Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="robertsconley" data-source="post: 9625769" data-attributes="member: 13383">I believe the key takeaway from this is that there are multiple perspectives to consider. Going back to the example of art, while we have our brushes, paints, and canvas, there are fundamental techniques for using them. What it amounts to the end is a toolkit from which we assemble the particular way we make our painting. Even artists nominally part of the same school, like the Impressionists, all have their own unique techniques alongside the ones that are shared in common.With tabletop roleplaying, from talking with you, we share some things in common, but like you said, you have your own unique mix of techniques and goals that contrast with mine.I appreciate the compliment and the shout out.So the trick there was the excellent presentation of Middle Earth in the One Ring/Adventure in Middle Earth RPG. My view is that the pedal hits the metal for any setting, and how characters and creatures are roleplayed. While I read Tolkien's books multiple times, and knew the history well, I never felt I understood enough why different characters acted the way they did. What were the deep cultural reasons that could make what I've been calling a plausible extrapolation to roleplay other characters that would feel like they are from Middle Earth. But the One Ring/AiME laid it all out in a way that I finally got it, and as a result, I was able to run successful Middle Earth campaigns and sessions like the one you experienced.Not everybody wants to do the funny voices (acting) even if they have the ability. This is supposed to be a hobby we enjoy, so do what's best for you!So funny story about Gumshoe, I played a campaign with my friend Tim of Gothridge Manor and he did a really good job with the system. What impressed me was its underlying philosophy about mysteries. It wasn't about whether the characters would find the clues, but rather about how they would find the clues. And what they do with the information afterwards. So that got me thinking about skills, along with my experiences with supporting the software and hardware of the metal cutting machines the company I work for builds. It occurred to me that people generally don't fail at a skilled task once they are beyond a certain skill level for that task. Most times that I saw a real-world failure that wasn't attributed to carelessness the individual was short on time, resources, or didn't have the right equipment. For example, several of the metal cutting devices we sell for the machines are rated to cut up to a certain thickness. However, that maximum thickness is often right at the edge that the cutter can do reliably. So the operator has to be far more careful in setting up the cutting equipment to get a nice, clean cut. Even then, it takes several tries after several failed "skill rolls," so to speak, before the right combination of speed and parameters is found.So I started applying what I called the Gumshoe principle to how I handled skills regardless of system. And it worked out, the result felt more organic to what the characters can do. Eventually, I refined my ideas and wrote them up in my Basic Rules for the Majestic Fantasy RPG>[ATTACH=full]401263[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]401264[/ATTACH]I got asked about it a lot, so I posted the chapter as a free download.[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.batintheattic.com/downloads/When%20to%20make%20a%20Ruling.pdf[/URL]</blockquote>

Verification