Chris Gethard "plays" D&D on Beautiful Anonymous

MNblockhead said:

No. But it wasn't D&D, or any TTRPG for that matter.

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Amber Diceless would like to have a word. As would a huge swath of TTRPG's which don't rely or even heavily rely on mechanics.

The notion that unless we're throwing dice, it's not really an RPG needs to die in a fire.

Hussar said:

Amber Diceless would like to have a word. As would a huge swath of TTRPG's which don't rely or even heavily rely on mechanics.

The notion that unless we're throwing dice, it's not really an RPG needs to die in a fire.

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Perhaps my original post was not written clearly. I have no problem with diceless systems. One of my favorite games of the past couple of years is Dialect.

My problem is claiming to play a game, but not actually playing the game.

I would further argue that they were not playing any TTRPG because they were not following any rules.

I have no issues with improv comedy, or collaborative story telling, or playing make believe. All are forms of play. Often they may involve role playing. Who knows, perhaps in certain contexts these are "games" -- I'm not a game theorist. But they are not D&D.

Here's a test. Go to your FLGS and advertise a D&D game. When the players arrive, tell them to put away their dice and books and say you are all going to just sit around the table and improv an adventure. Some may love that. But some will be upset by the bait and switch and they would be justified in feeling that way.

Meh. The fact that some would love it shows that it's an idea that has legs. "I love it"or "I hate it" isn't a criteria for what is a TTRPG.

I mean, heck, I've had entire sessions that have barely, if at all, referenced any mechanics. Does that mean I'm not playing D&D? Or I'm doing it wrong?

Lots of folks look at the books of D&D as the starting point, not the ending one.

Fair enough.

Ultimately it doesn't matter. I'll play and run games that I enjoy and avoid those I don't, regardless of a non-gaming podcast episode.