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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arbiter of Wyrms" data-source="post: 3442083" data-attributes="member: 18021">D&D fantasy or RPG fantasy is terrific, but it works for games in a way that it cannot for a narrative like a novel or movie.  I would argue that an ensemble is harder to identify with and follow than a single chief protagonist or pair thereof.   Fire-and-forget spells seem clumsy in a narrative, but game mechanics in general should probably never intrude on the readers' (or viewers') experience, even if the author does keep them in mind.  The sudden acquisition of heretofore unknown powers seems jarring in an ongoing narrative, but for a game, that's levelling up - a big part of the game experience.  New feats, skills, spells, etc.Worse though, are the things that are hand-waved for a game that cannot be for a novel: The milieu of classical/pulp/wuxia/swords-and-sorcery punk/ reconstruction era anachronism that enriches a game is just muddied and confusing in most narratives.  Worse is the "town is where we buy stuff before we go back to the dungeon" trope that feeds a hack-and-slash game so nicely, but leaves a novel on the bookshelf.The theme is unimportant - the characters' main goal is "to get stronger."  Good and Bad stuff happens depending on the roll of the dice and on strategy, but never on ethical outlook.  "Good guy" means somebody on our side, while "Bad guy means monster or NPC without a name.Characters are each of a distinct skill set, often of a distinct (and frequently antagonist) race, of relatively equal importance (each thinks he is the star), and disposable (One character dies, the story goes on.)  Worse yet, characters sometimes disappear mid-narrative, to be inexplicably replaced by other, more exotic, yet less believable characters.  (We busted our butts for three months fighting, infiltrating, and negotiating our way past numerous challenges to get to the fourth level of this dungeon.  How is it that Regdar just decided to go back home when his mom called?  And how is it that Gimble just popped in here by himself, in perfect health and without preamble?  He doesn't seem like much of a combatant.  For that matter, why does Devis seem to be so miffed at Gimble's arrival?  You'd think he'd be happy to see a fellow musician.)Finally, what's already been touched upon, the relentless physical action of an RPG.  Adventurers are beset by lycanthropes, abberations, undead, bandits, wizards, law enforcement and the crown everywhere they go.  At some point, verisimilitude is stretched too far. "How much bad stuff can really happen to one group?" the reader asks.I've seen movies that felt like a game log - "ohh! that's a failed reflex save!"  and I felt like I could follow every die roll, but they are generally disatisfying.</blockquote>

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