I've had three sessions with my party with only one bit of combat. It was a blast. A genuinely exciting, 'make it up on the spot', rollercoaster that I looked forward too. Definetly recomend going hard on the non combat gameplay to shake things up. Best of all it really allowed me to put loads of references to past, current and future things that will pay off over the coming year of the campaign.
I enjoy throwing non-combat encounters at players occasionally to stretch their problem solving skills, ranging from rescuing people in abandoned, trap filled camps to repairing a steam boat that broke down while out at sea. We also had fun with infiltration quests where part of the group runs distract as the other sneaks in and trying to cover for each other's foul ups.
The sessions I've run where there is no combat are the sessions my players talk about the most. Social encounters and mystery elements seem to hook my players quite well, so this video is greatly appreciated!
I suppose it was still a “combat”, I did a charisma based attack session. My players found them roped in to a talent show by a bunch of satyrs. They wouldn’t take no for an answer. During the performance the made charisma based “attacks” on the crowd like if someone wanted to tell a story if they could explain why and charisma based Arcana attack would work because the are proficient in arcana then I’d allow it. I think everyone had fun that session.
One of the most in-depth options I've found for a non-combat encounter is the Skill Challenge. Certainly worth adding to a low- or non-combat adventure or campaign.
AAAH that's everything I needed! I decided to make a small campaign with some friends where they're all playing bards and wants to be the most famous band in the continent , your tips are really precious ! Thank you so much !
i'm currently in the process of homebreweing a world for my very first campaign. this channel has helped so much. every video i watch i take more notes or go "Ah!" and tweak something i had written, because things are explained in a way i haven't heard before. i love it :)
I just came across you guys and I watched your entire library in two weeks. I've watched your town building videos multiple times, specifically the Taverns and Inns video and the General Store video. Love your content and excited to see more!
Altho I love this channel in many many ways, one of the least appreciated parts I see little talked about is the art. It is allways expressive and beatiful. Here before 1M♥️ (well was here before 10K but this is my first comment lol)
The Royal Naturalists The last two keepers of the Royal Botanical and Zoological Garden were not doing their job, and a local Duke started using the "exhibits" as exotic meals. The party is tasked with gathering and replacing everything.
As someone who tries to run unorthodox non-combat experiences in my games, and who compel GMs I play under to do the same... I totally love the graphic at 4:25.
Well, yeah the majority of written rules in D&D is for combat, it’s inherently the most chaotic bit of the game and requires the most adjudication. That doesn’t mean the other pillars of play aren’t supported, just that more responsibility is put on the DM to apply them to their table, which makes _this_ video so helpful as a concise reminder of the tools you already have and just need context for.
Yeah the threat of permanent character death necessitates more complex systems to allow players to manage that risk. The universal system of ability checks and proficiency efficiently adresses near infinite possibilities. That's a boon that people like to paint as a bad thing in pursuit of unneccessary rules crunch.
@@InShortSight I feel like the threat of character death is significantly lower in 5e. Maybe it's just that the DMs that I see are a light touch, as killing characters that have a merchandise line is bad business.
@@homeless0alien True. If the rest of your party are all fighters and barbarians it might make more sense to become a lore bard instead of an eloquence bard at 3rd level. The reason is that the lore bard gets magical secrets at 6th level and can take both counterspell and revivify. The eloquence bard has to wait until 10th level to pick up his first magical secrets.
I find this video insensitive to the needs of murder-hobos. Or enabling. Whichever. (I've read a lot of KODT, so the line's a bit blurred.) Either way, I wholeheartedly approve! btw, the AD&D 1e DMG is one of the best books for minutiae like this ever. It has tons of tables for encounters and set dressing, loads of advice for handling every kind of scenario and type/group of players, and so on. And much of it is totally independent of game mechanics, so it can be used with any rpg. If you really want the full experience as a DM/GM, you should find a copy of this and let it change your life.
Some great tables in that book but keep a good dictionary nearby. I am still trying to figure out what the difference between a strumpet and a saucy trollop is.
This is the one thing I really really like about the Game of Thrones TTRPG. It gives you a bunch of abilities and "attacks" you can make in an argument. This makes their roleplay as dynamic as their combat
One campaign idea I want to run is PCs on a fantasy version of the Great Silk Road, gathering and cataloguing herbs, making diplomatic connections, and seeking out strange magic.
*PERFECT!!!* Your videos always highlight my day! Could you do a video on one of my all-time favorite DnD sub-games, *Reverse Dungeon?* Cause at heart, I'm a lover for games that allow you to play an evil path and I love playing a villain! That, and I feel like Reverse Dungeon doesn't get enough attention or love it truly deserves because I've played that game since high school and still do today.
I like using combat in a non-combat way, using the enemies as puzzles or barriers. If the party wants to get into combat they can, but there's always a way to get through without fighting. This allows the players to just sweep through some places, at the cost of spells/hp
I would suggest using Knowledge skills a lot more to give bonuses or extra information. Half of the challenge of non-combat encounters should be getting the information you need. The other half would be actually getting where you need to go, or convincing the person you need to convince. Int is way underutilized in this game.
was in a dnd campaign where we started heavy combat, but peace came after we killed the bbeg, so it then became us just helping people with our skills, my character saw a character arc, he was a soldier trained from childhood, and had issues with ptsd, the dm used this as a quest, that the party was trying to help their friend who had lost hope in himself and was declining rapidly,
The players in my group like good combat. They like it when their charactercan shine with the cool maneuvers they got. And the more I put the focus on combat because of that, the more they players want to talk to the monsters.
If combat is rare mundane fights can be amped up, making what would be a bandit or a thug a bandit caption. My favorite thing is taking the crazy creepy aberrations and undead as the rare combatant that was causing problems or was tied to something within the developing story. Van Rechtin’s guide to Ravenloft, has some nice ideas for vulnerable characters or non combatants in a horror setting, that isn’t centered on combat.
Can you make a video where you talk about making homebrew content like subclasses,monsters,spells, and magic items. Also I love your channel it's always super helpful!
There is a great homebrew 3rd level spell on the internet called "greater mending" which can join 1 foot breaks at a time. The spell can also reattach severed limbs, but the reattached limb is paralyzed until a greater restoration spell is cast on it.
@@Oxaphosphetane It is a good spell to have for limb reattachment. I'm also guessing that it could be used to reattach a severed head, then cast a resurrection spell. I don't think there would be enough time for a revivify spell to work after casting greater mending, but the DM might be willing to bend the rules a little on that one. It is possible that a greater restoration spell might be asked for by the DM to prevent the restored character from becoming a quadrapalegic. Also the spell could be used to repair severe damage to a ship or other structure etc...
