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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Michael Tree" data-source="post: 1165302" data-attributes="member: 1455">Rules can get in the way of roleplaying if time spent on using the game mechanics takes away from time spent on roleplaying.  I'll use combat as an example.The more time a GM has to spend tracking hit points, remembering and applying the rules for the actions the PCs are taking, calculating NPC attacks and damage, and tracking the combat watching for attacks of opportunities and miscellaneous modifiers, the less time he has for thinking up fun dialogue and quips, cool but mechanically meaningless enemy actions, and generally setting the mood for the combat.The more time a player has to spend tracking their hit points, deciding what game mechanic abilities options to use or activate, and calculating tactical movement, the less time he has to "be" his character, think up good dialogue, and react to the situation as his character might, not as the game mechanics dictate. I tend to be a deep immersive sort of roleplayer, but I find that having to calculate numbers and think in tactical rules yanks me out of character.This isn't to say that rules automatically do get in the way of roleplaying - many people have great roleplaying with d20 - but rules certainly can get in the way.  As for complexity, d20 isn't Rolemaster, but it is still an extremely complicated game.  Sure the "d20 + roll" mechanic is simple, but once you add in the complexities of combat maneuvers, cover and concealment, situational modifiers, initiative actions, precisely defined spell effects, attacks of opportunity, hit-point tracking, effects of different types of damage (ability damage, energy drain, etc), and a myriad of class abilities and feats, it can be bogglingly complicated.</blockquote>

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