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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 6257841" data-attributes="member: 22779">I tried to get an answer to this question before, but, it got buried.&nbsp; So, I'll give it another shot.Can someone explain to me how DnD combat rules create a coherent narrative? I really don't see it.&nbsp; Using the mechanics of D&amp;D, how do you go from &quot;You roll a 15, you miss&quot; or You roll a 16, you hit&quot; to creating a coherent narrative of that combat that is based on the mechanics.Note, I have no problem in narrating combat.&nbsp; That's fine.&nbsp; But, the narrative, IMO, is always pretty much freeform.&nbsp; There is no real correlation between what's going on at the table and what the narrative created is.&nbsp; The only thing you get told is &quot;this round you are successful&quot; or &quot;this round you are unsuccessful&quot;.&nbsp; I guess &quot;this combat is finished&quot; also gets defined, sort of, but, not really how the fight is finished.In a simulationist game, the mechanics would certainly define the narrative.&nbsp; You get told not only that your attack was unsuccessful, but exactly why it was unsuccessful.&nbsp; Maybe the attack was blocked, or dodged, or it was a complete whiff.&nbsp; On a successful attack, you are told how successful that attack was and often specifically what that successful attack was - you hit his arm, you hit his torso, he now loses use of his arm, that sort of thing.The mechanics define the narrative.So, referencing the actual mechanics of the game, how do you use D&amp;D mechanics to create a coherent narrative of combat.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 6257841, member: 22779"] I tried to get an answer to this question before, but, it got buried. So, I'll give it another shot. Can someone explain to me how DnD combat rules create a coherent narrative? I really don't see it. Using the mechanics of D&D, how do you go from "You roll a 15, you miss" or You roll a 16, you hit" to creating a coherent narrative of that combat that is based on the mechanics. Note, I have no problem in narrating combat. That's fine. But, the narrative, IMO, is always pretty much freeform. There is no real correlation between what's going on at the table and what the narrative created is. The only thing you get told is "this round you are successful" or "this round you are unsuccessful". I guess "this combat is finished" also gets defined, sort of, but, not really how the fight is finished. In a simulationist game, the mechanics would certainly define the narrative. You get told not only that your attack was unsuccessful, but exactly why it was unsuccessful. Maybe the attack was blocked, or dodged, or it was a complete whiff. On a successful attack, you are told how successful that attack was and often specifically what that successful attack was - you hit his arm, you hit his torso, he now loses use of his arm, that sort of thing. The mechanics define the narrative. So, referencing the actual mechanics of the game, how do you use D&D mechanics to create a coherent narrative of combat. [/QUOTE]

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