@@davea6314 Using magic for handyman tasks also has the potential to escalate into arcane-fueled Extreme Home Improvement, which is both hilarious and delightful.
If we're talking about switching up styles in your campaign, I 100% agree. Non-combat sessions or arcs can be great. Though I can't really get behind the "...but we play DnD" brand loyalty thing anymore. The best RPG is always one you can play, and if your party won't play other things then definitely stick with what you love. But the only difference between "But we play DnD 5e" and "I've been playing 1/2/3/3.5e for X many decades and Bah Humbug at you new kids" is time. There's a reason people are always saying to try new systems- the alternative is stagnation. Not saying that you're promoting that. But it's at the core of that mindset.
All of these sound extremely great! And not gonna lie, if done right, they are more interesting and fun than a combat centric story in my opinion. Also, the most importantly; these add to the game. Like the basic tool proficiencies have a lore now. Herbalists and cooks traveling the world to explore the tastes, antropologists documenting history, sorcerers and wizards going on a spell hunt! Imagine that! Even a single level 1 spell can have it’s own campaign and own lore. It makes that mere level 1 spell a lot more valuable and interesting. Imagine if every single thing was given enough attention to detail like this. The possibilities are endless. Thank you so much for this video. It’s amazing. And it helps even the most combat focused campaigns. Because it certainly gave me so many ideas for _my_ combat heavy campaign!
I kind of feel like ideal DnD features both, and they should feed each other. I often like to think of it as two sides of a rotating circle - combat should influence and change the noncombat situations, and noncombat situations should influence and change what kinds of combat are encountered.
Ooooo that opposite thing reminded me of the dynamic between my fighter and the monk. We are both fairly stoic but protective and mostly easy going and nonjudgmental. We are a bit competitive and enjoy a good spar (both swordsman) and we are both quite fast (I am a wood elf so my start speed has me mostly keeping up, especially with action surge dash). Between all this our characters get along great! However we also roleplayed out recently some rocky areas of their growing platonic relationship. Mainly, that monk’s character was an ex soldier and so carries some internalized mannerisms and thought patterns from that and that my character has a late lover and a secret cousin (the child is a secret to all save my character and the cousin who is the child’s parent) who have bloodlines that directly tie them to the opposite side of the war the monk fought in. As such, some of those mannerisms rub my fighter the wrong way, and rather than fight with a character who they are starting to see as a potential good friend, they walk away to cool off and not hear about it. The monk and my fighter did discuss this and monk promised to not say some of the hurtful things they hadn’t realized they were saying and didn’t press my fighter as to why. Either way, they decided to not push too much and continue their easy going friendship from there. I’m glad for this because both are frontliners and so often partner up to make best use of this. If the two aren’t getting along too badly then it can affect that, and this really isn’t the right place in the storyline for that or their character arcs. But I’m glad to have had the opportunity to roleplay out that part. It let the monk get some much needed communication with the rest of the party while respecting that my character had their own reasons for being uncomfortable hearing it, especially after cleric had confessed to some long past stuff (context, the party just had a run in with an antagonistic npc of their backstory). My character accepted that and was reassuring but some were confused why the same wasn’t for monk, especially since it seemed that the two got along better than cleric and my fighter. Luckily it seemed less confusing, especially since I did mention that dm had asked my character to create connections that might draw the party over to the other side of the map where the people other side of the war are. It stands to reason that my character has positive associations with those people where the monk does not, but this isn’t enough for them to ruin their own friendship over.
So, progress report? (Figure I would add it here rather than lengthen original post with an edit). So my fighter and our monk did fight about things but it’s wasn’t about the connection (though that is out in the open). They fought over a backstory origin reveal of our artificer of which they were on opposing sides on for how to handle it. They made up though. As for the original thing we (the players) assumed the monk and my fighter wouldn’t get along on, well, my character actually admitted to the monk about their fiancé first and has been open and honest, even asking advice and confiding in the monk about their niece (the other one, the family member, with the heritage mentioned before). The monk even asked my character to teach them the language of his once enemies so he could better understand both the side he grew up with and his once enemies. So they have learned to get long on this subject. Monk even promised to help my character one day visit the lands of their late fiancé which they didn’t get to know before his passing. It’s been pretty nice. They do still have a somewhat rocky relationship at times but it’s been fun for us players to play into the pair being foils and, frankly, genuinely interested in being friends. Our characters come from vastly different views, life spans, cultures, family dynamics, social backgrounds (though both are upper class just one is nobility and other is very rich merchant), combat training, combat experience, occupations, etc, the list goes on. Still, they click and it’s fun to see play out. I think it’s the stoicism mixed with the overwhelming need to protect something, especially people, and frankly seeing the hope for an alternate path and way of thinking when they have long looked for one and seeing that in each other. From my character’s perspective at least, the monk represents hope that the dream of their late fiancé can happen and that the monk embodies it in a very sincere but unexpected way, not because my character convinced the monk to be that way, but because the monk chose that path of their own will. So it gives my character hope which is why my character is so willing to use the knowledge their late fiancé taught them to teach the monk, so that some part of their fiancé legacy lives on. It’s comforting to my character. Though it has had its own complications, that mindset, which I had my character apologize to the monk about (in character, player was aware of it) because their realized that putting that on them wasn’t fair. Like I said, they don’t always get along. They are still vastly different people with vastly different ways of thinking. They just really really want to be friends ever since they felt that click during their first mission together watching each other’s backs as they infiltrated a hostile camp. Lol, though, hilariously my character has not yet been able to keep their promise of sparring with the monk. The player and I are planning to, because it’s been delayed so long, making it a meaningful scene, possibly during a cool tournament or something of the like, so it carries more of a story emphasis. Should be a ton of fun!
I personally find it more difficult when I have a combat heavy session ready, and the players decided they want to try and engage with it through other means. We've all seen the memes about bards seducing dragons, but what do you do when your cleric gets the highest initiative and drops a calm emotions on the barbarian enemy leader? You often turn to combat when all other solutions fail, but it's a lot harder to improvise your way out of it.
