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Aug. 19th, 2015 04:13 pmENWorld Very-Long-Combat-as-Sport-vs-Combat-as-War-a-Key-Difference-in-D-amp-D-Play-Styles
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?317715-Very-Long-Combat-as-Sport-vs-Combat-as-War-a-Key-Difference-in-D-amp-D-Play-Styles
Some people expect to see roleplaying combat as a sport, that is, by default, fairly evenly matched sides and you can win if you play the best you can with the hand you were dealt (like PvP in an arena combat in MMORPG). Others expect to see combat as war: it's fast and vicious and all the hard work is done in advance making sure you mostly do it only when you have an overwhelming tactical advantage (like PvP in EVE Online -- there's no 'fair', there's only "did you win").
Both of these are valid ways to enjoy it, but different ways. I've talked about similar topics before, but this is the first one that made me empathise with both sides. To some extent 4e embraced "sport", and earlier editions embraced "war", and 5e is somewhere between, which I think is where I prefer.
I'd also add, it depends what level of abstraction you're looking at. Even in "combat is war" games, you expect most sessions to be fun and challenging and give you a chance to win. And even "combat as sport" games expect both sides to try to win given an opportunity, you wouldn't hold back because an orc rolled badly.
Rpg stack exchange how-do-i-play-a-paladin-without-being-a-stick-in-the-mud
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16022130&postcount=2
(linked via http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/18947/how-do-i-play-a-paladin-without-being-a-stick-in-the-mud/18949#18949 which is also worth reading)
An example of a Paladin playing lawful morality to the hilt:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?317715-Very-Long-Combat-as-Sport-vs-Combat-as-War-a-Key-Difference-in-D-amp-D-Play-Styles
Some people expect to see roleplaying combat as a sport, that is, by default, fairly evenly matched sides and you can win if you play the best you can with the hand you were dealt (like PvP in an arena combat in MMORPG). Others expect to see combat as war: it's fast and vicious and all the hard work is done in advance making sure you mostly do it only when you have an overwhelming tactical advantage (like PvP in EVE Online -- there's no 'fair', there's only "did you win").
Both of these are valid ways to enjoy it, but different ways. I've talked about similar topics before, but this is the first one that made me empathise with both sides. To some extent 4e embraced "sport", and earlier editions embraced "war", and 5e is somewhere between, which I think is where I prefer.
I'd also add, it depends what level of abstraction you're looking at. Even in "combat is war" games, you expect most sessions to be fun and challenging and give you a chance to win. And even "combat as sport" games expect both sides to try to win given an opportunity, you wouldn't hold back because an orc rolled badly.
Rpg stack exchange how-do-i-play-a-paladin-without-being-a-stick-in-the-mud
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16022130&postcount=2
(linked via http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/18947/how-do-i-play-a-paladin-without-being-a-stick-in-the-mud/18949#18949 which is also worth reading)
An example of a Paladin playing lawful morality to the hilt:
The cultists were hard to break, and our group (generally not the nicest folks) wanted to torture it out of them. Naturally, Sir Peter was opposed.
...
"If you're going to do this, do it right..."
He walks over to the bound cultist, tosses aside his bottle, lifts the chair and sits in front of the beaten man.
"I don't want to hurt you, I just need to know the locations of your brethren, then this can be all over for you, I will make sure you are safe and cared for."
"Ha! I know who you are, Sir Peter Fairgrave; kingdom breaker, runaway child, father slayer. You can't threaten me: I know what you are. Your order, your God won't allow you to lay your hands on me, otherwise you'll fall, and you won't be able to help a soul."
*sighs* "You seem to be under the misconception about what I am, what I do. I am a paladin, that is true; but as a paladin I don't fear falling... I look forward to it."
The cultist shot a nervous look at the rest of the party, we were all looking at each other, not sure what was about to happen. The cultist opened his mouth to speak, but Sir Peter cut him off.
"As a paladin, I walk on a razor's edge. Not between good and evil, I could never be something like you, but between "law" and "justice". The "law" I follow doesn't permit me to harm you, but I could be "justified" in anything I did to you in order to save innocent lives. ANYTHING!"
"You don't know what it is like to be me. You don't know the pain of having to store all your anger, all your fury, all your sense of justice, and hold it inside you, all day every day for the rest of your life. Doing the right thing doesn't mean I get to stop all evil, I just get to trim it when it becomes overgrown. The path I walk is not about vengeance, or what's right; it's about moderation in the face of power, restraint and compassion for scum like you.
"This is why paladins don't fear falling. We don't spend all day looking for ways to prevent ourselves from doing evil and giving in to the darkness -- we actively seek it out. Every time we face evil, we ask ourselves, 'Is this the threat that I'm going to give it all up for? Is this what I am going to give up my ability to help others in the future, in order to bring it down now. Is this the evil that I am willing to forsake my God and my power to stop?!'". Continued