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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5902220" data-attributes="member: 42582">Fair enough - but in your post you suggested that those who want the books to be easy to reference aren't putting in the requisite intellectual effort. And that something about that desire saddens you. That's a judgement too.In my view this whole discussion ties into something that came up over a year ago on the "How 4e could have been more popular" thread - that Pathfinder has captured the "completist" market that WotC used to own.Are RPG books for reading, or for playing from? These are different activities, and put different demands on a book.I agree that prep is important. But what does "this spell induces a magical slumber in 4HD of humanoids" add to prep? A vibe?It's a long time since I've played pick up D&D. But I don't see what "this spell induces a magical slumber in 4HD of humanoids" adds to my time investment before a campaign. As opposed, for example, to thinking about PC backgrounds and loyalties, how these fit into the history and mythology of the gameworld, etc.Even when it comes to preparation, I find that 4e's statblocks - especially the monster stat blocks (spells and other powers are the players' business, not mine) - are great, because they give me a terrific idea of how the creature will play. Whereas there is nothing more frustrating than a whole wall of flavour text that the stats don't back up (eg something is described as feared and fearsome but it plays as a walkover).And as far as growing the hobby is concerned, is "This spell induces magical slumber in 4HD of humanoids" really the way to do it? B/X D&D had more sparse statblocks and descriptions than AD&D, for example, and it doesn't seem to have done that game any harm in its popularity.Sure. And if they write the rules that you and Morrus want I won't be saddened, I'll just be less likely to play it.Sure, I've got no problem with that. Sounds like a good game, provided that the "flavour" fits into some broader contex for adjudication in the way I talked about upthread.In the case of Hallucinatory Terrain, for example, it would be good to have some advice on how it can change initiative/surprise (ie ambush mechanics), or evasion, or Stealth, etc. That advice could be in the spell description, but personally I'd rather that the spell hook into more general rules and advice. (I'm thinking about, say, BW's positioning rules and the way fictional positioning feeds into them.)</blockquote>

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