What mechanics or subsystems do you use regardless of the game you are running/playing?

Fenris-77 · Sunday at 3:14 AM

I cordially detest 5E and don't run it or play in it, for whatever that's worth.

sevenbastard · Sunday at 2:38 PM

GO BACK TO TOWN CARD

Every player gets one card that they can play during the adventure to represent something they would have done in down time or would have remembered to bring with them on the adventure.

For example you might hand wave a week of down time and three weeks of travel by boat and then you get to the first room of the dungeon and everyone in the party realize they forgot to buy rope after you left it in the last dungeon. Spend a GBTT card and you have rope. Or maybe no one thought to ask in town about what that strange symbol was in the book you found. Use a GBTT card and you did.

Basically its a way to not punish players who forget to do important things that thier charachters would have remembered.

VHawkwinter · Sunday at 3:22 PM

Scott Christian said:
Chef #1: Have you tried Jacques Pépin's omelet recipe?
Chef #2: No. I saw it and instantly [removed the cilantro] because I knew it would be better.
Chef #1: How did you know? Don't you think you should have tried chef Pépin's recipe?

That is not scolding. That is asking a legitimate question.

Fair. And it's a question I would have an answer to. "I've had cilantro before and I'm part of the subpopulation for whom it tastes like eating soap".

Reynard · Sunday at 3:27 PM

Scott Christian said:
And, as I said, I agree with that.

House rules are a thing. They are somewhat of a tradition. But to ask whether you implemented a house rule prior to trying the actual rule is not "scolding" as Reynard called it.

In the end, you do you. But if someone questions on you doing you, especially if you haven't tried what the writers intended, then don't be surprised if they act surprised.

Chef #1: Have you tried Jacques Pépin's omelet recipe?
Chef #2: No. I saw it and instantly added escargot because I knew it would be better.
Chef #1: How did you know? Don't you think you should have tried chef Pépin's recipe?

That is not scolding. That is asking a legitimate question.

Presumably, these two chefs are of equal skill but different preferences. it is actually a pretty good analogy for GMing: GMs have experience and skill and know what they enjoy and what thewy are good at cooking up, just like Chef's. While I suppose it is legitimate to ask "why" in order to learn something about that GM and their preferences, I think it still sits in the rude zone to frame it as "but why didn't you do it RIGHT first?" "Don't you think you should have...?" is exactly a scolding question.

Koloth · Sunday at 3:42 PM

A limited variation on the Go Back to Town Card above. IF a party encounters a situation where a nominal amount of <normal thing> is needed and no one in the party has such an thing AND the party has enough cash on hand to have purchased the thing, THEN someone in the party is assumed to have bought some and has it on hand. 50ft of rope is nominal. 500ft not so much. One flask of oil is nominal. A whole barrel, no. This is a general version of the character ability some games have of "After checking all my pockets, I found some...."

This helps avoid the issue of players having to spend hours on detailed lists of equipment and supplies for and adventure and most of the stuff never being referenced during the adventure. Also encourages players to avoid spending every last copper piece.

doctorbadwolf · Sunday at 6:16 PM

Flashbacks
Usually 1 per scene, or proficiency bonus oee day. You get to say rhst you prepared for the situation at hand.

Force Points
If a game doesnt have a metacurrency that can be spent to push a check higher, i add one.

Scott Christian · Sunday at 6:48 PM

Reynard said:
Presumably, these two chefs are of equal skill but different preferences. it is actually a pretty good analogy for GMing: GMs have experience and skill and know what they enjoy and what thewy are good at cooking up, just like Chef's. While I suppose it is legitimate to ask "why" in order to learn something about that GM and their preferences, I think it still sits in the rude zone to frame it as "but why didn't you do it RIGHT first?" "Don't you think you should have...?" is exactly a scolding question.

If you have to change my word of "intended" to an all cap "RIGHT" then you know you're in the wrong. I will take this as you know the question is valid, and there is no "scolding" behind it. You just don't want to say so. That's fine. I can get stubborn at times too.

VHawkwinter · Sunday at 7:32 PM

Reynard said:
Presumably, these two chefs are of equal skill but different preferences. it is actually a pretty good analogy for GMing: GMs have experience and skill and know what they enjoy and what thewy are good at cooking up, just like Chef's. While I suppose it is legitimate to ask "why" in order to learn something about that GM and their preferences, I think it still sits in the rude zone to frame it as "but why didn't you do it RIGHT first?" "Don't you think you should have...?" is exactly a scolding question.

Sometimes the GM making the changes without playing it as written first has almost no experience in different systems or experience in analysing the mechanical construction of various TTRPGs, and doesn't actually understand what they are changing. I have met some of those. And their "fixes", aren't. They're "fixing" it from "Kay's Kitchen".

But sometimes you're right, it's a different chef, who knows what they're doing.

dragoner · Sunday at 10:58 PM

John Dallman said:
The Hero System "luck roll" mechanic gets used in a lot of the GURPS and D&D that I play. Roll 3d6. Sixes indicate good luck, ones bad luck. Other numbers don't mean anything. A mixture of 1s and 6s is mixed luck.

I was going to say something like this, luck points for a re-roll or add a +1 something. Also I will generally use crits.

aramis erak · Monday at 12:03 AM

One of my fallback inserts is the Classic Traveller Reaction table

John Dallman said:
The Hero System "luck roll" mechanic gets used in a lot of the GURPS and D&D that I play. Roll 3d6. Sixes indicate good luck, ones bad luck. Other numbers don't mean anything. A mixture of 1s and 6s is mixed luck.

That's not how 3rd/4th/5th ed HSR luck works. There's no free levels of it.
Luck is purchased by whether it's good, where it's a Talent called Luck (3rd/4th) or power (5th); bad luck is the Unluck disadvantage.
They don't combine. You roll your purchased 0 to 5 dice of luck, look for 6's; each 6 is a level of luck. Roll your 0-5 dice of unluck, look for 6's, each six is a level of unluck.