Using the Rules as Written

Spend enough time online and you'll see this subject come up now and then. I came across it most recently over at the RPG Blog II today.

My own view on this subject is very straight forward. After selecting a set of rules, and then modifying them to meet the group's needs- there is never a good reason to not play them as written. The very act of needing for whatever reason to alter them on the fly is proof that you've selected the wrong rules to begin with, or failed to modify them to suit your needs. In other words, you don't know what you're doing.

Perhaps I need to rephrase that last, while it's true that you may not know what you're doing (or at the very least failed to do it well)- it is perhaps even more likely that you're not willing to admit what you're doing. You say you want to play D&D, and perhaps most of the time you're happy with that- except when it doesn't agree with you and then you in effect cheat to get what you want.

Yes, cheat. That's when someone breaks the rules of a game to suit a desire of their own. Even if it's by agreement. A golfer who shaves strokes off his score with no more than a laugh from his buddies is still cheating. The difference between the golfer who does this and most gamers however is that the golfer is typically at least honest with his pals who heckle him for it but accept it.

Gamers just lie to themselves, saying it's a normal and accepted part of the hobby. And then get mad if someone like me calls them on it. They aren't man enough to admit what they're doing, to others and perhaps even to themselves.

The behavior is very childlike really. It's that greedy part of ourselves that demands things go our way. It's someone losing a bet who then refuses to pay up instead begging for 'the best two out of three'. It speaks ill of the person doing it, and it speaks ill of the hobby that it is commonly accepted.

What's interesting about this is that there are game systems that include mechanics that in practical terms give you anything you want. Don't like those, you can add subsystems to any game to achieve the same goal. Thus a person has to select a system that doesn't (and then refuse to modify it) in order to have the option to cheat. Which tells me that to these people- the act of cheating is more important to them then the playing of the game itself.

Or they can take the golfer's approach, and just admit that they cheat and laugh off the heckling they get for it. It has the advantage of at least being honest.

Common RPG Questions

Since I've started this blog, I've written number of series that drove rather deeply into specific subjects and in a way I consider those to be the highlights of this blog.

There are however a number of common questions that I see raised again and again. The answers for these are typically rather short and I've been debating how to approach them as a body of work. So far I've just done one-off posts. This then is an attempt to take advance of the tools a blog offers.

This will be a parent post that I'll link to on the right together with  those to the more in-depth series. I'll update this entry with links to future posts that address common and basic questions about RPG design and usage I often see. Further I'll toss a label on it of  Common RPG Questions so that feature can be directly used.

It will at least be useful to me, and we'll see how it goes. I'll add in few links to pass articles to kick it off

Complexity

• Equilibrium of Complexity 
• Groups and Complexity
• Musings on Complexity

Using the Rules as Written

At last, a good answer to my opinion on FATE

My reaction to the Dresden Files RPG and the FATE system produced a fair amount of nearly unintelligible nerd rage as the comments for those posts show. Which I always find amusing, mostly because so many of the comments are just plain stupid. And I think stupid people are at fault for many of the world's problems, so it gives the world an good excuse for being so screwed up. There is a 'correctness' to it all in a sad way.

And I'll be honest, part of the reason I post some of my opinions is in order to see if there is anyone out there with any sense holding a opposing opinion. Most of the time the answer is a resounding no. Typically all I get is hateful bile and ad hominem attacks, which was certainly the case this time around.

Well almost the case this time around. Someone did surprise me. Rainswept at Romance Monsoon had this reply to my charge of "Why people blow their hard earned money on works that a monkey could do in his spare time is beyond me."

And it's a good reply. It still indicates a approach to RPGs that I don't agree with, but it indicates a person that at least begins to understand theirs and is willing to present it without going bonkers and acting like a fool.

So well done Rainswept. I must give you your point, and since you're likely not interested in a dust up- I'll spare you my answering one.

Judging FATE

This is an answer to Wyatt in a comment from my previous post about the Dresden Files RPG. He asked what I didn't like about FATE.


FATE is at its core FUDGE. And FUDGE at its core is just a resolution system.

By that, I mean a method of rolling dice to see if an attempt at something is successful or not. The difference between that and an true RPG system in my mind is the difference between playing a game of chess, and rolling a couple of dice to see if you're declared the winner of a game of chess.

FATE adds some not uncommon chrome to the core FUDGE Mechanic. Fate points that when expended add to the roll (hence the system name I imagine). Also some other small details like Aspects which strikes me as a bit of concept theft (not a bad thing) from RISUS, those can be called upon to generate Fate points and/or provide other modifiers in various ways.

The result is a very bare bones systems. Characters sheets that wouldn't fill and index card and very little to actually do from a game play point of view. Sure you can decide to shoot someone, but the game is too course to handle the tactical details of that except as non-rule connected descriptive fluff. Sure you have a character, but one with a very limited number of mechanically defined handles for the player to hold.

Which is why the authors claim that FATE (to quote their website):

"focuses on telling stories and balancing characters based on story significance, rather than points and cool powers. It's the system of choice for GMs who are looking for rules that get out of the way of the story, but still provide enough structure to get the job done."

I'd phrase that differently: FATE is a terrible game system, only useful to add a degree of randomness to whatever story you or or players happen to be railroading.

Now to be fair, if actually playing a game isn't the goal- FATE is a rather fine simple resolution system with enough chrome to almost invoke the favor of the setting. It's better than most that attempt the same thing.

But it's FUDGE, its simple. You don't need to spend money on the game books to use it. I wouldn't send Evil Hat Productions a dime even if I liked the ideas behind their designs. Do it yourself because to a large degree that's what the (free to anyone) FUDGE system demands anyway.

Why people blow their hard earned money on works that a monkey could do in his spare time is beyond me. Unless it's their parents money and they need to fill the bookshelves in the basement...

The Dresden Files

I will have to admit to something of a guilty pleasure. I really like the Dresden file books and just finished up the latest entry in the series, Changes. The whole Film Noir meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer approach appeals to me. Also at 12 books, it's the longest running series I've encountered that hasn't jumped the shark. Most don't get past the second book.

In general I find urban fantasy rather unbearable, for example anything by Kim Harrison or Kat Richardson is just bad. Not that Butcher is a great writer. There are parts of the books that cause me to cringe (yes I know it's noir, but every girl having the hots for the main character just screams author wish fulfillment). But when he's on, he's on. He does with rare exception the best version of Paladins I've seen in fantasy and the same for his fey.

There's a Dresden Files RPG that one can now pre-order.

Sadly this game won't live up to its source material. The Fate system is horrid, the art work being used doesn't fit. I have no reason to buy the game. It will be yet another failed rpg license that will be off the shelves (if it even makes it there) and effectively forgotten about in a handful of years. The Internet keeps games like these in something of an undead status after their life span reaches the end because overhead is so low- but they are still by any rational matter dead.

Maybe if they did adventures, those might be of interest. But they won't. The whole point of the setting is for things to be very tailored and personal to the characters, and that doesn't lend itself to pre-written adventures. Besides, this is a game company who's claim to fame is Spirit of the Century and that line currently consists of all of two books. These are not productive people, and highly productive people are needed for success.

Dresden it seems is doomed to failed cross-overs, but it the TV show or an RPG. Oh well, that's life.

It is tempting for me to kick off a Dresden style campaign on my own (using HERO System 5th edition). It fits well in my already existing time line. Only the other hand, I'm think I should just enjoy the books. I have other campaigns to run and I can fit Harry and his like into my Year One Marvel setting as a cameo appearance easily enough. A little Harry goes a long way.


Edit: Follow-up to this post here