dave2008
Legend
And here is a similar example of what I am talking about. You responded to elf crusher, but you didn't answer the important part of the question. The part that hurts your argument you ignored. Elfcrusher said:The game contains a lot of rules for determining what happens. If you want to hit someone with a sword, there's a whole procedure where you calculate your Strength modifier (and some other numbers) and add it to a d20 roll, comparing the result to the outcome of another formula for determining their Armor Class; and if the first number is at least as high as the second number, then that means you hit. That's the rule. That's the process which is used to determine the outcome. If you use some other procedure for determining whether you hit, then you're breaking the rule (however much anybody cares about that sort of thing).
The simplest mathematical function is the identity function. f(x) = x. That's the procedure for determining what Dexterity is. The function for determining what Dexterity is, is that it's agility and so on (as written in the book). That's the rule. That's the process which is used to determine the outcome. If you use some other procedure for determining what Dexterity is, then you're breaking the rule (in the exact same way as if you used a different process for determining the outcome of an attack).
"But if you're calling the description of Dexterity a "rule" then there needs to be some mechanism for applying the rule at the table. What exactly is the mechanical consequence of somebody narrating their characters actions as a clumsy but lucky Mr. Magoo character? "
You never addressed the important part, the mechanism for applying the "rule" or the mechanical consequence for not doing so. If a description is a rule, their needs to be a mechanical consequence. It similar to saying orcs are green. not the the grey color depicted in the MM. It has no mechanical consequence. Gray orcs a not a game rule, it is simply a game description.
You responded, and clearly you were happy with that response, but you didn't really answer the question.