D&D General When the fiction doesn't match the mechanics

[DarkCrisis]

These are post-hoc explanations in the fiction used to rationalize the mechanics.

No kidding as the rules came first. It’s a game.

 

[Aldarc]

No kidding as the rules came first. It’s a game.

This is a bit needlessly dissmissive. There are some games where the mechanics were developed first to help emulate fiction or genres. Here the in-universe fiction is coming after the mechanics.

 

[Oofta]

-- nm --

 

[James Gasik]

XP to craft was based on the idea that being able to make your own magic items, even consumables, increases your power. XP already increases your power, by giving you levels, so this way there's a "tax" on other ways to gain power. I first ran into this years ago in an online RPG; to purchase a weapon or armor for my character, I had to pay XP. I balked at it, but it does make sense, if the weapon or armor makes me stronger than I was before.

Money is a terrible balance point for such things because there's lots of ways to acquire more money if you want it, unless the game master steps in and somehow prevents you from doing so.

(Un)fortunately (depending on one's point of view), in 3.X, experience points are a river. If you fall behind on xp to the point that your companions are higher level than you are, you earn more xp from encounters. If you spent that xp on magic items to boost your power, you can be just as strong as a higher level character (or stronger!) but be earning more xp from encounters, because the xp system never takes your gear into account; if you're overgeared and encounters are cakewalks, I know 3.X had a note for DM's to give out half xp for encounters that are too easy (and +50% I believe for encounters that are harder than they seem on paper), but if encounters are easy, then you can face more of them and be faster and more efficient about the process...or the DM starts using more powerful baddies, at which point you earn more xp anyways...

You know what, I'll just put "the experience point system in general" as something that doesn't match the fiction.

 

[DEFCON 1]

5E14 Barkskin.

 

[DarkCrisis]

This is a bit needlessly dissmissive. There are some games where the mechanics were developed first to help emulate fiction or genres. Here the in-universe fiction is coming after the mechanics.

Right, A Wheel of Time RPG would have different magic rules because fiction exists first. D&D had none. So the fiction had to try to reflect the rules that were originally for a mini war game.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I'm sure you know what I meant; if you have to purchase a pearl while far away from their source, they become more valuable. Thus, a "100 gp pearl" bought far from the coast should be smaller than one purchased where they are plentiful.

So are spell component GP costs relative?

I’ve always imagined that the size is in-universe defined with a unit of weight or volume- you need a 5-carat pearl. But for ‘simplicity’ they just tell you how much it costs, since in DnD economics price doesn’t change with location.

 

[Mannahnin]

Right, A Wheel of Time RPG would have different magic rules because fiction exists first. D&D had none. So the fiction had to try to reflect the rules that were originally for a mini war game.

That's not really true. The mini wargame had unlimited fireballs and lightning bolts (which used the mechanics for catapults and cannons, respectively) and roll to cast.

D&D magic with spell slots is directly modeled on the Dying Earth stories of Jack Vance. Gary DID choose to use that system for game balance reasons, but that fiction did come first.

 

[Stalker0]

The issue is not with hitpoints but with healing. Its the fact that the standard healing spell is called "cure wounds".

If instead lesser restoration was the name of your "healing spell", and it included a flavor mix of "you nit wounds and restore vitality and stamina to the target....something something". That would fit the narrative of what hitpoints represent a lot better.

 

[billd91]

AD&D level drain. Always the biggest example of mechanics making for bizarre fiction. The idea of losing skills and proficiencies by having your life sucked away and having to regain those XPs always bothered me, no that's not enough, it really pissed me off. I MUCH preferred the development 3e started and PF ultimately took level drain with negative levels and penalties. I was doing something similar in the later AD&D games I was running.