Rule of the Three (1st of May)

[pemerton]

When decisions made during the build process become more important than the ones made in actual play the rules have become the game.

In AD&D or Basic D&D, the decision to choose class (and race, where that is separate from class) is very often more important than decision made in actual play. And it utterly conditions those decisions (eg whether and how I decide to fight or search or move down a corridor will be conditioned by my choice of class and race, and consequences that this has for equipment, abilities etc).

 

[ExploderWizard]

In AD&D or Basic D&D, the decision to choose class (and race, where that is separate from class) is very often more important than decision made in actual play. And it utterly conditions those decisions (eg whether and how I decide to fight or search or move down a corridor will be conditioned by my choice of class and race, and consequences that this has for equipment, abilities etc).

Of course choosing the role you play affects the way one approaches things in a roleplaying game. Why wouldn't it?

 

[Balesir]

Of course choosing the role you play affects the way one approaches things in a roleplaying game. Why wouldn't it?

Ah, so there are some "decisions made during the build process" that are "choosing the role you play" (and thus are acceptable) and others that are not (and thus are unacceptable)? Where does the line between these ineffably diverse activities lie?

Class and race, we have established, are acceptable "role choosing" activities - can you give some examples, to kick us off, of those that are not?

 

[ExploderWizard]

Ah, so there are some "decisions made during the build process" that are "choosing the role you play" (and thus are acceptable) and others that are not (and thus are unacceptable)? Where does the line between these ineffably diverse activities lie?

Class and race, we have established, are acceptable "role choosing" activities - can you give some examples, to kick us off, of those that are not?

Anything the participants desire is "acceptable" obviously. After choosing your role though there doesn't need to be much else at the core for a perfectly functional game.

 

[ForeverSlayer]

I have no problem with houserules but the actual rules themselves are supposed to be there to keep everyone on the same page.

While D&D says you can houserule what ever you want, by default it assumes that you are going to be using the rules as written, unless a rule is left open to DM interpretation on purpose.