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General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Ability Checks - Should they be errata'd?
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<blockquote data-quote="Skyscraper" data-source="post: 4497032" data-attributes="member: 48518"><p>4E does not explain every rule down to its simplest details like 3E used to do. 4E assumes that players and DMs use their imagination to fill in the gaps. It is a system that trusts its players.</p><p></p><p>How does a weak (i.e. low STR) wizard break down a door? Well, wizard-player, *you* tell me how you do it. Explain how those 20 levels of yours in wizardry allow you to channel your power to break down the door. Nothing is written in the books. No rule is explicitly stated anywhere. It is up to you to come up with an explanation. That is what RPG is all about, IMO. (Plenty of examples were provided in this thread.)</p><p></p><p>In a similar vein, there is the non-lethal damage rule that allows PCs to deal non-lethal damage whenever they want, to knock out opponents instead of killing them. In a game i'm DMing right now, there came the question from the wizard player:</p><p></p><p>- How can i use my magic to deal non-lethal damage from a distance to the opponent? I have magic missiles and the like offensive spells only.</p><p></p><p>- Well, i answered, *you* tell me how your magic is used to deal non-lethal damage. Imagine the answer and tell us. For an archer, might it be that he has a few blunt arrows in his quiver? Well, the wizard might be able to weave his spells differently too... What does *your* magic missle do when you want to knock someone out?</p><p></p><p>- Oh, i see, we have that kind of freedom... Cool...</p><p></p><p>I hear a lot of would-be anti-4E comments (and i'm not a blind defender of the system) from players that ask "well, how's that possible?"; when the answer is that it is not for the DM to find and give that answer, and that is the gist of it: the player needs to imagine (yes!) how it works to fit the rule. Storytelling is for everyone now.</p><p></p><p>Sky</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Skyscraper, post: 4497032, member: 48518"] 4E does not explain every rule down to its simplest details like 3E used to do. 4E assumes that players and DMs use their imagination to fill in the gaps. It is a system that trusts its players. How does a weak (i.e. low STR) wizard break down a door? Well, wizard-player, *you* tell me how you do it. Explain how those 20 levels of yours in wizardry allow you to channel your power to break down the door. Nothing is written in the books. No rule is explicitly stated anywhere. It is up to you to come up with an explanation. That is what RPG is all about, IMO. (Plenty of examples were provided in this thread.) In a similar vein, there is the non-lethal damage rule that allows PCs to deal non-lethal damage whenever they want, to knock out opponents instead of killing them. In a game i'm DMing right now, there came the question from the wizard player: - How can i use my magic to deal non-lethal damage from a distance to the opponent? I have magic missiles and the like offensive spells only. - Well, i answered, *you* tell me how your magic is used to deal non-lethal damage. Imagine the answer and tell us. For an archer, might it be that he has a few blunt arrows in his quiver? Well, the wizard might be able to weave his spells differently too... What does *your* magic missle do when you want to knock someone out? - Oh, i see, we have that kind of freedom... Cool... I hear a lot of would-be anti-4E comments (and i'm not a blind defender of the system) from players that ask "well, how's that possible?"; when the answer is that it is not for the DM to find and give that answer, and that is the gist of it: the player needs to imagine (yes!) how it works to fit the rule. Storytelling is for everyone now. Sky [/QUOTE]
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