Storytelling Games

[ExploderWizard]

How is "describing the action of" different than narrating?

" I walk into the inn" describes the action you are taking since it is not being acted out.

Narration would be" " Bolgar the Mighty strides into the inn and asks for a room."

 

[Hussar]

Actually EW, that would be the difference between first and third person voice. Not a difference between describing an action and narration. I would point out that "describing an action" and narrating are exactly the same thing.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Is running a D&D game with the stipulation "No evil PCs" not a role-playing game?

 

[ExploderWizard]

Actually EW, that would be the difference between first and third person voice. Not a difference between describing an action and narration. I would point out that "describing an action" and narrating are exactly the same thing.

You are correct. If the format of the activity was not tabletop and the actions not imagined, no description would be required at all.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Is running a D&D game with the stipulation "No evil PCs" not a role-playing game?

This could go either way IMHO. A restriction on the conditions/scenarios to be played would not cease to make the game a roleplaying one.

If you could run a pre-gen character in an rpg are you not playing a character with all attributes including alignment dictated to you?

 

[Raven Crowking]

Is running a D&D game with the stipulation "No suicidal PCs" not a role-playing game?

 

[ExploderWizard]

Is running a D&D game with the stipulation "No suicidal PCs" not a role-playing game?

Since routine activities that adventurers engage in can be considered suicidal by most of the gameworld population I would say it would be nearly impossible to play D&D in any style with such a stipulation.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Since routine activities that adventurers engage in can be considered suicidal by most of the gameworld population I would say it would be nearly impossible to play D&D in any style with such a stipulation.

That seems like equivocation to me.

Is running a D&D game with the stipulation "No intentionally (as opposed to accidentally) suicidal PCs" not a role-playing game?

 

[Mallus]

" I walk into the inn" describes the action you are taking since it is not being acted out.

Narration would be" " Bolgar the Mighty strides into the inn and asks for a room."

What about players who freely switch between the two during the course of a session? (ie, just about every gamer I've gamed with over the last 25 years).

What about the DM? Can the DM role-play his or her NPC's?

RPG players are the authors of the characters they inhabit during the game. Doesn't that make certain acts of narration, that is, acts of authorship, inevitable? Each time I imbue a PC with a character trait I'm writing them, I'm committing an act of authorship (ie, narration).

 

[pawsplay]

Authorial privilege - RPG Talk - The Role-Playing Game (RPG) Wiki