I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
I have been very inspired by those Swashbuckling cards...consider the idea *yoinked*. 
Better Gming - through negative reinforcement!
- Thread starter Altin
- Start date
I may have given the wrong impression with my example ... I usually wouldn't give more description than 'its powerfull blows hammer into you, take X' but I do insist on something in addition to the information relating to the system (and I don't always remember to provide it, hence my 'solution'). I do realise description, if excessive, can be self-defeating but I consider it a very necessary feature of the Gm's role.
See, from my point of view, the X damage is not the important thing but rather what the X damage repestents in context. A die roll (any die roll) is after all only a way to resolve an action rather than an end in itself. Thus its consequences must be contextualised for it to be relevant to proceedings. Now sure, 'take X', 'you hit' or 'you make it' are resolutions but they're mechanical resolutions and thus highly impersonal. After all, in the system 10 damage is 10 damage whether a dragon's claw or a sword inflicts it and the only way to diferentiate is to describe what is actually going on.
This is, of course, primarily a matter of style -- a player more interested in tactical combat as a separate mini-wargame within the larger 'pretend to be a different person' game (and, moreover, one which is played in a different way and for different reasons) would probably find my attempts to intergrate the two to do be pointless and somewhat disruptive to the wargame aspects which they enjoy. For the same reason, said hypothetical player would probably find the infrequency of combat in my games (relative to his expectations) to be unsatisfying. As I say, just a style thing, and if you can't please everyone you might as well try to at least please yourself...
Yours,
Altin
See, from my point of view, the X damage is not the important thing but rather what the X damage repestents in context. A die roll (any die roll) is after all only a way to resolve an action rather than an end in itself. Thus its consequences must be contextualised for it to be relevant to proceedings. Now sure, 'take X', 'you hit' or 'you make it' are resolutions but they're mechanical resolutions and thus highly impersonal. After all, in the system 10 damage is 10 damage whether a dragon's claw or a sword inflicts it and the only way to diferentiate is to describe what is actually going on.
This is, of course, primarily a matter of style -- a player more interested in tactical combat as a separate mini-wargame within the larger 'pretend to be a different person' game (and, moreover, one which is played in a different way and for different reasons) would probably find my attempts to intergrate the two to do be pointless and somewhat disruptive to the wargame aspects which they enjoy. For the same reason, said hypothetical player would probably find the infrequency of combat in my games (relative to his expectations) to be unsatisfying. As I say, just a style thing, and if you can't please everyone you might as well try to at least please yourself...
Yours,
Altin
Voadam
Legend
positive reinforcement
I think you do not want your players constantly seeking to criticise you. You want them to be in the perspective of their characters, not your speech judges.
I would rather reward myself whenever I did something particularly good, perhaps have a special bowl of treats that you only allow yourself when you describe things well.
I think you do not want your players constantly seeking to criticise you. You want them to be in the perspective of their characters, not your speech judges.
I would rather reward myself whenever I did something particularly good, perhaps have a special bowl of treats that you only allow yourself when you describe things well.
Mathew_Freeman
Adventurer
Those swashbuckling cards are fantastic! do you ask the players to say the phrase on the card as they play it, too? 
So many good sources for quotes, there.
So many good sources for quotes, there.
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