Play Is Paramount: Discuss

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

books that are interesting to browse sell better than those that play well but don’t read well.

I don't think this has ever been tested.

No company, as far as I know, is making both OSE style books and wall of text books. Without that, it quickly becomes extreme apples to oranges.

Yeah, WotC sells more books with their wall of text than Necrotic Gnome does with OSE, but that's because they're selling Dungeons & Dragons. Any impact of the wall of text style is impossible to tease out from the Dungeons & Dragons of it all.

 

[MichaelSomething]

For reference, I think you should check out my NPC writing session thread.

D&D General Thread 'The NPC writing session'

Sep 7, 2025

Hey Enworlders! I just developed a great new idea that will move D&D forward!

How about once every ten (ish) or so sessions is spent completely on writing up NPCs/monsters? Like instead of the characters going to a dungeon or whatever, all the players spend the whole time writing up NPCs/monsters??? I think that would massively improve the game! People who want more realism/optimization/whatever out of NPCs/monsters can just create what ever they want to encounter for themselves!!!

No need to thank me, just give this post EXP. Have a nice day.

• MichaelSomething
• Replies: 7
• Forum: *Dungeons & Dragons

• 

 

[Reynard]

For reference, I think you should check out my NPC writing session thread.

To what end?

 

[MichaelSomething]

To what end?

Now that I'm awake, I'll explain.
If building NPCs was really a form of play, then getting your whole group to do it with you would be a viable idea. Turns out, people don't think spending a session just making NPCs is a good idea so I submit it shouldn't be considered a form of play.

 

[myrkulyte]

Now that I'm awake, I'll explain.
If building NPCs was really a form of play, then getting your whole group to do it with you would be a viable idea. Turns out, people don't think spending a session just making NPCs is a good idea so I submit it shouldn't be considered a form of play.

I actually have spent a session rolling up NPCs for 3.5 after 2/3rds of the other players cancelled last minute.

But I take your point, no one would intentionally plan to spend the evening that way. That said, if you have some dropouts and are playing in person and can't just boot up a game on steam and no one feels like playing a board game or something I think you could totally have a good time just making some GURPS or Traveller characters while you hang out. I would still consider that to be 'play' to some degree.

Speaking to the larger conversation, whenever I do any prep/worldbuilding I always think about play at the table, even when I have no intention of running a game with the stuff I'm working on. Thinking about how something would play is part of what makes prep enjoyable. It's the same if I'm reading a product I'm never going to run, the fact that it could be run is still in the back of my head somewhere and is part of what makes reading some bit of worldbuilding different from reading a novel.

 

[Umbran]

Now that I'm awake, I'll explain.
If building NPCs was really a form of play, then getting your whole group to do it with you would be a viable idea. Turns out, people don't think spending a session just making NPCs is a good idea so I submit it shouldn't be considered a form of play.

Monopoly. Kind of a crappy game, imho. I'm not interested in engaging in it. Does that mean it isn't a form of play at all? For anyone? Anywhere? No, it just means it is a kind of crappy game. So maybe building (say, 3e D&D) NPCs and monsters is kind of a crappy game.

Alas for your assertion, I noted that "not all play is with the other players." I did this with RPG GMs in mind, actually. Some play is solitaire. So, no, getting the whole group together to do it is not required to be a form of play. If the GM likes noodling with NPCs and setting elements and creating encounters, for that GM, it may be a form of play, rather than work.

Though, interestingly, before traditional play begins, before even creating characters, the Dresden Files RPG has a group minigame/activity of creating the city they will play the game proper within, including a bunch of major NPCs that they'll be interacting with.

I've been through it, it was pretty fun.

So, I think before throwing it away as non-play, maybe we'd have to consider the context and method - it may be a form of play for the group if it is structured and positioned appropriately.

 

[Umbran]

Most time and energy (and money) put into RPGs does not lead to an actual game with players around a table.

Among crafters, it is often noted that purchasing crafting supplies and actually using crafting supplies are two separate hobbies.