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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8505420" data-attributes="member: 82106"><a href="https://www.giantelectronicbrain.com/#356" target="_blank">Heroes of Myth and Legend</a> outlines rules for 'checks and actions'. The intent is to define an iterative process which moves from fiction to mechanical resolution and back to fiction, and isn't trivially either subverted to produce only meaningless fiction, nor to give the GM unlimited authority to weight the mechanical impact of a PC action on the fiction as she sees fit."First the GM will have described the fictional situation the characters are in. At this point players who have access to fate may expend it to alter the fictional situation. This is explained later in this section. The player describes to the GM what action their character is taking, in fictional terms. This includes both the action taken and the intent or desired result. Next, the GM will determine the DV, which is the number required to achieve success on the check governing the action. Usually the DV is determined by the level of the current challenge, but the GM may have resources available to alter this somewhat." The GM describes a situation, this is classic 'scene framing', it isn't stated here, but said scene necessarily must be 'pregnant', it is part of a challenge, and a challenge can ONLY relate to some kind of overall situation that is dramatically interesting WRT at lest on PC (who are canonically protagonists). So, we have fictional situation, and then player description of intent and action, in purely fictional terms, although I will note that invoking a feat is pretty much not subject to interpretation (IE the GM isn't ever going to say "oh, you didn't actually use Come and Get It, or whatever).Next, the GM will determine what 'aspect' is in force, that is essentially which knack or knowledge would apply to a check. If a feat is being used, this may be dictated by the feat (IE an attack may say 'Weapon vs FORT' or something like that). Otherwise the GM decides "Oh, you want to harangue the goblins long enough to distract them while the elf escapes, OK that seems like you are Deceiving them, so Bluff!Now, eliding some chances for the players to make additional choices like invoking a practice or expending power, the mechanical check system gets invoked, and a level of result is determined (failure, success, complete success, enhanced success). That will probably have some mechanical impact, like definitely it will change a tally in the current challenge. However, fiction HAS to result, because the check is A) part of a challenge and each check canonically advances the plot, and B) there has to be a way to frame the next scene, since action declarations can ONLY arise out of fiction. As I have said earlier, there is some danger of this all being too weak, but plainly a specific set of assertions is made about what the process is. I don't see how anyone can really talk about this kind of thing WRT 5e, except in as much as some weaker statements about "how most people play it" or "how I play it." I'm not convinced much be appeals to 'informalism' or 'convention' in terms of analyzing a GAME. It is fine to use it to analyze an instance of play, but IMHO if you want to build a strong game you have to think about both how it is designed and ALSO how it will play out in practice.</blockquote>

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