tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post7316972258618596422..comments2023-10-14T03:58:59.333-06:00Comments on The Tao of D&D: The Consequences of HeuristicsAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-81364840801697303672016-10-17T10:47:12.707-06:002016-10-17T10:47:12.707-06:00"Regarding DMs who may not be aware that they..."Regarding DMs who may not be aware that they are unconsciously making decisions that re-route the campaign in order to protect themselves, I can only suggest that we should all stop doing this."<br /><br />This is why I use tables for reactions on the fly or stocking things on the fly. I've a "stack" from the internet, one because I'm lazy and two it helps prevent everything being seen through my own myopic view.<br /><br />What is planned or non-random is the reaction modifier say. Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08231609275892907901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-62973163274177715592016-10-15T16:34:11.608-06:002016-10-15T16:34:11.608-06:00Dani,
Tables are absolutely anchors - because eve...Dani,<br /><br />Tables are absolutely anchors - because everything we think to include on the table blots out everything we don't think to put on the table. For example, if I use an encounter table to choose what monster I throw at the party, it eliminates the need for me to be inventive and choose to invent a monster rather than have the dice choose one.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-87675128633402623852016-10-15T16:32:44.226-06:002016-10-15T16:32:44.226-06:00Keith,
I don't use tables in adventure-buildi...Keith,<br /><br />I don't use tables in adventure-building or choosing my setting. I used to, but I've given up on all that. I now choose encounters and situations based on what would be interesting, given the structure and framework I've already provided for each region and sub-region.<br /><br />I use tables for combat, of course. For most uncertain things, I use ability checks to determine what the character can do or know. There are less uncertain things, however, as more and more sage abilities helps tie these things down.<br /><br />I don't use tables for abilities because I feel the character can either do it or the character can't - and I try to make it perfectly clear to the player before the trouble starts what they can do. Often there is a percentage of some kind hooked up to this, but most of the time not; more over, the percentage kicks in when the character goes beyond what is certainly possible into what is maybe possible.<br /><br />The yes/no systems that I use are complex and varied, mostly to give the players awareness of what they can do while keeping me out of the loop as much as possible ~ that is, it keeps me from having to make a decision that hasn't already been made and set as a precedent sometime in the game's past.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-1134256531108343152016-10-15T08:11:53.711-06:002016-10-15T08:11:53.711-06:00This series of posts is really interesting, and I&...This series of posts is really interesting, and I'm enjoying reading it. I don't know exactly in what direction you are going with these posts, but a list of DM heuristics, a quick-and-dirty toolkit, seems like an interesting idea.Danielle Ostermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05688510764917107213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-69715416915367314332016-10-15T07:23:48.650-06:002016-10-15T07:23:48.650-06:00I don't know if tables would be considered an ...I don't know if tables would be considered an anchoring heuristic or not. But I do wonder how tables fit in to all of this. I know some DMs, in particular the OSR types really dig them. My impression is that Alexis, you use tables a fair amount, no?<br /><br />I haven't used them much in decades of DMing. I'm wondering if they might be something I should consider more so that my decision-making doesn't become more hidebound than it likely is.Keith Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00059044388944936192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-58144447681997741522016-10-14T14:51:54.185-06:002016-10-14T14:51:54.185-06:00Tim,
The anchoring heuristic springs immediately ...Tim,<br /><br />The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring" rel="nofollow">anchoring heuristic</a> springs immediately to mind.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-33885607968752764942016-10-14T13:20:35.456-06:002016-10-14T13:20:35.456-06:00This series has reminded me of computer science ag...This series has reminded me of computer science again. In that field, heuristics are typically functions or methods which produce a "good enough" solution. You sacrifice something like optimality, accuracy or completeness to achieve a quick and easy solution, without necessarily having the backing of a rigorous proof.<br /><br />For instance, the <a href="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveling_salesman_problem" rel="nofollow">traveling salesman problem</a> cannot be solved in f(n) time, where f(n) is some polynomial function of n, the size of the input. But there's a heuristic that says pick the next best step every time, disregarding previous steps, and that will give you a decent approximation of the optimal solution.<br /><br />This leads me to wonder about what a list of DM heuristics might look like. Most computer scientists with some experience will know a few quick-and-dirty heuristics for particular problems. I suspect the vast open-ended nature of D&D makes DMs feel less certain about what tools are at their disposal in a given situation: personally, I've often felt the same stress while DMing as I have when trying to solve a particularly bizarre proof on a midterm. The time is ticking by and you need to establish what solution will solve the problem quickly and effectively.<br /><br />Then again, there is no "solution" when role-playing, only a response. But a DM who knows their players well can presumably establish what response they want to elicit at a particular moment, and in applying the heuristic achieve it. Might make good content for a short book: how can a DM determine a good heuristic to use, based on how they want to influence the players?Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03496502173819113887noreply@blogger.com