Ryan Dancey on Redefining the Hobby (Updated: time elements in a storytelling game)

[Yair]

I don't think egalitarian storytelling can work. Most players won't contribute much, but that's not really the problem. What bothers me is that things can't work well in terms of unexpected twists and surprises and so on; to make a good game, you need a united vision that just can't be provided by a commitee, I think.

Still, it's an interesting concept. It allows everyone to play more and lowers the burden. I've long wanted to try a bit of Mythic, which seems to be intended to do just that. I just don't have the time to try it out, though

 

[Roman]

Something like this?

[Energy][Attack]
Evocation [energy]
Level: 1 (Touch), 2 (Ray), 3 (Line and Burst)
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch, Close (Ray), 120ft. (Line), Long (Burst)
Area/Effect: Touch attack (Touch), Ranged touch attack (Ray), 5ft wide line (Line), 20ft. radius burst (Burst).
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: No (Touch and Ray), Yes (Line and Burst), Fortitude half (cold, electricity and sonic), Reflex half (acid and fire)
Spell Resistance: Yes

When you learn this spell you determine its energy type and attack type. Once chosen, you cannot change it unless you learn the spell again and choose a different combination of energy type and attack type. The attack type determines the spell’s range, area, saving throw and level. Each combination is a different spell on your list of spells.
Energy types are: acid, cold, fire, electricity and sonic. Attack types are: touch, ray, line and burst.

Acid: The spell deals 1d4 points of damage per caster level and it deals half that damage in the following round. If the spell allows a saving throw, succeeding in the saving throw cancels the extra damage.

Cold: The spell deals 1d6 points of damage per caster level and the target(s) is(are) slowed for 1d4 rounds. If the spell allows a saving throw, succeeding in the saving throw cancels the slowing effect.

Fire: The spell deals 1d6 points of damage per caster level and it sets the target(s) on fire. If the spell allows a saving throw, succeeding in the saving throw prevents the target from being caught on fire. The DC for extinguishing the fire on further rounds is the same used for the spell.

Electricity: The spell deals 1d6 points of damage per caster level and the target(s) is(are) dazed for one round. If the spell allows a saving throw, succeeding in the saving throw cancels the dazing effect.

Sonic: The spell deals 1d6 points of damage per caster level and the target(s) is(are) stunned for one round. If the spell allows a saving throw, succeeding in the saving throw cancels the stunning effect. Sonic damage deals only half damage to living creatures, but full damage to objects.

That's actually pretty good. I would probably only add a way to increase effects (range, area, damage, etcetera) by increasing the level of the spell.

 

[Delta]

My own research into the mechanics of spells leads me to believe that 75-90% of the spells could be condensed into one or two dozen spell templates... The Evocation school alone is little more than (energy type)+(ray or AoE)+(maximum caster level).

That's a development that I'm not at all worried about. It would be the final nail in the coffin of D&D if it went in that direction.

 

[FireLance]

That's a development that I'm not at all worried about. It would be the final nail in the coffin of D&D if it went in that direction.

I think it would work great for a simplified or basic version of D&D, with the more complicated spells listed as options for those who want greater spellcasting complexity.

 

[Hussar]

4. Social network. D&D needs friends, and structured time – which is probably why it primarily gets people to enter at a time & place when they’re more socially active but have barriers (cost, transportation) that facilitate getting people together for low-cost activity. [I’m typing this at the airport, after having listened to Ryan Dancey’s interview on the Fear the Boot podcast on the way to the airport, so this fact of the demographic is stuck in my mind.] This can be a barrier to experienced players, too. I’m a perfect example – as an adult with all the competing adult & family demands who relocates to a different part of the country every 2-3 years, I find it very difficult to locate a group to play with that fits my gaming preferences.

I think this is one area where the Virtual Table Top has a real shot at gaining an audience. It takes the convenience factor of an MMORPG, and gives you an experience that is certainly comparable to table top. Hopefully the DI will approach things in this way.

Imagine being able to run a "Newbies D&D" run by gaming luminaries once a month and draw from online populations. I could see this having a pretty decent impact on new blood entering the hobby.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

That's a development that I'm not at all worried about. It would be the final nail in the coffin of D&D if it went in that direction.

I bet I could lift this quote and place it back before the advent of 3e.

Good design trumps sacred cows. Every time. Sacred cows are only relevant to existing gamers, and the existing gamers aren't enough to make RPGs "successful." That's the point of the whole thread.

Final nail in the coffin for you? Maybe. Sorry to see you go, but the industry has to be ready to churn you eventually.

The "Lite Edition" only has to replace you with one new gamer to hold the status quo.

You're betting that such a change would drive away more players than it attracts. I'd happily bet against you.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Looking at Step 2, I will wish Ryan Dancey good luck. I do not for one second see this idea of a distributed-GM, storytelling game having more appeal than traditional TRPGs. If executed well, it might catch a segment of the market and bring some additional people in the way that WW Vampire did when first introduced, but I don't believe it will overtake the market.

On top of all that, perhaps it will be revealed in later steps, but where is the business model in this idea that will generate growing sales on the order of CCGs etc? Isn't that one of his arguments against TRPGS, that they are not generating growing revenue? I'm not seeing how this redefined experience solves this problem, unless he believes it will be so popular that everyone will want to buy it. Maybe it will be a success and will generate huge sales as everyone buys the rules. Surely WotC saw their best years when the released core books, because the majority of players were buying them. Once the masses buy into this new game system, what keeps them coming back for more purchases to continue growing revenue?

 

[Drkfathr1]

Actually, it stood for Tactical Studies Rules.

I know. I was creating a NEW name that had the old 'buzz' letters in it.

 

[pawsplay]

I think it would work great for a simplified or basic version of D&D, with the more complicated spells listed as options for those who want greater spellcasting complexity.

Spells are supposed to have colorful names, be quirky to deal with, and rather flamboyant, in D&D. It's not only simple... it's a change, which in some ways is not desirable. Instead of evard's black tentacles you would have Area Entangle with Damage.

Sort of an anti-Hero System... instead of taking generic powers and building cool spells, you would be taking cool spells and turning them into generic powers.

 

[pawsplay]

You've never player Elder Scrolls: Oblivion have you?

No, my experience with Morrowind pretty much killed that possibility.