Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 5058650" data-attributes="member: 29398">An NPC within the party - at least, those I run - is no more nor less scripted than the PCs are.  Sure, it has a basic characterization going in, but then pretty much all PCs do as well.  But it still has a personality, and a brain, and is allowed to use both.Yet even with that, one of the true beauties of the system is that it is flexible enough to support a freeform storytelling type of game if so desired.  It's also flexible enough to support some pretty hard-core rules mongering, if that's the type of campaign you and your players are looking for.An example: today during an unusually rough ferry crossing I got to thinking about how I've handled water-walking in the past in situations where the water is not calm.  Up till now I've hand-waved it, sometimes asking for a dex check or just saying outright it's too rough; but sitting on the ferry looking out at the whitecaps I came up with a basic system for what one can hope to do (and by what mechanic) given differing water conditions.So consider this: I might never use this new system and instead just continue with on-the-fly rulings, or I might tighten my ideas up and bring them in to the campaign: my point is that the game system can support either option.That flexibility is, arguably, achieved at some cost in game balance; but I can live with that.Lanefan</blockquote>