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"Illusionism" and "GM force" in RPGing
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<blockquote data-quote="Doug McCrae" data-source="post: 8459090" data-attributes="member: 21169"><p>Jon Peterson, <em>The Elusive Shift</em> (2020) has shown, I think, that this has to be put back no later than 1976. I started to read it thanks to [USER=7023840]@Snarf Zagyg[/USER]'s <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/same-as-it-ever-was-define-the-players-of-rpgs-then-define-the-theory-of-rpgs.684088/" target="_blank">recommendation in this thread</a>.</p><p></p><p>In <em>Bunnies & Burrows</em> (1976), the authors B Dennis Sustare and Scott Robinson advise referees to fudge (they use the term "shade") dice rolls to keep PCs alive.</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Bunnies & Burrows</em> has some very striking text surrounding saving throws and the role of the referee employing them. The authors write, “Through years of Gamemastering, we have found that it helps the games for the GM to be flexible in the use of Saving Throws. Rigid adherence to Saving Throw rules tends to be very deadly, with less fun for the players.” The rules consequently recommend that referees practice a bit of divine intervention, as Gygax would have called it. They explain, “We may shade die rolls just a bit in certain key situations, so that a rabbit may survive to play again.” Rather than letting the dice tell the story, when the destruction of the character is on the line, the referee should exercise discretion and “shade” the results of rolls to preserve the lives of characters—and note that there is no mention here of Gygax’s restriction on doling out such a reprieve only to characters who have earned it, nor of what might make a situation “key” other than that it is potentially lethal...</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Crucially, <em>Bunnies & Burrows</em> also warns that the referee must not let players depend on a referee “acting the part of God too much”—instead a referee must “let the players retain the illusion that they determine their own fates.” When the time comes for divine intervention, would-be deities must practice it in secret: for players, the dramatic uncertainty of the game relies on the “illusion” that it is the dice that decide rather than the discretion of the referee. Thus, players cannot be parties to the execution of the system when the referee decides to “shade” the roll. (pg 140)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Doug McCrae, post: 8459090, member: 21169"] Jon Peterson, [I]The Elusive Shift[/I] (2020) has shown, I think, that this has to be put back no later than 1976. I started to read it thanks to [USER=7023840]@Snarf Zagyg[/USER]'s [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/same-as-it-ever-was-define-the-players-of-rpgs-then-define-the-theory-of-rpgs.684088/']recommendation in this thread[/URL]. In [I]Bunnies & Burrows[/I] (1976), the authors B Dennis Sustare and Scott Robinson advise referees to fudge (they use the term "shade") dice rolls to keep PCs alive. [INDENT][I]Bunnies & Burrows[/I] has some very striking text surrounding saving throws and the role of the referee employing them. The authors write, “Through years of Gamemastering, we have found that it helps the games for the GM to be flexible in the use of Saving Throws. Rigid adherence to Saving Throw rules tends to be very deadly, with less fun for the players.” The rules consequently recommend that referees practice a bit of divine intervention, as Gygax would have called it. They explain, “We may shade die rolls just a bit in certain key situations, so that a rabbit may survive to play again.” Rather than letting the dice tell the story, when the destruction of the character is on the line, the referee should exercise discretion and “shade” the results of rolls to preserve the lives of characters—and note that there is no mention here of Gygax’s restriction on doling out such a reprieve only to characters who have earned it, nor of what might make a situation “key” other than that it is potentially lethal...[/INDENT] [INDENT][/INDENT] [INDENT]Crucially, [I]Bunnies & Burrows[/I] also warns that the referee must not let players depend on a referee “acting the part of God too much”—instead a referee must “let the players retain the illusion that they determine their own fates.” When the time comes for divine intervention, would-be deities must practice it in secret: for players, the dramatic uncertainty of the game relies on the “illusion” that it is the dice that decide rather than the discretion of the referee. Thus, players cannot be parties to the execution of the system when the referee decides to “shade” the roll. (pg 140)[/INDENT] [/QUOTE]
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