In article <ep8c9u$dku$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
Mary K. Kuhner <mkkuhner@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>In article <ep8a3v$22p$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, Del Rio <delrio@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
>
>[mouse to whale]
>
>>There's nothing in the system to prevent this kind of thing,
>>and truth be told, I think that in a non-script protected
>>universe, people would make "creative" use of spells like this
>>all the time. (Collapse a cathedral roof through judicious use
>>of Stone to Flesh, anyone?) Sucks for trying to run a serious
>>minded campaign, though.
>
>I don't think the effect is necessarily non-serious; my big
>problem is when the PCs are the first people ever to think of
>this stuff, which is almost invariably the case in published
>settings, and hard to avoid even in your own if the spell
>system is at all complex.
Yes, whales being used to block corridors is obviously a
desireable standard combat tactic in a serious minded
game. ;-)
>If castles can be taken out by a fairly low level spell, either
>there should be no castles, or defenses should have been developed,
>or people who can do that spell should be under some form of
>societal control. Any of those are fine, but the GM needs to
>know about them!
See, I have a problem with the first part of the proposition.
In most of my D&D campaigns, I have no desire to create a
civilization based on radically different attack/defense
measures than were used in history, because (1) that's
altogether more world creation than I want to get involved in,
and (2) making something so far removed from the fantasy
literature they've read and their previous gaming experience
would reduce the resonance that the players have with the
campaign. There's a reason that in Tolkien's writings kings
were tall, queens were fair, and swords were symbols of
authority. It resonated with him and his intended reader****p
because that symbolism and mythology are ingrained in their
culture. I don't want a pseudo-medieval D&D campaign where
castles are useless because people keep dropping whales on
them. Do. Not. Want.
--
"I know I promised, Lord, never again. But I also know
that YOU know what a weak-willed person I am."
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