'Kalinore' from Tomb of the Witch King (spoilers)

[KevinJ]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

This is the thing I'd like to see thought out more carefully in published works. I'm happy with all sorts of NPCs with all sorts of crazy, made up powers. But if your explanation of who they are and how they got there implies that they have lived under rules we already know, then that character's stats and other rules-bound qualities should make sense. I.e., your story, the core rules and the stat block should all line up with each other.

For example, if Kalinore's back store had been that he was a physically powerful warrior king who used a powerful, lost magical artifact or scroll or whatever to transform into a lich then the stat block we are given jives with where he came from. Or, if Kalinore had been an archmage but the rules block for liches says they gain 10 points of ST (but no IQ) after transforming, then story, rules and stat block would again line up. What I don't like is the feeling that the author's eyes aren't on the road when a concept is getting transformed into hard numbers and lists of spells and talents.

Yes, this exactly. Just creating a block of words and numbers to fit your narrative, but if it can't be explained within the mechanics it breaks things for me. Narrative+rules=interesting and fun.