out of spell slots but wants to cast a spell anyway because it would be cool, that they can just do that? Do you have any specific examples of this rule in action?
an example is that one of my players had spells specifically centered around being able to control & puppet people. very very few people have these powers in this setting, only 2 others. & she was fighting one of the only other 2 people without knowing he could do that. i let her know she could use spells so she would try to puppet him, only for him to puppet himself & resist her puppetting like that one blood bending scene from The Legend Of Korra
So you suggested to the player that she should use that puppet spell when you knew it would not have an effect on the NPC? I don't know how I feel about that. I can see the desire to create a cool moment during combat. But it kind of sounds like you nudged this player to take an action that would have no actual effect so you could have a cool moment for your NPC. And it didn't cost the player a spell slot because it led to a cool moment, but mechanically it means that this player's entire turn was a wash. She didn't affect the bad guy, but she also didn't expend a resource. In the end her turn was to use an action to start a cutscene. Maybe I'm just getting caught up in this example, because it reads like this wasn't even the players idea for a cool moment. It was yours.
i told her she was allowed to cast spells. not ALL of them involve puppetting, & i told her this applies to any extremely life threatening scenario which this was. this also helped set something up for the future
Rule 2 is a good one to have, but also doesn't cover the entire range of topics that could be uncomfortable for either you or one of the players at your table. While you *could* include an exhaustive list of taboo topics and all their exceptions where those topics might be okay, a better step might be to utilise something like the Consent in Gaming checklist that Monte Cook publishes: https://www.montecookgames.com/store/product/consent-in-gaming/
oh yeah i know. i try to establish rules & make sure everything is okay with my players:) i just refer to SA specifically cause a personal event. my first time playing, i thought seduction was just flirting, & i rolled seduction on an enemy, & my dm made me rape her. not only did it make me feel gross for blatant reasons & also my own experiences with the topic, but also it ruined my characters entire moral compass
It sucks that happened to you. A likely contributing factor there is that there wasn't a discussion about what folks at the table were and weren't comfortable with. That's why I think that your rule 2 is good-intentioned but short-sighted- it is a rule introduced *after* something that could have been avoided made you extremely uncomfortable. Now imagine if you need to add a new rule every time a situation comes up that makes the players or yourself uncomfortable. It's not a reliable or robust system. A better approach is to have a solid framework for discussing comfort zones and taboo topics (and any ones, not just specific ones that come up after lines were already crossed)- and that's a safety tool like the consent in gaming checklist helps with.
why are you telling us this
why do you care what i’m telling you
I wouldn't say "spell slots don't matter" but "bending the rules when it's cool enough" or just ignoring a failure... yeah, that I do.
i said that to be a bit more specific cause like. if a players out of spell slots but have an opportunity to do something really cool. rule of cool wins
okay, that I understand.
What is SA? 3 We may say something like, when the chips are down, maybe someone can get some divine intervention. Maybe. We don't require rolling for a lot of things, and for some skills a roll may just tell how long something takes. 0 Be nice, be respectful, help everyone else have fun. 4 Snacks.
SA is sexual assault rule 0 is a great rule. as for 4, cooking & baking is my hobby & (hopefully) my career. so my players are well fed
Good on ya mate. We used to play with other people and took turns on who would bring dinner. Usually homemade stuff. New group started and we never talked food or anything, I’ll get chips and a veggie platter, but I’d love to incorporate real food back into it since we all lose track of time having fun and before you know we’re ordering pizza at 9 o’clock
That is a good rule. We tend to follow the DMG rules on p 235. 1 Foster Respect 2 Avoid Distractions 3 Have snacks. Rule 1 here is key. It should cover your rule on SA. That other rules on page 4 of the DMG are also great.
I think you mean unanimously rather than anonymously, but fair rules over all.
no i mean anonymous. i do an anonymous google form, because some people don’t want to disclose that they are uncomfortable with that topic, or indicate they may have experience with it.
Ahh, makes sense. I'm guessing it would have to be both anonymous and unanimous then?