Jacob Lewis's latest activity

I really appreciate you bringing this perspective—it’s one that doesn’t get voiced often, and many would dismiss as unrealistic simply...

You are on to something here. I run a lot of Traveller and I tend to have narrative driven combats a lot more than I do with D&D/PF...

I think you’re hitting on a common pattern: in systems like D&D, the rules train us to express almost everything numerically—bonuses...

I guess I take issue with the idea of "wasted turns." The character tried to connect with the enemy and end the fight, but didnt...

Sure, but circumstantial bonuses are a pretty bad and clumsy way to handle the situation in most cases. It generally does very little to...

Thanks for these thoughts—there’s a lot to unpack. I especially appreciate the observation about how D&D’s wargame roots create...

@Jacob Lewis Excellent write up. I think you've addressed the same issues I've seen over the years. As a DM, I didn't really notice...

As someone who doesn't enjoy D&D combat (I'm more than fine with tactical minigames in general, I just find dnd combat loop to be...

Just want to throw out some thoughts to shake up expectations. 1. There are RPGs which not just mechanically don't-penalize but...

Exactly—and that’s the distinction that matters. Systems like Dungeon World or Daggerheart are built to reward narrative reactivity. The...

This ties back into the questions about balance and system assumptions though. In a game like Dungeon World, I may very well say exactly...

A very large part of it for me is even simpler that all that. It just takes too long to resolve most elements of the game mechanics...

I'll just leave this here.

I agree about the risk of adding complexity. The real pitfall is when we try to solve mechanical problems with more mechanics. What I’m...

A pretty good essay, this was the part where I think the discussion lies for us. This is how its done. There is still a pitfall that...