Patryn of Elvenshae said:
Movie characters get plot immunity.
But this is exactly why RPGs are such a unique entertainment medium. In movies we usually *know* heroes will always win and will triumph in the end - it's ultimately handed to the hero on a silver platter by the writers. But in a good RPG, a heroic end to a tale isn't a given, instead it is achieved/earned. Making the gaming experience all the more satisfying for our participants.
Of course, looking at heores always winning is a little one-sided and we forget about those tragic movies where the hero dies in the end (usually saving others in the process) or our tragic dark-heroes in stories, or perhaps a cautionary tale (Hamlet anyone?) where everyone dies and everyone loses. So no, movie characters do not always win in the end. It's up to the RPG's participants what kind of story they will tell: a tragic-cauitonary tale or an epic-heroic tale.
Patryn of Elvenshae said:
The hero losing his sword over the cliff and getting beat to his knees is dramatic, but we know, when the evil warrior turns to laugh at the hero's true love before striking the final blow, that the hero's going to pull a heretofore unknown dagger from his boot and gut the bad guy.
Right! So we turn to our hero (the player running the character right next to you!) and wait...to see what heroic action he can take to save the day! Sometimes, it turns tragic or a dramatic set-back for our hero. Other times it is a heroic triumph...it is ultimately up to the actions of the PCs! That's what makes playing RPGs so exciting!
Patryn of Elvenshae said:
D&D characters don't get plot immunity, and all to often the zany stunt a movie hero would perform to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, in D&D, will provoke an AoO that gets him killed anyway.
It's ultimately up to the players and their characters whether they become heroes or not, no matter what sort of tragic set-backs they may experience. Sure an AoO may get them killed, but it wouldn't be a heroic action if there wasn't any risk.
Keep in mind that the heroic actions a character undertakes are usually ones they are capable of doing. So while the rogue may flip over their opponents and quickdraw a dagger to save the day, the fighter is going to standfast against all odds - holding enemies back while the others have time to get away. So stunts performed by a heroic character are usually the ones they are capable of doing, but then again, aren't those stunts performed by a heroic character that they aren't really capable of doing - truly the most heroic of actions?
Jack (from Big Trouble in Little China) - Who can hit anything to save his life but has a heroic ability to act fast and accurately, as jack would say: "It's all in the reflexes..."
