How Much of D&D is the Rules?

[Jester David]

Quick poll today based on something I heard from the GenCon QnA.

What percentage of a D&D is defined by the rules? Specifically, how much of what makes D&D into D&D is dependent on the rules in the book and not the story, style of play, characters, and setting?

 

[Ahnehnois]

I don't think D&D is too much defined by the rules. Then again, I think D&D is even less defined by setting, style of play, tropes, tradition, and such. Mostly, D&D is simply defined as playing a roleplaying game. I suspect I'm not the only one that thinks of myself as "playing D&D" even when I'm playing some other rpg.

In a more applied sense, I think it's clear based on the versions that do exist that whatever has "D&D" on the cover will be considered D&D, regardless of what the rules are.

So I'm saying some, but not much.

 

[Jester David]

I'm leaning to 50%. I think much of D&D is much more than just the mechanics and the rules but there's a lot of mechanical elements and tropes that make me think "I'm playing D&D".

 

[Umbran]

It depends in part what you consider to be part of "the rules". Is a flumph part of the rules? It has game statistics, which are complete nonsense without the rules, and a description that goes with them, without which again, the stat block doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The rules cannot be used without the descriptive context. So, I don't feel there's a clear dividing line between "fluff" and "crunch". The barrier is rather diffuse.

So, I end up thinking that if it is in the rulebooks, it is "in the rules". If what is in the set of books, in total, presents something that fits the bill, then it is D&D. Now, "fits the bill" is entirely subjective. I, personally, don't think what is in the Dread game fits the bill of "D&D". The experience is too different. I am perfectly willing to allow that, to some, the experience of all games really is all the same. To me, that sounds like saying all foods taste like hamburgers, so we might as well call all food hamburgers. I find it difficult to wrap my head around that.

 

[n00bdragon]

D&D is a set of rules for moving around and killing things in a fantasy kitchen sink setting with a few tidbits here and there to avoid dying and ever so occasionally support a magical narrative to tie your string of serial murder, arson, and robbery into a coherent plot.

 

[Serendipity]

I would think - at most - 50%. At least for me. I wonder if those who began or prefer playing newer editions feel the same.

 

[pemerton]

When I think of D&D I think primarily of the story elements - both the generic D&D "story" of PCs growing from local heroes to world-bestriding colossi or demigods, and the particular elements like gods, planes, mind flayers, magic everywhere, etc, etc.

In this sense the typical Rolemaster game, and perhaps some Runequest games, are also D&D even though they use different mechanics.

If you ask me to think of D&D in mechanical rather than story terms, I think mostly of AC, hit points, and separate rolls to hit and damage.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

About 40%.

 

[DEFCON 1]

For the people I play with... the differences in playing two separate fantasy RPGs almost entirely comes down to the rules.

The roleplaying itself... the actual improvisation... that is pretty much the same regardless of the game. We all have our particular ways to improvise, and it's rare for any of us to "improvise differently". So the differences between playing D&D versus playing Talislanta or playing FATE or even just doing free-form improv... all comes down to the rules of the particular game, and then us improvising around the results that the game provides for us (via die rolls or whatever.)

D&D is D&D because of the six ability scores, our hit points, our armor class, our particular monsters with particular monster stats, our adventure design, our maps, our character sheet etc. etc. IE all the rules and mechanics that are specific to the D&D game.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Only as much as you NEED it to be defined by the rules. That is gonna be different for everybody. WotC would be ecstatic with 100% because then everyone is 100% reliant upon them to maintain supply of rules, dice and just about everything else to play D&D. 0% is small children on a playground running around saying, "I'm Wulfgar the 18th level Fighter Lord wielding Stormbringer!", "Oh yeah? Well I'm Superman so I beat you up!" Most games will be some INDETERMINATE point in between.