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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bill Zebub" data-source="post: 9542585" data-attributes="member: 7031982">Just got back from getting a much-needed haircut.  Here is what I was thinking about:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Having just leveled up, you get to choose a new spell.  Do you take "Fireball" or "Lightning Bolt".  You choose lightning bolt...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Then the NPC offers to pay you to go recover an artifact from a dungeon.  Do you accept or reject?  You accept...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You get the dungeon entrance on a dreary, raingy day, and find a menacing-appearing maw in the ground, and out of the darkness emanates a putrid smell.  Do you dare venture forth?  You go forward...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The passage ends at a T.  Do you go left or right?  You choose left...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You emerge into a cave with foul orcs, including a fearsome chieftan who hefts his mighty axe and roars ferociously at you!  Do you fight or run?  You fight...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The battle is going poorly, and most of you are wounded and near death.  Do you fight on, or try to flee?  You fight on...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Miraculously, you turn the tide.  The chieftain grovels on the ground, his followers slaughtered, and begs for mercy.  Eyes glinting, he tells you of a fabulous Horde, and he will share the location if you let him live.  Do you believe him, or assume he's lying?  You...</li> </ul>"...believe him," interjects the GM, looking at the 19 on the d20.Why?  Why of all the decisions you make, many of which have a significant impact on the story, does this one suddenly require a dice roll to determine?  Why aren't you rolling on ALL of those decisions?  All of the arguments I've been reading in this thread in favor of mechanics...about symmetry, consistency, verisimilitude, surprise, roleplaying, the dangers of letting players always make the most optimal choice, etc....could all apply to every one of those decisions.  So why only some (or one) of them?Unless EVERY decision will be a dice roll, I can't think of a consistent and predictable (in the sense that players know what to expect) way to play the game other than:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Players decide what actions they take</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">GMs determine the effect of those actions, which at their discretion may require somebody to roll dice.</li> </ol>Exceptions to #1 need to be clearly encoded in the game (such as spells, psionics, monster abilities, etc.)</blockquote>

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