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<blockquote data-quote="The Crimson Binome" data-source="post: 7729323" data-attributes="member: 6775031">Why assume that demonstrating personality is the end goal? If the goal of play is simply to find out what happens (based on the character's personality, and all other relevant factors), then the death of a PC is every bit as much of a valid answer as the group running away or somehow overcoming the encounter.Details aid in resolving uncertainty. If we want to find out whether the party makes it to the dungeon, or whether they get lost along the way and succumb to the environment, then a scaled map of the region helps us to figure that out. Without those details, success or failure would be left to arbitration and abstraction. (Not that there's anything wrong with abstraction, in this case - you could also solve the question by simply making a skill check - but the point is to avoid having the DM decide important things arbitrarily.) Likewise in combat, a detailed map of cuts down on arbitration, since everyone can see how many goblins are within the area of a fireball (or whatever).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="The Crimson Binome, post: 7729323, member: 6775031"] Why assume that demonstrating personality is the end goal? If the goal of play is simply to find out what happens (based on the character's personality, and all other relevant factors), then the death of a PC is every bit as much of a valid answer as the group running away or somehow overcoming the encounter. Details aid in resolving uncertainty. If we want to find out whether the party makes it to the dungeon, or whether they get lost along the way and succumb to the environment, then a scaled map of the region helps us to figure that out. Without those details, success or failure would be left to arbitration and abstraction. (Not that there's anything wrong with abstraction, in this case - you could also solve the question by simply making a skill check - but the point is to avoid having the DM decide important things arbitrarily.) Likewise in combat, a detailed map of cuts down on arbitration, since everyone can see how many goblins are within the area of a fireball (or whatever). [/QUOTE]

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