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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 5980964" data-attributes="member: 2067">But they aren't silent on under what circumstances you make a check, and what that check represents. For instance, take an attack roll in early editions. The rules aren't silent on what that represents: a round's worth of strikes, parries, near-misses, feints, and flinches, all condensed to a 1d20 roll to determine if you pierce the enemy's defenses enough to cause some damage (leaving aside for the moment that the damage caused might also be a near-miss, a parry, a feint, or a flinch). This is closer to "conflict resolution" than rolling for each parry or feint would be. It's also closer to "task resolution" than just rolling a d20 to determine which side wins the fight would be. Meanwhile, the prone status in 4e is closer to "conflict resolution" than that attack roll, because the prone status is silent -- and damn near contradictory -- on what that word represents. It might represent any number of things that cause a creature to be immobilized and take a melee attack penalty and gain a bonus vs. ranged attacks and lose a move action. It MUST represent a variety of things, because it can apply on things that can't be knocked prone in the usual English-language meaning of the world. It CANNOT be used in a way that is closer to "task resolution." Similarly, something like the grapple rules or treasure rules in 3e or the OA rules in either 3e or 4e resist being used in a way that is closer to "conflict resolution." In order to play the game in a way that isn't weirdly unhinged, you must play with these detailed task resolution mechanics which ultimately answer very broad questions: "Can the squid hold onto Krusk? Can Mialee cast her spell? Ultimately, do they both die before the squid, or does the squid bite it first? And ultimately, do they recover the Sacred Pearl, or do they die trying? And ultimately, do they reach the next level, or not?" Can't know the answer to any of those without rolling some grapple checks or provoking some OAs and dealing with reach! The mechanics do affect how much of which kind of game you get to play. One of 5e's neatest (and toughest) tricks would be to say, "Y'know what: it doesn't matter how granular you want your checks. Here's rules that work at any level of focus. Run the game how you want. Here's detail for those who want it and it's clearly marked as non-essential for those who don't and everything in between and it all works just fine. Here's a Wealth Bonus mechanic that is functionally equivalent to tracking every copper piece in your moth-eaten coin purse. Here's every tenth of a pound of chalk for you to track (and make sure you consume them with each spell that uses chalk you cast!), and here's a broad Encumbrance mechanic that is functionally equivalent. Here's a way to keep track of each individual HP, and here's just a way to keep track of how close to death you are without worrying about the precise points. And here's a bunch of spaces in between, too."That is something that can be left up to the individual group, but it's something that the rules need to enable and get out of the way of, simultaneously. Forcing the DM to take a heavy-handed "rulings, not rules" approach is ALSO forcing a particular playstyle. As I've said elsewhere, I don't want to have to decide "what makes sense" on every little action that the PC's attempt. They should be able to roll some dice and tell me the outcome without me having to do squat. Of course, if I WANT to do squat, I need to be able to, seamlessly, as well. Again, I think it's possible for 5e to do this, but it's not as trivial as shrugging the shoulders and leaving it up to whoever to do whatever. 3e had Rule Zero, and many DM's -- rational people! -- still felt constrained by rules. 4e had official rules for Quest XP and many DM's -- rational people! -- still felt like it was a glorified minis skirmish game. The game needs to be designed for this.</blockquote>

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