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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions, OSR, & D&D Variants
The Best Thing from 4E
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<blockquote data-quote="D'karr" data-source="post: 6578054" data-attributes="member: 336"><p>This might be the case for some powers, as someone mentioned there are thousands, but I disagree this is the case for the majority of powers. The flavor text usually maps rather well with the mechanical effect and the keywords resulting in flavor that is actually backed by mechanics. </p><p></p><p>At times it became quite evident what the power was doing (mechanically) simply by looking at the flavor description. Firing a bolt (flavor text) was a ranged attack (mechanics). A bolt of fire would have the Fire Keyword, a bolt of cold, the Cold keyword. Eldritch energies would have the Arcane keyword, possibly Implement also.</p><p></p><p>For example if the description (flavor text) of a power was the following:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px">You unleash a devastating shout that cracks stone and pulps flesh. Supernatural terror goes with your mighty blast, and your foes are driven back in fright.</p><p></p><p>This power would have some of the following keywords and game effects based on the description:</p><p>Shout cracks stone and pulps flesh - Not low level power - start at mid to high heroic. Attack with appropriate Attribute and Damage for that attribute against either Fort or possibly Will defense. Most likely Fort due to physical description (pulps flesh)</p><p>Shout - Thunder</p><p>Supernatural Terror - Arcane, possibly Implement and Fear keywords</p><p>Blast - Blast attack</p><p>Foes - Possibly multiple targets</p><p>Driven back in Fright - Forced Movement most likely Push.</p><p></p><p>Most powers were easily mappable in this manner. So much so that when a player wanted to do ad-hoc things using page 42, it was easy for me to assign keywords and effects in a very similar manner. DMG 2 later codified some of these ad-hoc uses into terrain powers.</p><p></p><p>The toolbox was always there.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="D'karr, post: 6578054, member: 336"] This might be the case for some powers, as someone mentioned there are thousands, but I disagree this is the case for the majority of powers. The flavor text usually maps rather well with the mechanical effect and the keywords resulting in flavor that is actually backed by mechanics. At times it became quite evident what the power was doing (mechanically) simply by looking at the flavor description. Firing a bolt (flavor text) was a ranged attack (mechanics). A bolt of fire would have the Fire Keyword, a bolt of cold, the Cold keyword. Eldritch energies would have the Arcane keyword, possibly Implement also. For example if the description (flavor text) of a power was the following: [indent]You unleash a devastating shout that cracks stone and pulps flesh. Supernatural terror goes with your mighty blast, and your foes are driven back in fright.[/indent] This power would have some of the following keywords and game effects based on the description: Shout cracks stone and pulps flesh - Not low level power - start at mid to high heroic. Attack with appropriate Attribute and Damage for that attribute against either Fort or possibly Will defense. Most likely Fort due to physical description (pulps flesh) Shout - Thunder Supernatural Terror - Arcane, possibly Implement and Fear keywords Blast - Blast attack Foes - Possibly multiple targets Driven back in Fright - Forced Movement most likely Push. Most powers were easily mappable in this manner. So much so that when a player wanted to do ad-hoc things using page 42, it was easy for me to assign keywords and effects in a very similar manner. DMG 2 later codified some of these ad-hoc uses into terrain powers. The toolbox was always there. [/QUOTE]
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