Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Harlock" data-source="post: 5955165" data-attributes="member: 4545">I have no problem with skills being either un or loosely defined. The cardinal abilities should cover most everything. If you can describe it to your DM you can go from there. I seem to recall earlier rulesets being set up that way and it worked fine in all but the most ruleslawerly, adversarial DM-player relations groups. Skills clutter up a streamlined game and take it from casual to nitpicky in no time flat.DM: &quot;You see the princess tied to a chair.&quot;Player: &quot;I untie the princess.&quot;DM: &quot;Hold on, make a perception check.&quot;Player: &quot;Uh, (rolling) 18!&quot;DM: &quot;Great, you notice that it is a complicated knot. What is your knot-tying skill?&quot;Player: &quot;I have +3 in sailing knots.&quot;DM: &quot;Sorry, this is a cargo knot.&quot;Player: &quot;What do ships carry?&nbsp; Cargo!&quot;DM: &quot;No, sailing knots is for rigging, um, sails and stuff. At least, I read that on the internet. I have no real knot-tying experience myself.&quot;Player: &quot;Well, I was in scouts, all knots are basically the same. It's a general kind of deal. If a knot is effective for cargo, it is effective in sailing. Er, well, I guess. I've never sailed.&quot;DM: &quot;Well, still, it says its a cargo knot and there is a cargo knot skill and a sailing knot skill and you don't have the one listed.... 5 minutes laterPlayer 2: &quot;I cut @%$&amp;ing the ropes with my dagger! Geeze, would you two shut up!&quot;DM: &quot;Oh. I guess that works too.&quot;We don't need rules for everything, and if you do, you are playing with the wrong people.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Harlock, post: 5955165, member: 4545"] I have no problem with skills being either un or loosely defined. The cardinal abilities should cover most everything. If you can describe it to your DM you can go from there. I seem to recall earlier rulesets being set up that way and it worked fine in all but the most ruleslawerly, adversarial DM-player relations groups. Skills clutter up a streamlined game and take it from casual to nitpicky in no time flat. DM: "You see the princess tied to a chair." Player: "I untie the princess." DM: "Hold on, make a perception check." Player: "Uh, (rolling) 18!" DM: "Great, you notice that it is a complicated knot. What is your knot-tying skill?" Player: "I have +3 in sailing knots." DM: "Sorry, this is a cargo knot." Player: "What do ships carry? Cargo!" DM: "No, sailing knots is for rigging, um, sails and stuff. At least, I read that on the internet. I have no real knot-tying experience myself." Player: "Well, I was in scouts, all knots are basically the same. It's a general kind of deal. If a knot is effective for cargo, it is effective in sailing. Er, well, I guess. I've never sailed." DM: "Well, still, it says its a cargo knot and there is a cargo knot skill and a sailing knot skill and you don't have the one listed. [b]... 5 minutes later[/b] Player 2: "I cut @%$&ing the ropes with my dagger! Geeze, would you two shut up!" DM: "Oh. I guess that works too." We don't need rules for everything, and if you do, you are playing with the wrong people. [/QUOTE]

Verification