Saying Yes

[BlightCrawler]

The rule of thumb is about saying yes- the question with disarm isn't, "Can you disarm?", the question would then be, "How do you disarm?". The rule of thumb doesn't apply to adding in mechanics, but dealing with the rules that are already there. If someone asks if something stacks, for example, the answer is yes unless the rules say otherwise.

That's definitely an important point. "Saying Yes" does not mean literally say yes, it's about giving people the benefit of the doubt and not shutting down an idea that's unexpected.

Although you can answer yes even to that, using DM's Friend. You can say, sure, do a melee basic (or Acrobatics check, or whatever seems to fit the situation) and the target will have a -2 until the end of his next turn as he fumbles to regain his weapon. And then if the player says "I'm going to disarm again!" You can tell them that it's not very creative, so they'll have a -2 to do it again.

However, even in these cases, when a player asks "Can I?" a better part of the "Say Yes" philosophy is to ask "How are you going to do that?" if the answer is not obvious. That will handle disarm, leaping from a balcony or trying to melt someone's brain with your mind (in other words, it forces the players to get creative if they really want to do it). If they can make it entertaining and creative, and fit the group's vision of the game, then keep on saying yes! It's all about fun (what fun means is up to you and your group).

 

[Nytmare]

I think that a more important part of "saying yes" is something that's a key part of one of the schools of improvisation.

In [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Comedy-Improvisation-Charna-Halpern/dp/1566080037/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251820480&sr=8-1"]Truth and Comedy[/ame] they stress the concept of saying "yes, and." Saying "yes, and" allows you to take what's given to you and build off of it, and make what was passed to you better. The moment that you say no, and deny what's being given to you, it stops being a collaborative effort, and starts being just one person telling a story.

The flip side of that however is that it's important for both sides to play by those rules. A player who starts asking for things that break the reality of the world and the flow of the game is the one denying what was passed to them.

 

[Garthanos]

That's definitely an important point. "Saying Yes" does not mean literally say yes, it's about giving people the benefit of the doubt and not shutting down an idea that's unexpected.

Although you can answer yes even to that, using DM's Friend. You can say, sure, do a melee basic (or Acrobatics check, or whatever seems to fit the situation) and the target will have a -2 until the end of his next turn as he fumbles to regain his weapon. And then if the player says "I'm going to disarm again!" You can tell them that it's not very creative, so they'll have a -2 to do it again.

However, even in these cases, when a player asks "Can I?" a better part of the "Say Yes" philosophy is to ask "How are you going to do that?" if the answer is not obvious. That will handle disarm, leaping from a balcony or trying to melt someone's brain with your mind (in other words, it forces the players to get creative if they really want to do it). If they can make it entertaining and creative, and fit the group's vision of the game, then keep on saying yes! It's all about fun (what fun means is up to you and your group).

I like having good language in common when I start asking players to describe their characters methods.. one of the issues of magic/divine/primal characters is...well that isnt as nicely exposed,,, similar can be said when roleplaying anything you dont know about... tolerance is king (and help each other make good descriptions ... you arent alone here)

 

[BlightCrawler]

I think that a more important part of "saying yes" is something that's a key part of one of the schools of improvisation.

One could say that it's the most important part, or the core element. I don't think we'd have "say yes" at all without improvisational influence on game design.

I like having good language in common when I start asking players to describe their characters methods.. one of the issues of magic/divine/primal characters is...well that isnt as nicely exposed,,, similar can be said when roleplaying anything you dont know about... tolerance is king (and help each other make good descriptions ... you arent alone here)

Interesting. I agree that tolerance is key. What do you mean by exposure? Are martial "stunts" easier to describe because they are based on physical feats? What would help improve them? It seems like, since they aren't limited by what we know to be physically possible, getting creative with magic might be easier. Though, it's also true that players will more easily limit themselves also. They can imagine leaping from a balcony onto a chandelier. Summing up a cloud to walk from the balcony to walk to the chandelier seems like breaking the rules (and one could say is - there are rules for jumping without a power, but not for magic use, perhaps that's the problem?)

 

[Ryujin]

Saying yes is certainly the preferred default. I would say yes, unless the game could be broken significantly by doing so. The case of disarming is something that I might permit a character to do, because the effect on the opposition would tend to be minimal. I wouldn't be doing it TO the characters under any circumstances though.

 

[Garthanos]

One could say that it's the most important part, or the core element. I don't think we'd have "say yes" at all without improvisational influence on game design.



Interesting. I agree that tolerance is key. What do you mean by exposure? Are martial "stunts" easier to describe because they are based on physical feats?

Well they oft times are for me ;-) perhaps that is a background thing, but because I can describe and and have an idea about what things are reasonable to adjust and what arent... it also lets me decide when to give my little dm's prerogative / DM's best friend as a boost to the performance -those feel more arbitrary with the more arcane stuff... what are there limits what are clever ways of getting around those limits... can you do so at all? can an invokers wall of light invocation be turned on its side to mess with the darkling piranha

Summing up a cloud to walk from the balcony to walk to the chandelier seems like breaking the rules (and one could say is - there are rules for jumping without a power, but not for magic use, perhaps that's the problem?)

Not certain but you might be understanding me ;-)

I know I would like to see alternate interpretations for powers listed with them.. so they didn't seem so monolithic... but I think we are talking situationally adaptive uses... not just adaptive visualizations.

Can I spend extra time and get power X to work better or slightly differently than it does when I use it as an at-will?

I dont necessarily mean more reliably.. (thats a can I take 10 question)

Can I take my phantasmal X power and use my own perception take some time analyzing the scene and improve somebody's ability to navigate through otherwise difficult terrain?...