So, I like to delve into the world of tumblr and Pintest for ideas, This idea that i found was about rolling for Impulse, so different characters would also have a impulsiveness characteristic. The role of this would be that they are in a big area right, well a impulsive rouge would be like "I just cant but help-" goes and tries to pickpocket or something along those lines
Could you help me decide if this would be a good idea?
Most players expect to have agency over their characters. If you, as the DM, impose a rule like this, there could be a lot of backlash. On the other hand, many players like to add unpredictable behavior to their characters.
The most important thing is that the impulsiveness of a player's character is the player's choice. There is nothing stopping a player from rolling a die to help them decide what their character does. Making it a suggestion is fine, making it a rule would be asking for trouble.
If a player wants to play their character as impulsive, that's fine, but there's plenty of trouble PCs can get into in D&D without having to worry about some impulsivity mechanic imposed on them by the DM.
FWIW, CHR is the closest thing the game has to a WILL stat.
Anyway, you're mechanically compelling players with traits that the players don't see fitting their characters well at all. If you want characters be subject to temptation, you'll just have work up your verbal enticement game and tempt players with objects through role playing and exposition.
Case in point, in a crypt in a Shadowfell demiplane, a party came across an item identify informed them was something that worked liked an Elemental gem, but with a Shadow Demon inside instead (said demon is a potential instrument to introduce an Abyssal subplot to the game). Whole party was "ahhhh, nope" to the prospect, most of the party being self styled do gooders. I paused and asked the wizard's player (LE Hobgoblin, with the party mostly as a cover for his real mission from The Academy of Devastation to research and acquire arcane powers to enhance the security and military capability of the Hobgoblin nation), "Are you sure? I mean, yes, the entity is almost elemental chaos, but the way the de facto conjuration spell works makes it very much controlled chaos at your disposal. It's power and think of your real mission and the more stable power you may be able to secure with its use." Player took a long pause while other players beseeched him by both character and player to not do it, then concluded, "Well, I mean, NAME is part of the Academy of Devastation, as the party files out, I try to palm it so no one notices I took it [bad slight of hand roll, the rogue and the whisper bard totally know]."
Did I railroad this as a mechanical impulsivity would? Yeah and no. I offered a story hook as to why I think the gem may be compelling for the character, but the player also knew there would be no consequences if they opted otherwise (and Agnost would just meet them some other way). In other words, don't compell them with a gimmick "roll for impulsive wrench in your plans". Just invite them to play with you.
One of my players is in the habit of rolling Wis (Insight) checks for his character, on his character for stuff like determining what his PC might do on the spur of the moment.
One of my players is in the habit of rolling Wis (Insight) checks for his character, on his character for stuff like determining what his PC might do on the spur of the moment.
Now if a player, has a self-conceit to keep impulsivity in check, sort of like Two Face with their coin, that's totally different and I'd do what I could do to accommodate the player's "initiative" until it inevitably crashes into consequences.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
One of my players is in the habit of rolling Wis (Insight) checks for his character, on his character for stuff like determining what his PC might do on the spur of the moment.
Now if a player, has a self-conceit to keep impulsivity in check, sort of like Two Face with their coin, that's totally different and I'd do what I could do to accommodate the player's "initiative" until it inevitably crashes into consequences.
It occasionally leads to hiccups, but also some serendipitous actions, so it all comes out in a push. He’s playing an Int 8, Wis 13 Barbarian modeled after Sir Kay from Disney’s Sword in the Stone. He mostly uses his “self-Insight” checks to help him better delineated Player knowledge from PC knowledge to prevent metagaming and to help him better grasp his character’s self understanding to see if he would do the prudent, player inclined things, or just knock it on.
So, I like to delve into the world of tumblr and Pintest for ideas, This idea that i found was about rolling for Impulse, so different characters would also have a impulsiveness characteristic. The role of this would be that they are in a big area right, well a impulsive rouge would be like "I just cant but help-" goes and tries to pickpocket or something along those lines
Could you help me decide if this would be a good idea?
Most players expect to have agency over their characters. If you, as the DM, impose a rule like this, there could be a lot of backlash. On the other hand, many players like to add unpredictable behavior to their characters.
The most important thing is that the impulsiveness of a player's character is the player's choice. There is nothing stopping a player from rolling a die to help them decide what their character does. Making it a suggestion is fine, making it a rule would be asking for trouble.
If a player wants to play their character as impulsive, that's fine, but there's plenty of trouble PCs can get into in D&D without having to worry about some impulsivity mechanic imposed on them by the DM.
FWIW, CHR is the closest thing the game has to a WILL stat.
Anyway, you're mechanically compelling players with traits that the players don't see fitting their characters well at all. If you want characters be subject to temptation, you'll just have work up your verbal enticement game and tempt players with objects through role playing and exposition.
Case in point, in a crypt in a Shadowfell demiplane, a party came across an item identify informed them was something that worked liked an Elemental gem, but with a Shadow Demon inside instead (said demon is a potential instrument to introduce an Abyssal subplot to the game). Whole party was "ahhhh, nope" to the prospect, most of the party being self styled do gooders. I paused and asked the wizard's player (LE Hobgoblin, with the party mostly as a cover for his real mission from The Academy of Devastation to research and acquire arcane powers to enhance the security and military capability of the Hobgoblin nation), "Are you sure? I mean, yes, the entity is almost elemental chaos, but the way the de facto conjuration spell works makes it very much controlled chaos at your disposal. It's power and think of your real mission and the more stable power you may be able to secure with its use." Player took a long pause while other players beseeched him by both character and player to not do it, then concluded, "Well, I mean, NAME is part of the Academy of Devastation, as the party files out, I try to palm it so no one notices I took it [bad slight of hand roll, the rogue and the whisper bard totally know]."
Did I railroad this as a mechanical impulsivity would? Yeah and no. I offered a story hook as to why I think the gem may be compelling for the character, but the player also knew there would be no consequences if they opted otherwise (and Agnost would just meet them some other way). In other words, don't compell them with a gimmick "roll for impulsive wrench in your plans". Just invite them to play with you.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
One of my players is in the habit of rolling Wis (Insight) checks for his character, on his character for stuff like determining what his PC might do on the spur of the moment.
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Now if a player, has a self-conceit to keep impulsivity in check, sort of like Two Face with their coin, that's totally different and I'd do what I could do to accommodate the player's "initiative" until it inevitably crashes into consequences.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
It occasionally leads to hiccups, but also some serendipitous actions, so it all comes out in a push. He’s playing an Int 8, Wis 13 Barbarian modeled after Sir Kay from Disney’s Sword in the Stone. He mostly uses his “self-Insight” checks to help him better delineated Player knowledge from PC knowledge to prevent metagaming and to help him better grasp his character’s self understanding to see if he would do the prudent, player inclined things, or just knock it on.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Oh I never even thought of the fact that it would cause issues with the players thank you both so much!