I'm not too sure why he keeps reinforcing the idea that "spells just happen". It feels like it's trying to dispel a common misconception, but I have absolutely no idea what that misconception would be.
this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2024
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KOTT's frames most of his videos as introductions to the game. He's doing "Pathfinder 2e for Dummies for YouTube". He keeps reinforcing the idea that spells just happen because it's the kind of distinction that someone who's never touched a TTRPG before might need made for them.
He does it over and over again because he doesn't assume anyone has watched any of his previous videos.
compared to lifting a boulder or leaping a chasm, you have to roll a d20 for those, spells just happen without rolling to see whether it will happen.
Ok first, awesome username.
But uhh, doesn't that same logic apply to a bunch of things? You don't roll to speak, you just do it (and roll to see if it was convincing). You don't roll to loose an arrow, you just do it (and roll to see if you hit).
no i mean, those were the specific reasons listed in the video.
I mean, I also watched the video. I just didn't understand why he would feel the need to emphasise that stuff "just happens" when you cast spells. Why wouldn't it?
it was in specific comparison to things you have to roll for. Spells are magic, there's no question that they happen, the question is what happens because of the spell, so you might roll for damage or to hit. in contrast, there's a question whether you will lift the boulder (muscles are not magic) so you roll to check whether it's even possible for you before determining the consequences (throw the boulder, roll to hit and for damage). so physical events tend to require checks to see whether it's possible, but spells do not require this check, they simply occur because of the nature of magic.