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Warlock, Hex, and Short Rests: The Bag of Rats Problem
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<blockquote data-quote="DEFCON 1" data-source="post: 7030992" data-attributes="member: 7006"><p>What you are saying here basically is that characters know they live in a world dictated by game mechanics, not by any sort of cohesive "story physics" the DM came up with for how their campaign world works.</p><p></p><p>Why does your character know that if they kill a critter first thing in the morning and then sit on their rear end for an hour they can then have this spell last all day and have their magic back? Because that's what the <em>game mechanics</em> have allowed... not the actual physics and story of the world have allowed. Because odds are pretty close to 100% that if you were to ask your DM "Hey, how do the magic physics of your world work?" and the DM didn't have game mechanics to explain it... they wouldn't come back with...</p><p></p><p>"Well, you know... everyone who uses magic has a font of magical energy each day that they use to cast their spells and when they run out of that energy they can't cast spells anymore... EXCEPT in this one spell's case where if you cast it first thing in the morning really powerful-like on a rat, and then kill the rat, and then wait an hour after the fact as though you had just ate a sandwich but wanted to go swimming... you get your energy back as though you had never cast the spell in the first place."</p><p></p><p>"Hey, does that work on any other spells I have?"</p><p></p><p>"Uh... maybe? One or two?"</p><p></p><p>"Why not the rest?"</p><p></p><p>"Um... because... they don't."</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, buy why? Why can't I do it with any of my spells?"</p><p></p><p>"Because... you see... only a couple of these spells have specific target, duration, and ability to be more powerful, and only this one particular TYPE of spellcaster amongst all the others can manipulate the magic in such a way that you can do it."</p><p></p><p>"Why can't other spellcasters do it too then?"</p><p></p><p>"Because I've decided that's not how they work. Only warlocks can do it."</p><p></p><p>"Why do only warlocks get to sit on their hands for an hour after getting up in the morning and get to have all their magical energy *and* a spell active all day? Why are they so special?"</p><p></p><p>"Because... that's... that's just how I've decided warlocks are... allowed to work... in... my world."</p><p></p><p>"But not for ALL warlock spells? Only for these couple?"</p><p></p><p>"Yes."</p><p></p><p>"Any particular reason just these couple?"</p><p></p><p>"Um... uh... well, <em>story-wise</em> it's because..."</p><p></p><p>And END SCENE.</p><p></p><p>Therein lies the rub. Without game mechanics to fall back on as an "explanation", there is absolutely no logical reason a DM would ever design their world's magical physics in this way that didn't sound absolutely ridiculous. And if it weren't for game mechanics to back them up, no DM would ever justify why their world worked in that way. Because taken purely from a narrative, in-world perspective it's just dumb. A couple spells from only one type of spellcaster class gets to break the laws of magical physics in this world for absolutely no narrative reason. And the characters in this world only know this kind of thing *is* possible merely because the players know the game mechanics that are allowing this to happen.</p><p></p><p>There's no story reason for why these spells get to break the DM's magic physics. The DM wouldn't have even thought of doing it this way if they were designing their world without game rules behind it. It's <em>only</em> the game rules that clue the DM and the players in to the idea that the physics of the world can be broken. So with that being the case... then just accept it. Own it. You are all breaking the logical manifestation of magical physics in this world for no other reason that the game rules allow you to do so. Which is fine! If that's how you want to play, then go for it! Your game, your world! Enjoy it!</p><p></p><p>But don't then bother coming come here on the boards trying to justify it to the rest of us. As though you're looking for absolution. Because if you feel as though you need other people to agree with you on how you're playing... then that right there tells us you're feeling a little guilty for playing it that way. And that is an even bigger indication that you know deep down as well as the rest of us that what you're doing isn't how you think the game is really meant to be played.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DEFCON 1, post: 7030992, member: 7006"] What you are saying here basically is that characters know they live in a world dictated by game mechanics, not by any sort of cohesive "story physics" the DM came up with for how their campaign world works. Why does your character know that if they kill a critter first thing in the morning and then sit on their rear end for an hour they can then have this spell last all day and have their magic back? Because that's what the [I]game mechanics[/I] have allowed... not the actual physics and story of the world have allowed. Because odds are pretty close to 100% that if you were to ask your DM "Hey, how do the magic physics of your world work?" and the DM didn't have game mechanics to explain it... they wouldn't come back with... "Well, you know... everyone who uses magic has a font of magical energy each day that they use to cast their spells and when they run out of that energy they can't cast spells anymore... EXCEPT in this one spell's case where if you cast it first thing in the morning really powerful-like on a rat, and then kill the rat, and then wait an hour after the fact as though you had just ate a sandwich but wanted to go swimming... you get your energy back as though you had never cast the spell in the first place." "Hey, does that work on any other spells I have?" "Uh... maybe? One or two?" "Why not the rest?" "Um... because... they don't." "Yeah, buy why? Why can't I do it with any of my spells?" "Because... you see... only a couple of these spells have specific target, duration, and ability to be more powerful, and only this one particular TYPE of spellcaster amongst all the others can manipulate the magic in such a way that you can do it." "Why can't other spellcasters do it too then?" "Because I've decided that's not how they work. Only warlocks can do it." "Why do only warlocks get to sit on their hands for an hour after getting up in the morning and get to have all their magical energy *and* a spell active all day? Why are they so special?" "Because... that's... that's just how I've decided warlocks are... allowed to work... in... my world." "But not for ALL warlock spells? Only for these couple?" "Yes." "Any particular reason just these couple?" "Um... uh... well, [I]story-wise[/I] it's because..." And END SCENE. Therein lies the rub. Without game mechanics to fall back on as an "explanation", there is absolutely no logical reason a DM would ever design their world's magical physics in this way that didn't sound absolutely ridiculous. And if it weren't for game mechanics to back them up, no DM would ever justify why their world worked in that way. Because taken purely from a narrative, in-world perspective it's just dumb. A couple spells from only one type of spellcaster class gets to break the laws of magical physics in this world for absolutely no narrative reason. And the characters in this world only know this kind of thing *is* possible merely because the players know the game mechanics that are allowing this to happen. There's no story reason for why these spells get to break the DM's magic physics. The DM wouldn't have even thought of doing it this way if they were designing their world without game rules behind it. It's [I]only[/I] the game rules that clue the DM and the players in to the idea that the physics of the world can be broken. So with that being the case... then just accept it. Own it. You are all breaking the logical manifestation of magical physics in this world for no other reason that the game rules allow you to do so. Which is fine! If that's how you want to play, then go for it! Your game, your world! Enjoy it! But don't then bother coming come here on the boards trying to justify it to the rest of us. As though you're looking for absolution. Because if you feel as though you need other people to agree with you on how you're playing... then that right there tells us you're feeling a little guilty for playing it that way. And that is an even bigger indication that you know deep down as well as the rest of us that what you're doing isn't how you think the game is really meant to be played. [/QUOTE]
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