D&D General 1s and 20s: D&D's Narrative Mechanics

[Umbran]

The discussion of Daggerheart and Hope and Fear got me thinking: D&D sort of has a unofficial "narrative mechanic" in the way that many tables deal with 1 and 20 results on the d20 when rolling for checks. ...

And yet, many, many D&D players are uncomfortable with "narrative mechanics." It seems strange when I think of it that way.

What do you think? Are 1s and 20s unofficial "narrative mechanics" in D&D (especially 5e)? Do you give those results extra weight (beyond critical hits in combat)? How does it square with how you perceive games with explicit "narrative mechanics"?

I think a good broad description (if not definition) of a "narrative mechanic" is a mechanic in which someone at the table gets to choose how to more directly influence the narrative when they wouldn't otherwise do so.

I don't really think typical critical successes and failures in D&D are particularly good examples of narrative mechanics. For one thing they typically put that narrative control on the GM, who would typically be the one narrating the result of a d20 roll anyway. For another, for much of D&D's history, folks have been ensconcing the results of critical success and failures to tables or simple rules, such that the GM isn't actually choosing the result.

 

[Reynard]

I think a good broad description (if not definition) of a "narrative mechanic" is a mechanic in which someone at the table gets to choose how to more directly influence the narrative when they wouldn't otherwise do so.

I don't really think typical critical successes and failures in D&D are particularly good examples of narrative mechanics. For one thing they typically put that narrative control on the GM, who would typically be the one narrating the result of a d20 roll anyway. For another, for much of D&D's history, folks have been ensconcing the results of critical success and failures to tables or simple rules, such that the GM isn't actually choosing the result.

It is pretty common for current players in 5E games to roll that Nat20 and suggest (or request) a bigger than usual success. I think that still qualifies as "narrative" in this context.

 

[payn]

It is pretty common for current players in 5E games to roll that Nat20 and suggest (or request) a bigger than usual success. I think that still qualifies as "narrative" in this context.

Enough to be unofficial or common houserule anyways. I think the next sticking point is who takes the narrative initiative? In trad its the GM and I dont think a lot of folks would consider it a narrative mechanic at that point, but just a GM trigger like anything else. If a player though gets to step in and take narrative initiative its probably closer to what folks tend to consider narrative mechanics.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It is pretty common for current players in 5E games to roll that Nat20 and suggest (or request) a bigger than usual success. I think that still qualifies as "narrative" in this context.

How do you know that's all that common? Are you just talking about Critical Role's "How do you want to do this"? I've almost never had a player suggest a narrative level of success greater than the rules allow.

 

[Reynard]

Enough to be unofficial or common houserule anyways. I think the next sticking point is who takes the narrative initiative? In trad its the GM and I dont think a lot of folks would consider it a narrative mechanic at that point, but just a GM trigger like anything else. If a player though gets to step in and take narrative initiative its probably closer to what folks tend to consider narrative mechanics.

That raises an interesting question: can something be a "narrative mechanic" if it only applies to the GM.

For example, imagine if in Fate the GM was the only one allowed to define Aspects (but players could still Creat An Advantage). Would that still qualify as a narrative mechanic? What if "creat an Advantage" wasn't a choice the players could make but was something that just happened at a certain success level/result?

 

[Emerikol]

I think a good broad description (if not definition) of a "narrative mechanic" is a mechanic in which someone at the table gets to choose how to more directly influence the narrative when they wouldn't otherwise do so.

I think a good broad description (if not definition) of a "narrative mechanic" is a mechanic in which someone at the table gets to choose how to more directly influence the narrative when they wouldn't couldn't otherwise do so when acting as their character.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think a good broad description (if not definition) of a "narrative mechanic" is a mechanic in which someone at the table gets to choose how to more directly influence the narrative when they wouldn't couldn't otherwise do so when acting as their character.

Works for me. Fits well with what I mean when I say, "I don't like narrative mechanics". I would also consider any game rule explicitly designed to make an action or a situation in play more dramatic or more in keeping with story beats as they are generally understood to be a narrative mechanic.

 

[Umbran]

I think a good broad description (if not definition) of a "narrative mechanic" is a mechanic in which someone at the table gets to choose how to more directly influence the narrative when they wouldn't couldn't otherwise do so when acting as their character.

While perhaps there's call for some wordsmithing for their cases, there are narrative mechanics for GMs as well.

 

[Umbran]

It is pretty common for current players in 5E games to roll that Nat20 and suggest (or request) a bigger than usual success. I think that still qualifies as "narrative" in this context.

It might be, but players informally requesting things doesn't really qualify as a game mechanic, in my book.

 

[Reynard]

It might be, but players informally requesting things doesn't really qualify as a game mechanic, in my book.

It becomes one if the group accepts that as a regular thing, in which case it is a house rule (but house rules are still mechanics).