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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DEFCON 1" data-source="post: 9642029" data-attributes="member: 7006">For me personally... I always tend in these sort of discussions to go with the idea that the numbers and the math and the "rules" for doing things are what we would call "game mechanics".  But anything that occurs that is just agreed upon by all the players involved (DM and players) as being True in the fiction are not... especially if there's no written-down "rule" that says this may occur.Case in point, the changeling-- there is no reason why the table of players can't make the arbitrary decision to decide that this specific PC can change their appearance and always have it work fine.  During play, the changeling player can just state who and what their PC's facial features morph into, and everyone agrees that this is allowed and each and every PC and NPC will act and react as though this is true.  To me, this would not be a use of "game mechanics", but rather the players just choosing what happens in the story.  It's a narrative decision everyone is good with because they all just agree that it is something a "changeling" should be able to do.  In my opinion... this would only become "game mechanics" if this species feature included something in its write-up like "Gain advantage on Deception checks to portray another individual" or something like that.  Implying that the changeling merely changing their features in the story doesn't "count" as True until they make the Deception check... while also getting the bonus from the species feature.For some people, that Deception check is 100% necessary in order to confirm that this event happens and is believed by all those that see the changeling.  Because for a lot of people, this is where the "game" comes into play.  For a roleplaying game to be considered a game (and not just agreed-upon mutual storytelling)... there has to be rules and dice and checks and possibilities for things to not work (via those rules and dice and checks.)  Which I understand and don't begrudge... but to me it always seems limiting.  To throw up barriers to interesting story merely in the interest of "gameplay".Like for instance... a class feature that allows a PC to Speak With Animals.  Usually this game mechanic says something like you can cast the Speak With Animals spell and can only do it like once per Long Rest or something like that.  Which makes total sense if you are trying to make this class feature into a gameplay element... but from a story perspective what is the harm and why wouldn't you just want to let this character be able to talk to animals all the time?  So they talk to animals whenever they want!  So what?  It's a cool feature and something special that this character can do... so why gate it behind a certain number of times or minutes per day, just because we need a "rule" for it so that it becomes a "gameplay element"?  Meh.  To me... unnecessary.  For others... the entire reason why this is to be a "game" in the first place.</blockquote>

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