I don't like magic walmart stores or magic crafting for that reason. You're supposed to go adventure and do daring deeds to find cool stuff, not sit around knitting your own chainmaille +2. Like I'll talk with players about their builds to make sure they get items they need to make the build work, but what's the point of going on adventures if you know exactly what's going to happen?
Idk, i really don't like min-maxing. For one it almost always makes it a pain in the ass for the gm to create interesting encounters bc the totally mathematically optimized barbarian/wizard will ohk everything while the flavorful bard will struggle to stay alive and do anything. For another it's just like bro, are you here to have an adventure and save the kingdom from the king, or to do calculus homework? Like I don't mind when my players spend half an hour playing accountants and actuaries to divvy up the loot at the end of the session and pick out curtains and new furniture for the bar they run between adventures, but something about making your own bespoke magic items irks me.
I think it comes down to a distinction that maybe isn't real, but i feel like some players want characters who are special because of what they do, while other players want characters that are special because of what they are. I always start as a boring soldier or callow youth or minor temple functionary or whatever bc i want to watch the character grow and become a hero. People who start out with a totally min-maxxed purple eye'd half elf half dragon princess have always perplexed me.
I like the idea that your characters' adventures are exceptional moments of their lives, and they spend most of their time doing normal stuff in the place they live. I remember the Lord of the Rings RPG made a big deal out of this, characters could spend months or even years in between things happening so you had a real good idea of how they lived during that time.
I don't like magic walmart stores or magic crafting for that reason. You're supposed to go adventure and do daring deeds to find cool stuff, not sit around knitting your own chainmaille +2. Like I'll talk with players about their builds to make sure they get items they need to make the build work, but what's the point of going on adventures if you know exactly what's going to happen?
Idk, i really don't like min-maxing. For one it almost always makes it a pain in the ass for the gm to create interesting encounters bc the totally mathematically optimized barbarian/wizard will ohk everything while the flavorful bard will struggle to stay alive and do anything. For another it's just like bro, are you here to have an adventure and save the kingdom from the king, or to do calculus homework? Like I don't mind when my players spend half an hour playing accountants and actuaries to divvy up the loot at the end of the session and pick out curtains and new furniture for the bar they run between adventures, but something about making your own bespoke magic items irks me.
I think it comes down to a distinction that maybe isn't real, but i feel like some players want characters who are special because of what they do, while other players want characters that are special because of what they are. I always start as a boring soldier or callow youth or minor temple functionary or whatever bc i want to watch the character grow and become a hero. People who start out with a totally min-maxxed purple eye'd half elf half dragon princess have always perplexed me.
:I-was-saying:
I like the idea that your characters' adventures are exceptional moments of their lives, and they spend most of their time doing normal stuff in the place they live. I remember the Lord of the Rings RPG made a big deal out of this, characters could spend months or even years in between things happening so you had a real good idea of how they lived during that time.