Author Topic: Re: Storytelling and Game Mechanics (D&D or any RPG-system)  (Read 734 times)

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TomeWyrm

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I agree with your original post, I think it should be give everything a reason not give everything a mechanic, but that's mostly semantics.

As for your most recent post, why should the GM be fair? Consistent sure, but why fair? Life isn't fair, some of the most popular stories are about overcoming the odds. The players and the NPC's are different, why shouldn't the rules occasionally be bent in order to create dramatic tension, or a meaningful obstacle? Why should the overwhelmingly powerful bad guy not advance at least a little over the course of the PC's adventure? Efreet and Noble Djinn can grant three wishes every day at CR 8, for no XP penalty, I don't know of a playable race or class that can do that (without CharOp Cheese, 'cause PunPun can do anything). The players should be set apart, they're the main characters in the story, after all. But Sauron wasn't "one of the players" he created the Rings of Power, corrupted elves into Orcs, twisted the Palantir, poisoned the mind of an angel (the wizards were actually minor angels, made mortal), and his death made most (all?) of Mordor collapse into rubble. Who among the fellowship could have done any of that?

The cardinal rule is still "have fun" but sometimes in order to have more fun, people want to overcome greater odds, which generally means you do something with the NPC's that the players cannot do.
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