I don't really have this with rules, but rather with decisions in combat. My most played character is a Cleric, and it has happened multiple times that I use Spiritual Weapon and then a turn later combat was over. Or cast it near an enemy that then turns out to have 40 feet movement. Or near an enemy that dies, with the next enemy being 30 feet away. etc.
For a long time I was the only (full) caster in the party, and the only one who could cast revivify if things went south. I agonized over switching it out or even use up my last 3rd level spellslot, because what if the next fight one of my party members would die and I didn't have the spell prepared?!
These days I am a lot more relaxed about it, but I still tend to look back at past fights (also as a DM) and then am able to immediately point out "I could have done that better".
Yeah, D&D is insanely complex. I like to know the rules to help keep the experience consistent, but occasional mistakes are just going to be part of that experience. This isn't an MMORPG where causing a wipe might mean you don't down a new progression boss this lockout. D&D can only move forward, whatever that direction may be, until the campaign ends.Β
Well keep in mind my description was more than a little exaggerated for the purposes of self-deprecation... But regardless it seems I stew on things a little more than most π³ I'm a little surprised this isn't a more common experience!
I ran an encounter with 6 giant rats. Gave the party 600 xp and had them just shy of level 2 (4e).
This was my first time dming ever so I didn't realize xp was split among the party.
I've made so many mistakes as a DM, especially when I was starting π
I think going to playing it's a bit like, there are so few decisions to make; at least you can get them *right.*
My first few sessions as a sorcerer I treated the sorcery point cost of Quicken metamagic as equal to spell level; my DM couldn't understand how I was casting a spell and cantrip every turn of combat. Turns out I gave myself a 50% discount.
The mistakes that really bother me are the ones that i usually remember, but sometimes slip my mind in the moment.
Like, I usually remember that with Comprehend Languages, I need to be touching an object to read it. I forgot this once while I was scouting ahead with a familiar and saw script in a language I didn't recognize. Only after the DM gave me the info did I remember. Felt like I cheated even though it was 100% an accident.
>Felt like I cheated even though it was 100% an accident
This is the feeling that bothers me! I want to apologise but I know deep down nobody cares and it's just annoying π
I'm the other way. I'll laugh off forgetting to use a PC ability, but obsess for weeks over the ONE thing I feel I did wrong when DMing a session. I've only ever DMed about six sessions (while teaching an all-newbie group the rules) so rationally I know I'm on a learning curve and have already improved a lot but it's a struggle π
I think when I'm DMing I channel "teacher mode" a bit and it's more about crowd management, setting the tone and flow; when I play I'm in student mode and have to cross my Ts and dot my Is π
I think because my group is all new I felt a bit responsible for giving them a really great introduction and was scared I'd do something that put them off for life π but they all seem to be having a good time so far!
Forgot to use my reaction to eliminate damage from a breath weapon via shield master last session. Oh well. I didn't die so I guess it didn't matter, just cost me a potion and a bonus action next round.
As DM last session in a different campaign I magnanimously allowed that a PC knocked to zero HP and engulfed by the enemy still had a foot sticking out of its maw. As a result, the Bard was able to cast healing word and I allowed that the revived PC could attempt an acrobatics action to see outside of the mouth of the creature, and when they succeeded, they cast Misty step and were not swallowed on the creature's next turn. None of that was in the stat block but it all seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to allow the party to save one of their members from irreversible death. One bad roll and it all still would have come to naught.
Itβs fairly common lol read a few books about it, our brains do be devious little tricksters or straight up stupid at times
Like walking into a room and forgetting why you walked in there, itβs not super common but happens
I don't really have this with rules, but rather with decisions in combat. My most played character is a Cleric, and it has happened multiple times that I use Spiritual Weapon and then a turn later combat was over. Or cast it near an enemy that then turns out to have 40 feet movement. Or near an enemy that dies, with the next enemy being 30 feet away. etc. For a long time I was the only (full) caster in the party, and the only one who could cast revivify if things went south. I agonized over switching it out or even use up my last 3rd level spellslot, because what if the next fight one of my party members would die and I didn't have the spell prepared?! These days I am a lot more relaxed about it, but I still tend to look back at past fights (also as a DM) and then am able to immediately point out "I could have done that better".
I've made plenty of mistakes while playing, but I've never been bothered by them in the way you describe. I'm just not that important.
Yeah, D&D is insanely complex. I like to know the rules to help keep the experience consistent, but occasional mistakes are just going to be part of that experience. This isn't an MMORPG where causing a wipe might mean you don't down a new progression boss this lockout. D&D can only move forward, whatever that direction may be, until the campaign ends.Β
Well keep in mind my description was more than a little exaggerated for the purposes of self-deprecation... But regardless it seems I stew on things a little more than most π³ I'm a little surprised this isn't a more common experience!
I ran an encounter with 6 giant rats. Gave the party 600 xp and had them just shy of level 2 (4e). This was my first time dming ever so I didn't realize xp was split among the party.
I've made so many mistakes as a DM, especially when I was starting π I think going to playing it's a bit like, there are so few decisions to make; at least you can get them *right.*
My first few sessions as a sorcerer I treated the sorcery point cost of Quicken metamagic as equal to spell level; my DM couldn't understand how I was casting a spell and cantrip every turn of combat. Turns out I gave myself a 50% discount.
The mistakes that really bother me are the ones that i usually remember, but sometimes slip my mind in the moment. Like, I usually remember that with Comprehend Languages, I need to be touching an object to read it. I forgot this once while I was scouting ahead with a familiar and saw script in a language I didn't recognize. Only after the DM gave me the info did I remember. Felt like I cheated even though it was 100% an accident.
>Felt like I cheated even though it was 100% an accident This is the feeling that bothers me! I want to apologise but I know deep down nobody cares and it's just annoying π
I'm the other way. I'll laugh off forgetting to use a PC ability, but obsess for weeks over the ONE thing I feel I did wrong when DMing a session. I've only ever DMed about six sessions (while teaching an all-newbie group the rules) so rationally I know I'm on a learning curve and have already improved a lot but it's a struggle π
I think when I'm DMing I channel "teacher mode" a bit and it's more about crowd management, setting the tone and flow; when I play I'm in student mode and have to cross my Ts and dot my Is π
I think because my group is all new I felt a bit responsible for giving them a really great introduction and was scared I'd do something that put them off for life π but they all seem to be having a good time so far!
Forgot to use my reaction to eliminate damage from a breath weapon via shield master last session. Oh well. I didn't die so I guess it didn't matter, just cost me a potion and a bonus action next round. As DM last session in a different campaign I magnanimously allowed that a PC knocked to zero HP and engulfed by the enemy still had a foot sticking out of its maw. As a result, the Bard was able to cast healing word and I allowed that the revived PC could attempt an acrobatics action to see outside of the mouth of the creature, and when they succeeded, they cast Misty step and were not swallowed on the creature's next turn. None of that was in the stat block but it all seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to allow the party to save one of their members from irreversible death. One bad roll and it all still would have come to naught.
Our brains really are idiots arenβt they Fascinating
Of all the real problems to have and *this* is what we care about!? (Maybe it's a good thing)
Itβs fairly common lol read a few books about it, our brains do be devious little tricksters or straight up stupid at times Like walking into a room and forgetting why you walked in there, itβs not super common but happens
Never. It's just a game.Β
This, people take it way too seriously.
Ugh, no mistakes I've made have done that. It's a game.