I see folks posting pure negative snark like "Worst RPG Rule?" and I always feel inclined to balance the coverage.  So what rules do you really, really like?

Tonight?  I'm inclined to think highly of Burning Wheel's "Let it Roll" rule ... it's much like the law against double jeopardy, that you can't be forced to roll on the same thing over and over again.  If you succeeded at the roll then you succeeded at that roll, and you can just keep on truckin' until something happens to make the task harder.

Make a spectacular role to sneak into a barbarian camp?  Then you've snuck in.  You don't have to check every time you cross an open space.  You bamboozled 'em!  Skulk to your heart's content.  Until, of course, you try to steal the gem from the chieftain's head-piece ... that pops up past the difficulty of what you'd succeeded at before, so then you gotta roll.

It's a nice, simple rule that's easily portable into many different systems.  It lets people get their money's worth from risky rolls, but at the same time it lets them know when they're about to take the big chance.  You can choose to walk away without looting the chieftain's head-piece, and be pretty damn sure that you'll get clear ... that lends weight to your gamble, if you take it.

And that's what I like about that rule.  What rules do you like?

One of the more interesting rules I've come across, is the Honor & Practicality rule for In Harms Way. It just fits the genre so well, very easily intergrated during play and has the effect of actually making the pcs consider their actions before hand - which normally translates into intense in game discussions. It's a :cool:  rule.

Regards,
David R

Maybe not "the best", and probably not unique to Jovian Chronicles or horribly original, but cinematic Jovian Chronicles (and SilCore) had the "WOO factor" (Weapon Out of Ordnance I believe it stood for). Basically, you only ran out of ammo if you fumbled your attack roll.

Quote from: WilMaybe not "the best", and probably not unique to Jovian Chronicles or horribly original, but cinematic Jovian Chronicles (and SilCore) had the "WOO factor" (Weapon Out of Ordnance I believe it stood for). Basically, you only ran out of ammo if you fumbled your attack roll.

I think the one thing, more than anything, that sticks in my head to this day about JC 1st Ed., is the essay about player equipment.

It's a little piece in a sidebar, written in a fiction style, about a guy (intended I think, to be a parody of your average PC), who shows up to a gala dressed in full combat gear, inteded to highlight the ridiculousness of PCs who insist on marching about everywhere they go loaded for war.  

Not a rule, but a great little piece nonetheless.

Quote from: J ArcaneI think the one thing, more than anything, that sticks in my head to this day about JC 1st Ed., is the essay about player equipment.

It's a little piece in a sidebar, written in a fiction style, about a guy (intended I think, to be a parody of your average PC), who shows up to a gala dressed in full combat gear, inteded to highlight the ridiculousness of PCs who insist on marching about everywhere they go loaded for war.  

Not a rule, but a great little piece nonetheless.

Them crazy Canadians have a good sense of humor.

Actually, now that I think about it the other "best rule" that Silhouette has - which I had never seen before but once again I'm sure it pre-dated Silhouette - is Damage Multipliers for weapons. The better the attack roll, the more damage you do. And just straight impairment to actions for wounds.

Receiving experience from blowing your ill-gotten loot on ale&whores, or other sorts of debauchery. Featured in Dave Arneson's First Fantasy Campaign and later other games (the Conan RPG has something similar, I think), it is a genius approximation of sword&sorcery literature. And much more fun than the gygaxian "training" stuff.

Bonus and penalty dice, and chargen, from Over the Edge,

The resolution flow chart, and statements, from Theatrix,

Sacrificing POW for Rune magic, from Runequest, (not too crazy about free INT though),

Snowballing successes, from Sorcerer (though I have some issues with other aspects of the game),

If you roll "find traps" and succeed, you find a trap (and so on) from Donjon,

Click and Lock chargen, from Capes (I think it would be really useful for pick up or high attrition games, though Capes as a whole isn't for me at all),

Chargen from Barbarians of Lemuria,

Evard's Black Tentacles, from AD&D, (best spell, evar),

Trump dice, from TIN*,

Combining sorcerous effects, from darcsyde's edition of Corum,


If I could mash it all up, I'd have the perfect game . With three chargen methods... well two, because I can combine OTE and BoL.

I've always had a soft spot for the "Ker-chink!" rule for shotguns in Feng Shui.  Spend an action point ("Shot") and mime working the slide on your shotgun and you get +1 to hit

Not quite a rule, more of a piece of GM advice and also from Feng Shui: "You're at the [first location of the adventure].  Why?"  Let the players figure out how to tie their characters into the plot

Quote from: MelanReceiving experience from blowing your ill-gotten loot on ale&whores, or other sorts of debauchery. Featured in Dave Arneson's First Fantasy Campaign and later other games (the Conan RPG has something similar, I think), it is a genius approximation of sword&sorcery literature. And much more fun than the gygaxian "training" stuff.

That's a good one. Have you seen Barbaran, by the way? That has an interesting experience system.

Quote from: Hastur T. FannonNot quite a rule, more of a piece of GM advice and also from Feng Shui: "You're at the [first location of the adventure].  Why?"  Let the players figure out how to tie their characters into the plot

That's pretty neat as well.

Best Rule?

Traveller Character Generation.

In Mongoose Conan you get from zero to one hit point by drinking a flagon of wine.

Quote from: TonyLBTonight?  I'm inclined to think highly of Burning Wheel's "Let it Roll" rule ... it's much like the law against double jeopardy, that you can't be forced to roll on the same thing over and over again.  If you succeeded at the roll then you succeeded at that roll, and you can just keep on truckin' until something happens to make the task harder.

It's also neat from a GMing point of view - if you fail at a roll, you cannot retry until something happens to make the task easier. Solves the constant-rerolling problem some systems have.

Also, it makes it easier to decide at what stage a PC fails - say they make roll 5 successes on a sneaking roll when they are getting into the camp. That means they get past the Obstacle-3 perimeter, and just about manage to get around the Obstacle-5 pen of hunting dogs... but when they try to get into the chief's Obstacle-7 tent, the jig's up!

Best rule (at least the most fun): criticals in d20!! It's sooo ridiculous that about 1 in 20 of all hits are criticals, and so much fun!!

Another good one is the overchanneling system in Wheel Of Time RPG. And "Gremlins" from Shadowrun rule.

Quote from: SettembriniBest Rule?

Traveller Character Generation.

Took the words right outta my mouth.  Basic or advanced, they're both really cool.

While I seem to be in the minority from what I've read, I really like the First Blood rule from Traveller, as well.  Not only does it neatly square with what I've read about firefights, it makes players really cautious before getting into a fight.

Quote from: Ordo DraconisBest rule (at least the most fun): criticals in d20!! It's sooo ridiculous that about 1 in 20 of all hits are criticals, and so much fun!!

Your math is off.

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