Handling Clever Actions

The Rule of Cool.
Yes, And.
Be a fan of the characters.

These tenets push us to let players try clever, chaotic, and unexpected PC actions.

For example, saket asked this on the Roleplaying Tips Discord:

In the middle of combat, one of my players wanted to create an opaque, black orb around my main villain’s head, giving him the blinded condition until his next turn.

I found it impressive, but it also feels like a very unbalanced thing to be able to do during combat.

I let her do it today, but IDK if I should be allowing it going forward. What do you guys think?

This shows great player creativity that we don’t want to squelch. However, as saket intuited, allowing this creates a precedent that could nerf future fights.

Here’s my four cents on how to handle this GMing dilemma:

1. Use Yes, But

My rule of thumb when players do things that might be unbalanced is to say Yes, But…

The But is a Cost.

Yes, you could try that, but you will need to concentrate hard to keep it on his moving head. You’ll need to spend an action each round maintaining the spell, and another action keeping it on target.

Yes, you could try that, but you’ll need to make a successful hit each round to keep blinding the foe.

Yep, give it a try. Note that you’ll be distracted from the ongoing effort, leaving you open to attacks from other foes.

Yes, it’s possible. But the effort is draining and will give you a level of exhaustion. (I might allow a saving throw.)

Excellent idea! You might be able to do this, but it will burn out that spell completely. You can’t cast it again until you’ve had good long rest.

Yes, but the psychic backlash could reduce your [Choose A Stat] by 1d4 until you rest/get a restoration spell/use alchemy to brew a remedy.

This approach creates a precedent and player expectation of rulings I can use again.

My tentative language, You could try that and Might be able to, tells the player there’s risk of failure. Never guarantee results. Make them roll for it. If there is no chance of failure, it’s not a game.

I would avoid simple damage as a Cost, as well. It get repetitive, and sometimes it’s not a cost at all as the party has heals on tap.

Also, by adding uncertainty and a cost-risk, we bounce it back to the player as an interesting choice. They might not like the choice, but it’s their decision whether to take the risk. And interesting choices make great gameplay.

2. Turn the Tables

I’ll often flip rulings around and ask the entire group:

If we allow this, then I’ll have enemy casters use the same tactics. Is this ok with you all?

This helps players see the game holistically, from the GM’s point of view.

It also means I can counterpunch using the same tactic in the future.

Note that characters get many more turns than foes over the course of a campaign. A PC can use this new trick every combat, but I’ll need foes who can employ the same trick to counter, which isn’t realistic. Keep this in mind as you make your ruling.

3. Just Say No

No serves as a perfectly good answer.

It sets precedent, making it easier to say no in the future.

No also provides constraints that foster creativity. Sometimes the best solutions come from working within the constraints of the rules rather than bypassing them. This helps you maintain the consistency of your world’s “physics.”

Making Quick Decisions

To sum up:

  1. Decide if you’ll allow it.
  2. If allowable, choose a Cost to make it an interesting Choice.
  3. Confirm with the group that this ruling is fair and applies to enemies too.

Finally, set a Social Contract or House Rule that you’ll playtest such things, reserving the right to correct unbalanced actions in the future.

Cheers,
Johnn
roleplayingtips.com
https://discord.gg/6MxTRAqQ76
Have more fun at every game!

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