If you’re using a narrative tool and people in your group are trying to counter it with meta, then there’s a disagreement on what the purpose of playing is. But that’s not what you’re asking. As for narrative tools, if your story depends on stat blocks, it’s probably too narrowly defined by combat for excitement. There are better ways to create encounters that are interesting and not based solely on combat.
I’ve always expected and embraced surprises as a GM. Players not picking up on the plot hook dangling in front of them? There are narrative consequences (consequences, not punishments). The bbe was too easy? They were a pawn for a secret cabal that is now paying attention to you or they are split across four physical bodies that have to be killed at the same time or it was really just a parasite that was controlling them and escaped or they were only doing bad things to prevent oblivion gates from opening or now there’s a power vacuum that’s bringing out all sorts of dangerous dudes and temporary alliances or a million other ways to make things interesting over a bunch of “Um, actually the monster manual says it has 68 hit points and we’ve already done 72 so shouldn’t it be dead?” “No, I’ve given it extra hit points to keep things exciting!” Combat can be a satisfying conclusion to things but it’s also often the least creative.
If you’re using a narrative tool and people in your group are trying to counter it with meta, then there’s a disagreement on what the purpose of playing is. But that’s not what you’re asking. As for narrative tools, if your story depends on stat blocks, it’s probably too narrowly defined by combat for excitement. There are better ways to create encounters that are interesting and not based solely on combat.
I’ve always expected and embraced surprises as a GM. Players not picking up on the plot hook dangling in front of them? There are narrative consequences (consequences, not punishments). The bbe was too easy? They were a pawn for a secret cabal that is now paying attention to you or they are split across four physical bodies that have to be killed at the same time or it was really just a parasite that was controlling them and escaped or they were only doing bad things to prevent oblivion gates from opening or now there’s a power vacuum that’s bringing out all sorts of dangerous dudes and temporary alliances or a million other ways to make things interesting over a bunch of “Um, actually the monster manual says it has 68 hit points and we’ve already done 72 so shouldn’t it be dead?” “No, I’ve given it extra hit points to keep things exciting!” Combat can be a satisfying conclusion to things but it’s also often the least creative.