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A GMing telling the players about the gameworld is not like real life
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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7580258" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>Were it me, a PC with a peasant background would very likely have a penalty on such a knowledge check, while a PC with an engineering background or any sort of Rogue/Thief training would have a bonus or even not require a check at all (potential bonuses would be looked at first and if any existed then any penalties would go away).</p><p></p><p>Earlier you were suggesting that if the player (but not the PC) had the requisite knowledge then there wouldn't even be a check; that the knowledge would be automatic.</p><p></p><p>In general terms, it's the PCs vs the game world: the game world is out to mess them up, or kill them; and they're out to survive and make a difference (hopefully) for the better.</p><p></p><p>Right.</p><p></p><p>However, when next those players run out a posse of brand new adventurers in a different campaign those PCs as PCs still have to solve the same puzzle again; because <strong>for those PCs</strong> it is the first ever encounter with that type of creature. That the players have done it before is irrelevant. Thus the challenge - and you're quite right when you suggest that it's a challenge - for the players is to role-play those PCs true to their (the PCs') level of knowledge...which, as this is the first-ever encounter, is likely just as limited as the first batch of PCs from the other campaign. </p><p></p><p>The challenge isn't competitive in this case, it's how to remain true to your PC's knowledge level when you-as-player know more...and often this can and does lead to intentionally making some "sub-optimal" choices through trying to put yourself-as-player into a mindspace from a time when you didn't know what "optimal" was. It's hard. It's also essential, IMO.</p><p></p><p>Not for the player, but there is for the PC.</p><p></p><p>In theory, yes. </p><p></p><p>In dry academic terms, I suppose so; though not all of us look at it that way. In the fiction it's a question of how much grief are the PCs going to face before they figure it out.</p><p></p><p>But if you're using player knowledge over character knowledge then he's right: you're role-playing yourself rather than your PC.</p><p></p><p>Point taken, but IMO this is by far the lesser of two evils.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7580258, member: 29398"] Were it me, a PC with a peasant background would very likely have a penalty on such a knowledge check, while a PC with an engineering background or any sort of Rogue/Thief training would have a bonus or even not require a check at all (potential bonuses would be looked at first and if any existed then any penalties would go away). Earlier you were suggesting that if the player (but not the PC) had the requisite knowledge then there wouldn't even be a check; that the knowledge would be automatic. In general terms, it's the PCs vs the game world: the game world is out to mess them up, or kill them; and they're out to survive and make a difference (hopefully) for the better. Right. However, when next those players run out a posse of brand new adventurers in a different campaign those PCs as PCs still have to solve the same puzzle again; because [B]for those PCs[/B] it is the first ever encounter with that type of creature. That the players have done it before is irrelevant. Thus the challenge - and you're quite right when you suggest that it's a challenge - for the players is to role-play those PCs true to their (the PCs') level of knowledge...which, as this is the first-ever encounter, is likely just as limited as the first batch of PCs from the other campaign. The challenge isn't competitive in this case, it's how to remain true to your PC's knowledge level when you-as-player know more...and often this can and does lead to intentionally making some "sub-optimal" choices through trying to put yourself-as-player into a mindspace from a time when you didn't know what "optimal" was. It's hard. It's also essential, IMO. Not for the player, but there is for the PC. In theory, yes. In dry academic terms, I suppose so; though not all of us look at it that way. In the fiction it's a question of how much grief are the PCs going to face before they figure it out. But if you're using player knowledge over character knowledge then he's right: you're role-playing yourself rather than your PC. Point taken, but IMO this is by far the lesser of two evils. [/QUOTE]
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