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When the fiction doesn't match the mechanics
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<blockquote data-quote="EzekielRaiden" data-source="post: 9116141" data-attributes="member: 6790260"><p>Indeed. Same reason as why HP restores fully with a night's rest, why Fighters can get physically-unexplained bursts of healing or adrenaline allowing them to act (but not move) at double speed for six seconds, why you need to be a Rogue in order to sprint <em>and</em> attack, why even being dropped to 0 HP leaves no lingering injuries, why equipment isn't damaged even when the person wearing it clearly is, etc., etc.</p><p></p><p>The designers thought it was more interesting to do it this way--to <em>play</em> it this way. Because these are <em>rules</em>, and that shapes the experience of <em>play</em>. A few of those, they've built in alternative takes, but several they simply haven't.</p><p></p><p>Fiction is important. Critical, even. It is what separates D&D from something like craps. But the notion that the rules should get stuffed, rather than that the fiction should follow from the mechanical result, is <em>definitely not</em> how Gygax and Arneson designed the game. That is simply a fact, and things like Gygax's commentary on hit points and horses are the encapsulated demonstration thereof.</p><p></p><p>Realism is a tool. It <em>should</em> be used. It's far from the only tool--and treating it as though its input is <em>always</em> the most important, <em>always</em> the end-all, be-all of gameplay, is a fool's errand in D&D, of <em>any</em> edition.</p><p></p><p>Form follows function. And what else could "function" be, in a game, but its rules?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="EzekielRaiden, post: 9116141, member: 6790260"] Indeed. Same reason as why HP restores fully with a night's rest, why Fighters can get physically-unexplained bursts of healing or adrenaline allowing them to act (but not move) at double speed for six seconds, why you need to be a Rogue in order to sprint [I]and[/I] attack, why even being dropped to 0 HP leaves no lingering injuries, why equipment isn't damaged even when the person wearing it clearly is, etc., etc. The designers thought it was more interesting to do it this way--to [I]play[/I] it this way. Because these are [I]rules[/I], and that shapes the experience of [I]play[/I]. A few of those, they've built in alternative takes, but several they simply haven't. Fiction is important. Critical, even. It is what separates D&D from something like craps. But the notion that the rules should get stuffed, rather than that the fiction should follow from the mechanical result, is [I]definitely not[/I] how Gygax and Arneson designed the game. That is simply a fact, and things like Gygax's commentary on hit points and horses are the encapsulated demonstration thereof. Realism is a tool. It [I]should[/I] be used. It's far from the only tool--and treating it as though its input is [I]always[/I] the most important, [I]always[/I] the end-all, be-all of gameplay, is a fool's errand in D&D, of [I]any[/I] edition. Form follows function. And what else could "function" be, in a game, but its rules? [/QUOTE]
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