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<blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 8698602" data-attributes="member: 16814">In form, not at all different.&nbsp; In how it works, there are some pretty big differences.&nbsp; In Trad games, even if a player confidently states the action for their PC, it's still a question to the GM because the GM has to, in effect, &quot;ratify&quot; the action declaration.&nbsp; And this makes sense because the GM is the arbiter of both the open and secret situation and setting information.&nbsp; It's entirely proper for a GM in a Trad game to block an action because of something the player doesn't know yet.A very simple example of this is a door.&nbsp; The player announces their PC opens the door.&nbsp; In a Trad game, the GM has a note that says the door is locked, but this hasn't been openly established yet.&nbsp; However, it's fully proper for the GM to then just announce that the action fails and reveal that the door is locked, thus blocking the action by the PC.&nbsp; Totes normal here.&nbsp; But, in a PbtA game, the GM can't use such a note because it's information not yet established in play.&nbsp; The GM's option here is effectively say yes to the action or challenge it with a roll, and they should only ever challenge it if there's some stakes around the action (shouldn't frame it unless there's stakes, for that matter, but this is a toy example).&nbsp; The GM cannot block the action with unrevealed information -- they MUST go to the mechanics or just say yes.The above assumes everyone's following the principles of play, of course.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ovinomancer, post: 8698602, member: 16814"] In form, not at all different. In how it works, there are some pretty big differences. In Trad games, even if a player confidently states the action for their PC, it's still a question to the GM because the GM has to, in effect, "ratify" the action declaration. And this makes sense because the GM is the arbiter of both the open and secret situation and setting information. It's entirely proper for a GM in a Trad game to block an action because of something the player doesn't know yet. A very simple example of this is a door. The player announces their PC opens the door. In a Trad game, the GM has a note that says the door is locked, but this hasn't been openly established yet. However, it's fully proper for the GM to then just announce that the action fails and reveal that the door is locked, thus blocking the action by the PC. Totes normal here. But, in a PbtA game, the GM can't use such a note because it's information not yet established in play. The GM's option here is effectively say yes to the action or challenge it with a roll, and they should only ever challenge it if there's some stakes around the action (shouldn't frame it unless there's stakes, for that matter, but this is a toy example). The GM cannot block the action with unrevealed information -- they MUST go to the mechanics or just say yes. The above assumes everyone's following the principles of play, of course. [/QUOTE]

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