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General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Time to bring back the prose?
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5898839" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>I don't quite get the distinction you are drawing here.</p><p></p><p>A bit more on the sleep spell.</p><p></p><p>There is no difference of content (other than slightly different attack and save mechanics) between</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px">A sleep spell causes drowsiness to all the creatures within the area of effect who fail a Will saving throw, slowing them. After a round of drowsiness, each target must make a second saving throw; if they fail, they fall into a magical slumber.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p><p></p><p>and</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px">[Sleep keyword]</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Area burst 2 within 20 squares</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Target: Each creature in burst</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Attack: Intelligence vs. Will</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Hit: The target is slowed (save ends). If the target fails its first saving throw against this power, the target becomes unconscious (save ends).</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p><p></p><p>The difference is one of syntax and style.</p><p></p><p>I am wondering whether some players have a self-generated illusion that reading the old PHB spell descriptions is like paging through a wizard's spell book. If so, it's just an illusion, and a pretty obvious one at that. The wizard's spellbook is not going to talk about saving throws, hit points, rounds and turns of time, etc; and hopefully not about levels either.</p><p></p><p>Is the problem with the 4e syntax and style that it makes it obvious that the rulebook is a game tool, and not <em>itself</em> an element of the fiction? At least for my part, I've never played under any illusion to the contrary.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 5898839, member: 42582"] I don't quite get the distinction you are drawing here. A bit more on the sleep spell. There is no difference of content (other than slightly different attack and save mechanics) between [indent]A sleep spell causes drowsiness to all the creatures within the area of effect who fail a Will saving throw, slowing them. After a round of drowsiness, each target must make a second saving throw; if they fail, they fall into a magical slumber. [/indent] and [indent][Sleep keyword] Area burst 2 within 20 squares Target: Each creature in burst Attack: Intelligence vs. Will Hit: The target is slowed (save ends). If the target fails its first saving throw against this power, the target becomes unconscious (save ends). [/indent] The difference is one of syntax and style. I am wondering whether some players have a self-generated illusion that reading the old PHB spell descriptions is like paging through a wizard's spell book. If so, it's just an illusion, and a pretty obvious one at that. The wizard's spellbook is not going to talk about saving throws, hit points, rounds and turns of time, etc; and hopefully not about levels either. Is the problem with the 4e syntax and style that it makes it obvious that the rulebook is a game tool, and not [I]itself[/I] an element of the fiction? At least for my part, I've never played under any illusion to the contrary. [/QUOTE]
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Time to bring back the prose?
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