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Message: <blockquote data-quote="N'raac" data-source="post: 6152975" data-attributes="member: 6681948">Primitive and limited though it was, alignment was an addition of personality to the game, moving PC's beyond simple pawns which take any action that seems most likely to achieve success to characters with personalities, strengths, weaknesses, flaws and foibles.  In other words, characters with character.I don't concur with that distinction.  Both actions are means of resolving the threat created by the orcs.  Kill them, graple them and tie them up, turn them into chickens, teleport them to the moon, negotiate/intimidate/bribe with them to allow safe passage, all are means of resolving the threat the orcs initially present."You see some orcs."  "OK - They are all wearing party hats and cheerfully invite us to share some birthday cake" would reframe the scene.  So would "OK - they are really Polymorphed  chickens, and they chicken-walk around the room clucking rather than drawing the weapons on their belts." reframes the scene.  "OK - I Hypnotize them into believing they are chickens, and they chicken-walk around the room clucking rather than drawing the weapons on their belts." or "OK - I Charm the Orcs so they cheerfully invite us to share their food" is back to scene resolution.  So is "OK - these Orcs must be too tough for us - I cast Teleport so we can escape."  The scene has not been reframed.  It has been resolved.  If this is scene refaming, then so is "Orcs! Slam the door, run like hell and don't stop until I'm back in my room in the Inn, shivering under the bed.  brrrr  ORCS!"I would say, rather, that this is action resolution as the PC has taken action to resolve the challenge presented by the Skrulls.  Was it resolved successfully?  Good question - the skrulls are free to kidnap the teleporter's girlfriend or terrify his frail old Aunt into a heart attack.  Or to activate their Acme Teleport Follower and reappear a few meters away from the PC's.  But the PC has attempted to resolve the Skrull encounter by escaping the skrulls through teleportation to another planet.So how is any threat on the new planet in MHRP determined?  There can only be a threat if the GM succeeds in a die roll, where the GM in D&D makes a decision on what, if anything, is happening in the Seven Heavens?  And the fact that there is a die roll, rather than a decision made by the GM based on his knowledge of the Seven Heavens (as they exist, and as matters are progressing, in his game setting) means the former is "action resolution" and the latter "scene reframing"?  Does the D&D activity change back if the Demons can plane shift as well, and follow the PC's even into the bastion of Lawful Goodness of the Seven Heavens?Yes, he did engage in the situation involving the orcs.  He Polymmorphed them into chickens.  I don't see the fighter charging in, attacking one orc, it drops, Great Cleave to attack the second, it drops, Great Cleave to attack the third, it drops.  The situation is no more explored.  The threatening situation wasn't one at all.The wizard doesn't get a "they're all polymorphed" token.  He must cast the spell (readied Orcs could attempt to disrupt the spell; "your spell component pouch is missing" [what?  a goblin pickpocket was out in the hallway?]; an Orc shaman could attempt a counterspell, Dispel Magic or Silence spell, etc.), the Orcs get a save to avoid being polymorphed which may or may not succeed (they didn't get a save againt being cut down by that Fighter, but the Wizard did not roll to hit).  And this ignores the fact that Baleful Polymorph is a one target spell.  If the Wizard can only change one Orc into a Chicken, does that Polymorph your Scene Reframing back to Action Resolution?I don't see the speed with which action resolution can take place changing it from action resolution to scene reframing.  In a long past game, I recall the low level PC's reaching the BBG's lair.  Initiative is rolled, one warrior rushes forward with his Two Handed Sword, rolls a natural 20 followed by maximum damage, BBG drops to the ground, killed with one blow.  That did not, in my mind, change "combat as action resolution" to "scene reframing".Emphasis added - this is a quick/simple resolution mechanic, not a reframing mechanic.I'm not sure what "early versions" you are referring to, as I don't remember a hp threshold for anything other than Power Word spells in 1e/2e, however I would classify such a threshold as a means of preventing the action resolution being inordinately and undramatically shortened, not changing the spell from action resolution to scene reframing.</blockquote>

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