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Sounds like Torchbearer works alot like MouseGuard. In which case the tension comes from knowing the stakes beforehand, and the consequence of failure even if there is no threat of PC death. Which, as you say, is hard to translate to D&D, or most games for that matter. Heck, as a side note, I...

Nope, didn't say meaning or consequences. I said tension specifically. Combat without tension is boring for me, and I feel no tension in a combat encounter unless my PC's life is actually in danger. Fiction also includes arcs that are either not completed, or come to an unsatisfying conclusion...

I don't. That's the point. If my PC is immortal, why bother wasting the time playing out a combat encounter. Just tell me about how my immortal PC once again laid waste to my mortal foes and get on with the game. The whole point of a combat encounter is to feel tension, brought on by the fear...

7th Sea? Kinda... Maybe...

I'm usually in the "Schroedinger's Monster" category for most monsters. Unless it actually appears in a session, it's existence is unknown. The exception is certain extremely powerful monsters like Dragons, in which case they are singular and unique, often the only one of their kind in the...

Yeah...this is why I always have a good conversation with the GM of a game about these kinds of things before agreeing to join a campaign. If the answer includes things like "it's okay to fudge rolls/hp" or "the GM doesn't have to abide by the rules" then I know I won't have any discernible...

Morphine and a Red Bull!

Combat can be reduced to a single roll if you want it to be. Burning Wheel (or Empires, I don't remember which) has the "Quick And Dirty" option for combat, which does just that, even having options for characters ending up wounded despite succeeding at the roll.

I think it depends on the amount of HP, and how they are utilized. I generally compare PC HP to the kind of damage a mid range weapon does when I classify what HP represents. In D&D, and other similar systems; HP is usually a single pool of points, often in a large numbers relative to weapon...

The GM Turn is basically the PCs being given "orders" to complete a particular objective. The objective is whatever the GM decides. The conflicts the PCs will face is also whatever the GM decides. I'm not sure, that's what I am wondering. If the GM is free to choose objectives for the PCs to...

I decide, on purpose, what the opposition would be based on the momentum of the narrative, but it is not decided until a moment before the combat begins. I'm one of the terrible "make it up on the fly in real time at the table" type GMs. So nothing is scripted per se. However, I rarely use...

Non-random unscripted combat.

Like many others, it depends, so I'll break it down a little... In supers games I run, the PCs are far beyond normal folk, and most other superheroes to boot. I always have the PCs as the Avengers or Justice League types. I mean, if I'm going to run a supers game, I want the PCs to be the top...

This is true, and despite being someone that likes players who help create narrative beyond what their PC is doing, agree with your sentiment. I think more often than not players are not that interested in engaging in "description-on-demand" as it were. I think that is the primary reason why...

How could a game go "off the rails" if there were no rails in the first place?!? That is a strange statement to say the least. 🤔

I generally lower myself all the way into the tub.

Oh no, it's not the most complex system ever, but it is on the complex end, especially if one takes all the supplemental material into account. The reason I consider it high crunch is because the bulk of my TTRPG collection are games that are somewhat to much less complex than 5e. That and the...

I don't think I would enjoy being a player in a game you are running, as I would never be able to discern whether or not my actions would provide meaningful results, even when succeeding at dice rolls. Now that I have a better handle on my erroneous "intent v task" thing, I would definitely...

As a GM, I am always "on the spot" to provide Description On Demand. Multiple times per scene usually. Why not offload some of that burden to the players? As both a player and a GM I like it, as it really helps foster the whole "collaborative" fiction creation thing. Though I will admit that...

I definitely agree that 5e is on the heavy end of the "crunch" spectrum. I think the idea of it being less crunchy is a familiarity thing. A few years ago someone lent me their 5e books, insistent that I give it a try, stating that it was a "much lighter" game than older editions. I haven't read...