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<blockquote data-quote="dkyle" data-source="post: 5937164" data-attributes="member: 70707">The main assumption of this essay is unfounded: tight-rules systems in no way prevent DMs making rulings, or relying on logic.If the rules say &quot;It takes 2 turns and a roll to clean off the itchy powder&quot;, there is absolutely nothing preventing the DM from deviating from that rule and saying &quot;OK, jumping in water does it immediately&quot;, or &quot;using your canteen auto-succeeds the roll&quot;.&nbsp; The rule can only help.&nbsp; It can only give the DM and players a baseline expectation.&nbsp; Saying &quot;you've got itchy powder on you&quot;, and that's all, is not any kind of improvement.&nbsp; It can only make the GM's job harder.Now, that doesn't mean you need fiddly rules for everything.&nbsp; A game system can be generic.&nbsp; For example, in Strands of Fate, that itchy powder would just be an aspect applied by a maneuver.&nbsp; It would have clear mechanics to it.&nbsp; They'd just be mechanics that also apply to lots of other things.Also, the section on &quot;GM may I?&quot; dodges the issue.&nbsp; There is no real difference between &quot;May I do X&quot; and &quot;Does it seem possible for my character to do X&quot;.&nbsp; If the answer to the question is based on GM &quot;logic&quot; and fiat, and not on game mechanics, then it is asking the GM for permission, either way.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="dkyle, post: 5937164, member: 70707"] The main assumption of this essay is unfounded: tight-rules systems in no way prevent DMs making rulings, or relying on logic. If the rules say "It takes 2 turns and a roll to clean off the itchy powder", there is absolutely nothing preventing the DM from deviating from that rule and saying "OK, jumping in water does it immediately", or "using your canteen auto-succeeds the roll". The rule can only help. It can only give the DM and players a baseline expectation. Saying "you've got itchy powder on you", and that's all, is not any kind of improvement. It can only make the GM's job harder. Now, that doesn't mean you need fiddly rules for everything. A game system can be generic. For example, in Strands of Fate, that itchy powder would just be an aspect applied by a maneuver. It would have clear mechanics to it. They'd just be mechanics that also apply to lots of other things. Also, the section on "GM may I?" dodges the issue. There is no real difference between "May I do X" and "Does it seem possible for my character to do X". If the answer to the question is based on GM "logic" and fiat, and not on game mechanics, then it is asking the GM for permission, either way. [/QUOTE]

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