Welcome back and thank you for the wonderful video of dnd with no combat! I feel like dnd without combat is like oreos without milk! (I know it's bad comparison) There are other systems did a way better job for a non combat approach like vampire the masquerade, call of chtulu that the top of my head! If I wanted a session of non combat, I want to be very simple, easy to implement and accessible for everyone! I feel like some contents that people made are either too difficult to understand, feels lackluster. I once brought a dnd product of non combat encounter which is is behind a paid wall and let just say the content is isn't good and it needs polishing! Wasted like $10 and never see the author. This leads me to use xanatar's downtown and tools system and try to make use of it on what I had! I remember in my session we played a ace attorny and we have a HP of 10 and we have to fight each other with words and try not to lose a case! It was pretty fun and everyone! It's not well polished, we made out of the rules along the way. You just need to communicate with the players and it takes collaborative effort to pull this off! I'm sorry if this comment is too long 🙇♂️🙇♂️🙇♂️ I'm just like creative non combat encounter
I'm playing in a few 5e campaigns, and a Pathfinder campaign. The one thing I dislike about 5e is the lack of range of skills. Older editions had options for non combat that just aren't built in anymore
With my party I've learned there's no such thing as "non-combat" scenarios. They have a motto of "If you think violence isn't the solution you just haven't applied enough of it"
I recently found your channel and have been enjoying all your videos! I was excited to see a new one pop-up! Even when there's a topic that does not address my campaign, there's always at least one gem of advice I can use!
So far, my campaign has been pretty low on combat. A few fights and a great boss battle at the end of the first chapter (fear the Dreadwing Behemoth of Thanksgiving! I merged a Dreadwing I found posted online with a creature from the Call of Cthulhu book by Percy Jackson games and it was GREAT!), but mostly role play has been the focus. And they sure seem to be enjoying it! (We've been playing for over a year, so I sure hope they are having a good time!) We've also incorporated the crafting system from Witch+Craft (by Astrolago Press), which has been fun as well! So far, most of the characters have reached 2nd Tier crafting with classes at Lv. 8.
My group has been playing Blades in the Dark recently, and one of the many things I like about that system is how combat feels desperate. It's mostly about stealing stuff, so if you ever do get into a fight usually it means things have gone very badly. It's easy for your characters to get hurt or overwhelmed, if you're making a lot of noise the Bluecoats are sure to show up and arrest everyone soon, and if someone does die they could become a ghost and cause even more havoc. When running a "non-combat" game, it might be good to not discount it outright, but make the consequences more dire so the players want to avoid it, rather than wishing they could just hit stuff to solve problems.
If one is interested in noncombat rules for interesting situations but feel uncomfortable making things up from scratch, looking into Pathfinder or earlier versions of D&D can also provide resources.
I agree that a session or two without combat in D&D can be so much fun. But if you are going through the trouble of changing the game you are playing to accommodate a style it wasn't designed for, just pick up a game that is designed for it. That said, combat in 5e does get boring, so, yeah, spice up your games and drop combat for a few sessions. It will make the next combat you run more intense.
My group had combat maybe every other session? Maybe. It depends. I generally present problems that have multiple solutions and often the players go down combat avoidant paths. But every once in a while there’s a problem that’s just “kill these things” to push them towards combat…
"Other systems might be more convenient for this, but...we play D&D." Finally someone gets it. I don't care if Blades in the Dark is "better for heists," I'm not going to completely change systems on a dime just because my players decided to rob a museum, thank you very much.
That’s nonsense. No one suggested that you switch systems for specific sessions or scenes (though that’s an interesting idea!). The idea that modifying D&D, a role playing game where some 90% of the rules are for combat (and most of those built around grid-based mini combat) is more productive than just trying a game that’s built around what you actually want to play is also nonsense. Can you do it? Yup. Does it work? Sure, but you’re going to be home brewing the shit out of it. Essentially, it’s a question of whether to play a game that exists or to write your own.
@@LeMayJoseph I've learned D&D an invested in it. My players have learned and are invested in D&D. I don't care if there's a better system it's easier to just add homebrew (which is mostly behing the scenes) than to shift myself and a group.
@@LeMayJoseph > No one suggested that you switch systems for specific sessions I have seen this suggested many times, actually. A: "hey Reddit, my players seem to have developed a sudden interest in sneaking into a high-security compound to steal some documents. any general advice for how to run this?" B: "well rather than homebrewing heist mechanics into a power fantasy combat game, you should instead try another system such as Blades in the Dark" A: "listen here, I am not learning an entire new system and teaching to everyone AND converting all the existing characters to it for an arc that'll take two, maybe three sessions"
5e was designed to attract a certain group of individuals where weren't already in the hobby. While combat has always been a staple, I think 5e really pushed for hack-n-slash to be the primary thing; it attracts murder hobos who are more willing to buy books and other merchandise, as they're typically more creatively-bankrupt.
D&D is a simple system that gives people an easy entry point. It's simplicity also limits the craziness of power gaming and means that people can quite easily play while only caring about role-playing without destroying the campaign balance. It allows more people who wouldn't want to learn a complexe system to join many of whom just want to play a fun creative game.
@@LeMayJoseph I've played other RPGs. I didn't find them noticeably simpler than specifically 5e. I guess Call of Cuthullu combat was a bit easier, but only in as so much as I had very few options. And yes branding is good, it means players are more likely to recognize the you mean and have access to far more ressources to stoke their enthusiasm. 5e is a simple entry level game that matches the fantasy people have and that's good. It mostly annoys min maxers and war gammers while being attractive to newer folks who'd like to skip over complexity to get to the role-playing.
Some extras I thought of….(long but maybe it will help) Add more exploration and survival scenarios. You can be the baddest of the bad with your claymore but you got to survive (This will mean altering spells by the way) Big threats - if the threats are big and fighting them would bring life to a quick stop, combat quickly becomes not an option. In stories that are very Lovecraftian you get this a lot. Running Stories - maybe you and your party are either running for your life or helping others do so as well. A small persecuted group of people need to get out and they need out now. Think of us as Battlestar Galactica (remake) minus the fighting (as much as you like). But instead of a Battlestar it is you and your party protecting this group that needs to be taken to a new home as overwhelming forces try to stop you. - key thing - If you are doing more non combat re-read the rules for social encounters and make sure the players know them too. Also, tools and kits will wind up being much more important. And lastly, one thing people ignore is class and secondary statuses in D&D that likely will come into play a lot more secondary stats and lifestyle. Fact is when the Dragon is coming to eat the town folk, people will not care that the squalid living Monk is stunning the beast. But if no threat like that exists, they may not want to as much as talk to you. This is a stand in for class and that matters the less combat is happening. You may want to make up a stat for it or use lifestyle. But on the point of secondary stats - it may be useful to have a couple others for similar reasons. An honor based society should have a stat for that. If you are facing eldrich monsters having a freak out stat that will make the characters react by running in psychologically appropriate ways. As a example- the players are the Scoby Doo gang (look em up if you don’t know) and they have a stat called Freak out that starts at there Intelligence/Wisdom/Charisma modifier but goes up to 20. Each time they encounter a Ghost they have to roll a d20 that is equal to or under their freak out of they have to run away. But if they beat the roll then they can stay and get one more clue. 1st game After the Velma the Wizard had put enough pieces of the puzzle together thanks to her spells and a lot of trial and running away. Because they have figured it out they know where the “monster” will be. Shaggy (beast master Ranger) sets up a pit trap and the group act as bait. The players have figured out the mystery but the characters still run but they run around the trap. The “Ghost” falls in and the freak out ends. They pull off the fake mask and it is Farmer Jane. Jane admits the plan as they are taken away by the guard. Jane says “I would have gotten away with it if not for your adventures”. The party gets XP and +1 freak out meaning next time maybe they can get to stay closer to the “Ghost” and get clues faster.
