What is the least amount of rules you need?

[J.Quondam]

Light. Aside from a minimal core mechanic/s, I prefer also having something to codify the genre/style/etc so we all know everyone at the table is thinking about the game world in more or less the same way.

 

[Alzrius]

I am planning to run Lazers and Feelings soon

A quick link for those who aren't familiar with this one-page RPG:

Lasers & Feelings

 

[pemerton]

If need is taken literally: Cthulhu Dark, Lasers & Feelings etc are all short documents that support viable RPGs.

But different sorts of rulesets produce different experiences.

For me, the issue is where a game has rules that run contrary to its apparent intended play experience. For instance, I think Classic Traveller would work better with some sort of abstract wealth system rather than having to account for every credit.

 

[pemerton]

Then you've wandered off the themes of the game and should move back towards the themes. Like trying to do something in a PbtA game that's not covered by a move. Yes, if the setting/situation were real, that would be a thing you could do, but those style games aren't trying to simulate reality rather emulate a particular type of story, so finding things not covered by lasers or feelings is like finding the edge of the genre. Cool, now you know where not to go.

I can't comment on PbtA in general (I'm not sure that would even make sense).

But in Apocalypse World there is NOTHING irregular about declaring an action for a PC that doesn't trigger a player side move. The rulebook is full of examples - Marie goes looking for Isle to visit grief on her; a PC asks a NPC for a favour; etc. And the rulebook states a clear rule for resolving such action declarations: the GM makes a soft move, unless the player hands the GM an opportunity on a plate in which case the GM makes as hard and direct a move as they like.

Part of the "skill" (if that's the right word) of declaring actions for your PC in AW can include deciding whether to not trigger a player side move, and hence allow the GM to continue to build the rising action, or to trigger a player side move, which (if it involves going aggro, seizing by force, seducing or manipulating) is likely to produce some sort of resolution one way or another.

Lasers & Feelings isn't identical, but I suspect it will work pretty well approached in a similar spirit. The GM is told,

Before a threat does something to the characters, show signs that it’s about to happen . . . Call for a roll when the situation is uncertain.​

The players are told,

When you do something risky, roll . . . If you’re using LASERS (science, reason), you want to roll under your number. If you’re using FEELINGS, (rapport, passion) you want to roll over your number.​

So if there is a situation in which neither LASERS nor FEELINGS are in play, we infer that the outcome is not uncertain - the GM makes a soft move that continues to reveal a threat.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I can get by on a minimalist system. In fact I find that can sometimes open up many more possibilities. But I also wouldn't want to limit myself to just that. Minimalist is the least I need, but I love well constructed games that have greater complexity. It very much depends on what I am after and also what kind of gaming mood I am in

 

[Autumnal]

Some games managed to do without the coin toss. Though I wouldn't call Amber Diceless minimalist, all the complexity (such as it is) is in character creation. The actual gameplay is extremely simple.

Though there are nuances, as the discussion of resolving challenges in Lords Of Gossamer And Shadow shows. I like a line (from Rob Donoghue, I think?), that in the Amber system, conversation continues until the GM is confident they understand what the outcome should be, taking everything into account. Sometimes that takes more work than other times.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Though there are nuances, as the discussion of resolving challenges in Lords Of Gossamer And Shadow shows. I like a line (from Rob Donoghue, I think?), that in the Amber system, conversation continues until the GM is confident they understand what the outcome should be, taking everything into account. Sometimes that takes more work than other times.

The issue I find with both Amber and its successors is it requires me to make decisions, often in depth, about too many things I do not feel competent to do so in, and which my players and my understanding may be very different.

 

[MacDhomnuill]

I really like Risus so I guess thats a minimal rule set?

 

[Anon Adderlan]

Depends entirely on what the rules are designed to do.

 

[Greg K]

Wherever Tinyd6, Icons: Assembled (w/ Great Power supplement), Savage Worlds (with appropriate genre companion or setting), and 5e D&D (core books + a few 3rd party class/subclass and monster pdf supplements) fall.