True IMHO.
'cept when the rains come, the griffins are in heat, and a windlord is
trying to knock you down so HE can get the sword.
Story can make the challenge, but if a precedent has been set, try to stick
by it.
> By guiding the players choices through the stories you choose to tell, you
> are breaking two meta-rules I consider important to good GMing. First, you
> are choosing stories for meta-game reasons, not for their inherent
> interest.
Good point. Perfectly valid.
> But choosing stories based solely on the lessons about character
> management they hold for the player just seems wrong to me.
Yeah, but I think the point trying to be made is to utilise stories that
remind 'characters' of their obligations, place and role in the world are
good. One of our games features
a PC with "Avoid work 5W" or thereabouts. Great for characterisation but it
might have long term repercussions for the struggling village we live in.
> At the end of the day, Benedict finds the rules as written work for the
> stories his group tells. Great. But I think he has cause and effect
> backwards here. The meta-game should fit the story, not the other way
> round, and claiming that changing the story can fix meta-game problems is
> entirely wrong.
Slightly off topic...
The reason my group recently gave up a D20 Star Wars campaign, was 'cause
the rules of the game are about (and I'll quote my GM here) "what your
character can't do, not what he can do". Rules should be their to expand on
the fun and development of the story, not vice-versa. I told the GM we
should switch to HW. It's a much more Star Warsy system, heroic, cinematic
and freeform. Only problem then it he the Dang movies dominate to much of
people imagination.
## Benedict
> I was trying to suggest that some activities that the narrator should be
> doing anyway (using contests only for drama, varying the contests,
> giving each person a chance to be the star, providing realistic
> opponents) will naturally encourage players to diversify their HP
> expenditure, and so reduce the rate of advance.
I think that came through, but your original statements could have been misinterpreted. It also really depend on the game you run. Harvest skill may be more important than combat abilities if you have a farm to run, but bloody rebel outlaws will tend to be combat wombat types until the glorious empire can end their disturbance to the peace.
Great discussion guys/
Pete
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