[+] Rules light RPGs

[Malmuria]

Okay, I'm familiar with these talking points already, but this really doesn't address my main point about how FKR is not necessarily free from players growing into more play-limiting habit formations as a result of their play experiences with a referee rather than rules. This is to say my gut reaction to the promotion of "exceptionalism" regarding any field, fanbase, or community is critical skepticism, as it rarely if ever holds up to scrutiny.

I don’t think rules lite games are “better” in some abstract sense, but rather is a potential benefit to certain gm and player types. FKR in particular seems to take the principles of the OSR (as in Finch’s primer and the Principia Apocrapha) to their furthest extent.

I personally don’t necessarily have a problem with a rules-medium game, except that I’m usually the one at the table that knows the rules best thus which is tedious. Also tedious is the 1001 minute differences among OSR rulesets; just pick one and go. Whether you have 6 stats or 4 or 3 in your booklet OSR game is not going to actually matter that much in play.

 

[GMMichael]

1. What is a rules light exactly? A system which covers many details of the game with plain and easy to play rules or a system which does not cover many aspects of the game? In a nutshell: the lightness is in the learning by heart or in reading fastly because there is not so much to read?

I was going to say that rules-light is having fewer rules (or perceived complexity) than D&D (any edition), but more rules than a board game. Then I looked up the Monopoly rules. If you added fluff to the Monopoly rules, you'd have a book that some would call rules-medium.

I've only gotten into rule light games just this year, and that's after almost 40 years of gaming. . .

Welcome to the Dark Side!

One of my favorite rules-light games is Microlite 20. I'm definitely pitching it to the next DM who asks me to try D&D. Note that the rules seem to be written in a 3e mindset, so you should speak D&Dese if you want to run M20 smoothly. Also, the character sheets (stat blocks to some of you) are blissfully short and sweet.

 

[Li Shenron]

Any other favorite rules light games people want to talk about or recommend?

I have had to run a RPG several time for children or beginners who really needed a "rules light" game. But instead of learning a different game, I have always just resorted to simplify D&D on the fly. I did this back in 3e and then again in 5e, which feels much easier to simplify. I just restrict character options and/or use pregenerated characters, and ignore some entire rules areas until I feel the result is simple enough for the current group. Knowing D&D quite well, this is much easier and faster for me than trying to find another game.

 

[overgeeked]

I don’t think rules lite games are “better” in some abstract sense, but rather is a potential benefit to certain gm and player types.

I think they're better for particular things, but not better in a broad "these are good, everything else is bad" sense. They're a tool in the toolbox. Use what you need, discard the rest.

I personally don’t necessarily have a problem with a rules-medium game, except that I’m usually the one at the table that knows the rules best thus which is tedious.

In a weird way, most people in FKR circles are the same way. They tend to be game hounds. Not just collectors but avid players of many systems with many levels of crunch. But, importantly, they don't see the rules or RAW as somehow holy. They have no trouble pulling games apart, hacking them, putting them back together just to see what happens. They're so familiar with the rules of so many games they realize that a whole lot of mechanics are smoke and mirrors. People who like solid mechanics object, but it's still true. So rather than deal with the smoke and mirrors, cut that out and get down to playing.

Also tedious is the 1001 minute differences among OSR rulesets; just pick one and go. Whether you have 6 stats or 4 or 3 in your booklet OSR game is not going to actually matter that much in play.

Exactly. Now zoom out on that to encompass all RPGs. It all comes down to describing your character's action, possibly using a randomizer, and having the referee describe the outcome. It doesn't really matter what system you're using (if any), it's all a conversation between the players and the referee and the occasional randomizer.

One of my favorite rules-light games is Microlite 20. I'm definitely pitching it to the next DM who asks me to try D&D. Note that the rules seem to be written in a 3e mindset, so you should speak D&Dese if you want to run M20 smoothly. Also, the character sheets (stat blocks to some of you) are blissfully short and sweet.

I remember hearing about that before but it slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder.

I have had to run a RPG several time for children or beginners who really needed a "rules light" game. But instead of learning a different game, I have always just resorted to simplify D&D on the fly. I did this back in 3e and then again in 5e, which feels much easier to simplify. I just restrict character options and/or use pregenerated characters, and ignore some entire rules areas until I feel the result is simple enough for the current group. Knowing D&D quite well, this is much easier and faster for me than trying to find another game.

I started my kid super-young with RPGs. We played with a badly drawn map on a dry erase board, a few minis, and Fate dice. The rules didn't matter. We just played. Instead of it being cops and robbers ("I shot you!" "No you didn't!") the dice resolved any questions. It's some of the best gaming I've ever had. Cheers, laughing, creative problem solving.

 

[pemerton]

Take, for example, Cthulhu Dark. If you approach this from a Trad way, as a simplified, GM-driven engine to resolve play, GM overhead will be high. If, on the other hand, you take the game and go for a Story Now approach, then GM overhead is reduced significantly.

Agreed. GMing Cthulhu Dark is easier than GMing (say) 4e D&D. There's no need for stat blocks, for instance. And there are very few rules to adjudicate.

The rules of an RPG give the players that ability to successfully judge the stakes for the play. If you take that away, especially if you replace it with the GM, then its harder to predict those stakes and make good decisions. Again, this really comes down to a culture of play issue -- if you're Trad or Neotrad, this is less of a burden because play is still focused on exploration of the GM's setting or story so stakes are communicated as needed for those moments. It's anathema to gamist play, which is why you don't see gamist rules-light systems very often (and I can't immediately bring one to mind).

The lightest game I can think of, intended for gamist RPGing, is T&T. But it still needs the GM to map and key a dungeon.

This is probably more my ignorance, though, than a fair account of gamist rules-light RPGs.

 

[overgeeked]

Speaking of rules-light gaming, Professor Dungeon Master just posted this quick video.

The complete rules to rules-light D&D.

 

[CleverNickName]

My favorite "Rules Lite" RPG: Dread. I am always down for a game.

 

[John R Davis]

Why do people say PbTA is rules light.
Ok so the basic mechanics are but running/playing is not " lite", it is one of the few RPGs you can play wrong.

Is there a term, and the modern world loves giving new made up words to describe stuff; an RPG that.

"This game has simple mechanics but so much other stuff going on it can feel heavy".

Ta

 

[aramis erak]

Why do people say PbTA is rules light.
Ok so the basic mechanics are but running/playing is not " lite", it is one of the few RPGs you can play wrong.

Is there a term, and the modern world loves giving new made up words to describe stuff; an RPG that.

"This game has simple mechanics but so much other stuff going on it can feel heavy".

Ta

Cruchy. Lite but very crunchy.

 

[Malmuria]