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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Desdichado" data-source="post: 5773375" data-attributes="member: 2205">Ah, but you're presuming that Vancian magic is something that readers of D&D novels want to see.  I'd say that in general, mechanics showing through the prose is a complaint that I've seen over and over again from reviewers (and have myself) while I've rarely (if ever) seen anyone say that they wish they could see more of the mechanics in the novels.In other words, it's only a problem if getting the details of how magic works is more important to you than having good prose in your D&D fiction.  Since I'd venture a guess that for most readers that's not true, it's not a failing at all.  In fact, it may be done purposefully and with full intent for all I know--although we'd have to ask some of the novel writers who occasionally hang out to comment to get a definitive answer, no doubt.In any case, I certainly don't see it as a failing, because having prose that is rigorous about demonstrating the magic system of D&D (which is likely always meant to have been an abstraction rather than anything else) in all it's gameplay mechanical wonkiness is something that I'd see as a detriment.  And frankly, D&D fiction has enough detriments going for it as it is--it doesn't need to be further handicapped by making writers know the rules of the game and make sure that their fiction adheres to it.I also think your examples of taking an adaptation of a novel into a movie and changing aspects of the plot are not comparable, to say the least.  And I haven't read any of those except Lord of the Rings anyway.</blockquote>

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