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<blockquote data-quote="jdrakeh" data-source="post: 3222126" data-attributes="member: 13892"><p>If you're only referring to the three core rule books, yes -- as a comprehensive system that is the sum of its parts, no. </p><p></p><p>Even most dungeon crawls still have a defined beginning, middle, and end -- in this, they qualify as a story arc (a very basic one). You might be more comfortable referring to story arcs as "adventures" -- in the context of D&D modules, they're largely the same thing.</p><p></p><p>Where the default D&D adventure model supports story structure of a very basic sort, the APs are all about plot, specifically plot of a very protracted nature which exists primarily to provide an impetus for character action. </p><p></p><p>So, no 'D&D' isn't neutral to story arcs. Most of the adventure modules <em>are</em> story arcs, with the PCs assumign the roles of protagonists. There are exceptions, of course, but even <em>The Tomb of Horrors</em> has a defined backstory, introduction, basic plot (find the sparkly whatzit), and climactic finale. </p><p></p><p>I think that these short, terse, story arcs are better suited to most D&D players -- they get right to what they're about and tend to resolve quickly enough that player interest doesn't have a chance to wane. I think that this is a problem with the 1-20 APs, if all of the posts about AP campaigns that get started but never finish are any indicator. I mean, heck, look at my WLD poll a month or so back!*</p><p></p><p>As to BW, I meant that its default style of play tends to emphasize scenarios of a much smaller scope than the typical D&D AP or even the typical D&D adventure module. The introductory BW scenario "The Sword" picks up where most D&D adventures leave off -- PCs are dividing up the loot from a quest and there is only one magical sword. . . who gets it?</p><p></p><p>The meat of the scenario is deciding (in-character, via actual game mechanics) who gets what, and who gets a big, fat, goose egg. You know, the stuff we usually decide out-of-character in D&D <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> **</p><p></p><p>[*Some forty or so people voted, IIRC. Out of those, only three or four had managed to stretch a WLD campaign past the first few sessions.]</p><p></p><p>[**The Sword, while it looks like great fun, isn't my idea of a full-blown adventure -- most of the other Burning Wheel stuff tends to fall into the "Expedition" range in terms of scope, and that's more of what I have an interest in. That new Ravenloft looks very, very, sexy.]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="jdrakeh, post: 3222126, member: 13892"] If you're only referring to the three core rule books, yes -- as a comprehensive system that is the sum of its parts, no. Even most dungeon crawls still have a defined beginning, middle, and end -- in this, they qualify as a story arc (a very basic one). You might be more comfortable referring to story arcs as "adventures" -- in the context of D&D modules, they're largely the same thing. Where the default D&D adventure model supports story structure of a very basic sort, the APs are all about plot, specifically plot of a very protracted nature which exists primarily to provide an impetus for character action. So, no 'D&D' isn't neutral to story arcs. Most of the adventure modules [i]are[/i] story arcs, with the PCs assumign the roles of protagonists. There are exceptions, of course, but even [i]The Tomb of Horrors[/i] has a defined backstory, introduction, basic plot (find the sparkly whatzit), and climactic finale. I think that these short, terse, story arcs are better suited to most D&D players -- they get right to what they're about and tend to resolve quickly enough that player interest doesn't have a chance to wane. I think that this is a problem with the 1-20 APs, if all of the posts about AP campaigns that get started but never finish are any indicator. I mean, heck, look at my WLD poll a month or so back!* As to BW, I meant that its default style of play tends to emphasize scenarios of a much smaller scope than the typical D&D AP or even the typical D&D adventure module. The introductory BW scenario "The Sword" picks up where most D&D adventures leave off -- PCs are dividing up the loot from a quest and there is only one magical sword. . . who gets it? The meat of the scenario is deciding (in-character, via actual game mechanics) who gets what, and who gets a big, fat, goose egg. You know, the stuff we usually decide out-of-character in D&D ;) ** [*Some forty or so people voted, IIRC. Out of those, only three or four had managed to stretch a WLD campaign past the first few sessions.] [**The Sword, while it looks like great fun, isn't my idea of a full-blown adventure -- most of the other Burning Wheel stuff tends to fall into the "Expedition" range in terms of scope, and that's more of what I have an interest in. That new Ravenloft looks very, very, sexy.] [/QUOTE]
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