Narrative Control - Episode 47

Hi, Welcome to the show.  This episode Fattig and I are talking about another Rob Donoghue article: Druid’s vs. Color.  What happens when the description of a power all flavor and has no mechanical effect?

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length: 24:38

[00:29] Intro to the show.  Flavor vs. Crunch.  Inspired by Rob Donoghue ’s post
[00:46] Excerpt from Rob’s article. http://rob-donoghue.livejournal.com/335247.html
[01:56] Rob’s stuff. Don’t read it all or your head will explode as per Panty Explosion
[03:09] The cons of a disconnect between a powers description and its effect: breaks suspension of disbelief.
[04:18] Pro: gives players total liberty to add in any flavor or description to the game.
[05:45] A moment of silence
[05:47] Ahhh… the Druid.  I loved the wild shape power so much… and then I found it did nothing (or Rob told me so).
[06:67] Wild shaping doesn’t mean anything.  You can be a Bearmotar!
[07:44] Bearmotar can make diplomacy rolls!
[08:21] Beast form powers balanced with human form powers
[08:32] Sean’s major problem.  Beast Form powers are powers that only a druid can do anyways.  So how does wild shaping do anything?
[09:50] Narrative Control’s first split.  Fattig disagrees.  He’s wrong.  But he’s got an argument.  Giving mechanical effects can get broken very fast.  His proof:  http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869366/The_most_powerful_character._EVER.
[11:24] Why Wizards did this? Balance.  Druids work exactly like every other class. 
[14:01] Where do they give back some oomph to the Bearmotar?  Feats.  Is this enough? That you can spend a feat to make your power actually mean something mechanically?
[16:17] We still don’t agree.   Sean’s story of Sadric
[17:27] Fattig: “Well, you can die inside a little. Cause I think it’s just fine.”
[17:53] Skills in octaNe mean nothing. 
[18:44] I hate mechanics that feel like they are just wasting time.  Most combat mechanics.
[19:51] Fattig gets the soggy Doritos!  Customizing powers to suit your character is awesome.
[21:04] The evolution of 4.0 from 3.5 putting a focus back on the narrative and away from the mechanics.
[21:41] An all flavor game that I LOVE: Wushu  gave me a lot of freedom.  Here we come soggy Doritos.

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