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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BryonD" data-source="post: 3950363" data-attributes="member: 957">I strongly disagree that more rules decreases role play space.Anything that could be done in an ad-hoc system can be done in a ruled system.It may be that an ad-hoc DM is more free with what he allows the characters to achieve and a strictly followed rule system allows.  But that is easy to solve by just letting the character be better through bonuses or whatever.  Arbitrary bonuses in a set system is no worse that just making everything up on the fly.  I'd say it is better even, because at least you have a set yard stick to compare against.But if an ad-hoc DM is going to rule significantly differently on a situation that requires a PC to jump, for example, in two different cases then either a) the DM is being erratic and a good rule system would be an improvement, or b) there is a reason that the ruling should be different and the DM can easily adjust bonuses or DCs to account for this.  I'm not saying that free form is bad.  A good DM can run an awesome game this way and no rules are needed.  So I'm not making a this is right and that is wrong argument.  But I do really disagree that rules force any kind of restriction on role playing.  They will prevent the Cha 7 Orc Barbarian from talking an ancient dragon out of some treasure.  But I'd claim that a Cha 7 orc trying being able to talk an ancient dragon out of treasure is far removed from role playing.  It may be fully in character for the orc to TRY.  But the rules don't stop trying, they just stop success.  If the DM and player want to play a game where any cool idea that occurs to the player can work then fine.  Rules will prevent this type of playing.  But this is more of a creative problem resolution game that now has nothing to do with the orc.  And it isn't roleplaying.  It doesn't make it any less fun or bad in any way.  It is simply a different thing.  Roleplaying means taking on the role of the character and accepting both the strengths and weaknesses of that persona.  Rules don't limit the ability to do this.</blockquote>

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