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That Was Easy (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-05 22:00:01
Imported:
2026-06
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Videos

Content

Modern RPGs are stuck on permanent easy mode. PDM analyzes. 

Files

Previews only

That Was Easy!

Comments

Bagel-Man

That’s a really cool death rule, might steal that one. Also I’m excited to see the Lost City episodes. Are you going to rename the adventure similar to the caves of carnage?

Matthew Crismali

I'm glad you're still trying new mechanics. It's one of the things I enjoy about your content. Looking forward to what Deathbringer looks like in a few years when you've finally retired from your day job.

Giulliano Salgarello

I am excited to watch lost city. It will be amazing I can already tell

Smarting

One must emphasize, that failure in a TTRPG-game does not make you a bad player. I have played games, that could only be won, and games, that could only be lost. But my true victories were, when I had a good time with everyone at the table and everyone had a good time with me. The most important rules in our hobby are the rules for having a good talk. Be it 5e or Deathbringer, all these rules in small or in big books... they are only details.

Cee-Jay

"A game is only a game if you can lose something". I agree with you completely PDM... and I have come to realize that many people use D&D as a tool to play pretend. And that's great if it floats their boats, but it's not what interests me. PS: Your edits to the DMG made me laugh out loud. And the mechanic is awesome... I pretty much always allow last remarks and sometimes a last action, but letting them finish out the combat is a good idea.

Drago Russo

You say all of this in the era of participation trophies. lol. So I have finished two campaigns where the players went to level 20, Dreams of the Red Wizards. I absolutely ramp up the bosses and throw everything at them as they are so OP. They get upset when I psychic scream and stun them with their INT dump stats which basically takes them out. The wizards have to burn 9th level wishes to get those players back in the game. It is super interesting that after 100 sessions I have run on Start Playing Games I have found a niche with advertising "old school" D&D feel on permanent HARD mode and filling tables quickly. I am thinking to try a Deathbringer mode campaign. I am going to run Keep on the Borderlands on HARD mode and maybe use some Deathbringer variants and see if the people want this. I have a feeling that many do want this and are willing to pay.

Drago Russo

I had a level 19 Vengance Paladin throw his life away to save the party and the player was totally ok with that and made a level 20 barbarian that was his brother for the final session. It was epic and he said he will never forget it. There are people who want to create memorable experiences and a game being to easy is just not really that fun.

Jay

Great video PDM I agree 100%. Think the new mechanic sounds great and so far all the other comments have great stories and supporting arguments. Anything I say at this point would only echo so many others. Guess that pretty much says it all.

Kelsey (The Arcane Library)

Hahahahaaa, I was just thinking to myself again while watching this, "that's a really cool mechanic," and you spoke my mind out loud! :D

MrGunn

The fault dear PDM lies not in our stars, but in ourselves. Sadly, it is our generation that focused on feelings at the expense of facts, where merely showing up earned Billy and Susie trophies, and told everyone they were a victim, and inclusiveness means, accepting only those who don’t disagree. Huzzah, I say to losing, for money earned is good, but loot hard won is all the sweeter! More grim, more dark!

Scott Spears

I enjoy 5E and am in a campaign where we hit 20th level. We are 99.9% unkillable and are Godlike. It's fun with all the varied powers. The DM gets overwhelmed at times. I like Five Torches Deep and Shadowdark and will be building a game with those and we'll see how many graves there will be dug for our heroes.

William

I agree with almost everything you said apart from the bit about death. Death is not necessary for the game to have stakes. If you want a good example of this look at Justice City in ICRPG (the superhero supplement). 5e is basically a superhero game, so run it like it is. Put the loved ones of the heroes, civilians and the whole world in danger. Sure the hero will pop up in three rounds due to death saves but the cultist will have opened a rift to the outer planes in two. Sure the hero will brush off 8d6 fireball damage but their family home is set ablaze, with their family inside. Do they fight or save their family? I like your new death suggestion. The worst thing about death saves in 5e is how pathetic it feels to die. There are no heroic last stands or final goodbyes, how dull. My current method for death (despite defending 5e, I don't use it) is you have around before you die. You can attempt to get yourself back up with a death save or someone else can heal you. If you die you get one final action at full power, but at the end of that turn, you die. Also if revivify exists in my game then diamonds are impossible to get hold of except through a quest.

William
>>107948408

I've also just thought of an opposite example of a game without death but loads of drama. Ten candles. The characters always die at the end but every time I run it there have been super tense moments. Once the players realise that they can't escape they start thinking about their legacy and what mark they leave behind. Great game

Ian Butterworth

My perspective is a game that takes a long time to generate characters with highly detailed backgrounds is a game where you don't want your character to die easily. If you can roll a character simply, then death is not that much of a setback. For backgrounds, I like the idea of knowing what the character did before becoming an adventurer and what event caused them to become an adventurer. The good professor has spoken about this in other videos. If no one has seen Tim Kask talking along the same lines, this video is interesting to watch: https://youtu.be/X9vECzikqpY

jnlsn family

I think I watched an old DMG/DM Scotty video where they said the right answer is whatever your group enjoys. Like murderhoboism? Then play Vagrants and Violence(tm). Was theater club your peak that you yearn to return to? Then play Good Society you weirdo. Are you in prison? Dice aren't allowed in jail so play a diceless system like Into the Odd or whatever. I think 5e is wack wackity wack, stealing their best mechanic from golden age GW but if you like it and your group likes it, who cares? Play on.

jnlsn family
>>107952392

Lol I had a feeling you would! If you like Good Society you might like Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast. I heard it's good.

Jay

FYI, Scotty just released the EZD6 Open Game License for those who want to make their own content and sell it on DriveThru RPG. Hope it catches on. It's a great game.

Gregory Helding
>>107935328

The meaningful death mechanic definitely deserves an entire video. It reminds me a bit of “mighty deed of arms” from DCC, but with more heroism.

Jim Havoc

Another great take on the trend. Frog God Games has a Viking campaign called The Northlands Saga. I think it uses a Death Mechanic like the one you described. That makes sense: Vikings go out in epic style!

Benjamin Marra

This EZD6 session you were playing, was it a playtest for the new EZD6 post-apocalyptic game book that's coming out later this year?

RUNEHAMMER

‘modern rpgs’ generalization of the year award?

Agile Monk

Excellent and well on point PDM. ❤️

samurguybri

I saw this quote on TikTok of all places, and it addresses the character mega build issues well: @J.C.81: I have no issue with power builds, but they do tend to be made by people who don't understand that DnD is a conversation, not an argument.

Jay
>>107936701

PDM, as someone who enjoys statistics I am curious. Is the data regarding kids from 14-17 based on your own experience running games or are those metrics cited somewhere in a larger sample size? I've been unable to find that info.

MrGunn
>>107936701

@Jay Someone is feeling cheeky! 🤪😉 I know the gubment funds all manner of useless studies like; is water wet; what is the relationship between water and rain, you know obvious stuff like that. But I highly doubt there is a TTRPG demographic study on whether GenZ prefers harder or easier game mechanics 🤣🤣🤣🤣. But who knows; if Cornell can have for credit classes on, Tree Climbing, and Princeton can teach a course on, Getting Dressed, anything is possible. 🙄🫤😑😶

Brian Thompson

I love that episode of the twilight zone all Time favorite 30 minutes of TV!!!!!

Daniel Defazio
>>107976472

I have tested the Post-Apocalyptic set. I made a librarian called "Angry Artie." But the game was a survival horror game. LOADS of fun.

Don Forsman

As usual, you present cogent and well argued points ( it helps that I agree with pretty much all of it 😉).