Statblocks: rules?

fanboy2000

Adventurer

• Mar 28, 2005

• #1

So is a statblock rules?

The fluff and crunch thread seems to be heading down a weird road. The question of weather or not statblocks were rules or not came up, so I'm putting it to the community.

 

Last edited: Mar 28, 2005

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Mark

CreativeMountainGames.com

• Mar 28, 2005

• #2

I do not grok your mouth music...

 

S

Starglim

Explorer

• Mar 28, 2005

• #3

A statblock is only a derivative of the rules. However, some of the rules are not written down in any other place than the statblock, so they have a virtual existence. A creature could be described entirely by text (such as "Hit Dice: The tyrannosaurus rex has 18 Hit Dice of d8 type, typically 180 Hit Points"). Its stat block implies that such a textual rule exists.

 

Agamon

Adventurer

• Mar 28, 2005

• #4

Wow, and here I thought rules and crunch were pretty much the same thing. Perhaps someone can educate me further...

 

Ron

Explorer

• Mar 28, 2005

• #5

I waiting for a really crunch guy come around and say that stat blocks are actually fluff.

 

J

JustaPlayer

First Post

• Mar 28, 2005

• #6

Well, the way some companies don't know what they are doing when that make stats. I would call them chewy.

 

diaglo

Adventurer

• Mar 28, 2005

• #7

statblocks are visual aids.

 

E

ElvishBard

First Post

• Mar 28, 2005

• #8

I voted crunch because creatures don't always follow the rules, like in the Monster Manuals, they have alot of errata out to fix their mistakes. Plus, some adventure moduels beef up the creatures not by leveling them up but by giving them more hp and things so that they are stronger and thats how you should play them, but they didn't follow the rules to make them, if that makes any sense to anyone besides me.

 

Voadam

Legend

• Mar 28, 2005

• #9

Rules would be how you calculate the numbers in a statblock.

Is a character sheet a rule?

 

IronWolf

blank

• Mar 28, 2005

• #10

I went with crunch....

I guess my reasoning was take an NPC in a campaign or module, say a third level fighter. You work up a nice little background, motivations, etc for said NPC - your fluff. Then you need to get his stats down on paper so we know how to use him game mechnanic wise, a.k.a. stat block - or your crunch.

::shrugs:: But then again, perhaps I am missing the point of the question or confused on by fluff and crunch definitions this week....