What's the one element, feature, theme, or mechanic that you consider absolutely critical, that you use in all your games, and that you could never be convinced to run a game without?
RPGPundit
Theme: Nobody's Perfect.
-clash
Almost all my games feature some manner of espionage or subterfuge. Few straight up battle epics. I'm all about adventures wherein the players must discover, defeat, overcome, survive, or perpetrate some manner of betrayal, sabotage, or misinformation.
'Ancient evil threatening to be reawakened...'
Boy do I use that a lot.
Theme: the PCs are heroes in the best sense of that word.
Theme: there are badguys out there and they need their asses kicked
Mechanic: rolling dice
Quote from: jrientsTheme: there are badguys out there and they need their asses kicked
Good call. It goes hand-in-hand with mine :win:
Quote from: jrientsTheme: there are badguys out there and they need their asses kicked
Mechanic: rolling dice
I think I can sign onto that bandwagon as well. :)
Quote from: ColonelHardissonTheme: the PCs are heroes in the best sense of that word.
Theme: Evil and/or morally ambiguous characters is fun! "We kill for a living."
Quote from: beejazzTheme: Evil and/or morally ambiguous characters is fun! "We kill for a living."
:shrug: To each his own. This isn't a "defend your choice" thread.
Another theme: Good and evil are what you do, not what you are.
Actually, that's a corollary to my first theme...
-clash
Quote from: RPGPunditWhat's the one element, feature, theme, or mechanic that you consider absolutely critical, that you use in all your games, and that you could never be convinced to run a game without?
RPGPundit
Element: Characters with quantifiable attributes, skills, edges, flaws and backgrounds.
Feature: Fantastic, but intrinsically dangerous, universes where adventuring is not just feasible, but much more rewarding than "buying a couple of oxen and farming for a living."
Theme: The PCs have to distinguish themselves as heroes before they earn the title, and from then on, life is that much harder because they have to live the life of a "hero," not just a "really powerful person."
Mechanic: Must use dice, preferably a dicepool verses a single die. (And no none of this "add them all together" nonsense!)
Quote from: VellorianMechanic: Must use dice, preferably a dicepool verses a single die. (And no none of this "add them all together" nonsense!)
:D I'm glad *someone* agrees with me on this one!
Mechanic: Hit points. No apologies.
Quote from: beejazz:D I'm glad *someone* agrees with me on this one!
As an aside, I've been playtesting a dicepool mechanic that has two different kinds of success in a single role and where the goal is
not to accumulate "as many dice as possible," but provides players the means to lower difficulty or gain extra actions by sacrificing attribute or skill dice. It's called "sliding" the difficulty.
I think you might like it. :)
Quote from: VellorianAs an aside, I've been playtesting a dicepool mechanic that has two different kinds of success in a single role and where the goal is not to accumulate "as many dice as possible," but provides players the means to lower difficulty or gain extra actions by sacrificing attribute or skill dice. It's called "sliding" the difficulty.
I think you might like it. :)
As a side note, I'll have to check that out. I'm looking in to using dicepools for hit locations and/or tiered damage. It's fun what you can do with "number of successes."
And back to on-topic: Mechanic: Lots of options. If it's a point-buy game, I had better have OPTIONS. If it's a class and level game, there had better be at least 20 classes. If there are feats, there had better be a couple hundred, and the same goes for spells. I don't care *how* you handle character creation so long as I can create lots and lots of off the wall shit.
I'm so easy on mechanics and themes that it's a little crazy.
Dice pools or straight dice? Yes.
HP or Health Levels? Sure.
Levels or no? Okay.
So long as the game isn't so broken I can feel it radiating from the book in waves of dark power (see: Synnibar, also reference not a game: Wushu, et al.), I'll give it a shot.
Quote from: VellorianMechanic: Must use dice, preferably a dicepool verses a single die. (And no none of this "add them all together" nonsense!)
Here:
Mechanic: Must use dice, preferably a fixed number of dice instead pf a varying dicepool. If it muse be a dicepool, prefer binomial to additive, and lots of fidgety little extensions like special colored dice, magic number combos on odd tuesdays, etc., are right out.
Play must be reasonably quick. A simple combat shouldn't take all night, even with inexperienced players. You shouldn't have to consult more than 2 charts, perform complex math, or make more than 2-3 rolls to figure out what happens for a single action.
Otherwise, I can't think of much that I require to be present every time.
Quote from: VellorianAs an aside, I've been playtesting a dicepool mechanic that has two different kinds of success in a single role and where the goal is not to accumulate "as many dice as possible," but provides players the means to lower difficulty or gain extra actions by sacrificing attribute or skill dice. It's called "sliding" the difficulty.
I think you might like it. :)
That sounds a lot like what I've been doing with StarPool. I'm interested!
-clash
Theme: Good and Evil often use the same tactics but for subtle differences in objective.
Mechanic: Ability to improve. I do not like iconic characters or games where I cannot improve.
Theme: Evil rarely, if ever, identifies itself as such. Those who are considered Evil often think that they are doing "the right thing in the situation."
Co-theme: There is no such thing as a malefic religion (I find it too hard to willingly suspend disbelief in that regard... a legacy of far too many years studying religion). Insane cultists, on the other hand, are always a good addition to any genre.
Element: Cinematic battles with an obscene number of "innocents" running around, screaming, and generally getting in the way whenever possible.
Mine is almost certainly the absolute power the GM has over his game.
Hence my absolute sense of sickening revulsion at most Forge games.
