Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 9133282" data-attributes="member: 6779310">it isn't... it is a mechanical state (having inspiration) being used to influence a state changing mechanical resolution action (the number of dice rolled). It does not, RAW, require a story justification.At a basic level, any action with mechanical resolution usually starts in the story state, and the agency of someone involved. (I'll touch on an exception in a bit.) I'll put it in a sequence outline for ease of understandingKey jargon introduced: The authority - since not all RPGs use a GM... and some use rotating GMing, and others still use whole table assent, and a few use majority dissent - those are pretty much covering almost all games I've read/run<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Story state exists and mechanical state exists, and both are largely known.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The participant (player or GM) declares a change to the story state through their controlled element (character, item, location).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The authority then determines if a mechanical resolution is appropriate<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">If the mechanics don't need to be involved, the story state stands as altered. Done</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">otherwise, continue</li> </ol></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The mechanical representation of the story state change is determined by the authority.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The required mechanical elements are checked. (If dice or cards are involved, it's here. This is also the point where D&D inspiration acts.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The result of the mechanical resolution are narrated into the story state.</li> </ol>There are a few games which do things differently.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Brute Squad has a different sequence:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Story and mechanical state exist.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">GM narrates the challenge and its mechanical state value (how hard it is)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">whichever player speaks first declares stat, and rolls the dice<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">If the dice indicate success, the player must narrate into the story state a resolution of the challenge that fits both the narrative state and the mechanically chosen ability, <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">if the majority of the table and the GM agree that it does so, it's a change to the story state and removal of the challenge as a game state</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">if the majority of players or if the GM say it doesn't, the narration is NOT admitted to the story state, the player is "punished" with a mechanical state change, and another player tries.</li> </ol></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">If the dice indicate failure, the player acting narrates how they failed to overcome it, and why. <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">If these fit the story and mechanical states, the character is mechanically altered lightly.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">if the dissent to fit happens, the player is punished with a more severe mechanical state change.</li> </ol></li> </ol></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The GM then narrates into the next challenge, and back to #2</li> </ol></li> </ul>A narrative mechanic doesn't require some element of the story state (character, item, situation) to justify its change to the story state.</blockquote>

Verification