RPG Systems and Preparing To Run a Game

[chomiji]

This is mainly for telophase.

But by way of background for anyone else: I've been playing RPGs for far too long, including being one of the playtesters for Iron Crown Enterprise's first version of Rolemaster. I'm currently in a very by-the-book D&D game, and I have also played online games that used GURPS, first on CompuServe's RPGAMES board and late on the Dreamlyrics message gaming board. And I've run games on my own for friends, and as tournaments at conventions.

Why Do People Use Game Systems?

The purpose of an RP gaming system is to provide a framework within which the gamesmaster/storyteller (I'll use GM to refer to this person from here on) makes decisions. And really, just about all of the types of decisions that I mean can be boiled down to: Does the player succeed in the action that she is about to take? The rest is just supporting details. For example, if the decision is whether or not the player succeeds in a combat, then the details might include how much damage the player character takes and how much damage the opponent takes, and whether either of them has died or suffered limitations (in movement, for example) as a result. If the decision is whether the character succeeds in opening a door, the details might include whether a trap has been set off by the action. And so on.

All of the usual character creation and development processes are in support of this decision-making. The character creation may use a random pool of points - either totalled, or as a set of subpools that are assigned to specific characteristics (as in classic D&D, where each characteristic gets 3 × [1 to 6] points) - or it may use a set number of points that the player breaks down to "purchase" characteristics and abilities (as in GURPS). It doesn't really matter. The aim is to codify any character-based inputs to the GM's decisions. The same is true of any subsequent character development. There is usually some way to increase the character-based input to the process so that the GM's decisions are more likely to favor the character, but whether that's accomplished by adding points earned to a pool that represents an overall character skill/deveopment level (D&D, Rolemaster) or by providing points that can be used to "purchase" specific enhancements or increases in skill levels (GURPS), the aim is the same.

Most systems insert a random factor into the decisionmaking process, usually by having the GM and/or the players roll dice of some sort. This increases both game enjoyment -because the decision isn't predetermined - and realism - because even a very skilled person with great natural ability can't expect to beat all weaker opponents, or climb every wall of a given type all the time. There's always that lucky swing by the opponent or unexpected loose stone in the wall.

So - if you decide that you are not going to use some specific pre-made gaming system, you will have to decide some other way to make these kinds of decisions within the framework of the story you and your players are telling.

Some Things to Do Before You Start Running the Game

It's possible to buy pre-made modules to run as a game. I'm assuming that the GM here wants to create his or her own scnarios.

1. Decide on the story that's going to be told. Is it a running situational comedy? A quest with a significant ultimate goal? A cops/ghostbusters-type scenario, where the players solve a series of problems, each one self-contained? (There's also the "underground complex stocked with monsters to kill and treasure to take" - which is basically a shooting gallery. I'm assuming that anyone who's bothered to read this far isn't interested in that.)
    
2. Start fleshing out the story with details involving settings and situations, including significant non-player characters. This doesn't have to be complete in every detail before you start, but you have to start with something in hand!
    
3. Decide what to do about a game system. You might actually want to do this before the previous step, because it's often useful in setting up the story details (especially non-player characters, because a game system will usually have characteristics - stats, abilities - that you will want to determine for these guys).
    
4. Get any player input that you want for their characters. If you don't care about integrating the player characters closely with the game situations - for example, if your game could be described simply as "Let's kill all the monsters and take all their treasure" - this might means simply having them use the game system (if you're going with one) to determine their stats/abilities or whatever. But if your game is going to have a more richly detailed storyline, you may want to get some idea of what kinds of characters they want to run (not just mage vs. fighter, but also long-lost heir vs. famous wizard's apprentice, and so on) because this may help you in your scenario development, before they start doing the stats/abilities business.
    
5. Decide on what you're doing for the first "episode" of the game. Are the player characters already part of an established team, or will the first episode consist of an incident (or incidents) in which they meet?

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(Other people are welcome to chime in, too!!)

Comments

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I think one of the big questions is the difference between the typical tabletop RPG and the sort of online journal-based RPG we're looking at. There seems to be less GM-ly intervention, and in the cases of at least a couple of the ones I've poked through, some plots (when they're having them) are planned and generated by the players themselves.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

The basic context (at least for the part directed at me), is the idea of a cracktastic Bleach RPG based on my silly zanpakuto generator that popped up on my f-list after people said they'd be willing to play in such a thing. So me and the few people who were willing to work on the backend are (sporadically) hashing things out.

