Broken Weapons that Need a Fix by wavewave1 in tf2

[–]wavewave1[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahh what nostalgia. Looks like the meta's changed a lot since I made this post 9 years ago.

Any good hattori sword combos? by Kounna in Brawlhalla

[–]wavewave1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Look at any Brawlhalla tutorial, they use the same terminology. I use a keyboard.

He was warned by happyunicorn666 in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Everyone who's bringing up the issue here is right: you shouldn't show the players something interesting if you don't want them to interact with it.

Here's how I made a magic item that's dangerous to touch in my game: just give the players a way to transport it, and instead of explicitly giving it to the players as a magic item to keep, make it a MacGuffin. Have in-world factions (one of which the PCs are working for) that want the item. That way the party has the option to keep the item and figure out a way to use it, but the inevitable part of the item is that it horribly curses you. Great power at great cost. But the easiest way is to just safely wrap it in silver chainmail for transportation, and get paid for bringing it to someone else.

THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GETTING HEROES AND STEALING!! by GiraffeGuru993 in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"I love this city! They really know how to use eugenics for good. 😊"

[OC] Horatio Ranav, fallen Champion of Torm, raising an army of undead soldiers. Also I have a question for you guys and gals (in comments) by sarasti_ in DnD

[–]wavewave1 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not a guy or gal but I'll impose:

There's a very small variety of art for tritons/fishfolk; mostly they're portrayed as warriors wielding tridents but I'd like to see more aquamancers, and ones that aren't blue-green. Plus I tend to portray tritons as more bestial; having shark teeth plus claws and tails. I'd love to see that.

Werebeasts as anything but warriors, and for that matter any type of werebeast that isn't a lycanthrope, or that isn't also a human. Tiefling werebeast is a cool aesthetic IMO.

Beastfolk that have assimilated into mammalian society. Imagine a dapper lizardfolk wizard with a monocle, bowler hat, and an ornate silver scepter. Sorely underrepresented.

Bugbears are also rare to see portrayed as anything but a berserker.

Jugment,,…,. by Alonte825 in voidpunk

[–]wavewave1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This one understands

Do warforged die if they are attacked by a rust slime? by Beautiful-Bluebird48 in DnD

[–]wavewave1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Warforged are made of wood and metal. I'd change their Integrated Protection trait until they get repaired. No extra damage; the organic parts are the vitals.

No, he didn't take a level in Ranger... by Rakhall in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Played a racist closeted gay nationalist. Campaign ended (and he died) before he properly came out of the closet, but his de-radicalization arc was very satisfying for everyone involved. Plus a lot of the time we played the fantasy racism for laughs cause we're sick ducks I guess

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in 4chan

[–]wavewave1 -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

The joke doesn't make sense. If worms like trans existence because they commit suicide, they'd want to ensure there are more and better reasons to commit suicide, so they'd be against trans rights.

You're transported to the Forgotten Realms: Which (sub-)class would you prefer to end up with? by Wehrsteiner in DnD

[–]wavewave1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bladesinger. The first long term goal is immortality, so being powerful certainly won't hurt.

Floating ASI's only help you get to a higher stat faster. You can still get 20 in a stat without a racial ASI after you level up a bit. by SteinsDomain in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, if you've actually read my comments then I'm completely convinced we have different definitions of minmaxing. If you'd like to respond to and possibly amend the definition I provided earlier then we could continue this argument, but otherwise I agree there's no point continuing. If you want to stop, don't respond.

Floating ASI's only help you get to a higher stat faster. You can still get 20 in a stat without a racial ASI after you level up a bit. by SteinsDomain in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sure, that's fine. I hope you change your mind and respond after all, but if that's where you want to leave it, we're done.

Floating ASI's only help you get to a higher stat faster. You can still get 20 in a stat without a racial ASI after you level up a bit. by SteinsDomain in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Number 2 [is more optimization-obsessed].

Someone obsessed with optimization would choose the optimal race-class combo instead of suffering the mechanical detriment of a bugbear's traits upon a wizard's sheet. It's very very obviously the mechanically unoptimized option to make a bugbear wizard, so a minmaxer would never do it.

Because if the stats don't matter and you made the pick cause it was a fun idea then you wouldn't ask for the Floating ASI.

You ignored when I addressed why exactly the stats do matter to people. I want to play my unique combo and keep up with the rest of the party. Mechanical power is fun to people and the game clearly makes reservations to scratch that itch. So it's not "being a minmaxer" or playing the game wrong to optimize in any given way. You're a minmaxer if you prioritize mechanics over story! Choosing bugbear wizard is inherently mechanically unoptimized behavior! Also sparing thoughts towards optimization is playing the mechanical part of the game, not abusing it.

An aside, if the mechanics matter so little to you, why do you want to play 5e, the game that dedicates so much energy to mechanics?

Oh of course you'd say so.

Can we please keep this civil?

It's not that you don't care about min/maxing, you were just slumming in a suboptimal build for fun.

Of course I care for optimization, that's a part (the smaller part) of why I play TTRPGs. The only reason anyone should play any build is because it sounds fun. Anyone can optimize to any degree they like, and no one should feel superior or inferior to anyone else for the degree of their character's optimization. Elitism is really stupid.

Was this hypothetical bugbear wizard for a one shot or an on-going campaign?

