How world and rules interact

[Shemeska]

When the 'rules' come into conflict with flavor and setting, you can bet I'll be violently chanting "Um Kali-ma!" and making a nice bloody sacrifice out of those same rules. The rules service the world, never the other way around, just my style.

 

[diaglo]

I had a lot more dwarven wizards showing up when we changed from 2e to 3e, so I'm guessing for me that it's the former.

i had a lot less dwarven wizards show up when we switched from OD&D to 1edADnD.

i had my first dwarven paladin show up just 2 years ago.

 

[el-remmen]

I didn't have any dwarven wizards showing up when we changed from 2e to 3e, so I'm guessing for me that it's the latter.

 

[Quasqueton]

I'm kind of surprised at the percentages. I built my world from the ground up based on the core D&D rules and assumptions. The world works within the rules, and nothing is wonky about it. It works pretty smoothly, in fact.

I've actually come to somewhat dislike worlds where the DM has to torque the rules so much to make work.

Quasqueton

 

[arwink]

Depends on the game system and the campaign I'm running at the time.

For the msot part, though, I like to think that the two are really the same thing - I've been known to get really antsy in games where one doesn't support the other.

 

[Mycanid]

kinda all of the above and none of the above...

I generally stay within the settings and the rules and change them as needed, but try not to make a rule out of the change unless it comes up again and again and again in other games in an "unplanned" way. Rather how the laws of a country are created in accordance with the principles of jurisprudence I think.

 

[Wombat]

World first, rules after.

Why would I force my feet to fit my shoes?

 

[Corinth]

The rules are the world.

 

[Laslo Tremaine]

World-rules fits are an iterative process.

I generally have a basic combination of world/rules in my head. Then, I wrap the world about the rules-framework. If in some places the world doesn't fit, I will make some smaller rules-changes.

If I have to do a full overhaul of the framework to get an acceptable world, then I just go looking for a different rule set to start with.

Quoted for truth!!!

 

[GuardianLurker]

It's one great big huge rules <-> world feedback loop. The world determines bits of the rules, the rules determine bits of the world. Rinse, repeat.