Re: Re: Not abusing the suspension of disbelief (re: HQ2)

From: L C <lightcastle_at_...>
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:23:33 -0400


Bryan wrote:

>Another day, another layer of the onion peeled on the 'what is
bothering me' issue.
>It is probably more a matter of creative control of the author versus
the narrator.

Author control? For an adventure? I don't think an adventure has been published since 1980 that doesn't say explicitly, "you are probably going to have to change this to make it work for your party - feel free to do so".

>The feeling of ownership that would be outraged if someone took my
scenario of doom-laden demi-gods,
>and played it in such a way that the Nochet apprentices dealt with the
situation.

Like when those annoying hobbits with no training defeat your dark lord. ^_^

>Likewise if I'm playing in someone else's sandbox, my nature is such
that I want to do it 'right,' the way they intended.

Screw them. They exist to be ideas for me to mine for my own fun. ^_^

>But really:
>
>1) Once you release your ideas into the world, they aren't yours
anymore, so I need to give up such concepts, and

Yes.

>2) In kids literature the kids deal with the doom-laden demi-gods type
scenario happens all the time, so why shouldn't people play it that way?

Damn straight. Sometimes, in the real world, university students stand in front of tanks.

>3) Obviously I need to embrace my freedom to do things 'my way'
without worrying so much about the 'right way.'

Hells yes.

>Point three will probably be hardest for me, why I'll probably
continue to be uncomfortable for some time if scenarios
>have no indication of the type/power of characters for which they are
most appropriate. But I'll work on getting over myself.

Interesting, that never would have occurred to me as a problem. I'd also point out that the scenario almost certainly WOULD indicate what type of power level they were for.
Even if not obvious from the back, at some point, a scenario is likely to discuss what types of characters it was planned for. (War band leaders, squad leaders, epic sorcerers who sweep armies aside with a glance.) I mean, if I write a module called "War of the Gods - Ragnarok and Roll" and all the enemies/challenged are anthropomorphic representations of Cosmic Powers, throwing armies of demons at the heroes, I would think most GMs will figure out this should be run with PCs working on this level. (And if they don't, they will change my product somehow.)

LC

--Bryan

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