Where's the oppressive fluff?

[Mal Malenkirk]

I don't want flavor text. I want monsters!

Fluff I can make up in 10 seconds. Creating balanced monster's stats is more tume consuming.

I'm not willing to sacrifice a single stat block in my MM for more fluff.

 

[SmilingPiePlate]

I disagree; it was necessary. Without it, we probably would have "Midnight Sunstone Adoration" or something instead of "Cleave".

I wholeheartedly agree.

Much better to add crappy anime power names in rather than convince people to stop laughing at them long enough to rename everything.

 

[Nellisir]

I don't know about you, but the setting in which I need to refer to a D&D book and the setting in which I need to refer to a dictionary are very different.

Then 4e is for You!

OK, that's a bit snarky and sarcastic, but a) as Lizard points out, that wasn't always the case, and b) I keep my dictionary beside my computer for quick reference. I yank it out, look something up really quick, and put it back. When I'm DMing, I keep my books beside me (on the table/chair/floor). I'd -like- to reference them as quickly as my dictionary, but the layout of the books often makes it difficult. Not the font.

So, maybe you run your games from an easy chair in front of a roaring fire, and like to linger over "Q" in the dictionary, but I think you'd be the exception there. Reference books, whether RPG or literary, should be fast and simple to use. Just making the words bigger doesn't make them either.

 

[Nellisir]

I don't want flavor text. I want monsters!
Fluff I can make up in 10 seconds.

Then I applaud you. While I, personally, am a master at improvisation and off-the-cuff DMing, at least half of the DMs I've gamed with have stank at making stuff up on the spot. One DM I know required a sixty-second pause to answer any question that didn't have an answer already written down. He ran great adventures, you just had to try not to ask anything or do anything he hadn't anticipated.

 

[Fifth Element]

I keep my dictionary beside my computer for quick reference.

Really? I find dictionary.com to be a lot quicker.

So, maybe you run your games from an easy chair in front of a roaring fire, and like to linger over "Q" in the dictionary, but I think you'd be the exception there.

Say what? Not me. My point was then when I use my dictionary I typically have time to find the entry and read the tiny type. When I'm playing D&D I want to be able to find the answer ASAP. Yes, a larger font size helps that.

Reference books, whether RPG or literary, should be fast and simple to use.

My point exactly.

Just making the words bigger doesn't make them either.

Not by itself, no. But it helps.

 

[Rechan]

Thing is Lizard, there's not any real proof that the designers changed it. For all we know, they could've been pulling our chain to stir up controversy.

Dragon Tail Cut is a great example; I don't think they intended for that one to ever see the books before they posted it. It seemed on par with "I'm the Batman" and "Feather Me Yon Oaf!".

But even so, even if the stupid feat names were there... there's no actual fluff in the damn books. I seem to recall people complaining about Bael Tarath and how that was going to prevent their homebrewing powers.

 

[jmucchiello]

I love the lack of fluff, because it eliminates "flavor lawyer" whining.

Hey, is Scribble out there? I summon Scribble. Apparently someone has heard of flavor lawyers.

 

[The Little Raven]

Dragon Tail Cut is a great example; I don't think they intended for that one to ever see the books before they posted it. It seemed on par with "I'm the Batman" and "Feather Me Yon Oaf!".

1. Dragon Tail Strike, page 124, level 17 rogue encounter exploit.

2. Feather Me Yon Oaf! should have been in the final product. That name is too awesome.

 

[jdrakeh]

But even so, even if the stupid feat names were there... there's no actual fluff in the damn books. I seem to recall people complaining about Bael Tarath and how that was going to prevent their homebrewing powers.

Some people are still ranting about it. I was reading a post by somebody yesterday wherein they squealed endlessly about D&D 4e completely impeding their ability to homebrew a setting or any elements thereof because it was brimming with prescriptive fluff. He was, of course, completely mad.

 

[Rechan]

1. Dragon Tail Strike, page 124, level 17 rogue encounter exploit.

Indeed! But not Dragon Tail Cut!

2. Feather Me Yon Oaf! should have been in the final product. That name is too awesome.

Actually, I agree.