Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 5093467" data-attributes="member: 99">I certainly won't argue that you shouldn't have this preference.&nbsp; But I definitely feel the opposite on this issue.I feel like games with mutable flavor text, or perhaps no flavor text at all, allow for a lot of flexibility and creativity for the player.&nbsp; I view that as a good thing.I'm a big fan of Savage Worlds and in the base ruleset they have a spell called &quot;Bolt&quot;.&nbsp; It allows the caster to do a damaging attack at range using magic.&nbsp; There is no flavor text as to how this happens.&nbsp; It could be a bolt of fire or a shadow bolt or a cluster of stinging insects or simply briars that spring out of the ground and tear at your opponent.I think that's cool because you could have two characters who are mechanically identical but who have very different flavor based solely on how they describe how their powers manifest.&nbsp; Furthermore I would allow some &quot;special effects&quot; in certain circumstances depending on how these powers are described by the player.&nbsp; If the Fire Mage wants to use his Bolt to light some tinder or melt some ice then I'd be fine with that.&nbsp; I might also rule that his bolts are less effective against a Fire Elemental.I think that 4e is sort of having its cake and eating it by having &quot;default flavor text&quot; for its powers but allowing the player and GM to agree on other interpretations.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Rel, post: 5093467, member: 99"] I certainly won't argue that you shouldn't have this preference. But I definitely feel the opposite on this issue. I feel like games with mutable flavor text, or perhaps no flavor text at all, allow for a lot of flexibility and creativity for the player. I view that as a good thing. I'm a big fan of Savage Worlds and in the base ruleset they have a spell called "Bolt". It allows the caster to do a damaging attack at range using magic. There is no flavor text as to how this happens. It could be a bolt of fire or a shadow bolt or a cluster of stinging insects or simply briars that spring out of the ground and tear at your opponent. I think that's cool because you could have two characters who are mechanically identical but who have very different flavor based solely on how they describe how their powers manifest. Furthermore I would allow some "special effects" in certain circumstances depending on how these powers are described by the player. If the Fire Mage wants to use his Bolt to light some tinder or melt some ice then I'd be fine with that. I might also rule that his bolts are less effective against a Fire Elemental. I think that 4e is sort of having its cake and eating it by having "default flavor text" for its powers but allowing the player and GM to agree on other interpretations. [/QUOTE]

Verification