D&D General One thing I hate about the Sorcerer

[Micah Sweet]

Certainly, a fantastical setting comes with fantistical phenomena.

The surprise happens if defining a Fighter class as "nonmagical". Then it does magical things. To claim something is fantastical but isnt magical becomes confusing even nonsensical semantics.

The flavor of the Fighter class needs to make clear, this is a magical warrior that can achieve impossible effects.

At least after a certain level, yes I agree.

 

[Micah Sweet]

My biggest issue is the creator being a terrible bigot.

Not an issue with the universe though. I chose the phrasing I used on purpose.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

But does the game have to assume verisimilitude isn't fun?

But verisimilitude is not synonymous with the real world realism. To me it is more verimilitidous if a person capable fighting dragons is not assumed to be limited by real world standards.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think that people who go into a fantasy game should go into it with the assumption that they, the players, cannot understand all of the rules of the world.

i think this is a healthy approach to fantasy.

Where there is similarity to Earth, it is a matter of coincidence, and/or convenience. Not a matter of "reasonable expectation".

Now the trick is that, whenever the DM chooses to use elements where something common to Earth behaves differently in the fantasy, it is on them to provide tools to the players to allow the PCs to react appropriately based on the PCs knowledge of the world.

Edit: note that game mechanics for PCs are there, specifically to do this last job.

That's a perfectly legitimate way to play but, quite honestly, I'm not comfortable making that assumption outside of verbiage in the text to that effect.

 

[Micah Sweet]

But verisimilitude is not synonymous with real world realism. To me it is more verimilitidous if a person capable fighting dragons is not assumed to be limited by real world standards.

If you're fighting dragons you should be high enough level to push past being mundane, and the game should make that clear.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's all frame of reference. I choose the relevant frame of reference to be that of the characters in the setting.

For the fighter jumping chasms, do they or their peers recognize such a feat as being magical..or is it just something they've done enough mundane training to accomplish (or eaten enough fantasy Wheaties, or whatever other set of mundane-for-the-setting activities led them to this capability)?

Edit: Separately, the PHB does not actually claim that the fighter is non-magical. It doesn't claim that they are magical. But.. it does ask the player to consider "what sets the apart from the mundane warriors around them"

I choose the relevant frame of reference being the players of the game, all of whom live in the real world. The PCs likely believe differently, but the frame isn't for the PCs.

 

[Gammadoodler]

I choose the relevant frame of reference being the players of the game, all of whom live in the real world. The PCs likely believe differently, but the frame isn't for the PCs.

Why though?

Do your players require you to provide specifics for why their PCs are able to cast spells in the setting while the players cannot do so in their living rooms?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Why though?

Do your players require you to provide specifics for why their PCs are able to cast spells in the setting while the players cannot do so in their living rooms?

No (sassy!), but they do appreciate an assumption of Earth-normal unless specified across the board, and so do I.

 

[Gammadoodler]

That's a perfectly legitimate way to play but, quite honestly, I'm not comfortable making that assumption outside of verbiage in the text to that effect.

What would be a good example of the verbiage you would look for?

 

[Gammadoodler]

No (sassy!), but they do appreciate an assumption of Earth-normal unless specified across the board, and so do I.

Right, so in the case of what we are calling the "non-magical" classes (the PHB does not label them this way), if the book specified physical abilities that aren't Earth normal, then those would be specified in exactly the same way that the ability to cast spells is specified.