Missing rules
What rule light systems sacrifice
The more I browse new RPG systems the more I realize rules are often missing. In play I often have to improvise using rules mostly coming from older version of D&D.
It’s strange because I don’t like comprehensive sets of rules like Pathfinder or the 3rd edition of Dungeon and Dragon. But some of those rules are essentials to the 3 pillars (combat , exploration and social) design promise. Here is a list of rules I often need to import from other system,
Morale/reaction table : without this every encounter is a fight to the death. It negates the potential for social interaction inside the dungeon. I like giving me players the choice of purchasing wounded enemies.
Chase rules : It makes the game more dynamic. It’s more fun than a simply attack of opportunity and a speed comparison. A chase can have to purpose either losing the pursuer or retreating to a safe or more favorable place.
Hexcrawling : or another good world exploration rule without it exploration is confined to dungeon. It make the game world feels bigger and more flavorful. I know that hexcrawling isn’t beginner friendly because you need to create content for all those hexes.
Time management : Time pressure is the best way to control the game pacing. It makes the game more exciting. Time is a resource. Managing time is a skill. Every game is ultimately about decision making. Time is always a factor. It prevents bad cases of analysis paralysis. Indecisiveness is a common player fault. It’s not fun.
Encumbrance : I understand managing encumbrance isn’t the main appeal of the game. I find that knowing the weight of your usual package helps a lot. But you never need the perfect coin count (weight is measured in coins in classic Dungeon & Dragon). With experience scaling your player have to haul an increasing amount of riches back in town from their adventure. They should consider buying pack animal and use hirelings and retainers. Exploration in those game is mainly done by framing adventures as expeditions.
Downtime Carousing or Training : Your game need time and money sink. It truly matters in campaign play. You don’t want your party to reach max level in less than a year of game time. Especially in a sandbox games, it’s better to gives the worlds time to react to your player action. It makes them feel they have an impact. I think travel time is enough and having 1 day of game time passing for each real life days between session (as mention in the Dungeon Master Guide) seems arbitrary. Players need something to do with all the money they bring back from the dungeon. We should give them opportunity to invest in the game world. Some kind of introduction to domain play less involved but still rewarding and immersive.
Downtime Rumors Sage : it gives a diegetic way to introduce lore on topic that truly interest your players. When they seek advice and spent their gold piece it’s usually sign they will actually listen and use those information. It helps the sandbox style of play by giving an incentive to investigate those rumors. Lore or knowledge skills feels cheap. Mainly because it doesn’t feel mysterious when you get your answer immediately. And a failed a lore roll isn’t exciting for anyone.
I don’t like when a system spend more time on character option (class and spells) than anything else. It certainly helps helps selling the game to your friends or consumers. But those thing are barely used at the table after character generation. I don’t want my to becomes about mechanical character creation and progression. I want my players to tell their table story not to explain their current build.
Similarly I don’t like the “what make sense for the fiction” approach of some rule light games. You can either create a predictable story that make sense or an unpredictable living and immersive world, not both. That’s the main difference between a classic RPG and a story game.
Lastly Dungeon Master fiat should be use with extreme caution and care. It tends to favor the more disagreeable players to the detriment of those unable to argue their case.
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Cordialement,
Minodrec