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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sheadunne" data-source="post: 6148943" data-attributes="member: 27570">Here's the issue as I see it. Casters (not just wizards) have tools (spells for the most part) that allows the caster to change the narrative of the game without GM consent. They have the ability to take control of the narrative. Martials (not just fighters) do not have tools that allow them to change or take control of the narrative of the game. What traditionally happens in D&D games is that the DM spends a great deal of time preventing the wizard from altering the narrative either through changing spells or putting up barriers to success (negative reinforcement or counter measures).What I would like to see is the reverse of that. An acceptance in D&D of player control of the narrative (which some DMs do anyway) and allow martial characters tools to take control of the narrative. What this requires is that DMs accept that the game is about the players and not their own narrative. This is not traditionally the D&D experience (although plenty of DMs play that way). It is also requires that martial characters gain tool necessarily to take control of the narrative. This is not something that is limited to combat, although I think it might be a good place to start, since it is traditionally the arena of martial characters.I find that many games attempt to deal with this through the use of plot points, hero points, action points, etc, that allow the player to override a narrative that has unfolded, but these do not attempt to provide martial specific tools in the same manner that casters have the tools. Let's ignore the fighter for a moment and look at the paladin, a traditional leader of men and defender of the faith. What if the paladin had a class ability that allowed them to call forth X number of followers in a settlement. Orcs are attacking the village, the paladin turns to the people of the town and shouts, follow me, and X number of townsfolk grab their spears and off they go. The paladin has inspired the people of the village to follow her. I think that traditionally this would be a "role playing" segment of the game that would be completely at the mercy of the DM's narrative. But what if it worked like a wizard spell (summon monster for instance), in that there may be a saving throw but other than that, the DM doesn't get to object. The paladin has used a class ability to override the narrative and summon forth his followers to fight the big evil. Anyway, there are probably many more "mundane" things we can consider when thinking about narrative control for martial characters. But first and foremost, the DM has to want the players to have that level of martial control, otherwise they will simply use negative reinforcement and counter measures in the same way they do with caster abilities. That's my take, although not as elegantly written as I would have liked.Cheers.</blockquote>

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