I've been running a high level game for 2+ years now. We have combat maybe once every 5-6 sessions. My players are SO heavily rollplay screwed that they either talk themselves out of most scenarios or just would rather talk with NPCs or delve into plot. Most combat we have is either unavoidable massive monsters, plot hooks, or backstory villain encounters. Few combats have been forgettable, and fewer have been irrelevant to the story Edit: We started at level 17, they're now at level 19. We do milestone of course. Combats have included: Ancient Red Dragon, Kraken, Elder Brain, a warlock and his fleet of ships, an underwater kaiji fight with a voltron warforged colossus vs a resurrected sea demon
i dont think the majority of D&D games should be combat slogs. Combat is fun as a pinnacle moment but is by no means the focus of the game in my opinion. I run my average D&D campaign with a maybe 3:1 non-combat to combat session ratio and i honestly think thats perfect for all players.
@@AlbertaGeek I disagree. Alot of the time players only view the game through the DM and their previous DMs and don't really know what is going to be the most fun until they try it. I'd argue there is absolutely an average "best" way to run any and all RPG systems for pretty much all players outside specific groups assembled to run specific edge cases (like a pure dungeon grind ground in d&d for example). And in those cases that should be established upon considering the group, not at session zero. Additionally, discussing the style and the theme of the campaign is not something I think the players should have agency in. If they don't like the game style then it's not for them and they can find a different group. The DM is the one putting the game together, they get the say on the big decisions.
So, I’m running a homebrew campaign and recently, the BBEG recruited a bunch of Sahuagin pirates. The party’s new employer decided that this was decidedly NOT a good thing and dispatched the party to “handle it”. The exact means were not specified. The party decided to recruit the Sahuagin pirates to go after the BBEG’s shipping as he’s a merchant by trade and has an expansive merchant empire to fund his despotic dreams
For any players in these comments iffy on the idea of playing in a combat-lite campaign, remember that the less you have to optimize the more you can do with your character. Is a hand crossbow an optimal weapon for a fighter? No. Does it let Detective Hank Lachance round the corner and shout "GRIS! Hands up and knees to the floor!" like the half-elf knock-off of Agent Gibbs that he is? Most amusingly, yes. Where else can a fighter get away with middling STR and DEX scores?
I recently discovered the channel and so far loving it. But I just wanted to point that imho that "D&D or bust" label that appears during the intro is straight up bad advice. D&D is a great progenitor, but people should feel free, if not encouraged, to branch out and find the systems the are best suited for their campaign ideas. That said, still good stuff overall 👍🏻
A mercy monk with healer feat background is an amazing non combat character that could heal or euthanize people in the a ethical or religious motivation.
Isn't it social interaction that you're talking about, not role playing? Isn't a wizard casting a spell and a fighter being on the front line a form of RP? Non-combat focused class? I thought that this was 5e.
Sure. I can learn a new system in under an hour. But then I have to teach it to the players... and that's even assuming they're willing to learn, or that we have the time together. And even if they are and we do, I'm still likely to hear some grumbling about how we should just play Remember that even as the DM/GM, you're only one voice at the table.
@@korpg if players want to play a campaign without fighting, they should be able to try something new. The amount of work you need to put into dnd to make it work without combat is much more, than learning other systems.
@@Tharrel I disagree. Most of the players I've DM'd for in over 40 years of the hobby are far more reticent to learn a new system than to help craft the rules to make a specific game operate in a non-traditional way. There's comfort in a given and known system where everyone understands the possibilities of the shared imagination-space.
Unpopular opinion, but DnD should be about getting killed by a cheesy trap in an ancient tomb. There are like TON of systems built for social interaction, modern dnd is flexible but it's still mostly at its best telling a tropy adventure story. (bonus toxicity points for my comment: DMPCs sucks)
Cheesy traps aren't as popular because they often don't feel as fair and counter measures usually lead to dull play. DMPCs can be great. Without it I'd never be able to organize a D&D campaign with just one player. You just have to make them meek and non imposing (Matthew Colville made a good video on it). Bonus controversial opinion: turning player's who don't show up PCs into DMPCs for the session is the best way to keep the ball rolling with a flacky group.
Why do you want to throw out so much monster lore? A large amount of Monsters are intellegent and may be communicated with and roleplayed as. Dragons, Beholders, Vampires, etc. all have rich lore and many of their abilities and spells have utility that may be used out of combat.
I've had three sessions with my party with only one bit of combat. It was a blast. A genuinely exciting, 'make it up on the spot', rollercoaster that I looked forward too. Definetly recomend going hard on the non combat gameplay to shake things up. Best of all it really allowed me to put loads of references to past, current and future things that will pay off over the coming year of the campaign.
I enjoy throwing non-combat encounters at players occasionally to stretch their problem solving skills, ranging from rescuing people in abandoned, trap filled camps to repairing a steam boat that broke down while out at sea. We also had fun with infiltration quests where part of the group runs distract as the other sneaks in and trying to cover for each other's foul ups.
I'm of the opinion that almost every encounter should be able to be run as non-combat and handled via other means.
The sessions I've run where there is no combat are the sessions my players talk about the most. Social encounters and mystery elements seem to hook my players quite well, so this video is greatly appreciated!
I suppose it was still a “combat”, I did a charisma based attack session. My players found them roped in to a talent show by a bunch of satyrs. They wouldn’t take no for an answer.
During the performance the made charisma based “attacks” on the crowd like if someone wanted to tell a story if they could explain why and charisma based Arcana attack would work because the are proficient in arcana then I’d allow it.
I think everyone had fun that session.
6:25
THE PERMIT A38 !
such good times :D
One of the most in-depth options I've found for a non-combat encounter is the Skill Challenge. Certainly worth adding to a low- or non-combat adventure or campaign.
