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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sheadunne" data-source="post: 6152649" data-attributes="member: 27570">Let's remember that there's a difference between narrative and story. Narrative is used to describe the scene (there are three orcs in the room) and story is what happens during (a battle ensues, dice are rolled, story emerges). Martial characters can interact with the story but they don't have the capacity to change or even shape the narrative (they cannot say that the orc are really chickens and the room is really a giant pit), only the story that emerges (they can choose what actions to take to fight the orcs, talk to them, etc). Casters have the ability to change and shape the narrative (those orcs really are chickens) as well as interact with the story (burn, lightening, ray beams). It's perfectly fine to want to limit narrative capacity to the DM and casters, D&D has traditionally done this, although I'm not sure it was done intentionally. For those who want balance, it's not between story abilities it's between narrative control abilities. These abilities do not have to do the same things, but what's wrong with the fighter saying, the orcs charge me because I'm wearing shiny armor and look threatening (narrative), and when they get into range I attack them (story)?Another way to look at it is, narrative does not require dice rolls. It is a description. A fact if you will. The narrative can be determined randomly (wandering monsters for instance) but it's rare that the entire narrative will be determine randomly (the size of the room, the location, the creatures, the traps, etc). And from a player point of view, it doesn't matter. The narrative has been described by the DM and it's time to start making stories (unless you're a caster, then you have some resources to change that narrative if you don't like it). Story is the result of dice rolls (rules) that interact with the narrative. Does the brave sir walter hit the orc? Does he survive the stab to the chest? Does the rogue manage to steal the gem or sneak past the ogre? All players can interact with the narrative to create the story, regardless of character abilities. Anyway, carry onward.</blockquote>

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