D&D General DM's: How transparent are you with game mechanics "in world?"

[Snarf Zagyg]

But once more, D&D's aim is not to be realistic. The aim it so simulate the genre books and movies, in which the only dangers about lava is falling in, otherwise it's mostly scenic and provides good lighting.

Lava? HA!

If you were alive in the 70s and 80s, you had an abiding fear of QUICKSAND.

That's right- it's everywhere, just waiting to get ya.

 

[Maxperson]

1. No, because of Magic
2. Magic
3. No, because of Magic
4. Magic.
5. Magical

Real world flowing lava would cook anything coming within a few meters anyway, you wouldn't even have time to suffocate.

But once more, D&D's aim is not to be realistic. The aim it so simulate the genre books and movies, in which the only dangers about lava is falling in, otherwise it's mostly scenic and provides good lighting.

The thing is, if my PC detects magic he's not going to detect any magic, because there's no actual magic involved. There are only lava gnomes

Yes, it's not realistic, but magic isn't the answer. There are just some things we have to accept about D&D that aren't realistic, but work for the stories.

 

[Oofta]

Lava? HA!

If you were alive in the 70s and 80s, you had an abiding fear of QUICKSAND.

That's right- it's everywhere, just waiting to get ya.

In all fairness, quicksand has a long tradition going back to the 50s in westerns and Tarzan movies that I watched on late night TV.

Probably why I had Quicksand monsters back in the day.

 

[abirdcall]

So, in other words, a wizard did it.

What level Wizard and why can't my Wizard learn the magic lava flow spell?

The DM is cheating!

 

[Lyxen]

The thing is, if my PC detects magic he's not going to detect any magic, because there's no actual magic involved. There are only lava gnomes

Or, as the SAC says: "But our game makes a distinction between two types of magic: the background magic that is part of the D&D multiverse’s physics and the physiology of many D&D creatures. [...]
In D&D, the first type of magic is part of nature. It is no more dispellable than the wind. A monster like a dragon exists because of that magic-enhanced nature."

Yes, it's not realistic, but magic isn't the answer. There are just some things we have to accept about D&D that aren't realistic, but work for the stories.

You can do it that way if you prefer, but the "magical" explanation works well and it's the official answer.

 

[Maxperson]

Or, as the SAC says: "But our game makes a distinction between two types of magic: the background magic that is part of the D&D multiverse’s physics and the physiology of many D&D creatures. [...]
In D&D, the first type of magic is part of nature. It is no more dispellable than the wind. A monster like a dragon exists because of that magic-enhanced nature."



You can do it that way if you prefer, but the "magical" explanation works well and it's the official answer.

Background magic existing does not mean that lava is explained by it. Can you show something that basically says, "Everything that seems unnatural to the real world, but is natural in D&D is explained by background magic."? It seems like you are taking something that was said and choosing to use it to explain things like lava for your game, and then calling it an official answer.

Edit: That portion of the compendium is explicitly talking about creature abilities like dragon breath that seem magical, but aren't using the keywords that would detect as magic to the spell. There's nothing about lava that seems magical and would fall into that ruling on DRAGON BREATH.

 

[Lyxen]

Background magic existing does not mean that lava is explained by it. Can you show something that basically says, "Everything that seems unnatural to the real world, but is natural in D&D is explained by background magic."? It seems like you are taking something that was said and choosing to use it to explain things like lava for your game, and then calling it an official answer.

Edit: That portion of the compendium is explicitly talking about creature abilities like dragon breath that seem magical, but aren't using the keywords that would detect as magic to the spell.

It does, but the reason for quoting it in its entirety is that it explains that, independently of creatures, there is background magic that is part of the D&D multiverse's physics, so basically, if you are in doubt as to how your multiverse physics work contrary to our world's physics (i.e. lava not cooking you from 10 meters away, not emitting poisonous gases and not cooling really quickly), you have the official answer to that, should you choose to use it. You don't have to, as usual you can make any ruling and explanation that you like, but there is background magic which is part of nature and of the D&D multiverse's physics.

 

[Maxperson]

It does, but the reason for quoting it in its entirety is that it explains that, independently of creatures, there is background magic that is part of the D&D multiverse's physics, so basically, if you are in doubt as to how your multiverse physics work contrary to our world's physics (i.e. lava not cooking you from 10 meters away, not emitting poisonous gases and not cooling really quickly), you have the official answer to that, should you choose to use it. You don't have to, as usual you can make any ruling and explanation that you like, but there is background magic which is part of nature and of the D&D multiverse's physics.

It's explicitly talking about things that seem magical, like dragon breath, the banshee wail and other "magical" effects that don't meet the listed criteria. You are extending it to lava when that ruling isn't intended for that. It's fine if you want to run your game that way, but it's not an official answer to lava.

 

[Maxperson]

This is what it says about the two types of magic.

• the background magic that is part of the D&D multiverse’s physics and the physiology of many D&D creatures
• the concentrated magical energy that is contained in a magic item or channeled to create a spell or other focused magical effect

If you are extending it to anything beyond a creature, you are homebrewing that answer to fit your world. That piece of advice is ONLY for creatures.

 

[Lyxen]

This is what it says about the two types of magic.

• the background magic that is part of the D&D multiverse’s physics and the physiology of many D&D creatures
• the concentrated magical energy that is contained in a magic item or channeled to create a spell or other focused magical effect

If you are extending it to anything beyond a creature, you are homebrewing that answer to fit your world. That piece of advice is ONLY for creatures.

No, please read the first bullet point above, there are two parts, before and after the "and". Yes, it's part of the physiology of many D&D creatures, but it is ALSO part of the D&D multiverse's physics.

It would also be **** to pretend that "background magic" is background only to creatures.