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A design goal: making different races FEEL different.
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<blockquote data-quote="DEFCON 1" data-source="post: 5760545" data-attributes="member: 7006"><p>4E game mechanics are all similar for everything, and thus you HAVE to use fluff and description to make things feel different. If you don't... then races will never feel different, because they just come down to a couple things to remember that modify the rules on the game board.</p><p></p><p>All characters need to use Standard actions for Second Wind, except one gets to use a Minor action. Does that in of itself scream "dwarf"? Not especially. There are plenty of other races that probably could have this ability.</p><p></p><p>All characters make an attack roll against a monster, except one gets to reroll occasionally if they miss. Again, does this in of itself automatically make us think "elf"? I'd say not. Especially considering this exact same mechanic is used for an entire <em>class</em> (Avenger), in addition to this one race. The mechanic is by no means tied to this race.</p><p></p><p>All characters have to accept the roll an enemy makes against them, except one gets to occasionally make the monster re-roll their attack. Again, does this scream "halfling"? Nope. If you told me the warforged had this ability too, I'd immediately think "okay, the warforged is not flesh and blood, so occasionally attacks that should damage it, do not. Okay, I see how this rule applies to them."</p><p></p><p>We can continue this right down the line. Now sure, some game mechanic rules speak to a particular race much more specifically than others. Like the character who only needs one square of movement instead of two through Difficult Terrain, most folks would probably visualize Legolas in FotR and say "that's an elf ability!". And likewise, the character who can make a Close blast attack of fire, lightning, cold, acid, or poison... that definitely screams "dragonborn" than pretty much any other race. But those abilities are fewer and farther between.</p><p></p><p>The only way to make the game mechanics emblematic of a particular race is to really create game rules that are tied into how a race is, so that it immediately makes one think of the race without needing the fluff to help describe it. Because any rule the requires fluff to help justify the choice of game mechanic, immediately makes that racial choice more generic and less specific to it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DEFCON 1, post: 5760545, member: 7006"] 4E game mechanics are all similar for everything, and thus you HAVE to use fluff and description to make things feel different. If you don't... then races will never feel different, because they just come down to a couple things to remember that modify the rules on the game board. All characters need to use Standard actions for Second Wind, except one gets to use a Minor action. Does that in of itself scream "dwarf"? Not especially. There are plenty of other races that probably could have this ability. All characters make an attack roll against a monster, except one gets to reroll occasionally if they miss. Again, does this in of itself automatically make us think "elf"? I'd say not. Especially considering this exact same mechanic is used for an entire [I]class[/I] (Avenger), in addition to this one race. The mechanic is by no means tied to this race. All characters have to accept the roll an enemy makes against them, except one gets to occasionally make the monster re-roll their attack. Again, does this scream "halfling"? Nope. If you told me the warforged had this ability too, I'd immediately think "okay, the warforged is not flesh and blood, so occasionally attacks that should damage it, do not. Okay, I see how this rule applies to them." We can continue this right down the line. Now sure, some game mechanic rules speak to a particular race much more specifically than others. Like the character who only needs one square of movement instead of two through Difficult Terrain, most folks would probably visualize Legolas in FotR and say "that's an elf ability!". And likewise, the character who can make a Close blast attack of fire, lightning, cold, acid, or poison... that definitely screams "dragonborn" than pretty much any other race. But those abilities are fewer and farther between. The only way to make the game mechanics emblematic of a particular race is to really create game rules that are tied into how a race is, so that it immediately makes one think of the race without needing the fluff to help describe it. Because any rule the requires fluff to help justify the choice of game mechanic, immediately makes that racial choice more generic and less specific to it. [/QUOTE]
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A design goal: making different races FEEL different.
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