AAAH that's everything I needed! I decided to make a small campaign with some friends where they're all playing bards and wants to be the most famous band in the continent , your tips are really precious ! Thank you so much !
i'm currently in the process of homebreweing a world for my very first campaign. this channel has helped so much. every video i watch i take more notes or go "Ah!" and tweak something i had written, because things are explained in a way i haven't heard before. i love it :)
I just came across you guys and I watched your entire library in two weeks. I've watched your town building videos multiple times, specifically the Taverns and Inns video and the General Store video. Love your content and excited to see more!
This is interesting as hell! Maybe I could give this 'combat-less' DnD style a try some day. You've inspired me!
Altho I love this channel in many many ways, one of the least appreciated parts I see little talked about is the art. It is allways expressive and beatiful. Here before 1M♥️
(well was here before 10K but this is my first comment lol)
The Royal Naturalists
The last two keepers of the Royal Botanical and Zoological Garden were not doing their job, and a local Duke started using the "exhibits" as exotic meals.
The party is tasked with gathering and replacing everything.
P.S. Wyvern meat is delicious. It's a shame that they are almost extinct because "adventurers" keep killing them.
One of my favorite game sessions was a CSI: Phandalin session in LMoP. Excellent advice!
As someone who tries to run unorthodox non-combat experiences in my games, and who compel GMs I play under to do the same... I totally love the graphic at 4:25.
Love this approach. Great video as always! :) Also, for anyone trying this: Skill Challenges, Skill Challenges, Skill Challenges.
Well, yeah the majority of written rules in D&D is for combat, it’s inherently the most chaotic bit of the game and requires the most adjudication.
That doesn’t mean the other pillars of play aren’t supported, just that more responsibility is put on the DM to apply them to their table, which makes _this_ video so helpful as a concise reminder of the tools you already have and just need context for.
Yeah the threat of permanent character death necessitates more complex systems to allow players to manage that risk.
The universal system of ability checks and proficiency efficiently adresses near infinite possibilities. That's a boon that people like to paint as a bad thing in pursuit of unneccessary rules crunch.
@@InShortSight I feel like the threat of character death is significantly lower in 5e. Maybe it's just that the DMs that I see are a light touch, as killing characters that have a merchandise line is bad business.
If you want to have the best character for non-combat situations then play an eloquence bard. 🐉 😎
And people say bards are underpowered..... How little they know haha.
Ive had an entire full Ace Attorney Court Case for my Eloquence Bard!
@@Powermaster111 The eloquence bard can be great at a trial, so long as the trial is not "trial by combat".
@@homeless0alien True. If the rest of your party are all fighters and barbarians it might make more sense to become a lore bard instead of an eloquence bard at 3rd level. The reason is that the lore bard gets magical secrets at 6th level and can take both counterspell and revivify. The eloquence bard has to wait until 10th level to pick up his first magical secrets.
I find this video insensitive to the needs of murder-hobos. Or enabling. Whichever.
(I've read a lot of KODT, so the line's a bit blurred.)
Either way, I wholeheartedly approve!
btw, the AD&D 1e DMG is one of the best books for minutiae like this ever. It has tons of tables for encounters and set dressing, loads of advice for handling every kind of scenario and type/group of players, and so on. And much of it is totally independent of game mechanics, so it can be used with any rpg. If you really want the full experience as a DM/GM, you should find a copy of this and let it change your life.
Some great tables in that book but keep a good dictionary nearby. I am still trying to figure out what the difference between a strumpet and a saucy trollop is.
3:48 "This information isn't just flavour anymore"
Indeed. It is now also smell, sound and feel.
these suggestions are FIRE. As a player, I've never enjoyed combats too much.
I pulled off the all players are cooks theme as a twoshot once. It was hilarious.
Those are some wonderful campaign ideas at the back end of the video. As an AD&D grog I sometimes get stuck in violent conflict mode.
This is the one thing I really really like about the Game of Thrones TTRPG. It gives you a bunch of abilities and "attacks" you can make in an argument. This makes their roleplay as dynamic as their combat
One campaign idea I want to run is PCs on a fantasy version of the Great Silk Road, gathering and cataloguing herbs, making diplomatic connections, and seeking out strange magic.
Excellent idea you have there.
*PERFECT!!!* Your videos always highlight my day!
Could you do a video on one of my all-time favorite DnD sub-games, *Reverse Dungeon?* Cause at heart, I'm a lover for games that allow you to play an evil path and I love playing a villain!
That, and I feel like Reverse Dungeon doesn't get enough attention or love it truly deserves because I've played that game since high school and still do today.
That's called DM'ing! lol
I like using combat in a non-combat way, using the enemies as puzzles or barriers. If the party wants to get into combat they can, but there's always a way to get through without fighting. This allows the players to just sweep through some places, at the cost of spells/hp
Glad to see you guys are back!
6:20 whoa a "12 trials of Asterix" reference in the year of our lord 2022? You spoil us!
A little combat as a treat is how I like to run
6:49 "the great faerun bake off" banger concept, might have to nab as dms are want to do
I would suggest using Knowledge skills a lot more to give bonuses or extra information. Half of the challenge of non-combat encounters should be getting the information you need. The other half would be actually getting where you need to go, or convincing the person you need to convince.
Int is way underutilized in this game.
was in a dnd campaign where we started heavy combat, but peace came after we killed the bbeg, so it then became us just helping people with our skills, my character saw a character arc, he was a soldier trained from childhood, and had issues with ptsd, the dm used this as a quest, that the party was trying to help their friend who had lost hope in himself and was declining rapidly,
The players in my group like good combat. They like it when their charactercan shine with the cool maneuvers they got.
And the more I put the focus on combat because of that, the more they players want to talk to the monsters.
Awesome content, keep going!!
Thank you and welcome back!
If combat is rare mundane fights can be amped up, making what would be a bandit or a thug a bandit caption.
My favorite thing is taking the crazy creepy aberrations and undead as the rare combatant that was causing problems or was tied to something within the developing story.
Van Rechtin’s guide to Ravenloft, has some nice ideas for vulnerable characters or non combatants in a horror setting, that isn’t centered on combat.
Great advices as always, and absolutely love the 12 Tasks of Asterix reference haha
Always hyped for a new video, good stuff
Can you make a video where you talk about making homebrew content like subclasses,monsters,spells, and magic items. Also I love your channel it's always super helpful!
There is a great homebrew 3rd level spell on the internet called "greater mending" which can join 1 foot breaks at a time. The spell can also reattach severed limbs, but the reattached limb is paralyzed until a greater restoration spell is cast on it.
@@davea6314 I love the concept of greater mending
@@Oxaphosphetane It is a good spell to have for limb reattachment. I'm also guessing that it could be used to reattach a severed head, then cast a resurrection spell. I don't think there would be enough time for a revivify spell to work after casting greater mending, but the DM might be willing to bend the rules a little on that one. It is possible that a greater restoration spell might be asked for by the DM to prevent the restored character from becoming a quadrapalegic.