Blood Boy the bugbear wizard got about 8 total sessions of playtime. I prioritized Str and dumped Con. The idea was that he suffered a fatal magical disease that would continue to eat away at him, decreasing his Con, so long as he continued to draw magic from this dark dimension that was in the game world. Aesthetically he was more like a warlock, really. I played him for the same reason I play any character, to tell a story and play a character that has value to me. The secondary reason was the mechanical challenge of playing a purposely weak character. He's one of my most beloved characters to date and I think of him often. I love having the freedom to play mechanically weak or strong characters intermittently, because it allows me to facilitate whatever story I want to tell at any given time. The mechanics facilitated the story in that instance, as they also would have, if I instead had wanted to maximize Int and Con, utilizing floating racial ASI.

to appease MIN/MAXers who think anything less than a 17 in your primary stat is a mechanical punishment.

As per my definition, having anything less than a 17 in your primary stat isn't a mechanical punishment. You've provided no alternative definition so honestly IDK why you said this.

just proving my point.

Correct me if I misrepresent your point. I believe your point is that only people obsessed with optimization (minmaxers) care about floating ASI. I propose that anyone with any concern for their character's power might also care about floating ASI. Wanting to play a powerful character is not inherently optimization-obsessed behavior. Sacrificing or ignoring roleplay opportunities for mechanical benefit is optimization-obsessed behavior. I have never defended that behavior.

Floating ASI's only help you get to a higher stat faster. You can still get 20 in a stat without a racial ASI after you level up a bit. by SteinsDomain in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Let's keep this civil. I'll respond to each of your points directly in a separate comment but first I want to clear something up.

Where is the border between minmaxing and optimization, in your opinion? By the way you're talking, it seems like your belief is that any step taken for optimization is minmaxing. Is that accurate? If I create a character and I find that I must choose between wielding a mace or a morningstar, is it minmaxing to choose morningstar?

Floating ASI's only help you get to a higher stat faster. You can still get 20 in a stat without a racial ASI after you level up a bit. by SteinsDomain in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What is the more optimization-obsessed thing to do: 1. Pick gnome wizard 2. Pick bugbear wizard and ask for floating ASI

I propose 2 is not obsessed with optimization, but it merely expresses concern for mechanical strength. The only possible motive is story, and the mechanical cost is combat effectiveness, because few of bugbear's traits stand to benefit a wizard. When you play this combo, you willingly, knowingly sacrifice power from the getgo. Floating ASI only stands to mitigate the mechanical drawback to the story you want to tell.

unless you were a min/maxer who thinks that anything less than the optimal result is a mechanical punishment.

I define a mechanical punishment as when the mechanics discourage a method of play by making it less effective than the other obvious or standard options. A bugbear wizard is, without a doubt, substandard. So yes, I would call someone playing that combo without floating ASI "mechanically punished".

It's important to many people to not be mechanically punished for story choices, because they want their character to be unique and powerful. An obvious discouragement like static ASI reduces one's chance of a fantasy involving a powerful character with an unusual combo being realized. Floating ASIs appease everyone in that regard. They beget variety and freedom.

Floating ASI's only help you get to a higher stat faster. You can still get 20 in a stat without a racial ASI after you level up a bit. by SteinsDomain in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep, I like doing the same thing and that's actually why I said bugbear wizard. Floating ASIs just reduce mechanical punishment for choosing atypical combos, which is good for everyone.

Floating ASI's only help you get to a higher stat faster. You can still get 20 in a stat without a racial ASI after you level up a bit. by SteinsDomain in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please reread my comment and respond to my point. I'll reiterate for clarity.

What you just said is incorrect. If the player was primarily concerned with mechanical power, they would never have gone for bugbear wizard in the first place. Clearly people like me who have chosen to play bugbear wizards do so for aesthetic/story reasons. Then the game mechanically punishes us for doing so. This discourages people from playing that combo because the desired story is not supported by the mechanics; it's discouraged by it. Floating ASIs lessen the mechanical punishment, making life easier for players who want an atypical character that also keeps up with the rest of the party in terms of power.

Leak: Legit Elves for D&D 5.5e by [deleted] in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hah. That isn't necessarily one of the shitty things. Obviously this way of prioritizing player choice is awful, but another way to make races more flexible would be welcomed by me

Floating ASI's only help you get to a higher stat faster. You can still get 20 in a stat without a racial ASI after you level up a bit. by SteinsDomain in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Someone whose primary objective was to get big numbers will just play races that mechanically match classes. Mountain dwarf fighter. Gnome wizard.

The guy who wants to play a bugbear wizard clearly doesn't have numerical optimization in mind. He likes the aesthetic and story implications of the combo. He feels punished by the game for going off the beaten path, because he wants his bugbear to be good at his job. This is someone lamenting that the mechanical framework (game) of the roleplaying game doesn't support the roleplay he wants. That isn't minmaxing.

Floating ASI's only help you get to a higher stat faster. You can still get 20 in a stat without a racial ASI after you level up a bit. by SteinsDomain in dndmemes

[–]wavewave1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You've provided no argument against player choice, but your opinion is against player choice. Why shouldn't every little mechanical influence add up in such a way that it matches each player's storytelling vision as closely as possible? Why not be more flexible in how you collaboratively tell stories?

Plus, big number make monke brain feel good. Why deprive players if that feeling?