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Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
How Does "The Rules Aren't Physics" Fix Anything?
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<blockquote data-quote="Majoru Oakheart" data-source="post: 4157825" data-attributes="member: 5143"><p>True or possibly false. It might just be that one character in particular has the power to take people with him while others don't. It might be that this particular power can take people with him but other teleports can't.</p><p></p><p>But, the idea is that not ALL rules are the physics of the world. And you shouldn't necessarily assume that since it works for you that it'll work for everyone. Some rules certainly might align themselves with the physics of the world. Others may not.</p><p></p><p>A rough example is: Say it is a DC 15 jump check to jump 15 feet according to the rules. It works that way every time the PCs try it. Jump checks are strength based and you roll a d20 plus your strength modifier. Which means any NPC with a strength of 14 should be able to make that roll 40% of the time.</p><p></p><p>Now, say you think 15 feet is an awfully far distance to jump and think that non-heroic types should never be able to jump that far unless they are special somehow. So, you make the physics of the world such that jumping 15 feet can only be done by NPCs you think could make it. Everyone else fails. Those you think can make it almost always succeed unless there is a reason for them to fail.</p><p></p><p>So, you have a set of rules that let you determine if the PCs can do something. And then you have a set of physics. One disagrees with the other, but it doesn't matter because the physics of the world don't apply to the PCs, the rules do instead.</p><p></p><p>They can base consistent decisions based on the rules and what is possible FOR them.</p><p></p><p>For instance, maybe not all Eladrin have the ability to teleport but PC Eladrin do. The physics of the world don't say "All Eladrin have this power", the rules of the game do.</p><p></p><p>They never think that because they don't have that information. They don't know what is dramatic and what isn't. They don't know how hazardous something is by the game rules. If the player rolls a 1 on a Jump skill roll for a total of 5 on the roll and the DM says "You make it the 20 feet to the other side, just barely, you have to grab on to the ledge on the other side an pull yourself up. You breathe a sigh of relief as you were THAT close to falling to your death" your character isn't thinking "I'm glad that was dramatic and the DM wanted me to get to the other side so I succeeded. I wasn't worried because that's the way things ALWAYS work for me." He is instead thinking "I'm glad I didn't die, but I could have."</p><p></p><p>Thinking that they always seem to succeed anyways is what is called metagaming. Knowing that you are slightly above normal people and seems to succeed where an average peasant couldn't is normal for them however.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Majoru Oakheart, post: 4157825, member: 5143"] True or possibly false. It might just be that one character in particular has the power to take people with him while others don't. It might be that this particular power can take people with him but other teleports can't. But, the idea is that not ALL rules are the physics of the world. And you shouldn't necessarily assume that since it works for you that it'll work for everyone. Some rules certainly might align themselves with the physics of the world. Others may not. A rough example is: Say it is a DC 15 jump check to jump 15 feet according to the rules. It works that way every time the PCs try it. Jump checks are strength based and you roll a d20 plus your strength modifier. Which means any NPC with a strength of 14 should be able to make that roll 40% of the time. Now, say you think 15 feet is an awfully far distance to jump and think that non-heroic types should never be able to jump that far unless they are special somehow. So, you make the physics of the world such that jumping 15 feet can only be done by NPCs you think could make it. Everyone else fails. Those you think can make it almost always succeed unless there is a reason for them to fail. So, you have a set of rules that let you determine if the PCs can do something. And then you have a set of physics. One disagrees with the other, but it doesn't matter because the physics of the world don't apply to the PCs, the rules do instead. They can base consistent decisions based on the rules and what is possible FOR them. For instance, maybe not all Eladrin have the ability to teleport but PC Eladrin do. The physics of the world don't say "All Eladrin have this power", the rules of the game do. They never think that because they don't have that information. They don't know what is dramatic and what isn't. They don't know how hazardous something is by the game rules. If the player rolls a 1 on a Jump skill roll for a total of 5 on the roll and the DM says "You make it the 20 feet to the other side, just barely, you have to grab on to the ledge on the other side an pull yourself up. You breathe a sigh of relief as you were THAT close to falling to your death" your character isn't thinking "I'm glad that was dramatic and the DM wanted me to get to the other side so I succeeded. I wasn't worried because that's the way things ALWAYS work for me." He is instead thinking "I'm glad I didn't die, but I could have." Thinking that they always seem to succeed anyways is what is called metagaming. Knowing that you are slightly above normal people and seems to succeed where an average peasant couldn't is normal for them however. [/QUOTE]
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How Does "The Rules Aren't Physics" Fix Anything?
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