Also the spell could be used to repair severe damage to a ship or other structure etc...
@@davea6314 Using magic for handyman tasks also has the potential to escalate into arcane-fueled Extreme Home Improvement, which is both hilarious and delightful.
@@Oxaphosphetane A character could set up a magic drycleaning and repair shop with just 2 cantrips, prestidigitation and mending. Etc..
If we're talking about switching up styles in your campaign, I 100% agree. Non-combat sessions or arcs can be great. Though I can't really get behind the "...but we play DnD" brand loyalty thing anymore. The best RPG is always one you can play, and if your party won't play other things then definitely stick with what you love. But the only difference between "But we play DnD 5e" and "I've been playing 1/2/3/3.5e for X many decades and Bah Humbug at you new kids" is time. There's a reason people are always saying to try new systems- the alternative is stagnation. Not saying that you're promoting that. But it's at the core of that mindset.
All of these sound extremely great! And not gonna lie, if done right, they are more interesting and fun than a combat centric story in my opinion.
Also, the most importantly; these add to the game. Like the basic tool proficiencies have a lore now. Herbalists and cooks traveling the world to explore the tastes, antropologists documenting history, sorcerers and wizards going on a spell hunt! Imagine that! Even a single level 1 spell can have it’s own campaign and own lore. It makes that mere level 1 spell a lot more valuable and interesting. Imagine if every single thing was given enough attention to detail like this. The possibilities are endless.
Thank you so much for this video. It’s amazing. And it helps even the most combat focused campaigns. Because it certainly gave me so many ideas for _my_ combat heavy campaign!
There are great videos; full of cool ideas; and the artwork is lovely.
You're back!
I kind of feel like ideal DnD features both, and they should feed each other. I often like to think of it as two sides of a rotating circle - combat should influence and change the noncombat situations, and noncombat situations should influence and change what kinds of combat are encountered.
Ooooo that opposite thing reminded me of the dynamic between my fighter and the monk. We are both fairly stoic but protective and mostly easy going and nonjudgmental. We are a bit competitive and enjoy a good spar (both swordsman) and we are both quite fast (I am a wood elf so my start speed has me mostly keeping up, especially with action surge dash). Between all this our characters get along great! However we also roleplayed out recently some rocky areas of their growing platonic relationship. Mainly, that monk’s character was an ex soldier and so carries some internalized mannerisms and thought patterns from that and that my character has a late lover and a secret cousin (the child is a secret to all save my character and the cousin who is the child’s parent) who have bloodlines that directly tie them to the opposite side of the war the monk fought in. As such, some of those mannerisms rub my fighter the wrong way, and rather than fight with a character who they are starting to see as a potential good friend, they walk away to cool off and not hear about it. The monk and my fighter did discuss this and monk promised to not say some of the hurtful things they hadn’t realized they were saying and didn’t press my fighter as to why. Either way, they decided to not push too much and continue their easy going friendship from there. I’m glad for this because both are frontliners and so often partner up to make best use of this. If the two aren’t getting along too badly then it can affect that, and this really isn’t the right place in the storyline for that or their character arcs. But I’m glad to have had the opportunity to roleplay out that part. It let the monk get some much needed communication with the rest of the party while respecting that my character had their own reasons for being uncomfortable hearing it, especially after cleric had confessed to some long past stuff (context, the party just had a run in with an antagonistic npc of their backstory). My character accepted that and was reassuring but some were confused why the same wasn’t for monk, especially since it seemed that the two got along better than cleric and my fighter. Luckily it seemed less confusing, especially since I did mention that dm had asked my character to create connections that might draw the party over to the other side of the map where the people other side of the war are. It stands to reason that my character has positive associations with those people where the monk does not, but this isn’t enough for them to ruin their own friendship over.
So, progress report? (Figure I would add it here rather than lengthen original post with an edit).
So my fighter and our monk did fight about things but it’s wasn’t about the connection (though that is out in the open). They fought over a backstory origin reveal of our artificer of which they were on opposing sides on for how to handle it. They made up though. As for the original thing we (the players) assumed the monk and my fighter wouldn’t get along on, well, my character actually admitted to the monk about their fiancé first and has been open and honest, even asking advice and confiding in the monk about their niece (the other one, the family member, with the heritage mentioned before). The monk even asked my character to teach them the language of his once enemies so he could better understand both the side he grew up with and his once enemies. So they have learned to get long on this subject. Monk even promised to help my character one day visit the lands of their late fiancé which they didn’t get to know before his passing. It’s been pretty nice.
They do still have a somewhat rocky relationship at times but it’s been fun for us players to play into the pair being foils and, frankly, genuinely interested in being friends. Our characters come from vastly different views, life spans, cultures, family dynamics, social backgrounds (though both are upper class just one is nobility and other is very rich merchant), combat training, combat experience, occupations, etc, the list goes on. Still, they click and it’s fun to see play out. I think it’s the stoicism mixed with the overwhelming need to protect something, especially people, and frankly seeing the hope for an alternate path and way of thinking when they have long looked for one and seeing that in each other. From my character’s perspective at least, the monk represents hope that the dream of their late fiancé can happen and that the monk embodies it in a very sincere but unexpected way, not because my character convinced the monk to be that way, but because the monk chose that path of their own will. So it gives my character hope which is why my character is so willing to use the knowledge their late fiancé taught them to teach the monk, so that some part of their fiancé legacy lives on. It’s comforting to my character. Though it has had its own complications, that mindset, which I had my character apologize to the monk about (in character, player was aware of it) because their realized that putting that on them wasn’t fair. Like I said, they don’t always get along. They are still vastly different people with vastly different ways of thinking. They just really really want to be friends ever since they felt that click during their first mission together watching each other’s backs as they infiltrated a hostile camp.
Lol, though, hilariously my character has not yet been able to keep their promise of sparring with the monk. The player and I are planning to, because it’s been delayed so long, making it a meaningful scene, possibly during a cool tournament or something of the like, so it carries more of a story emphasis. Should be a ton of fun!
I personally find it more difficult when I have a combat heavy session ready, and the players decided they want to try and engage with it through other means. We've all seen the memes about bards seducing dragons, but what do you do when your cleric gets the highest initiative and drops a calm emotions on the barbarian enemy leader? You often turn to combat when all other solutions fail, but it's a lot harder to improvise your way out of it.
I like this. Excellent campaign suggestions too!
Welcome back and thank you for the wonderful video of dnd with no combat! I feel like dnd without combat is like oreos without milk! (I know it's bad comparison) There are other systems did a way better job for a non combat approach like vampire the masquerade, call of chtulu that the top of my head!