For mechanics, there's really none that I am particularly tied to in a positive sense; though there are a few that I don't like at all (dice pools).
As far as themes are concerned: the significance of the individual and his power to make a difference, and the cyclical and inevitable corruption or incompetence of organizations unless kept in check by good individuals.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPunditMine is almost certainly the absolute power the GM has over his game.
"You dare defy my whims? I am the gamemaster. You are my pawns. I have created the world you see before you. I CONTROL YOUR FATE!" - Dexter, in Dexter's Laboratory episode "D&DD".
Element: Balance and Realism.
Nah I'm kidding, if I needed them I wouldn't be playing any RPG.
More seriously, I'm not sure I have anything like that at least as a GM.
I refuse to do without FUN!!!
Quote from: droogI refuse to do without FUN!!!
Meh. Much of life isn't really fun. I find to better enhance immersion and to create a real feeling of verisimilitude it's best generally to avoid fun only having it every couple of sessions. For historical games, to reflect the generally decreased leisure time available in most periods, I prefer to only permit fun every four to six sessions.
Theme : I create a setting.
I allow the pcs to exist in it.
They rebel.....and they have a plan.
Regards,
David R
Theme: magic is erratic, sometimes weak, usually dangerous and corrupting.
Random Character Generation.
Yeah, I must admit I'd have trouble going back to points-based builds.
Partly because they're less fun than the surprise of playing a dwarf or a huge and powerful man with a dex so low he trips over his shoes half the time.
Partly because I can't be arsed to make that many detailed choices about my character.
Theme: Sometimes stuff blows up when you hit it hard enough.
I don't think I have anything I won't give up at least briefly.
I do know one of my players caught on to a recurring theme--the double betrayal.
Example; A villain betrays the heroes to another villain, said villain then betrays the betrayer often trapping, dispatching the first betrayer because for whatever reason his or her purposes are contrary to the second villains. (and sometimes second villain means LESS harm to the PCs...but fathoming why usually has a deep dark catch.)
Quote from: BalbinusMeh. Much of life isn't really fun. I find to better enhance immersion and to create a real feeling of verisimilitude it's best generally to avoid fun only having it every couple of sessions. For historical games, to reflect the generally decreased leisure time available in most periods, I prefer to only permit fun every four to six sessions.
Your ideas are intriguing, but for some reason they make me snigger.
Quote from: SettembriniRandom Character Generation.
Now, that can be some fun for sure...of course it can be pretty awful too. The only time I tried Hackmaster I rolled up a blind orc cleric, with a number of other staggering disabilities. I had wanted to play a dark elf assassin. I know that many of you might say that a blind orc cleric might have a lot of great possibilities to explore as a character, but the point is that it wasn't what I wanted to play. The GM refused to budge on this, so I did - by quitting the game.
Still, this is a pretty drastic situation. Normally, I have a lot of fun with what a roll of the dice can bring.
Anyone looked at the WILDSIDE RPG? There's charts o' plenty there.
Damage track.
Feats
As far as a game mechanic goes, I kinda need hit locations. Sorry, but any game where a .44 between the eyes does the same damage as one to the foot just kinda leaves me a little cold....
Knob gags
Edit: "Dick jokes" to you colonials
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalYeah, I must admit I'd have trouble going back to points-based builds.
I'm right there with you. I'd much rather dice up a dud and make him rock in play than spend hours building the perfect killing machine.
Quote from: jrientsI'd much rather dice up a dud and make him rock in play than spend hours building the perfect killing machine.
Oh, it doesn't necessarily take all that long...
The Perfect Killing Machine: A Major Destruction of All Living Things
Base Cost: Miracle Level 8
Activation: Simple (-1)
Area of Effect: Almost Anywhere (+1)
Flexibility: One Trick (-3)
Rarity: Uncommon (+1)
Domains: Multiple (x2)
Total Cost: 12 Character Points
A long-lost doomsday weapon inspired by the Dark during the last hours of the antediluvian wars, once willingly activated this Gift will generate a global shockwave capable of reducing every living thing in the world into ashes in a matter of moments.(It's a little something for
Nobilis, in case you didn't guess. You
could get the same effect for a much cheaper price, but the resulting devastation is so comprehensive that I wanted to make it a bit more expensive.)
Evil women.
Character advancement.
Quote from: Dominus NoxAs far as a game mechanic goes, I kinda need hit locations. Sorry, but any game where a .44 between the eyes does the same damage as one to the foot just kinda leaves me a little cold....
Without hit locations, I just figure if it's a crit it's between the eyes, or through the heart or whatever.
Quote from: AosWithout hit locations, I just figure if it's a crit it's between the eyes, or through the heart or whatever.
This sounds like another "design" topic, but I think that in an abstract system, low damage is almost by definition an extremity hit, high damage is a hit to a vital part.
Quote from: Caesar SlaadThis sounds like another "design" topic, but I think that in an abstract system, low damage is almost by definition an extremity hit, high damage is a hit to a vital part.
That's the way I run 'em.
-clash
Quote from: Caesar SlaadThis sounds like another "design" topic, but I think that in an abstract system, low damage is almost by definition an extremity hit, high damage is a hit to a vital part.
How much damage is it if you write that on a nine-inch nail and pound it into somebody's head?
Quote from: RPGPunditWhat's the one element, feature, theme, or mechanic that you consider absolutely critical, that you use in all your games, and that you could never be convinced to run a game without?
RPGPundit
Definitely the total player/GM split set forth by the D&D at the birth of our hobby.
I don't consider anything without that to be part of my hobby at all.