Re: "scripting" contests

From: simon_hibbs2 <simon.hibbs_at_...>
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 15:47:17 -0000

All very true and good, but the contention was not that dice can help you have fun. It was that without dice an RPG _cannot_ be creative and surprising.

There are commonly used (in diceless circles) techniques for producing the effects of 'critical' successes in diceless games. In your example, the GM could ask the sorcerer which of the five Principles of Will (just made those up) the sorcerer was invoking, under which of the three Aspects of Knowledge (just made that up too). The GM thinks of a combination that would synchronise with the priest's ritual (3rd Principle under the 2nd Aspect, for example) and if the player chooses the same combination, >BLAMO<.

The same 'make up some options as you go along and get the player to make a guess' technique can be used in swordplay. The GM imagines a weakness and a strength for the opponent, and if the player chooses an appropriate or inapropriate attack then that can severely affect the result. Clever players start looking for these weakneses and strengths, and testing apparently tough opponents. It all adds to the fun.

The advantage of this method is that you can use in-game-world narative elements to do this, without invoking external game mechanics. You just have to be a bit creative (damn, the flaw in my plan is exposed. Mere mortals can't be creative, of course!)

Simon Hibbs

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