If I wanted a session of non combat, I want to be very simple, easy to implement and accessible for everyone! I feel like some contents that people made are either too difficult to understand, feels lackluster. I once brought a dnd product of non combat encounter which is is behind a paid wall and let just say the content is isn't good and it needs polishing! Wasted like $10 and never see the author.
This leads me to use xanatar's downtown and tools system and try to make use of it on what I had! I remember in my session we played a ace attorny and we have a HP of 10 and we have to fight each other with words and try not to lose a case! It was pretty fun and everyone! It's not well polished, we made out of the rules along the way. You just need to communicate with the players and it takes collaborative effort to pull this off! I'm sorry if this comment is too long 🙇♂️🙇♂️🙇♂️ I'm just like creative non combat encounter
I'm playing in a few 5e campaigns, and a Pathfinder campaign.
The one thing I dislike about 5e is the lack of range of skills. Older editions had options for non combat that just aren't built in anymore
With my party I've learned there's no such thing as "non-combat" scenarios. They have a motto of "If you think violence isn't the solution you just haven't applied enough of it"
I recently found your channel and have been enjoying all your videos! I was excited to see a new one pop-up! Even when there's a topic that does not address my campaign, there's always at least one gem of advice I can use!
An easy change for XP is to go back to the older 2E rule of Gold gained = XP. This allows anything that would reward the players to gain XP.
Beautiful!
So far, my campaign has been pretty low on combat. A few fights and a great boss battle at the end of the first chapter (fear the Dreadwing Behemoth of Thanksgiving! I merged a Dreadwing I found posted online with a creature from the Call of Cthulhu book by Percy Jackson games and it was GREAT!), but mostly role play has been the focus. And they sure seem to be enjoying it! (We've been playing for over a year, so I sure hope they are having a good time!)
We've also incorporated the crafting system from Witch+Craft (by Astrolago Press), which has been fun as well! So far, most of the characters have reached 2nd Tier crafting with classes at Lv. 8.
I like illusionary wizards that are performers
My group has been playing Blades in the Dark recently, and one of the many things I like about that system is how combat feels desperate. It's mostly about stealing stuff, so if you ever do get into a fight usually it means things have gone very badly. It's easy for your characters to get hurt or overwhelmed, if you're making a lot of noise the Bluecoats are sure to show up and arrest everyone soon, and if someone does die they could become a ghost and cause even more havoc.
When running a "non-combat" game, it might be good to not discount it outright, but make the consequences more dire so the players want to avoid it, rather than wishing they could just hit stuff to solve problems.
If one is interested in noncombat rules for interesting situations but feel uncomfortable making things up from scratch, looking into Pathfinder or earlier versions of D&D can also provide resources.
I agree that a session or two without combat in D&D can be so much fun. But if you are going through the trouble of changing the game you are playing to accommodate a style it wasn't designed for, just pick up a game that is designed for it. That said, combat in 5e does get boring, so, yeah, spice up your games and drop combat for a few sessions. It will make the next combat you run more intense.
My group had combat maybe every other session? Maybe. It depends. I generally present problems that have multiple solutions and often the players go down combat avoidant paths. But every once in a while there’s a problem that’s just “kill these things” to push them towards combat…
Good vid
"Other systems might be more convenient for this, but...we play D&D."
Finally someone gets it. I don't care if Blades in the Dark is "better for heists," I'm not going to completely change systems on a dime just because my players decided to rob a museum, thank you very much.
🤣
That’s nonsense. No one suggested that you switch systems for specific sessions or scenes (though that’s an interesting idea!). The idea that modifying D&D, a role playing game where some 90% of the rules are for combat (and most of those built around grid-based mini combat) is more productive than just trying a game that’s built around what you actually want to play is also nonsense. Can you do it? Yup. Does it work? Sure, but you’re going to be home brewing the shit out of it. Essentially, it’s a question of whether to play a game that exists or to write your own.
@@LeMayJoseph I've learned D&D an invested in it. My players have learned and are invested in D&D. I don't care if there's a better system it's easier to just add homebrew (which is mostly behing the scenes) than to shift myself and a group.
@@LeMayJoseph > No one suggested that you switch systems for specific sessions
I have seen this suggested many times, actually.
A: "hey Reddit, my players seem to have developed a sudden interest in sneaking into a high-security compound to steal some documents. any general advice for how to run this?"
B: "well rather than homebrewing heist mechanics into a power fantasy combat game, you should instead try another system such as Blades in the Dark"
A: "listen here, I am not learning an entire new system and teaching to everyone AND converting all the existing characters to it for an arc that'll take two, maybe three sessions"
@@GalvatronRodimus sounds pretty strawmanny. Obviously different systems are for different campaigns
5e was designed to attract a certain group of individuals where weren't already in the hobby. While combat has always been a staple, I think 5e really pushed for hack-n-slash to be the primary thing; it attracts murder hobos who are more willing to buy books and other merchandise, as they're typically more creatively-bankrupt.
What on earth gave you anything like that idea?
D&D is a simple system that gives people an easy entry point. It's simplicity also limits the craziness of power gaming and means that people can quite easily play while only caring about role-playing without destroying the campaign balance. It allows more people who wouldn't want to learn a complexe system to join many of whom just want to play a fun creative game.
Played a one shot with family disinterested in complexe game mechanics. 5e allowed them to play without many hurdles and focus on character.
@@mnm1273 the vast majority of systems are distinctly *less* complex than D&D. Its biggest strength is its branding.
@@LeMayJoseph I've played other RPGs. I didn't find them noticeably simpler than specifically 5e. I guess Call of Cuthullu combat was a bit easier, but only in as so much as I had very few options.
And yes branding is good, it means players are more likely to recognize the you mean and have access to far more ressources to stoke their enthusiasm.
5e is a simple entry level game that matches the fantasy people have and that's good. It mostly annoys min maxers and war gammers while being attractive to newer folks who'd like to skip over complexity to get to the role-playing.
Some extras I thought of….(long but maybe it will help)
Add more exploration and survival scenarios. You can be the baddest of the bad with your claymore but you got to survive (This will mean altering spells by the way)
Big threats - if the threats are big and fighting them would bring life to a quick stop, combat quickly becomes not an option. In stories that are very Lovecraftian you get this a lot.
Running Stories - maybe you and your party are either running for your life or helping others do so as well. A small persecuted group of people need to get out and they need out now. Think of us as Battlestar Galactica (remake) minus the fighting (as much as you like). But instead of a Battlestar it is you and your party protecting this group that needs to be taken to a new home as overwhelming forces try to stop you.
