Realism Headache

[Wombat]

Realism is a pretty big blanket in this gaming world of ours...

It is interesting what people feel they need "realistic" in any given game. I knew a Cyberpunk campaign that derailed as two guys argued incredibly boring minutiae regarding pistol calibres, barrel groove stylings, and grains-per-bullet measurements. I was the techie guy in the game and stopped them by dropping an electronics catalog on the game table saying, "I see ya and raise ya. Every one of your guns are made of parts. I only get an Electronics or a Mechanical Kit. You guys are arguing about pointless small details. Do you want me to slow the game down to discuss what gauge and grade of wire I have before every assignment?"

Other folks get hung up on physics, thus demanding to know the air-speed velocity of ... well, you know, but still allowing for wizard's throwing fireballs.

I ran my first Ars Magica campaign with a bunch of Medieval & Renaissance History graduate students. To make sure there were no arguments on the topic, I switched the campaign world to Harn, thus derailing any potential arguments about who was the Sherriff of Sussex in 1228.

A certain amount of realism is great. Without it the whole game simply becomes chaotic. And if everyone is interested in the same topic, the matter becomes much easier. After a while, though, you have to draw the line or else you open yourself (and your game) to all sorts of silly abuse over the minutiae of the world.

So tell 'em to take a deep breath and pass along. If a point becomes a major issue to the group as a whole, that is one thing; if it is only important to one or two people and it is slowing down the game for others, that is another matter.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Force their characters to take levels in expert and ranks in Knowledge (economics), Profession (accountant), Knowledge (mathematics), and the like.

 

[The Edge]

Thanks for the advice.

I think this is an important one to cover, because it gives your players an opportunity to hurt a BBEG without having to go toe-to-toe with him. My players like this kind of tactic a lot. However, exact figures are not required, just an idea of how much roughly and where from and how often.

This has been the good part of the situation, its great to see them pull something super crafty, as long as I can deal with it right, these often play out quite nicely.

But the example I first mentioned, while probably the worst one yet, is not the only one; there have been more minor things that I just groan at as I pull out the book again. "It's only a game", something I need to remind them.

As for kicking them from the session or not inviting them, there’s the slight hitch that they’re my brothers (14 and 15) and they live in the same house (I’m 17 and not left yet). And I think I'll have to leave the "Kill the players and bury them" option; I'll save that for kicking their buts on the console. "How real was that explosion, eh?!".

Force their characters to take levels in expert and ranks in Knowledge (economics), Profession (accountant), Knowledge (mathematics), and the like.

There is no way their characters would have such an education of economy in a fantasy setting.

Thats actually a good point, Id forgoten that they shouldn't have access to that stuf. when they asked for the equipment guide I just handed it over and prayed they didnt want it for the mercenary section. Just as players shouldn't have an all knowing monster manual to refer to when they want to know a dragons breath range, why the hell should they have a list of exotic merc prices. I'll remeber that.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

I think its pretty cool that your brothers are enough are sufficiently into the game and your adventures that they do that much thinking about it. The other extreme of uninvolved players is far less fun.

Just like in real life, our limited information means that things happen that we don't expect. If your players care enough about the discrepancy to really look into it, you've got yourself a nice player-motivated adventure hook. You can even co-opt or tweak their working theories to create an adventure. If they don't care enough to investiagte it, it just makes the world more mysterious, whcih is also good.

 

[BlackMoria]

As Kae'Yoss said....

Next time, just ask for a Knowledge: Economics DC 20 check. Then smile when the players get that startled, puzzled look on their face in response. "What?....you took no ranks in that? Sorry, you don't know anything special......its all chump change to you"

 

[Coredump]

Or make the *characters* do the work, and not the players. Instead of the players looking in a book, the charactes need to go ask around, and try and see how much a bugbear mercenary makes, and then ask around to see how much they have been spending. Then research to see why they weren't making as much as 'normal'.... by the time they do all of that, you will also know of any 'discrepencies' and have adjusted the world to match. (ie. maybe they had a bad gambling habit, maybe a travelling merchant would come by, or a travelling brothel, or they put money into something else. Or they were promised a big pay-off when the job was done, or tons of stuff.

Remember, the prices in there are *average*, doesn't mean anyone gets paid that exact amount.....

 

[jmucchiello]

Bah, just smack your forehead and say, "You're right. You find no money on the guards. The leader has no money either. In fact the entire dungeon is gold piece free. All of the guard have fanatical loyalty to the BBEG so he doesn't need to pay them. You also notice that they are a bit on the thin side. I guess they don't eat that well either."

Next tell them to make a spot check (DC 0). Hey, there's nothing holding the ceiling up. And drop it on them.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Ask them to stop metagaming. There is no way their characters would have such an education of economy in a fantasy setting. When they start complain have some random trolls attack and give them zero XP for it.

Nah... make them make the appropriate Knowledge check. There were such educated people in the Middle Ages, but they weren't common. (Of course, the players aren't likely to have the appropriate skills, which saves you a headache.)

 

[Macbeth]

I ran my first Ars Magica campaign with a bunch of Medieval & Renaissance History graduate students. To make sure there were no arguments on the topic, I switched the campaign world to Harn, thus derailing any potential arguments about who was the Sherriff of Sussex in 1228.

For the same general reason, I;ve taken to running Superhero games in Freedom City. At first< I liked the idea of throwing the players into the DC or Marvel universe (or even the Wildstorm universe or the Crossgen universe), but the minute you go into one of those every on eof my players would correct/double check/second guess every fact. Now I gleefully throw them into a world they know muchless about, and enjoy explaining the world in game, instead of expecting them to know it.

 

[Crothian]

Nah... make them make the appropriate Knowledge check. There were such educated people in the Middle Ages, but they weren't common. (Of course, the players aren't likely to have the appropriate skills, which saves you a headache.)

Right, its not the characters knowledge they are using, it is their own; which means they are metagaming.