Let's Talk About Character Resources To Power Abilities

[Micah Sweet]

Why change anything, we have DMs for a reason. Make the call, move on and getting the game rolling.

Precedent. One you make the call, it becomes a rule for that circumstance. Like science. For consistency you have to write it down.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I don't understand. If there's no rule that defines how Int 5 has to be presented, then how is there a disconnect between roleplaying and mechanics if somebody interprets it in a surprising way?

I get that in your opinion a 5 Int has a certain meaning, but that makes the disconnect between your expectations and the player's, not between the roleplaying and the rules.

In other words, maybe it just bugs you, and you don't want that at your table because it interferes with your conception of how things should be. That's fine. But I think you're interpreting your own opinion as objective, as something that's defined by the game.

I've never had a player decide to portray an ability score in a way that made no sense to me, so I don't know what to tell you. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a "surprising" interpretation in yours or anyone else's game, but in my game it has to make sense to me. I've had folks explain their reasoning to me in the past, as that's been fine so long as I can make setting logic out of whatever they're trying to do.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I've never had a player decide to portray an ability score in a way that made no sense to me, so I don't know what to tell you. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a "surprising" interpretation in yours or anyone else's game, but in my game it has to make sense to me. I've had folks explain their reasoning to me in the past, as that's been fine so long as I can make setting logic out of whatever they're trying to do.

Yeah, as long as you're acknowledging the subjective aspect, I don't have a beef with what you're saying.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah, as long as you're acknowledging the subjective aspect, I don't have a beef with what you're saying.

My claims are always subjective. If my rhetoric suggested otherwise, I apologize.