Thread: Killing PCs
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Old 10-12-2018, 11:36 PM   #41
Andreas
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Default Re: Killing PCs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Skarr View Post
Plot devices in my games tend not to have sheets or stats.

The actual stats for Asmodeus, the Cosmic Will of the Macroverse, Eessa, Mella, Mr. Smith, the Source, et al. simply don't matter. These are plot devices and, as such, only exist to fulfill a narrative element. In order for the players to do something that directly affects them in any meaningful way would take dedicated effort and could never just happen by chance.

As Hand of Bobb stated (coming in, bearing my kitty): "If you give something stats the PCs will try to kill it."
There are narrative benefits to giving stats for such things. It helps keep their behaviour and capabilities consistent. In some works of fiction, they blatantly change depending on the direction the author wants the plot to go at the time, to the detriment of the quality of the work.

Also, even if the players can't directly affect them through luck alone, stats would help you determine their chance of doing so if they spend dedicated effort on it.

"If you give something stats the PCs will try to kill it." is just a matter of giving them appropriate stats. If you do, then the PCs wouldn't be able to kill things which should be far beyond their ability to affect.
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