Intrusion Explained

[Morrus]

For those of us who were unsure what it meant, Monte Cook's mentioned it in an interview on MTV:

For the Game Master, you aren't necessarily so bound by hard-and-fast rules. In fact, there is a rule called GM Intrusion. GM Intrusion is when the Game Master decides to make a change in an encounter to make it cooler. At any point, the Game Master can say, 'GM Intrusion! As you are fighting this weird beast, your sword falls out of your hands and goes across the floor. Now what you going to do?' And a player has to deal with a new circumstance, but on the flip side the player effected gets an Experience Point. (Unlike in D&D, one Experience Point is pretty significant in Numenera.)

 

[I'm A Banana]

Initial reaction: What's up, Fate Points?

 

[Janx]

MTV interviews D&D game designers?

 

[Morrus]

MTV interviews D&D game designers?

So does Forbes, these days. And AICN now covers tabletop games, as does Wil Wheaton -- seems to me there's a lot more exposure in the last year or two.

 

[B.T.]

At any point, the Game Master can say, 'GM Intrusion! As you are fighting this weird beast, your sword falls out of your hands and goes across the floor. Now what you going to do?'

Sounds like Monte is cribbing into from Dungeon World, only less good.

 

[DMZ2112]

At any point, the Game Master can say, 'GM Intrusion! As you are fighting this weird beast, your sword falls out of your hands and goes across the floor. Now what you going to do?' And a player has to deal with a new circumstance, but on the flip side the player effected gets an Experience Point.

I don't understand this new movement in RPGs. I have always done this, and without giving the PC anything in return except maniacal laughter. How is this better?

MTV interviews D&D game designers?

Seriously, stop the world, I want to get off.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Initial reaction: What's up, Fate Points?

Except with Fate points the PC has the option to refuse and instead turn a Fate point in to cancel the whole thing.

I prefer the Fate points.

 

[Janx]

Except with Fate points the PC has the option to refuse and instead turn a Fate point in to cancel the whole thing.

I prefer the Fate points.

or just cash in the Fate Point to "Kirk roll over to my sword and scoop it back up and get back to killing monsters"

Calling out "GM Intrusion!" is just lamesauce breaking of immersion.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Except with Fate points the PC has the option to refuse and instead turn a Fate point in to cancel the whole thing.

I prefer the Fate points.

It's a good point. Looks like Numenera might require a sort of table dynamic where there is a great deal of trust in giving the DM a great deal of authority. Knowing Monte's other work, this doesn't shock me too much.

 

[Rune]

I think the very name of it is problematic. I don't mind at all if a GM has the means to interrupt and/or trump a PC's action--especially if the player gets something out of it, but calling it an "intrusion" is just asking for the players to get pissed about it. It stresses an adversarial dynamic between the GM and players.