Stross's Law

[haiiro]

In a recent post in his LiveJournal, Mike Mearls put forward Stross's Law of RPG Setting Design:

"A setting element should never require more than two paragraphs to explain it in full."

There's an explanation in his post (linked above), and I think it's a neat idea. I liked it so much that I outlined a way to apply Stross's Law in your game over on my blog, Treasure Tables.

I'd like to see what EN Worlders think of my implementation, and of Mike's original idea, so I thought I'd post it here. The idea is to cover the following 8 areas in your two paragraphs, in one or two sentences each and in this order:

1. The most important thing about it (the core idea).
2. What it looks like.
3. How it fits into the setting.
4. Why it matters in the setting.
5. Something memorable or unique about it.
6. Why player characters should care about it.
7. Connections to other setting elements.
8. Ways to use it in the game.

My reasoning behind this list is in my blog post, Applying Stross's Law.

So...what do you think?

 

[Turjan]

I must say that I'm a bit surprised that 'two paragraphes' is seen as restrictive. Is there any example where someone rambles on about a single setting element for pages? I'm not sure whether all players have actually the patience for two paragraphs regarding a single point .

Regarding your points, numbers 1, 2 and 5 are the most important. Numbers 6 and 8 should result from these points. Number 3 should be part of number 4, and 7 is basically the same as 3. This is basically the 'plot hook' section for the DM . Sounds like a good list to work on. For players, it can be shorter though.

Edit: Btw, thanks for that Dungeon index ! That's a very useful tool .

 

[haiiro]

...and 7 is basically the same as 3.

I view them as being slightly different -- maybe an example will help. If I were describing the city of Waterdeep, for item 3 I'd talk about its role in the North and its status as a hub of commerce; for number 7, I might cover Undermountain, or Khelben Blackstaff's ties to the Harpers. Does that make sense?

Edit: Btw, thanks for that Dungeon index ! That's a very useful tool .

You're welcome! I use it regularly for my home game, and it's always nice to hear that others find it useful.

 

[Turanil]

I agree that the text concerning a setting is better when it is clear and concise. I notice how reluctant I am to read long pages of descriptions, and at the same time find most settings' descriptions lacking in info...

So: more things written much shorter.

 

[Turjan]

I view them as being slightly different -- maybe an example will help. If I were describing the city of Waterdeep, for item 3 I'd talk about its role in the North and its status as a hub of commerce; for number 7, I might cover Undermountain, or Khelben Blackstaff's ties to the Harpers. Does that make sense?

Yes, now I understand how you mean it .

Anyway, your example clearly shows that the definition of what a single setting element consists of depends on the context. In a large campaign setting book, Waterdeep might get a two paragraph treatment, but this doesn't mean that the old boxed set or the new 3.5 book are superfluous. It might mean, though, that a whole book about mind flayers is superfluous; this obviously extends the information necessary to see them as a threat and to kill them . But even this changes if you do a whole campaign based on a mind flayer outpost.

If you look at "Stross's Law" from this point of view, it's reduced to: Don't ramble!

In this simple form, I can wholeheartedly agree to it !

 

[haiiro]

If you look at "Stross's Law" from this point of view, it's reduced to: Don't ramble!

In this simple form, I can wholeheartedly agree to it !

That's pretty much how I read it -- summarize, and hit the high notes.