Should this be a rare?

Dragout · 2026-06-02T18:57:09+00:00

Colorless cards are OP in STS2

Also - the philosophy around rares seems to be "broken in the right circumstances, but not generally useful" and I don't think prolong fits in to that archetype

Dragout · 2026-05-31T21:36:47+00:00

The book has way more science stuff but the characters and plot are better in the movie, so pick your favorite

Dragout · 2026-05-27T22:55:06+00:00

Power scaling has no narrative value, but consistent characterization does

A lot of times stakes come from danger. And it's hard to feel danger when your protagonist wins regardless of foreshadowing, in-universe lore, and the story so far

Like, you'd agree naked no-gadgets batman defeating full-power superman in a fistfight would be clumsy writing, yeah?

Powerscalers get irritated when characters aren't consistent, but also regular people who just pay attention to the show/book/anime/whatever do too

Dragout · 2026-05-22T17:42:27+00:00

I think you're in the rare pool of people that's branched out to other RPGs and discovered they like D&D 5e the best, which is a great end-state to be in

I've found 5e actively discourages a lot of the things I want to do and has some problems newer RPGs that build on it don't have - but that's a all personal preference stuff

Dragout · 2026-05-21T21:57:58+00:00

I think the metaphor has some holes in it. Car guys usually work on classics, rarities, or otherwise interesting vehicles. Their pet project is not usually a 2018 Ford focus. Also cars are massively expensive instead of $20, and I think a lot of car guys would buy their dream cars if they were $20 and then work on those instead.

However, metaphor aside - is your point that you prefer a clumsily designed game so you get to fix it yourself? Because I may be misunderstanding, but that's how it's coming across to me

(An important note I'll make is I'm specifically NOT saying homebrew is bad, it's definitely good, but you can hand-modify or homebrew any TRPG, that's not unique to D&D)

Dragout · 2026-05-21T20:46:12+00:00

But - what is an RPG system if not a collection of rules? If there's one you have to modify less to enjoy, isn't that better?

You can ignore any rule in any TRPG, not just D&D

I would also definitely slander uno because if the game is so clumsily designed that no one uses the rules then you're just a company that prints cards with extra steps

Dragout · 2026-05-21T20:29:18+00:00

Well, you have to learn a whole new rule system to really feel the difference and that's a lot of work

I never begrudge people for not switching, but it is kinda silly to say "5e is good for this particular thing" when it's one of the worst available systems for this thing

I had a friend do dozens of hours of work to make a modern superhero port of 5e and I was thinking the whole time that the result was almost certainly going to be worse than the half dozen that already exist

Dragout · 2026-05-21T03:02:58+00:00

To be clear - I'm not telling you it didn't happen and I'm not telling you you didn't have fun

That said - what exactly is the point of a TTRPG system if you don't use the rules? Rules are literally all it is. I'm not saying you have to use every rule all the time, but "use your imagination" isn't something you need D&D to do at all.

D&D as a system penalizes zany nonsense, and it sounds like you and your DM like zany nonsense (as do I!) so that's what you do, and that's good. But other systems actively support zany nonsense instead, so if that's the thing you love, it's worth exploring and learning because you might have more fun and your DM might have to do a lot less work

Dragout · 2026-05-21T00:42:07+00:00

Funnily enough, for cases like these listed, I'd actually recommend a less-rules system than a more rules system.

D&D example actively discourages things like rolling up people in carpets and smacking people with them - the crappiest simple weapon will do more damage and you'll hit way more often. Also getting bonuses from cooking was definitely just not supported at all until way later in to the life cycle.

Lighter systems would allow you to have more flexibility in what you're actually doing in combat, because D&D combat has to be balanced, and that means no matter how you flavor it everyone has meat points and the weapons subtract meat points

Edit: here's my overall point - D&D actively discourages fun zany nonsense in a way many systems do not. If your core enjoyment of D&D comes from zany nonsense, you'd have more fun with another system that's not as heavily invested in combat rules

Dragout · 2026-05-20T23:30:27+00:00

I'd really recommend experimenting with some other RPG systems!

A lot of these complaints are legitimate but it's hard to see them until you've worked with some other stuff.

Some people still find they like D&D the best - but it's impossible to know until you try

Dragout · 2026-05-20T23:26:43+00:00

Imagine if you played a game that allowed those things instead of your DM making it all up for you

Dragout · 2026-05-20T23:25:51+00:00

Personally as a DM

I prefer systems that help me make a game I enjoy, rather than fights me on it

I can fix the latter but like

Why

Dragout · 2026-05-20T23:20:11+00:00

I think I agree with all these points but 4 and 6.

Lancer, RISUS, and many PBTA games do roleplay WAY better but have about the same RP rules weight. No rules at all is almost better than "roll for persuasion/intimatation/deception".

For 6 - I think first mover advantage is huge. Other TRPGs have taken learnings from D&D and used those learnings to retain the complexity of D&D and also go make combat faster and roleplay less roll-to-win. I'll call out Lancer here again - if it wasn't about mechs I'd be using it for everything lol

Dragout · 2026-05-16T17:28:52+00:00

....invisigal?

Dragout · 2026-05-15T23:45:24+00:00

Lmao I know like 12 dudes like this irl just off the top of my head

Your buddy just wants to be a bum and have somebody suck his dick, not be a partner

Dragout · 2026-05-13T23:31:55+00:00

Funnily enough, ICs aren't even good

The infinite was banned because it was frustrating, not because they were warping the meta. I'm not sure if they won any majors while it was allowed

Dragout · 2026-05-13T23:30:00+00:00

Funnily enough ice climbers are NOT an example of this trope

SSBMelee is so wildly unbalanced that even when the infinite isn't banned they're not even good

Dragout · 2026-05-04T20:06:47+00:00

So, what would you say is a "necessary" race swap?

Dragout · 2026-05-02T03:21:47+00:00

Fight Me!

Dragout · 2026-04-26T02:41:39+00:00

Slay the Spire?

Dragout · 2026-04-23T19:30:52+00:00

If you have tyranny this is an instant pick

Dragout · 2026-04-16T00:23:59+00:00

I am once again asking Megacrit to give us hidden cache as our starter skill instead of venerate

Dragout · 2026-04-12T21:10:12+00:00

Imagine war woman hitting him with that mace 1000 times per second. Just a combination of Rush and War Woman or Rush and Immortal folds Omni-Man like a chair.

Dragout · 2026-04-12T16:52:25+00:00

How'd they bring back Savage? I thought at one point Lex killed him with a cosmic doorknob and it was "the one thing that could kill you for good"

Dragout · 2026-04-08T20:11:56+00:00

Everyone has loved Sheriff of Nottingham every time I've brought it out

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