- key thing -
If you are doing more non combat re-read the rules for social encounters and make sure the players know them too. Also, tools and kits will wind up being much more important.
And lastly, one thing people ignore is class and secondary statuses in D&D that likely will come into play a lot more secondary stats and lifestyle. Fact is when the Dragon is coming to eat the town folk, people will not care that the squalid living Monk is stunning the beast. But if no threat like that exists, they may not want to as much as talk to you. This is a stand in for class and that matters the less combat is happening. You may want to make up a stat for it or use lifestyle.
But on the point of secondary stats - it may be useful to have a couple others for similar reasons. An honor based society should have a stat for that. If you are facing eldrich monsters having a freak out stat that will make the characters react by running in psychologically appropriate ways.
As a example- the players are the Scoby Doo gang (look em up if you don’t know) and they have a stat called Freak out that starts at there Intelligence/Wisdom/Charisma modifier but goes up to 20. Each time they encounter a Ghost they have to roll a d20 that is equal to or under their freak out of they have to run away. But if they beat the roll then they can stay and get one more clue.
1st game After the Velma the Wizard had put enough pieces of the puzzle together thanks to her spells and a lot of trial and running away. Because they have figured it out they know where the “monster” will be. Shaggy (beast master Ranger) sets up a pit trap and the group act as bait. The players have figured out the mystery but the characters still run but they run around the trap. The “Ghost” falls in and the freak out ends. They pull off the fake mask and it is Farmer Jane. Jane admits the plan as they are taken away by the guard. Jane says “I would have gotten away with it if not for your adventures”. The party gets XP and +1 freak out meaning next time maybe they can get to stay closer to the “Ghost” and get clues faster.
I've been running a high level game for 2+ years now. We have combat maybe once every 5-6 sessions. My players are SO heavily rollplay screwed that they either talk themselves out of most scenarios or just would rather talk with NPCs or delve into plot. Most combat we have is either unavoidable massive monsters, plot hooks, or backstory villain encounters. Few combats have been forgettable, and fewer have been irrelevant to the story
Edit: We started at level 17, they're now at level 19. We do milestone of course. Combats have included: Ancient Red Dragon, Kraken, Elder Brain, a warlock and his fleet of ships, an underwater kaiji fight with a voltron warforged colossus vs a resurrected sea demon
i dont think the majority of D&D games should be combat slogs. Combat is fun as a pinnacle moment but is by no means the focus of the game in my opinion. I run my average D&D campaign with a maybe 3:1 non-combat to combat session ratio and i honestly think thats perfect for all players.
And this is why a Session Zero is so important: what a DM thinks is "perfect for all" is definitely not.
@@AlbertaGeek I disagree. Alot of the time players only view the game through the DM and their previous DMs and don't really know what is going to be the most fun until they try it. I'd argue there is absolutely an average "best" way to run any and all RPG systems for pretty much all players outside specific groups assembled to run specific edge cases (like a pure dungeon grind ground in d&d for example). And in those cases that should be established upon considering the group, not at session zero. Additionally, discussing the style and the theme of the campaign is not something I think the players should have agency in. If they don't like the game style then it's not for them and they can find a different group. The DM is the one putting the game together, they get the say on the big decisions.
So, I’m running a homebrew campaign and recently, the BBEG recruited a bunch of Sahuagin pirates. The party’s new employer decided that this was decidedly NOT a good thing and dispatched the party to “handle it”. The exact means were not specified. The party decided to recruit the Sahuagin pirates to go after the BBEG’s shipping as he’s a merchant by trade and has an expansive merchant empire to fund his despotic dreams
Oh thank Goodness!!!
My Characters Hate Fighting 😅
Their a Lost Child who is Traumatize from killing a Goblin for the First Time.
For any players in these comments iffy on the idea of playing in a combat-lite campaign, remember that the less you have to optimize the more you can do with your character. Is a hand crossbow an optimal weapon for a fighter? No. Does it let Detective Hank Lachance round the corner and shout "GRIS! Hands up and knees to the floor!" like the half-elf knock-off of Agent Gibbs that he is? Most amusingly, yes.
Where else can a fighter get away with middling STR and DEX scores?
Le Laissez-passer A38 ??? 👀
I got a creation bard at lvl 15. In the current campaign I cause problems. That is all.
I recently discovered the channel and so far loving it. But I just wanted to point that imho that "D&D or bust" label that appears during the intro is straight up bad advice. D&D is a great progenitor, but people should feel free, if not encouraged, to branch out and find the systems the are best suited for their campaign ideas. That said, still good stuff overall 👍🏻
Engagement 💜
I miss the music, still a great video though
A mercy monk with healer feat background is an amazing non combat character that could heal or euthanize people in the a ethical or religious motivation.
Isn't it social interaction that you're talking about, not role playing? Isn't a wizard casting a spell and a fighter being on the front line a form of RP? Non-combat focused class? I thought that this was 5e.
I first thought the title said "D&D Without Context", slightly dissapointed
Doesn't everyone makes npcs like this regardless of combat focus... ? O.o'
But… why? You said yourself, there are systems better suited for this. Ones you can learn in under an hour.
Sure. I can learn a new system in under an hour.
But then I have to teach it to the players... and that's even assuming they're willing to learn, or that we have the time together.
And even if they are and we do, I'm still likely to hear some grumbling about how we should just play
Remember that even as the DM/GM, you're only one voice at the table.
@@korpg if players want to play a campaign without fighting, they should be able to try something new. The amount of work you need to put into dnd to make it work without combat is much more, than learning other systems.
@@Tharrel I disagree. Most of the players I've DM'd for in over 40 years of the hobby are far more reticent to learn a new system than to help craft the rules to make a specific game operate in a non-traditional way.
There's comfort in a given and known system where everyone understands the possibilities of the shared imagination-space.
Unpopular opinion, but DnD should be about getting killed by a cheesy trap in an ancient tomb.
There are like TON of systems built for social interaction, modern dnd is flexible but it's still mostly at its best telling a tropy adventure story.
(bonus toxicity points for my comment: DMPCs sucks)
Cheesy traps aren't as popular because they often don't feel as fair and counter measures usually lead to dull play.
DMPCs can be great. Without it I'd never be able to organize a D&D campaign with just one player. You just have to make them meek and non imposing (Matthew Colville made a good video on it).
Bonus controversial opinion: turning player's who don't show up PCs into DMPCs for the session is the best way to keep the ball rolling with a flacky group.
Why do you want to throw out so much monster lore? A large amount of Monsters are intellegent and may be communicated with and roleplayed as. Dragons, Beholders, Vampires, etc. all have rich lore and many of their abilities and spells have utility that may be used out of combat.