Saturday Q&A (jan 6)

Griffin writes,

[in regards to the Dec 30 Q&A]

I expected you would be at least lukewarm trending toward positive for less complex rules over no rules. Let's use weather/temperature for an example. Three example options: -- No rules means it's always sunny and pleasant.

• Simple rules means five different states, hot, warm, pleasant, chilly, cold. With simple outfits for each to avoid penalties.

• Complex rules with actual temperature ratings and having to wear specific amounts and types of clothing to avoid finely granulated penalties.

The third option is the best, but I would figure the second would be okay for someone not able or willing to run the more complex version. Surely it would be easier to expand from the simple rules option than go straight from no rules to complex rules? On the other hand I know you are a proponent to throwing people into the deep end and against small steps toward a goal. So I guess I just want more of an explanation of the logic behind no rules over simple rules?

Answer: I can't quite agree on a point or two. "No rules" does not mean things are necessarily "sunny." I've run many, many sessions where it was raining, sometimes bitterly so, or snowing, or with blistering heat, because the terrain and time of year called for it. Players accept that "weather" happens, and a DM can easily describe it the same way that he or she can describe a cabin or a forest or a town street.

I think, with regards to weather at least, "simple rules" aren’t ever going to cut it. You're just asking for player confrontations. We are used to viewing the weather in super-incremental bits, measured actual temperatures, and ever person alive knows there's a huge difference between 35 degrees F and 50 degrees F. So what does "chilly" mean? That I'm wearing a kind of clothing? How is that immersive? What am I, a player, supposed to do with that information, besides ignore it? How does it advance the setting's feel? Sounds like extra fluff I have to pay attention to, not something that actually affects what my character does or where he goes.

And for the record, "cold" is the worst. Are we talking "cold" like Texas without power (27 F) or "cold" like Greenland's ice sheet (-60 F). Trust that as your player, I'm going to want to know which it is, every time it comes up. You'll be forced to produce some kind of number ad hoc, because your rules are "simple."

Weather is perhaps the hardest aspect of the game's setting to convey. For all my talk, you should know I haven't -- except for brief periods, as it usually crashes and burns in a play test -- implemented any of the new information I've gained from chatGPT. I don't know if I ever will. It's a terrifically difficult matter to handle in game, in real time, when time is scarce, and players always dig in their heels and resist. These are problems I haven't sorted; yet I go on devising and researching, in the hope that I or someone else may someday crack the problem.

Maxwell from California writes,

[in regards to the The DM's Role]

"Some time can be made for players to explore and learn independently — there are always large parts of game play designed expressly for this purpose."

Are these good examples of what you mean by those parts?

• arranging the six stat numbers

• choosing what actions to commit to, whether exploring or in combat

• making level-up choices like new spells known

• picking and arranging equipment

Those are what first come to mind as choices that individual players must ultimately make for themselves, even if others help. Curious whether you're thinking of something else, and if so what?

Answer: Yes, primarily those things. The stat numbers are complimented by a variety of metric options available to the player, including choosing spells and equipment as you stated, even the choice of class or race. When I wrote the line, I was thinking mostly of your second point Maxwell, as when players enter a space and are given a description, it's up to them to interpret that and look around; you're right about combat too, as all the variances of what to do when are subject to player exploration.

Giving it a little thought, players are also able to decide how to interact with the beings of the setting, both friendlies and non-friendlies. Apart from a need to adopt excessive characterisation in speech, this is also something I wouldn't interfere with -- though naturally, wrong choices would invite repercussions.

The interpretations I'll offer for the setting and the rules are meant to clarify for the players things like the environment being very dangerous; that people know magic exists, so don't get clever and try to cast spells in public like no one would notice; don't try to push against long-established rules that have worked a certain way for hundreds of sessions. That sort of thing. Some people respond very negatively to this sort of "advice." They assume that if I say that priest over there won't hesitate to condemn you as a threat to the general welfare because you decide to disrespect church property, it means I want to force them to humble themselves before priests. Which they don't want to do, but which was standard and expected behaviour in my game's time frame. This is an example of my "controlling their character" ... though I see it as, "don't do something stupid and get yourself killed."

 _____

Thank you.

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