My thought when listening to someone complain about X rule in X ttrpg is so often just… don’t follow that rule, then?
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My thought when listening to someone complain about X rule in X ttrpg is so often just… don’t follow that rule, then? I feel like rules and mechanics are just like having an underlying grid in graphic design: a tool for when it’s helpful, not a sacred commandment that you’ll be sent to hell for breaking.
But then again, I’m someone who just wants to improvise the whole thing so I suppose it’s just in my nature to grip rules lightly.
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My thought when listening to someone complain about X rule in X ttrpg is so often just… don’t follow that rule, then? I feel like rules and mechanics are just like having an underlying grid in graphic design: a tool for when it’s helpful, not a sacred commandment that you’ll be sent to hell for breaking.
But then again, I’m someone who just wants to improvise the whole thing so I suppose it’s just in my nature to grip rules lightly.
And still I love a crunchy system, but that's because I love reading and I love absorbing ideas. I don’t love pausing to see how some niche one-time thing might work when we can just make it up on the spot.
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And still I love a crunchy system, but that's because I love reading and I love absorbing ideas. I don’t love pausing to see how some niche one-time thing might work when we can just make it up on the spot.
(I recently felt attacked by someone dissing “rule of cool,” feel free to ignore me)
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My thought when listening to someone complain about X rule in X ttrpg is so often just… don’t follow that rule, then? I feel like rules and mechanics are just like having an underlying grid in graphic design: a tool for when it’s helpful, not a sacred commandment that you’ll be sent to hell for breaking.
But then again, I’m someone who just wants to improvise the whole thing so I suppose it’s just in my nature to grip rules lightly.
@anderstallvik
The trouble with "don't follow that rule" is that the whole group needs to agree to that. In individual groups, sometimes that's easy and sometimes that's a source of friction ... and how easy the latter is to deal with depends on a lot of factors. In organized play, it's a complete nonoption — one reason why I don't like organized play. -
K Kichae crossposted this topic to Pathfinder
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My thought when listening to someone complain about X rule in X ttrpg is so often just… don’t follow that rule, then? I feel like rules and mechanics are just like having an underlying grid in graphic design: a tool for when it’s helpful, not a sacred commandment that you’ll be sent to hell for breaking.
But then again, I’m someone who just wants to improvise the whole thing so I suppose it’s just in my nature to grip rules lightly.
@anderstallvik A phrase I often find use for is: system is spatula.
I wouldn't want a kitchen without a spatula but, it's just one tool among many, it's not what makes the food, and there are some dishes where I won't need to reach for that particular tool.
Of course, then I look across the hall at some gamer proudly showing off an overwrought spatula that dispenses milkshakes if you push a button on the handle, and I hug my spatula warmly and say "there but for the grace of taste go I."
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@anderstallvik A phrase I often find use for is: system is spatula.
I wouldn't want a kitchen without a spatula but, it's just one tool among many, it's not what makes the food, and there are some dishes where I won't need to reach for that particular tool.
Of course, then I look across the hall at some gamer proudly showing off an overwrought spatula that dispenses milkshakes if you push a button on the handle, and I hug my spatula warmly and say "there but for the grace of taste go I."
@SJohnRoss Ha, I love this. If a nice curry is what one wants, it’s hard to achieve with but a spatula!
I imagine inviting someone over for a meal and just going “here’s your spatula, let’s eat soup.”
Sometimes, looking across the hall into any other kitchen (because I can’t help it, I’m curious) feels like staring into a void, but it’s doing the screaming, not me.
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@anderstallvik
The trouble with "don't follow that rule" is that the whole group needs to agree to that. In individual groups, sometimes that's easy and sometimes that's a source of friction ... and how easy the latter is to deal with depends on a lot of factors. In organized play, it's a complete nonoption — one reason why I don't like organized play.@pteryx This is very true. Thankfully, I’ve been lucky enough so far to only come across groups that are quite willing to get creative this way, or at least look things up later. That’s even true in the little bit of organized play I’ve experienced here in Amsterdam, although those settings are still a bit much for me: how am I supposed to focus on my table when there are people talking around us?
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@anderstallvik
The trouble with "don't follow that rule" is that the whole group needs to agree to that. In individual groups, sometimes that's easy and sometimes that's a source of friction ... and how easy the latter is to deal with depends on a lot of factors. In organized play, it's a complete nonoption — one reason why I don't like organized play.Pteryx the Puzzle Secretary This is one of the reasons I don’t like discussing games with people who primarily engage in organized play. In very real terms, we’re using the game system very differently, but they usually feel like they’re playing the one-true-way, and refuse to acknowledge that game systems are toolkits. It’s remarkably frustrating and alienating.
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