The Dice-less Role-playing Game

Chris Gunter

First Post
No listing for this game so used RPGs.

IDLE HANDS…

We’ve rolled dice for as long as we can remember. Playing our beloved games and hoping for that great roll. Sometimes fate shines upon us and sometimes it leaves us in a dark cave. The element of chance is incredibly exciting. How could we live without it? Some game developers have said you can. I’ll enter one contestant. Marvel Universe Role-playing Game. I use this example because I have experience with it. In the game you start off with points to put in to your character to flesh out abilities, skills, powers, etc. Pretty standard. Once that is all done, one of your abilities will determine how much energy you have to spend each round or page. Marvel Universe Role-playing Game does not use the standard round but panels and pages like in a comic book. The goal was to give the feel of being in the comic book that you write as you play. Back to the energy pool. The Game-master explains the situation to you. Say you have arrived at an abandoned chemical factory and you are searching for clues to a villain. If you have a power or skill that would allow you to do that then this is the time for energy allocation. Let us say you have 10 energy. You have a 4 in Infra-vision and a 6 in Force Field. You can allocate your points to max out those two powers so if you find something and it triggers and attack, you will be prepared. However, you have no points in movement. Moving will not be something you can do this page. This is just a small example. It seems like it gives you a new experience with great freedom and control. The time I ran it, it seemed clunky and slow. This was years ago. I am considering giving it another chance. The questions is, what do you guys think? Is a dice-less game possible? Are we too rooted in the roll? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
 

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Zhaleskra

Adventurer
There are several diceless RPGs on the market. Some simply use a different randomizer, others are more of a "whoever's loudest wins" to me.
 

Morrus

Well, that was fun
Staff member
Yeah, diceless RPGs certainly exist. The Amber Diceless RPG was back in 1990 or so, and there's Nobilis. More recently, Dread uses a Jenga tower for resolution, while Keith Baker's upcoming Phoenix Dawn Command RPG is card-driven. I'm sure there are plenty more I'm not thinking of right now. Of those, I've only played Dread, and that was great fun.
 


Morrus

Well, that was fun
Staff member
The Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game (aka "Marvel Saga") was also diceless.

Yeah, that's the game the OP is talking about. Or is that a different one?

[Edit - oh, Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game. I'm not familiar with that game.]
 
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Umbran

Mod Squad
Staff member
Supporter
Yeah, that's the game the OP is talking about. Or is that a different one?

[Edit - oh, Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game. I'm not familiar with that game.]

Yeah, Marvel has had a bunch of games, with different mechanics, and it is often difficult to keep them straight.

Marvel Universe used a bidding system, while Marvel Saga used a card system. Both were fairly short lived on the market, though I'm told both actually play pretty well.
 


Jhaelen

First Post
Marvel Universe used a bidding system
IIRC; Amber also uses a bidding system, at least during character creation.
I don't think that trying to play any 'regular' RPG without dice will work, though. You need a system that's been designed for this.
 

Bagpuss

Legend
Some simply use a different randomizer, others are more of a "whoever's loudest wins" to me.

Rather than whoever is loudest, others use systems to pass narrative control between players, either by turn taking (Microscope, A Penny for My Thoughts), bidding (Amber), or role assignments (Kingdom).

I can't think of any that is whoever is loudest, I guess a some to be whoever is most creative (Baron Munchausen, although that involves turn taking as well).
 
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