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Context Switching Paralysis, or Why we Will Always Have the Thief Debate
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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 8749946" data-attributes="member: 4937"><p>Oh bless your heart. That's so cute. Seriously though, the world needs more good DMs so keep up the fight.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Maybe you just have a higher wisdom than I do, but there are plenty of times I've house ruled something or set a precedent I regretted. Like that time I decided that since 1e cantrips were basically harmless, I could allow M-U's to use them at will. That had to get yanked back to like 2 x your caster level really quick, because it turns out 15-year-old boys given unlimited ability to make people belch...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I believe you, but then I it sounds like when you describe it you are more using the Suggestion of Cool or maybe the Guideline of Cool. It might be helpful if you told me what you think the Rule of Cool is. Because honestly, the Rule of Cool has been around like 10 years longer than you've been DMing, and it sounds like your version has nothing to do with willing suspension of disbelief or even really breaking the rules of the game. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>So I'm really not sure what you've established here or thought you've established. Like many DMs since the days of Gygax you've found the utility of occasionally letting PC's appeal for divine aid in circumstances you thought were appropriate. And like many DMs since the days Gygax mentioned this in the 1st edition DMG, you've wanted to make clear that while it can happen that calling on the aid of a deity can potentially make them angry or otherwise has costs - especially if you do it flippantly or too often. </p><p></p><p>Ok. What's your point here?</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Because you very much suggested the existence of rules and costs. And frankly, I don't even think that's much powered by the Rule of Cool. At no point did your character ask to do something that breaks the rules of the game so that he could have a moment of awesomeness. At no point did you consider breaking the rules of the game. I mean this last time we played D&D we had like 3 or 4 divine interventions occur. Granted, I decided I wanted them to be enough of a part of my game that I turned the general, "Ok this can happen" into a system that doesn't depend on as much fiat as your spontaneous ruling. But as I noted, a ruling is just rule that has been discovered.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>No, I'm assuming "Rule of Cool" has something to do with allowing PC's to exceed there normal abilities when doing so would be cool, even if and particular if doing so would break the normal rules of the game. I'm assuming the "Rule of Cool" has to do with when ruling, you consider primarily what would be dramatic rather than what would make sense given the assumptions of the setting. And that further it has to do with enabling those game breaking actions by not imposing such a high difficulty on them that you are effectively saying "No." The Rule of Cool is not "I have cool things happen in my game." because then there is no difference really between using the rule of cool and not using it.</p><p></p><p>You know, the things that were originally called out by ChattyDM and which are inspired by the original citation of Rule of Cool with respect to how it works in other media, namely: "The limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief for a given element is directly proportional to its awesomeness."</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>If you quote me out of context, then of course what I say won't make sense. The particular paragraph you are citing is offered as a counter-argument to the methodology I suggested for play. Of course I believe you can always validate your players without bowing to their every whim. We don't disagree on that. That's agreement with me. I'm conflating nothing. Please reread the arguments I'm making more closely.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Ok, I tell you what. Since I'm so opposed to the rule of cool, what don't you give some examples of things you would have allowed in your GMing that you think are covered by the rule of cool and I'd oppose? Or particularly, since it is clear Gygax advice heavily against the Rule of Cool, and in any event the rule wasn't really explained until like 15 years ago, can you explain how the Rule of Cool informs your gaming in way that would be starkly contrasting with Gygaxian DMs.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 8749946, member: 4937"] Oh bless your heart. That's so cute. Seriously though, the world needs more good DMs so keep up the fight. Maybe you just have a higher wisdom than I do, but there are plenty of times I've house ruled something or set a precedent I regretted. Like that time I decided that since 1e cantrips were basically harmless, I could allow M-U's to use them at will. That had to get yanked back to like 2 x your caster level really quick, because it turns out 15-year-old boys given unlimited ability to make people belch... I believe you, but then I it sounds like when you describe it you are more using the Suggestion of Cool or maybe the Guideline of Cool. It might be helpful if you told me what you think the Rule of Cool is. Because honestly, the Rule of Cool has been around like 10 years longer than you've been DMing, and it sounds like your version has nothing to do with willing suspension of disbelief or even really breaking the rules of the game. So I'm really not sure what you've established here or thought you've established. Like many DMs since the days of Gygax you've found the utility of occasionally letting PC's appeal for divine aid in circumstances you thought were appropriate. And like many DMs since the days Gygax mentioned this in the 1st edition DMG, you've wanted to make clear that while it can happen that calling on the aid of a deity can potentially make them angry or otherwise has costs - especially if you do it flippantly or too often. Ok. What's your point here? Because you very much suggested the existence of rules and costs. And frankly, I don't even think that's much powered by the Rule of Cool. At no point did your character ask to do something that breaks the rules of the game so that he could have a moment of awesomeness. At no point did you consider breaking the rules of the game. I mean this last time we played D&D we had like 3 or 4 divine interventions occur. Granted, I decided I wanted them to be enough of a part of my game that I turned the general, "Ok this can happen" into a system that doesn't depend on as much fiat as your spontaneous ruling. But as I noted, a ruling is just rule that has been discovered. No, I'm assuming "Rule of Cool" has something to do with allowing PC's to exceed there normal abilities when doing so would be cool, even if and particular if doing so would break the normal rules of the game. I'm assuming the "Rule of Cool" has to do with when ruling, you consider primarily what would be dramatic rather than what would make sense given the assumptions of the setting. And that further it has to do with enabling those game breaking actions by not imposing such a high difficulty on them that you are effectively saying "No." The Rule of Cool is not "I have cool things happen in my game." because then there is no difference really between using the rule of cool and not using it. You know, the things that were originally called out by ChattyDM and which are inspired by the original citation of Rule of Cool with respect to how it works in other media, namely: "The limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief for a given element is directly proportional to its awesomeness." If you quote me out of context, then of course what I say won't make sense. The particular paragraph you are citing is offered as a counter-argument to the methodology I suggested for play. Of course I believe you can always validate your players without bowing to their every whim. We don't disagree on that. That's agreement with me. I'm conflating nothing. Please reread the arguments I'm making more closely. Ok, I tell you what. Since I'm so opposed to the rule of cool, what don't you give some examples of things you would have allowed in your GMing that you think are covered by the rule of cool and I'd oppose? Or particularly, since it is clear Gygax advice heavily against the Rule of Cool, and in any event the rule wasn't really explained until like 15 years ago, can you explain how the Rule of Cool informs your gaming in way that would be starkly contrasting with Gygaxian DMs. [/QUOTE]
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