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5 months ago ::
Jan 13, 2013 - 3:12PM
#121
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Date Joined:
Aug 22, 2007
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There are 2 kinds of games
Structured Results games where the success, failure, and the degree of either is agreed upon by impartial game mechanics.
Freefrorm Results games where the success, failure, and the degree of either is created by the players and GMs themselves.
D&D is a Structured game. The book and the dice determine your success chance and tell you whether you pass or fail.
All that can be argued is how the success rate and degree of success is determined and how much you prefer your choices affect this.
I understand the difference between structured and freeform games. But I don't understand why D&D is a structured game for everything. While you could certainly roll dice for every single action taken, you don't have to. The DM guidelines even talks about simply ignoring the dice. In other words, the game is as structured as you want to make it.
While I think most people who play D&D closely follow the rules when it comes to combat resolution, roleplaying (at least in my experience) is freeform. Dice will be rolled when the outcome is uncertain (how will the high priest react to this argument? roll the dice), but most of the time players simply roleplay.
D&D is as structured as you want it to be.
The only issue and point of this thread is how much should the description of the characters and their actions and how much that affects the rate and degree of success. D&D has become more and more roleplay to mechanics as the years go by.
You can make all weapons attacks deal 1d8 damage.
Or you can adjust his weapon to 1d12 because you RP a character wielding a greatsword.
And you can add his STR mod because you RP a strong character
You can negotiate terms with the Prince with a check
And you can make it a CHA vs WIS check to introduce character ability
And you can add skill dice to introduce roleplayed character skill
Orzel, Halfelven son of Zel, Mystic Ranger, Bane to Dragons, Death to Undeath, Killer of Abyssals, King of the Wilds.
Constitution Based Class for Next!
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5 months ago ::
Jan 13, 2013 - 6:03PM
#122
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Definition of arbitrary aside, freeform roleplaying means not adhering to many, if any, set rules or guidelines. A game, by definition, adheres to a preconcieved set of rules.
game
/gām/
Noun
| A form of play or sport, esp. a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck. |
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Free-form Roleplaying(n.) A style of roleplaying which allows a player complete freedom to control his or her own character within the inherent restrictions of a setting.
edit: Sorry for the bad formatting. The first definition refuses to format correctly.
FATE is a roleplaying game with rules that allows player complete freedom to control his or her character within the inherent restrictions of the setting.
I also disagree with your definition. Most freeform RPGs use a referee or Storyteller for adjudication based on a preconceived ruleset.
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5 months ago ::
Jan 14, 2013 - 2:36AM
#123
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Date Joined:
Dec 13, 2006
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FATE is a roleplaying game with rules that allows player complete freedom to control his or her character within the inherent restrictions of the setting.
So if you wanted, at any time, you could simply say "my character hits that guy, knocking him clean out with the first blow" without rolling any dice, spending any fate points, nothing, you just say your character does it? Then why are there even rules when you can simply dictate the outcomes of your actions by simply saying it is so? That is what Free-Form RP is. The outcome of character actions is not determined by dice, or game rules - it's simply determined mutually by all parties participating in the Free-Form RP session.
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I also disagree with your definition. Most freeform RPGs use a referee or Storyteller for adjudication based on a preconceived ruleset.
Please explain to me what a "freeform RPG" is, and how it is different from a regular TTRPG?
Want the tl;dr of my posts? Read the bold text; I put it there to highlight the main points for ease of skimming.
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5 months ago ::
Jan 14, 2013 - 6:26AM
#124
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Date Joined:
Jun 17, 2010
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How does D&D Next NOT have freeform roleplaying? You can roleplay your character any way you want. There are no rules to tell you how to roleplay, no dice to roll to decide what your character is doing.
The only way you wouldn't be free to roleplay is if the books had charts and tables for it. "Ok...let me roll on the Opening Line chart to see what I say first...'Nice to meet you, sir/madam!'"
Thank you.
So, you should be absolutely fine with having a robust, mechanically well-designed game, then?
D&D Next = D&D: Quantum Edition
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5 months ago ::
Jan 14, 2013 - 9:55PM
#125
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How does D&D Next NOT have freeform roleplaying? You can roleplay your character any way you want. There are no rules to tell you how to roleplay, no dice to roll to decide what your character is doing.
The only way you wouldn't be free to roleplay is if the books had charts and tables for it. "Ok...let me roll on the Opening Line chart to see what I say first...'Nice to meet you, sir/madam!'"
Thank you.
So, you should be absolutely fine with having a robust, mechanically well-designed game, then?
There are people that simply don't answer when the answer wouldn't help their side of the argument. It is a shame indeed.
I don't quite understand people arguing against stuff that will have a minimal effect on their playstyle.
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5 months ago ::
Jan 14, 2013 - 10:03PM
#126
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FATE is a roleplaying game with rules that allows player complete freedom to control his or her character within the inherent restrictions of the setting.
So if you wanted, at any time, you could simply say "my character hits that guy, knocking him clean out with the first blow" without rolling any dice, spending any fate points, nothing, you just say your character does it? Then why are there even rules when you can simply dictate the outcomes of your actions by simply saying it is so? That is what Free-Form RP is. The outcome of character actions is not determined by dice, or game rules - it's simply determined mutually by all parties participating in the Free-Form RP session.
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I also disagree with your definition. Most freeform RPGs use a referee or Storyteller for adjudication based on a preconceived ruleset.
Please explain to me what a "freeform RPG" is, and how it is different from a regular TTRPG?
Sure, you can say it. That doesn't mean it happens. More to the point, you can say it is what you want to do whenever you want to do it, with no mechanical preventions. Freedom to control a character does not equate to success in that character's attempted action.
Freeform RP does not imply dictation of interaction. There is in fact still conflict resolution.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeform_role-play...
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5 months ago ::
Jan 14, 2013 - 10:29PM
#127
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Date Joined:
Jun 22, 2008
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My thoughts:
Fighters use martial damage dice which they expend each turn to perform maneuvers.
Barbarians use pain and anger to fuel their rage. Causing damage or receiving damage builds their power throughout an encounter. They become progressively more powerful as they inflict or receive injuries.
Rogues use skill tricks ( get rid of the martial damage dice)
Cleric prayers are based on a percent likelihood of success depending on their class level and their faith or obedience level in following the will of their deity. No maximum number per day but percent success decreases per spell level cast. Druids are a form of cleric which worships nature as a deity.
Wizards use ritual only magic. Their spells are easily disrupted but are potentially the most powerful. They all have verbal, somatic, and material components. Wizards have spells pools. Spell use drains them until they can no longer cast.
Sorcerers are innate magic-users. All their spells are at will. They gradually build to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level spells.
Warlocks, Binders, and Channelers are Vancian in nature as their spells are granted by pacts with otherworldly powers, bound vestiges, or channeling celestial beings. Spells do not drain them but they have limited use of these powers.
Monks use ki power which are at will, encounter, and daily powers.
Bards and Assassins are themes to add to any of the previous classes. They require certain sacrifices but add certain abilities.
Rangers and Paladins are multiclass fighter/druids and fighter/clerics.
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