D&D 5E The Magical Martial

[Gammadoodler]

I imagine most fantasy worlds have perfectly ordinary (to that world) birds and trees that don't exist in the real world - but are "totally natural" there. (I wish I had more artistic talent, if so I would probably create more!)

For the Owlbear, does it matter how they came to be?
Are Rat People in the Garrett Files [ humanoid rats ] special if they only came about from wizards doing experiments?

And in those worlds, is it possible that perfectly normal humanoids(for that world)(including humans) differ in maximum capability/potential from humans in the Real World, while still being "Totally Natural" there?

 

[Cadence]

And in those worlds, is it possible that perfectly normal humanoids(for that world)(including humans) differ in maximum capability/potential from humans in the Real World, while still being "Totally Natural" there?

I'm sometimes curious how the Olympics (or equivalent) work in different places. In Marvel, can Hawkeye go out for the Olympics in Archery? Can Cap in Track or Wrestling? Quicksilver in Running? Where is the line? How do they tell? Do they just not have the Olympics? Are the upper limits in some worlds the same, but are the folks just able to be really good at multiple things? (Are there folks who aren't quite gold medal in anything but would qualify for the Olympics in multiple track events and swimming and wrestling and shooting?).

 

[Micah Sweet]

No. Your setting is your setting, and if you are having fun you're good.

That said, the game describes itself as a fantasy roleplaying game. If you want real world expectations, going to game book with the fire giant on the cover, 8 non-human races in the table of contents, and rules for divine intervention, and 90 pgs of spellcasting is a weird choice.

That still seems very judgemental to me. I see no evidence that D&D assumes full, "anything goes" fantasy for play, and assuming there's something weird about using it for any degree of fantasy less than 100% strikes me as a problem.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Sure, and I'd agree. How does this differ from dragons?

Well, I think whilst dragons might be naturally occurring in a fantasy world, they're not quote normal animals. They're intelligent and tend to be explicitly magical (can cast magic magic) as well as posses capabilities that might be implicitly magical (breath weapon, flight despite anatomical impossibility.) So whilst I don't think it is clear cut, I'm fine with placing them in a different category than owlbears and geese. Dragons, as they appear on D&D could not actually exist on Earth, owlbears could.

 

[Gammadoodler]

That still seems very judgemental to me. I see no evidence that D&D assumes full, "anything goes" fantasy for play, and assuming there's something weird about using it for any degree of fantasy less than 100% strikes me as a problem.

No evidence? At all?

Planescape, Spelljammer, Dark Sun, Gelatinous Cubes, Dragons, Giants, Liches, Gods, Spells, Hells, Wish, True Polymorph, True Resurrection, Sentient Objects, Awakened Trees...like..

there's almost 50 years of this stuff out there..

..and you find none of it persuasive..even directionally..in getting to the conclusion that the game is not intended to simulate how things work on Earth and people shouldn't expect it to?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I'm sometimes curious how the Olympics (or equivalent) work in different places. In Marvel, can Hawkeye go out for the Olympics in Archery? Can Cap in Track or Wrestling? Quicksilver in Running? Where is the line? How do they tell? Do they just not have the Olympics? Are the upper limits in some worlds the same, but are the folks just able to be really good at multiple things? (Are there folks who aren't quite gold medal in anything but would qualify for the Olympics in multiple track events and swimming and wrestling and shooting?).

I think super soldier serum definitely counts as doping! I think they would exclude mutants too. Hawkeye should be fine though, he's just a normal guy.

 

[Cadence]

owlbears could.

How but... the DNA... 37 pairs of chromosomes (well maybe 20 or 25) with X and Y for sex ones vs. 41 pairs with Z and W for sex ones. The egg laying vs. not...

And then I remember Barsoom.

Nevermind.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I just don't see how that matters.

If you go to a swimming pool, you don't question why the people in that pool are wet when you are dry.

And you don't expect that some people in that pool might be dry, despite being immersed in water.

Points out into the distance

Tell it to those people constantly demanding explanations. I just got tired of trying to convince them that we don't need detailed explanations for every time people aren't "normal" in fantasy. So I found explanations to quiet them down.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

How but... the DNA... 37 pairs of chromosomes (well maybe 20 or 25) with X and Y for sex ones vs. 41 pairs with Z and W for sex ones. The egg laying vs. not...

And then I remember Barsoom.

Nevermind.

Or you know, Australia. Weirder things than owlbears actually exist on Earth.

 

[Chaosmancer]

A person punching through a steel plate is blatantly obvious, but an otherwise normal-appearing person having the ability to do so is not.

Why not? Monks don't go around with big signs on their heads stating "I ONLY LOOK NORMAL! I ACTUALLY AM NOT NORMAL! DON'T BE CONFUSED!!"

Normal looking people doing crazy things is no different from weird looking people doing crazy things. Anyone in a fantasy setting choosing to judge based solely on appearances is an idiot.