Author: Tadeusz (---.mindspring.com)
Date: 05-01-2004 11:51
Mike, I think that one reason people say 'rulebook' as opposed to 'role-playing book' is that sylablble count thing. Two vs. four sylabbles.
Vampire, as I've seen it played is one of three things. One its Vampions: The game of gangbangers with superpowers. Two, its a Larp with the almighty judge's characters shoving around the punk players. Three, its people dressed in black standing around doing nothing. And then when they do something, its the most trite and simple 'let's all mob the Baali bad guy' possible.
Lets go to novels. You can have a plot-heavy novel with thin characters, and its a lot of fun even if not very deep. The equivalent of popcorn, maybe, but popcorn is good for you.
You can have a millieau heavy novel which corresponds more closely to the Storyteller ideals (even if not their actuality) in which the author spends tons of time telling you about his setting, and the heroes are often pretty passive, or even downright ineffectual loser sorts who make things worse whenever they muster the gumption to try to do something. Can you say Choo-choo! Sure you can, at least for the worst of these.
And you can have what amounts to character sketches as a novel. But not a whole lot happens, and there is all this Potential Energy of Character just looming waiting to act, but it never acts. This sounds like what you are proposing.
Or you can have a more appropriate mix. One of the ancient questions for writers is "Where does plot end and character begin?". It is sometimes expressed as "Character is destiny." In a novel, these usually grow organically together. But that often involves a lot of rewriting which is generally not allowed in RPG's (although that's an idea; make a game where retconning is normal).
In order to run a heavy character game you need 1)Dynamic characters with goals and passions that they ACT on. Passive drips are right out. 2)A GM who can improvise like crazy. I can do the improvising; I'm that type of GM, but most GM's are not. And asking them to be so would be cruel. Just as cruel as asking me to get out on roller skates since I really like solid ground under my feet. And most GM's need the solid ground of a detailed plot under their feet.
Without a solid plot most games are going to be "You go to the market and wander around until the GM gets desperate and throws some banal idea at you for lack of anything better." A solid plot gives the players something to utilize their strong characters on. You don't see the heroism of Frodo as he wanders around the Shire. He does not tap the depths of his character until he is struggling across the wastelands of Mordor, and he finally shows the deepest secret as he decides to keep the Ring.
Also, I would have to disagree that D20 is bad because I am coming out with a fun (although with some deep ideas) dungeon for a PDF file called Wolves of Burning Light. And to those who thought some French game was innovative because it did not have stats on the monsters, well, I really wish I could do the same for my game. Its written, all 30,000 words of it, but I need the D20 numbers inserted for the monsters and the new spells. If not for that, it would probably be ready in two weeks for sale. And it would be an inferior product for the lack of numbers.
And, its mostly popcorn, but not every meal has to be dire serious. That would be dull. I'm also working on a lot of other settings for a print book, and there is a lot of highly unusual stuff in that, both in the rules and in the settings.
People need variety.
Tadeusz
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