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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8870536" data-attributes="member: 6696971">When I ran 5e as an interim GM for a long term game (intermittently from level 9 through 20), I pretty much exclusively had to rely upon my own experience of running Story Now games because the game doesn't help you here.  Things that I did:* Clarified stakes-setting before action resolution.* Made all DCs table-facing while employing Success w/ Cost (242) but extending that range from 1-2 to failure by 4 or less.  I'm then treating them like the 7-9 result in Apocalypse World or Twists in Mouse Guard.* Ran Social Interaction in a table-facing manner and as-is because, as-is, its a solid puzzle game that was clearly inspired by Apocalypse World's social loop.  Run as-is and in a table-facing manner, it works perfectly well enough for a Story Now social conflict engine predicated upon NPC dramatic need vs PC dramatic need.* Short Rests were automatic unless there is some clear pressing issue in the shared imagined space.* Long Rests were difficult to achieve with clarified procedural requirements to achieve them (again, go back to stakes-setting and clarity).* Always honored PC Background Traits such that reliably change the fiction in the ways outlined on the ability.The whole of this would allow just enough structure to create a sort of "Very Poor Man's Dungeon World" experience with action resolution being somewhat AW Moves-like + kinda snowballing action resolution + GM Threats vs PC dramatic needs.  The myriad ways One D&D would need to shore this up would be:* Make all of the above clarified in text and provide robust GM guidance (technical, principled explanations) for it.  All of it (including table-facing DC generation like in Burning Wheel where there is a base Obstacle Rating and Factors which add up).* Nerf the hell out of spellcasting/spellcasters (the apex prowess and how prolific spells and rituals are) AND make all cast spells require a spellcasting check whereby failure by 4 or less = Success w/ a thematic Twist (like the noncombat action resolution mechanics) based on the spell school or spell being cast.  Overpowered spellcasting is such a brutal problem for no-prep, Story Now play.  This MUST be resolved and resolved in a compelling way.* Abstract Coin and mundane Gear and make them both matter to action resolution in a table-facing way.  Give players the capacity to interact meaningfully and consequentially with decision-points and dictate the trajectory of the fiction and the gamestate with Coin and Gear.* Simplify xp profoundly with very small xp numbers needed to advance and make the process communal and table-facing.  Make BIFTs work like Beliefs in Burning Wheel/Mouse Guard/Torchbearer.  Make action declarations that aggressively pursue these things during play and earn  1 xp for each at End of Session (up to 4; 1 for each).  Make action declarations that exhibits serious internal conflict that manifests as external complication and Disadvantage on an attendant move, and get 1 Inspiration for each (up to 4; 1 for each) at End of Session.* Make a very clear and expansive group of Consequences that GMs can use (like PBtA moves or BW/MG/TB Twists) on a Failure by 4 or less; Disadvantage, Prone, Exhaustion, Proficiency Tool, Armor and Weapon and Spellcasting Implement complications, Environmental Hazards including Hit Die loss or some kind of Vulnerability, Action Economy issues, NPC Reaction Adjustment, Hit Point damage, Ability Score damage ULR (Until Long Rest).* Make very clear and codified procedures for triggering Long Rest (given how the massive gamestate and fiction impacts this has upon play).* Create a very clear, thematic, codified, table-handling-time-friendly, rest of the game engine-integrated Conflict Resolution scheme to handle Journey, Pursue or Drive-Off, Supernatural (Banish or Bind Entity/Open & Close Gate/Etc) conflicts.++++++++++++What I'm outlining above is a very loose kind of Burning Wheel/Apocalypse World approach that 5e could emulate to a fair enough degree with a lot of designer/developer will (because boy will there be pushback!), technical prowess, and iterative stress-testing.</blockquote>

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