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Which can you play without (a d20 or role-play)?

Started by Shawn Driscoll, April 22, 2016, 02:42:59 AM

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Shawn Driscoll

April 22, 2016, 02:42:59 AM
If you had to choose one to get rid of in an RPG session, would you choose the d20 die or would you choose the role-play?

Omega

#1
April 22, 2016, 02:45:55 AM
Uh... what the hell?

dragoner

#2
April 22, 2016, 02:54:19 AM
Quote from: Omega;893529Uh... what the hell?

I think the drugs have kicked in.
The most beautiful peonies I ever saw ... were grown in almost pure cat excrement.
-Vonnegut

Ravenswing

#3
April 22, 2016, 03:10:11 AM
Dude, either you need to get some more sleep, or you need to lay off the drugs.  (The only other possibility that comes to mind at 3 AM involves perversions concerning d20s I really don't want to contemplate.)
This was a cool site, until it became an echo chamber for whiners screeching about how the "Evul SJWs are TAKING OVAH!!!" every time any RPG book included a non-"traditional" NPC or concept, or their MAGA peeners got in a twist. You're in luck, drama queens: the Taliban is hiring.

Rincewind1

#4
April 22, 2016, 03:54:47 AM
I assume this is a tongue-in-cheek question whether, if you absolutely had to, you'd rather get rid of mechanics or role playing.

D20 die, every time.
Furthermore, I consider that  This is Why We Don\'t Like You thread should be closed

Catelf

#5
April 22, 2016, 04:27:24 AM
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;893528If you had to choose one to get rid of in an RPG session, would you choose the d20 die or would you choose the role-play?

Why are you assuming all rpgs use a D20 at all?
Or dice at all?

And where goes the limit for roleplaying?
If one just play classes and not characters, is that still roleplaying?

If I turn a WtA - session into a dungeouncrawl in the Umbra against the wyrm, and the players play "characters" that is barely more than classes like mage, bard and warrior with some tribal-derived quirks, then i'm practically playing an rpg without D20s but also without any notable amount of roleplaying.
Sure, it is barely more than a wargame, but it still has the known framework of an rpg.
I may not dislike D&D any longer, but I still dislike the Chaos-Lawful/Evil-Good alignment system, as well as the level system.
;)
________________________________________

Link to my wip Ferals 0.8 unfinished but playable on pdf on MediaFire for free download here :
https://www.mediafire.com/?0bwq41g438u939q

Bren

#6
April 22, 2016, 12:23:28 PM
Tunnels & Trolls, In the Labyrinth, GURPS, WEG Star Wars,  Barbarians of Lemuria, Honor+Intrigue....
Currently running: Runequest in Glorantha + Call of Cthulhu   Currently playing: D&D 5E + RQ
My Blog: For Honor...and Intrigue
I have a gold medal from Ravenswing and Gronan owes me bee

daniel_ream

#7
April 22, 2016, 01:09:04 PM
The D20.  There's a lot of ways to add randomness and uncertainty to the evolving narrative, and the industry is stuck in a dice mechanics rut.

Fate of the Norns and Everway are great examples of how to use not-dice in an RPG.
D&D is becoming Self-Referential.  It is no longer Setting Referential, where it takes references outside of itself. It is becoming like Ouroboros in its self-gleaning for tropes, no longer attached, let alone needing outside context.
~ Opaopajr

ZWEIHÄNDER

#8
April 22, 2016, 01:16:29 PM
Role-play comes first, and the dice frame success or failure of choices. Dice aren't essential if the mechanics are able to properly reflect the binary outcomes of a die roll (nuance aside).

I'd toss out the dice.
No thanks.

Saurondor

#9
April 22, 2016, 01:21:47 PM
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;893528If you had to choose one to get rid of in an RPG session, would you choose the d20 die or would you choose the role-play?

Role-playing is the purpose,  the d20 is just the means. If you're sitting at a table what would you get rid of, the snack or the hunger? You can satisfy your hunger with other things aside from snacks, but without hunger the snack serves no purpose.
emes u cuch a ppic a pixan

dragoner

#10
April 22, 2016, 01:29:43 PM
Quote from: Saurondor;893665Role-playing is the purpose,  the d20 is just the means. If you're sitting at a table what would you get rid of, the snack or the hunger? You can satisfy your hunger with other things aside from snacks, but without hunger the snack serves no purpose.

The dice all also meaningless in their own way, he could be talking role-playing mechanics, which I'd get rid of. I don't need the rules to tell me how to role-play, esp if it's going to be like some youtuber.
The most beautiful peonies I ever saw ... were grown in almost pure cat excrement.
-Vonnegut

ArtemisAlpha

#11
April 22, 2016, 03:00:12 PM
Depends on the day. I've had a ton of fun playing very rules light RPGs. Tomorrow I'm playing in a modern horror campaign that rarely touches dice. But, the day after I'm playing in an ongoing Star Wars: Imperial Assault campaign play game - which, while a board game, is pretty much what playing without the role-play looks like in my mind.

AsenRG

#12
April 24, 2016, 07:38:10 AM
Easily the d20 die, especially since it's not used in any of the games I'm playing now (especially since I stuck the Godbound powers mechanics on top of a different die mechanic).
What Do You Do In Tekumel? See examples!
"Life is not fair. If the campaign setting is somewhat like life then the setting also is sometimes not fair." - Bren

DavetheLost

#13
April 24, 2016, 09:14:03 AM
Nuke the d20 from orbit! Cleanse it with fire!

The last five games I have run did not use d20s at all. Most of the games I am considering using do not use the d20 at all either.

As for games that do not use dice at all, add Castle Falkenstein, gentlemen do not play with dice, and Underworld which uses subway tokens and spare change.

Armchair Gamer

#14
April 24, 2016, 11:03:32 AM Last Edit: April 24, 2016, 05:24:28 PM by Armchair Gamer
Quote from: Bren;893638Tunnels & Trolls, In the Labyrinth, GURPS, WEG Star Wars,  Barbarians of Lemuria, Honor+Intrigue....

  ... HERO System, BESM, LUG/Decipher Treks,  MERP, Decipher LotR and The One Ring, most forms of BRP, GUMSHOE, FUDGE and FATE, Prince Valiant, Castle Falkenstein, the SAGA Rules System ...

    And those are just the ones I have in my apartment or on my hard drive. :D
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