IceFractal
First Post
I think this may be a point that need clarification. For representing an externally generated story, these effects may be problematic. For inspiring a story, these effects are no more of a problem than anything else. Nobody is saying that 4E can't represent stories (at least I'm not) - the question is whether it can inspire them.
Let's take an example. One thing I've done for inspiration is to think about how the magic that exists would have an effect on the world. How people could benefit from it, try to understand it, and defend against it, using the most practical methods possible. For instance:
[sblock=Teleport and Scry]If you look at Teleport and Scry, those are some spells with a large effect on the world - an effect that the rich and powerful may want to defend themselves again. Now often, you see the defense against these basically handwaved or homebrewed. But looking at the spells in question, there's some relatively defenses with interesting results:
Scrying - The scryer can watch and listen, but not feel or read thoughts. So for those in the know, important deals are sometimes made by a tactile form of sign language - basically a secret handshake turned into a code, with the hands inside a box or covered by a cloth. For those powerful enough - a spell like Rary's Telepathic Bond can ensure private communication. And both these methods also work against mundane spies or invisible watchers as well.
Teleportation - A simple fact many people don't recall - Teleportation can't put you somewhere without a clear space. So what secret technique can be used to safeguard a vault from teleportation? Beads. Simple the same hanging strands that make up a beaded curtain, space all throughout the vault so that no space exists large enough for a thief to fit without touching one. Try to teleport in, and you get shunted outside, painfully.[/sblock]The end result? Flavor details, potential plot elements, and information for plots and schemes, all from a couple spells. If teleportation and scrying were by DM fiat, or so limited that they have little effect on the world at large, then there wouldn't have been any inspiration for that. Sure, I could make something up, decide that in my world people use silver coins inset into the walls to protect against arcane sight - but it wouldn't have the same resonance that these have. Flavor inspired by the rules lets you show, not tell - the players may notice these customs, wonder about them, forget about them, and then later, when they have these kind of spells, have a flash of surprise when they realize the underlying pattern. And it will actually be the players realizing it - not just you telling them "you realize that those coins must have been to prevent scrying".
