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Players choose what their PCs do . . .
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<blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7643480" data-attributes="member: 6785785"><p>Right, most fiction, especially fantasy and sci fi and similar speculative fiction, will tend to fall apart the more you prod at it like that. It needs internal consistency in what is shown, as you say, but beyond that, it's probably best kept vague. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Yeah, the reason a goblin has lower stats than a dragon is due to their status in genre fiction and mythology. But, they're really more about how these creatures interact with the PCs because that's where the game is being played. If someone needs to know who would win between a goblin and a dragon, stats aren't needed. The GM should simply rely on genre to make the decision. </p><p></p><p>Stats are simply the middle man in this transaction, and there is no need for the middle man. </p><p></p><p>I think this relates to the discussion of minions because their designation as such is due to their relationship to the PCs. My experience with 4E is very limited, but minions were one of the things I really liked about the system because it was a mechanical expression of what we see all the time in genre fiction....the hordes of underlings. I don't think that the minion stats are meant to reflect the creature's overall place in the world, just how they compare to the PCs. </p><p></p><p>If the PCs are accompanied by some townsfolk they've rescued from the gnoll invasion, I don't think that the mechanics dictate that a townsfolk could take out a gnoll minion with one hit. That's just silly. </p><p></p><p>I really think that's how all stats are meant to be viewed, ultimately. They're there to help you establish the fiction, not to dictate the fiction. Obviously, opinions will vary, but that one always strikes me as a bit odd.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hawkeyefan, post: 7643480, member: 6785785"] Right, most fiction, especially fantasy and sci fi and similar speculative fiction, will tend to fall apart the more you prod at it like that. It needs internal consistency in what is shown, as you say, but beyond that, it's probably best kept vague. Yeah, the reason a goblin has lower stats than a dragon is due to their status in genre fiction and mythology. But, they're really more about how these creatures interact with the PCs because that's where the game is being played. If someone needs to know who would win between a goblin and a dragon, stats aren't needed. The GM should simply rely on genre to make the decision. Stats are simply the middle man in this transaction, and there is no need for the middle man. I think this relates to the discussion of minions because their designation as such is due to their relationship to the PCs. My experience with 4E is very limited, but minions were one of the things I really liked about the system because it was a mechanical expression of what we see all the time in genre fiction....the hordes of underlings. I don't think that the minion stats are meant to reflect the creature's overall place in the world, just how they compare to the PCs. If the PCs are accompanied by some townsfolk they've rescued from the gnoll invasion, I don't think that the mechanics dictate that a townsfolk could take out a gnoll minion with one hit. That's just silly. I really think that's how all stats are meant to be viewed, ultimately. They're there to help you establish the fiction, not to dictate the fiction. Obviously, opinions will vary, but that one always strikes me as a bit odd. [/QUOTE]
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