Someone mentioned this the other day and they’re right for once.
When it comes to fantasy TTRPG advice or debates for that matter, we’ve been rehashing the same exact comments since the hobby began 50 years ago. Letters to Dragon Magazine and Polyhedron back in the day all asked many of the same questions and covered the same advice. Much of what we see on TTRPG social media, YouTube, and Tik Tok are all the same words coming out of someone else’s mouth.
Mark Twain: “There is no such thing as a new idea.”
Please don’t take this as throwing shade at anyone. In fact, I think it’s great. The fact that these questions are coming up now means there are new players and newer GMs who weren’t around 30+ or 20+ years ago. It means we’re still engaging in meaningful discourse about our beloved hobby. It tells us people are still interested in TTRPGs.
I do occasionally post Player or GM advice here.
I think a lot of newer players and GMs haven’t seen some of the situations that arise at a gaming table. Most often it is a social kerfuffle amongst the players or a simple disagreement over the rules. With a new edition of the world’s most famous RPG coming, we’re going to see more of that kind of thing again here really soon. Not to mention the dozens of other fantasy releases in 2024-2025 with new rule systems to decipher.
Unfortunately, we’re not all Matt Mercer. Not all of us get to claim the “cool” in Rule of Cool. I’d like to be that guy, but at my table I still do certain things the same way I did them 30 years ago. Example:
I give out house rules at the beginning of Session Zero along with my brief lore dump package and a list of expectations. (Nothing unreasonable, I promise. I should post that one of these nights.) One of my rules for most d20 fantasy games is falling, because I tend to use a lot of traps in dungeons. You take 1d6 falling damage per 10 feet fallen. Sometimes I give them the first 10 feet for free. There is no terminal velocity.
Me: You take 12d6 falling damage. (Rolls fistful of dice.)
Player: But, but, but… what about terminal velocity? It should cap at 10d6 max.
Me: Remember that handout I gave everyone when we started? Sorry. It said we always roll for the whole distance. No cap.
Player: but I’m a 3rd level warlock. I only have 18 hit points.
Me: Welp… you take 46 damage.
Player: Umm… Death Save?
Me: Yup. If you live, it’s going to be with a lot of broken bones.
Player: Ooh! 17. I’m back up. Praise Cthulhu!
Me: Back up on two broken legs, maybe. You need a healer bad, my friend. Barthold the Third just fell 120 feet onto a stone floor just missing a large stalactite by mere inches. By the way, you seem to have found the entrance to a large underground stone complex. (Grins.)
Luckily my player didn’t whine too much because that could have gone a lot worse. Truthfully, all I wanted him to do was find the dungeon. How was I to know he was going to try to lower himself down on a bucket with a decades old rotting rope?
Other GMs might have called it differently. At my table, I try to make my rules clear up front and most of the time I don’t take too much grief for them. I’ve been at this for a while now. In my early years, falling damage could lead to some loud knockdown, drag out arguments. Of course, character death was a lot easier to come by back then.
Until tomorrow, be cool. Be cool with your players, your group, and those YouTubers spouting advice that has likely been given before. GMs, please remember to stand your ground on your house rules, but be kind to your friends. It’s cool to be a benevolent GM.
Thank you for being here today with me. I appreciate you. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy.
Jeff's Game Box 