D&D General How Often Should a PC Die in D&D 5e?

[dave2008]

My perspective is that we take what happens in our lives (in game or out) and make a story out of it, after it happens. We don't go in deciding we're in a story. It is emergent after events, not before.

Don't worry... I get it and agree.

I agree with both perspectives actually. It is not like one is wrong and one is correct. They are just different ways of looking at the same exact thing. Neither perspective changes reality, it is just how you look at it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I agree with both perspectives actually. It is not like one is wrong and one is correct. They are just different ways of looking at the same exact thing. Neither perspective changes reality, it is just how you look at it.

It doesn't change what's happening, but IMO it does change how and more importantly why you play. I don't go into any action as a player or DM thinking about story. I imagine that affects whether or not I take certain actions.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Right. Our lives do form a story, but we usually do not make decisions in our lives based on what would be narratively most appropriate.

 

[dave2008]

It doesn't change what's happening, but IMO it does change how and more importantly why you play. I don't go into any action as a player or DM thinking about story. I imagine that affects whether or not I take certain actions.

Maybe, but does why you play affect how you play? Isn't how someone plays your bigger concern?

I think why you play may or may not affect how you play and how you feel about a game. I don't think it is 1-1.

 

[dave2008]

Right. Our lives do form a story, but we usually do not make decisions in our lives based on what would be narratively most appropriate.

Is there a lot of difference between "narratively most appropriate" and simply "most appropriate." I mean, all evidence shows that humans often to not make decisions that are rationally in their best interest. So we don't really even reliably do the most appropriate things. I think the distinction, if any, really only becomes apparent after the fact.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Maybe, but does why you play affect how you play? Isn't how someone plays your bigger concern?

I think why you play may or may not affect how you play and how you feel about a game. I don't think it is 1-1.

I suppose you're right. Feel free to reverse my emphasis.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Is there a lot of difference between "narratively most appropriate" and simply "most appropriate." I mean, all evidence shows that humans often to not make decisions that are rationally in their best interest. So we don't really even reliable to the most appropriate things. I think the distinction, if any, really only becomes apparent after the fact.

Just like a story doesn't exist until after the fact.

 

[dave2008]

Just like a story doesn't exist until after the fact.

From one point of view. Another is that the story always exists. The only question is when, where, and who discusses, writes, tells, or remembers it. The story is "reality" how we tell is just a particular description of that reality. The story still exists even if it is not told and even beyond the telling actually.

 

[Micah Sweet]

From one point of view. Another is that the story always exists. The only question is when, where, and who discusses, writes, tells, or remembers it. The story is "reality" how we tell is just a particular description of that reality. The story still exists even if it is not told and even beyond the telling actually.

From my point of view the story only exists once you start telling it as a story, which can only happen once events have occurred. Until then it is, as Bart Simpson said, "just a bunch of stuff that happened".

 

[soviet]

Right. Our lives do form a story, but we usually do not make decisions in our lives based on what would be narratively most appropriate.

I think lots of people actually do do this