It would probably be a lot more like campfuckudie in action, although I can't see it ever getting that big just because it would be all OCs. :D

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I'm mostly not sure how much needs to be set up - basic rules, naturally, and some settings/items/whatever*, but I don't know where the balance between too much and not enough is.



* So far, the basic idea is that this is the Omega Crew of the Seireitei - the place where all the divisions dump their misfits and losers**. They got sent to the real world on some sort of mission and basically got forgotten in the mess when Ichigo et al. invaded. So they're stuck in their secret HQ, being run out of a convenience store (see the dire Bount arc), and subject to whatever malfunctioning equipment/gigais/whatever they've got, with the occasional Soul Society person throwing a wrench in the works (i.e. the only canon characters would be mods, because I like the idea of Yachiru messing with their heads.)

** Even more so than your normal run of shinigami, yes.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I've known from the beginning that I wanted a crack-filled freeform game* - that's not the issue here. I'm stuck on the setup because I don't know what ought to be set up beforehand and what shouldn't be.

* I've forgotten exactly who wanted to play, but the vast majority of RPers on my LJ f-list are LJ gamers, and a large number play on CFUD.

[chomiji]

You put us all on a mailing list, didn't you? (Or did you also remember that, and that's what you used to post that message?)

[telophase.livejournal.com]

The LJ filter is the people who were willing to work on it. :) As opposed to those who were just intrigued by playing it. XD

[chomiji]

Oh yeah ... >sigh<.

I shouldn't try to be intelligent when I'm going through this many Kleenexes ... .

>mournful honk<

[freeradical9.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, do you generally come up with any set long-running NPCs (non-player characters) when starting out? (This question actually only applies if the game is intended to stretch over more than just one adventure).

Speaking as someone who has played D&D for far too many years and dabbled in GURPS and some other systems (only occasionally GMed, however)--one of the things that seems to make a game work well is to have some stable characters that either a.) the PCs run into more than once in the course of a campaign, or b.) as other adventurers that the players hear about but never actually meet (generally PCs from lifted from past or completely different game systems).

It also might be useful to add to #4 (about getting an idea of what the PCs will be like) the concept of game balance. A fantasy party with no cleric is likely to run into trouble (and spend all their hard-won gold on healing), and a starship crew composed of all engineers and no pilot won't get very far unless they hire an NPC. Encouraging diversity in the player types helps save headaches later on. ^_^

Very interesting post, it's cool to see how other folks work out the set-up. (Hope you don't mind my two cents!) ^_^

[freeradical9.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of the Nobilis RPG, but did a quick net-search after your comment to look at some reviews. It sounds fascinating. One review mentioned some specific SF/F authors that the system draws elements from, and all of them are high on my personal library list. ^_^ Pity I haven't hooked up with a tabletop RPG group since I last moved--it sounds like a great system to try.

I'm now halfway through Dreamfall

Oh my gosh, you are really burning through those books! Very cool about the book/gaming parallels. I hope your PC didn't get into as much trouble as Cat always seems to! ^_^

[sanada.livejournal.com]

Oooh, a diceless, classless system? Sounds interesting... after doing so much of the paragraph-style LJ RP where the only control on actions is the fear of godmoding or acting OOC, it felt so weird to go back to dice and character sheets and all of that! *laugh*

[chomiji]

I once played an online game where it was sort of a compromise - you gave the GM a sort of character background summary with your character bio and then a list of what things you thought your character was good at, OK at, and bad at.

[chomiji]

I generally did have some "pet" long-term NPCs set up ahead of time. Some were allies of the PCs, and some were adversaries. All my games were pretty big quest-type games, and yes, it was helpful to have NPCs set up like that.

The game I'm playing in right now is pretty mechanical, but it's the only game I've got. I'd love to be involved in the sort of large-scale semi-serious game I used to play in, mostly with this guy as the DM. But this thing telophase is working on sounds fun too.

Actually, I will throw in an NPC if they're really stuck for a healer-type. But mostly my players were pretty good about balancing the classes themslves. When I'm playing, I'm often the cleric/lay healer (which nowadays makes me think of Hakkai ...) - although one of our current players was running a game for several months, and I played completely against type as a swashbuckling half-orc bard! She fought with a rapier, wore lacy shirts and velvet britches, and her musical instruments were guitar, bongos, and concertina ... .

(Re your 2 cents ... what are you, kidding me? Whip me, beat me, talk gaming to me ...!)