What is a "Narrative Mechanic"?

[Micah Sweet]

Does it have to be explicitly a meta-mechanic? As in, do in-fiction actions that influence the narrative ()essentially, all of them -- that's kind of the point of play) not count by definition?

Not if they're in-fiction, no. Not to me.

 

[Micah Sweet]

As far as the distinction between helping to build the narrative by invoking mechanics that resolve your own character's specific actions and invoking mechanics that build the narrative in ways outside the character's knowledge or power to affect... I'm not sure how useful a distinction it is. It seems like both are going to be needed in any RPG.

For instance, casting a Wish spell to alter a character's race, sex/gender, age, social class, or innate talents, vs you determining those same traits for your own character at chargen by making choices and using a point buy system to get your stats.... In both cases you may be dictating not only things about the character, but, like, who they're parents were.

But with a Wish spell you're doing that in an in-universe way. That's the difference.

 

[soviet]

Any mechanic designed to affect the game without being representative of any actual physical thing (including supernatural things like magic) in the game world. Metacurrency, pacing mechanics, anything that allows players to invent material outside of their PCs in-universe control, any mechanic designed to affect drama or that pushes genre conventions over simulation of the actual imaginary world in which the PCs and NPCs exist.

I tried to keep as much jargon out of that as possible.

Do you include hit points in this definition?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Or, just for clarity, the smuggler says he finds one and tells the droid to jack in. To me, though, that feels like a typical metacurrency spend and I'm still not sure that counts as "narrative" for my own internal definition.

Metacurrency is absolutely a narrative mechanic to me. It's just one that more people are comfortable with in traditional games. How people feel about something doesn't change what it is.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Do you include hit points in this definition?

Sadly yes, but it's largely a necessary evil I use various tricks to work around.

I was waiting for someone to call out hit points.

 

[Tony Vargas]

But with a Wish spell you're doing that in an in-universe way. That's the difference.

Well, yes, that was intentional. The point is they're both things that are in D&D and have been for some time, to little or no controversy.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Not to my mind, it is a metagame mechanic. it allows a reroll, the narrative has not been established yet. While I have no experience with "narrative" games to my mind a narrative mechanic would allow the rogue to declare that "why, yes I braided some lockpicks into my hair" or I certainly have a crowbar in my inventory, or Bob the fence live around here.

But inspiration is awarded for playing according to BIFTs, which are a part of the character. So it’s not entirely separate of the narrative. It’s about reinforcing the character… which I would say is essential to the narrative.

 

[Parmandur]

But inspiration is awarded for playing according to BIFTs, which are a part of the character. So it’s not entirely separate of the narrative. It’s about reinforcing the character… which I would say is essential to the narrative.

BIFTs are not an intrinsic part of the game, and have been dropped since 2021.

 

[billd91]

But inspiration is awarded for playing according to BIFTs, which are a part of the character. So it’s not entirely separate of the narrative. It’s about reinforcing the character… which I would say is essential to the narrative.

Well, that would be how you GET inspiration. But how you use it is essentially as a metagame currency to affect a future die roll. So whether or not it's a narrative mechanic, ie a mechanic that affects the narrative, depends on whether you consider that kind of metagame currency a narrative mechanic or not. I generally do in the sense that it's not a resource the PC can choose to use, it's one for the player to give more weight to a particular check for their (admittedly relatively short focus) goals.

 

[Tonguez]

Maybe some examples might help?

Is Inspiration from 5e D&D a narrative mechanic?

If so, how so?

If not, why not?

I’d go as far as saying Advantage/Disadvantage is a narrative mechanic and Inspiration points are a way of triggering advantage