Theory

RPGs Should be Unfair

Nov 28, 2023 · 4 min read · RPG Theory

A 'fair' RPG game immediately cuts the believability from a game. It slays engagement far more than a golden dragon, or a mushroom-man. A 'fair' game takes the fear out of the players, which robs RPGs of one of their unique abilities among games - death. Let me tell you about the 'unfair' things my world did to my …

Fixing White Wolf's Combat

Jun 30, 2022 · 11 min read · RPG Theory White Wolf

As established in the previous article , the World of Darkness' combat system sucks. But the right system can make everything better. (If you want to skip the system explanations, you can just download the revised White Wolf pdf ) No Combat Emphasis First off, I'm not making a combat system. The World of Darkness …

The Open Source RPG Dream

Jan 30, 2022 · 7 min read · RPG Theory BIND FOSS

The cynics say that we keep reinventing the wheel. They say we have too many RPGs, mostly doing the same thing, and why bother to write yet another RPG about elves and magic swords? And they have one thing right - we should stop re-writing RPGs from scratch. Instead, we should change them. Knave started as a …

How to Write a Tabletop RPG

Dec 2, 2023 · 12 min read · RPG Theory Design

This chronological rundown of how I approach RPG design will go over the most universal principles I've learned or copied from others. Attitude All rules are bad, but some rules are worth it. The rest of the ideas here will talk about technical implementation, but the core thought, riding alongside every notion, is …

Nobody Plays by the Rules

Dec 2, 2023 · 3 min read · RPG Theory

I was once attacked by a horde of kobolds, and it taught me a lesson. These attacks weren't uncommon, when playing the old Baldur's Gate computer game. I threw a poison cloud spell at the kobolds, and they started randomly falling over, getting up and walking a few steps, then falling over again. As the dozen little …

Railroading: A Definition

Nov 8, 2023 · 4 min read · RPG Theory

Definition 'Railroading' means that an out-of-game white-list constricts in-game actions. A 'white-list' is a complete list of things one can do. A white-list of websites would mean that someone connecting with this white-list can only visit sites which exist on that list. Conversely, a 'black-list' is a list of things …

The Metaphysics of Becoming a Tree

Oct 13, 2023 · 2 min read · RPG Theory

All magic systems have some ontology, and most ontologies come from Aristotle's view of the world. This is why someone turned into stone might retain their vision, motion, and thoughts. In Aristotle's view, everything has: form (the shape) substance (what it's made out of) telos (what it's for) first-cause (where it …

Why Systems Matter

Aug 23, 2023 · 4 min read · RPG Theory

Gaming systems are incredibly important. Chess provides a better game than Monopoly. The benefits of a good system won't present themselves immediately - and that's a feature, not a bug. The system should provide a good time, not spent your time telling you why it provides a great time. But I will. I will tell you why …

Minimal Verisimilitude in RPGs

Aug 1, 2023 · 3 min read · RPG Theory

I don't believe in 'complex' or 'simple' things - those words point to feelings, not facts, so we may as well debate the nature of beauty. But I can count how many steps a system has, and show anyone the result. RPG systems have a minimum number of steps to retain that nice feeling of realism, and I think that minimum …

Dungeons Need More Space

Apr 23, 2023 · 3 min read · RPG Blorb Theory

The dungeon ecosystem doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I think Tolkien has a fix. Wandering Monsters Don't Make Sense I love the formula. In the cold depths, something approaches, and it wants to eat you. Deep underground, you tread carefully, then stop as you hear heavy footsteps. Or perhaps those aren't feet? …