[RPG] a generally polite and succinct response to player requests for mechanical changes

dnd-5egm-techniques

I would like a script or block of text that is nicer than "No."

Trying to keep the number of table rules and exceptions to a minimum requires turning down requests for mechanical changes.

All such requests are uniformly rejected.

Thematic re-skinning of existing descriptions are fine (fluff changes), but some requests are outright mechanical changes. What is a brief canned response or block of text that can be used as a more polite alternative to, "No"?

Good Subjective Answer

As per NautArch:

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Best Answer

The most polite response will not be a 'canned' response, as it will address your reasoning for saying "no". Even if the reasoning is "I am trying to limit the number of house rules" players don't like when they have an idea they think is good, but it gets shot down without justification (from their point of view).

That being said...

I get the impression this response is meant for a text message or email?

As with emailing in the workplace, messages containing no punctuation, or only 'periods', are often misconstrued as having a harsher, less empathetic tone. Throw in an "I'm sorry" or an exclamation point to soften the tone of your message.

A 'canned' response that comes off much more polite would be:

I'm sorry! I appreciate your creativity, but I am limiting deviations from published texts to 're-skinning' for flavor only. This will help simplify house-keeping and maintain balance as I do not know the full implications of a change to game mechanics. The Background rules in the PHB are already set up to allow for extensive customization, so I suggest seeing if there is another Background setup which fits what you want to do.