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Message: <blockquote data-quote="radmod" data-source="post: 5262669" data-attributes="member: 93008">As a fan of 'realism' in RPGs, I found this discussion fascinating and well thought out. For myself, I see no real difference between the two words; they are synonymous. However, in my experience when people talk about realism in RPGs they are talking primarily about game mechanics and, for lack of a better word, storyline. Often these are chaotic, hack and slash types who want to be able to do anything and look for anyway they can to get around the rules.For example of game mechanics, I have a scout with a high Tumble so he can Skirmish w/o taking AoO's. This may be realistic, even believable when facing a small group of low level fighters but it is unrealistic when it comes to facing a band of high level monsters. As such, I convinced my DM we needed to readjust the rule.For storyline, I offer the following situations. I put the party in a world where the local pasha had total power. One player, an anti-authoritarian insulted the pasha to the point that the PC was thrown in the salt mines for 10 years (essentially player death). That is realism and my rule #1: YOU are responsible for your own actions.In another world, at 1st level I offered the party a series of possible adventures. One was the Seven Samurai style defense of a town against a soon arriving band of Orcs. The other hinted at treasure. The party did the treasure adventure and when they got around to the town they found it burned to the ground! That is realism.</blockquote>

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