What do I mean when I talk about
"realism" in the game? I appreciate that it means different things to
different people, so what do I mean by it?
Realism exists in the game, whether
you want it to or not. How so? Well, you're walking to where ever it is you
want to go, unless you have a Fly spell handy. Yes, exactly . . . gravity
exists in your game too! Wow!
Of course, this is a fantasy game –
as many people enjoy reminding me – so gravity only exists in a certain sense.
Gravity exists so that your character can't fly, but it doesn't exist in
that your character can't be hurt when he falls out of a second story window,
or down a flight of stairs. Even though, in the real world, you'll probably
break your neck and die.
Well, guess what? In my game . . .
you're probably going to break your neck and die. At the very least,
you're going to roll the dice to see if you break your neck and
die. And that's what I mean by "realism." People argue that point
with me. "Oh, that can't happen!" Sorry, but it happens all the time
in my game.
The "newer" Editions seem
to have "deleted" the possibility; at least, that's what the people I
game with tell me. I dislike that. The same thing applies to the Dodge Feat.
Sorry, but in my game, if you wish to move like Kwai Chang Caine, you can't
dress like Lancelot. For this, I definitely use the Encumbrance
table.
If there isn't just a little bit of
realism in the game, then nothing in it is believable. And if you can't believe
in it – just a little bit – then how can you get caught up in the story? How do
you get involved with your character?
Some things just have to be
"real," in order to become immersed in the game. At least, that's the
way it works for me.
Then there are the demi-humans.
Halflings and Gnomes that are a strong as Conan and who, when in their defensive
posture, have an AC of 26. Really? Edition 3.5 drives me absolutely nuts
with its Feats. I despise any 3 foot nothing character that's as strong as Conan;
it is simply too much B.S. for me to swallow. Demi-humans simply must
be better than humans at every frickin' thing! Why didn't – and why
don't – the self-hating a-holes who make these rules just go out and cut their own throats? Nearly
every one of them believes in reincarnation, why, if they believe hard enough,
they just might come back a Gnome! Hey, it's worth a try!
Sorry, but in my game, no 3 foot
nothing Halfling or Gnome is going to beat Conan in an arm wrestling contest.
It is not realistic under any circumstances and there is going to be a certain
amount of reality in my game. Demi-humans have their advantages, but they are
also saddled with a great many disadvantages.
Not only the small races, but Woman. World records show Men: Snatch 212kg, Clean&Jerk 263kg Woman: Snatch 151kg, Clean&Jerk 187kg.
ReplyDeleteTrack, field, the list goes on. I will assume woman can be as smart as men, but there's not a whole lot of evidence to back it up. But they are far better negotiators than men.
Talyn
1st edition AD&D addressed the difference between the sexes. I think it was left out to prevent the notion that D&D is sexist. Racial distinctions have always existed in D&D 3rd edition gave humans a bonus to urge players to pick them as a viable option. Previous edition utilized level limits instead.
ReplyDeleteHalflings and Gnomes are not the brute force type, which 3.5 edition addresses by only allowing these races to carry a third less weight then their man-sized equivalent with the same strength score.
As far as reincarnation one could always come back as a dung beetle instead of a gnome.
Later
Argon