Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
NoSo, most of the time.
NoSo, most of the time.
Random encounters are always integrated into the narrative.
These are not integrated into the narrative. They're metagame justifications.Sometimes, it is to show them that getting a break while assaulting a base/lair is not really a good idea.
Sometimes, it is to remember them that the world does live and that things happens outside of the PCs' influence.
Sometimes, it is to put some pressure on the PC to go forward.
Sometimes, it is just to inspire my self to push the story forward into new territory.
They are if the narrative is emergent from the gameplay.These are not integrated into the narrative.
These are not integrated into the narrative. They're metagame justifications.
Unless the narrative includes the DM as a character unto themselves.
As a writer, I know that I never throw in or at the very least don't keep in a scene that exists solely to motivate me.Do you not believe that writers have meta-narrative justifications for events in a story? Like do you believe that writers never know what purpose a story event serves in the story when write it? Is it somehow proof that they are not events integrated into the narrative that the author knows what purpose he wants the events to serve within the narrative.
Some would in fact say that the author is always in the story. In a trad RPG the DM exists as the narrator of the narrative. Whether or not the narrator is actually a character is an interesting discussion, but if the narrator is, then it's not a character in the sense the term is usually meant within a trad RPG. We could get into some wonderful 'Stanley Parable' like commentary on how much freedom a protagonist that is making their own choices in someone else's narrative actually has, but I think the part where that analogy fails is that in a trad RPG the DM can do what a computer program can't do (yet) and actually script out new content in response to the players truly leaving the planned for paths.
There are no pointless combats in my view.
It's another thing that happens in the emergent story. To the extent the goals of play are to have fun and create an exciting, memorable story together during play, combat is part of that goal when it occurs.What about combat, specifically, means it cannot ever be pointless?