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<blockquote data-quote="3catcircus" data-source="post: 6305070" data-attributes="member: 16077">I'm sure someone else may have already addressed this, but here goes:But the difference is that in a story (whether in a novel or a movie), the author/screenwriter has 100% control over the plot - all he or she has to do is write a plot where the protagonist continues to fight.&nbsp; In D&amp;D, the little matter of mathematics gets in the way of plot unless the DM reels in the amount of damage.&nbsp; In a novel, there is no arbitrary counter that continues ticking away when the hero takes damage.&nbsp; How much and for how long is up to the author.&nbsp; In D&amp;D, your PC may be chugging along doing a bunch of things and get into combat and end up with 10 hp left at the end of it - there is no broken rib or arrow sticking out of him.&nbsp; Even if there were, there is no penalty to the PCs capabilities.&nbsp; Let's say he gets into another fight because the player foolishly decided to press on instead of drinking a healing potion and the DM rolls an especially good damage roll and hits him for 12.&nbsp; That's it.&nbsp; There is no leeway.&nbsp; The PC drops.&nbsp; Only if the DM fudges the roll does the PC get through the fight.&nbsp; Compare that to a movie or novel - the author decides that the hero will encounter a second opponent.&nbsp; There is no die roll.&nbsp; There is no mathematical randomness. The author decides to just automagically make it so the hero doesn't fail.&nbsp; The only case I could potentially think of where there is some randomness (and rather, it is the illusion of randomness because the author has already written it and it is only the reader or viewer that crystallizes it) is, for example, something like the beheading of ned stark.&nbsp; Most people don't see that coming.&nbsp; But, that is still different than D&amp;D because players will see it coming.So - I guess the real question is - if we want to introduce simulation, do we simulate real-life, or the hollywood portrayal of real-life?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="3catcircus, post: 6305070, member: 16077"] I'm sure someone else may have already addressed this, but here goes: But the difference is that in a story (whether in a novel or a movie), the author/screenwriter has 100% control over the plot - all he or she has to do is write a plot where the protagonist continues to fight. In D&D, the little matter of mathematics gets in the way of plot unless the DM reels in the amount of damage. In a novel, there is no arbitrary counter that continues ticking away when the hero takes damage. How much and for how long is up to the author. In D&D, your PC may be chugging along doing a bunch of things and get into combat and end up with 10 hp left at the end of it - there is no broken rib or arrow sticking out of him. Even if there were, there is no penalty to the PCs capabilities. Let's say he gets into another fight because the player foolishly decided to press on instead of drinking a healing potion and the DM rolls an especially good damage roll and hits him for 12. That's it. There is no leeway. The PC drops. Only if the DM fudges the roll does the PC get through the fight. Compare that to a movie or novel - the author decides that the hero will encounter a second opponent. There is no die roll. There is no mathematical randomness. The author decides to just automagically make it so the hero doesn't fail. The only case I could potentially think of where there is some randomness (and rather, it is the illusion of randomness because the author has already written it and it is only the reader or viewer that crystallizes it) is, for example, something like the beheading of ned stark. Most people don't see that coming. But, that is still different than D&D because players will see it coming. So - I guess the real question is - if we want to introduce simulation, do we simulate real-life, or the hollywood portrayal of real-life? [/QUOTE]

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