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Not sure what you mean by "rules-lite". My solution to this problem was to try to avoid using skill names as verbs as much as possible - for instance, instead of Nature, Stealth and Perception, the Ranger PC in my 4E game has a skill called "Trained Warrior", which the player defined as being...

One problem I have with skills as they have traditionally been done is that the PC's action, and resolution of that action, is wrapped up in the skill itself. Bluff lists modifiers to the Bluff/Sense Motive checks and in-combat uses; Diplomacy has its little table; Intimidate has its rules for...

I still want to do those things these days, though. I feel like this blog post is relevant here: http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.ca/2013/02/on-gameplay-in-megadungeon.html On the Caller: I think the Caller works as a "Commit Actions?" button. When the Caller tells the DM what you do, that's...

I guess it follows that, if someone tries to stab you with a sword, because they are making the attack roll you can't choose to dodge or parry it - you must, because they are making the attack roll and you're not rolling to dodge or parry. Which reminds me of Bard's Tale 2, but anyway... I...

That makes sense. I didn't think of it in terms of amping up the challenge in the current encounter, I was thinking about how you'd frame the next scene based on the PC's choices in the previous one. That is, the DM would judge the actions of the PCs - in terms of how well the overcame the...

Sure. What I mean by "challenge-based" is that the players are using the role-playing method to overcome challenges as the purpose of getting together and playing. The important choices the players make - the ones they really care about - are about overcoming challenges. The players want...

Here's something I was wondering about: Can pemertonian scene-framing work for challenge-based games? I originally thought no, but I read something about 10 pages back by Balesir that made me question my assumption. So, do you guys think it can work? If it can, are there any differences in...

I think there are three ways (probably more) to make fighters competitive: Give them magic items that allow them to use magic. A helm that protects you from magical compulsions. An amulet that allows you to travel to distant planes and survive. A ring that allows you to teleport. A sword...

Witch offers cash for kids. Sacrifices them to the portal to hell in her oven. The sacrifices keep the portal closed. People hate her, so she needs to keep herself safe: * The forest around her cottage is enchanted. Anyone who talks about violence will alert the trees. They will start to move...

I think the reason they went this way was because they wanted a tight coupling of mechanical fighting styles with specific classes. Why? A few reasons. I think they wanted to provide a reliable experience; I think they wanted classes to really shine in their niche; I think they wanted the...

I like the sound of that, yeah.

I think Alignment is there because of the inherent intra-party tension baked into the rules. XP is divided up amongst "the surviving characters." There's an incentive to be the sole surviving member of the party, through cowardice or treachery or other methods. Players who are going to take...

I think you overestimate the Fighter's defining combat style. Of those that you listed, only archery isn't a mechanically optimal build. (I don't think - it could be.) That said, I understand the dislike. I'd have preferred the Fighter to be a little more effective in ranged combat. I can...

I think that's a fair and reasonable way of looking at things. I think that some players want the mechanics to support their class archetype - if your class is called Fighter you should be able to fight (high hp, can wear armour and use weapons, etc.). The archetypal Paladin wades into melee...

Maybe the easiest way would be to build or use NPC allies that complement the specific PC's role. With that backup NPC support you could probably run a PC - PC battle. e.g. A Defender with three Skirmishers, a Controller, and an Artillery or Lurker vs. A Controller with a pair of Soldiers, a...

That was a good post and I agree with this. I think that if you want to explore "good" then you want to have a system like Burning Wheel, where you're mechanically rewarded either way you choose to go - as long as you're putting your PC into situations where you have to make desperate choices...

"De-protagonism" shouldn't be seen in terms of "I have a rogue and he can't use sneak attack against constructs, therefore the game is broken." It's more like: "I made an assassin-type character in order to deal with the theme of "the cheap price of life" in the game, which is what we talked...

I recently started a campaign of Star Wars d6, and I think it's a classic example of a high-concept sim game. In this game, the thematic choices, theme, morals, and the rest don't come from the GM but instead the source material - for us, this is the version of "A New Hope" where Han shot...

This is the game I started with.

Oh yeah, I agree with that! :) As far as drifting goes, I don't think it'd be too hard to drift 4E, but I'm not sure why you'd want to; with 3E I can see the appeal of playing an AD&D-style game using 3E instead of AD&D. (I haven't so much "drifted" 4E as "hacked" it up into something different.)