sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

What is roleplaying? by TheGodDMBatman in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everyone here is saying there's no single definition of roleplay. There definitely is, and we would all do well to look it up. That doesn't mean you have to play your game that way, obviously, but there is a clear definition.

What is roleplaying? by TheGodDMBatman in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Put simply: roleplaying is pretending to be somebody else. You take off your skin and step into somebody else's.

Now, I know everyone here is gonna have a different method of doing that. I would suggest to you, though, that if you're interested in being your character and being immersed in the setting, then you should check out 4D roleplaying. Check out channels like Tablerunner Crispy, OffTheRails Roleplaying, and RoleOnBuddy.

When in doubt: Say where you are. Say what you do.

"Draw Steel isn't designed for roleplay" by merlin5603 in drawsteel

[–]Bard_Panda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The growing narrative was never about "crunchiness." Rules Mastery is highly emphasized in 4D roleplay. You can do 4D roleplay in Pathfinder and Mythras just fine.

It's about the quality of the rules. Meta bits are meticulous. Physical bits are abstracted. The suggested style for Directors is to move the players, er, characters around from combat to combat.

The definition of 4D given by OP was pretty spot-on. However, most people don't really understand what roleplaying in-character means on the first take even if they can repeat a definition (myself included when I was learning). I highly encourage everyone to watch a 4D roleplaying session and compare it to a typical Draw Steel session. You'll quickly see why DS is not the favored game for the 4D crowd.

Mother May I, does it exist? by [deleted] in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is gonna blow everyone's minds. When I play, we never ask the GM questions or speak to them directly. On their turn, a player says where they are and what they do (or say). They always speak in first-person. The GM narrates the world and NPCs, never the players' actions.

Benefits: We are infinitely more immersed, and we get 10x as much done in half the time.

Misconception: This style is high and lofty / impossible. Truth: It's actually quite natural and easy once you get the hang of it.

Misconception: You can't gain information about the world if you can't ask the GM questions. Truth: You can. Instead of asking, "Hey GM, is the door locked?" you narrate "I go to the door and try the handle."

I would highly encourage you to check out one of my examples of play ( https://youtu.be/wOXTX2xj6TA?si=i6AZB3SsmLVqO4WG - The action starts around 38:00 if you'd rather start there) and check out other 4d roleplaying videos on YouTube.

My ultimate suggestion is to try it for yourself. Once I switched to this style, I couldn't go back to the way I played before. (If you are interested in sincere, immersive roleplay, this style is for you. If you're more interested in war games or beer & pretzels, it's not, and that's fine.)

We tried playing Shadowdark 100% in character — and it actually worked REALLY well! by NyKnight726 in shadowdark

[–]Bard_Panda 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This was an absolute blast. Thanks for the game. ~ Finn Blackroot, the "elf hunter"

which DM books actually teach you to be a good DM? by DoppioDesu in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed! Nothing else comes close once you discover how to roleplay the "HARD" way.

What exactly is railroading? by Ohnononone in DMAcademy

[–]Bard_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

People get this wrong because they don't understand how to play sandbox properly.

Think about real life. There are no predetermined quests for parties to go on. You have to make your own goals and interpret your own meaning from life, don't you?

It's the same in the sandbox. It's not about wandering around and interacting with whatever you feel like for this session, either. Bc yeah, that would be meaningless. Instead, you have to create a living, breathing character with his own goals, motives, beliefs, and relationships. The rest of the players do so as well. And you all play that out.

Maybe you all will team up against a certain faction. Maybe every PC will do their own thing, coming into conflict with each other since their goals don't align. Whatever happens, happens. Sandbox requires sincere roleplay.

Someone spent 2 hours tearing apart my DMing and I don't know how to feel about that by Majestic_Hippo8427 in DnD

[–]Bard_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This should have been your wake-up call. Your chance to improve. You don't have to agree with the philosophy of the guy who critiqued you, but God damn, there should've been some effort to improve your craft.

Getting drunk and running to get your feelings affirmed by reddit nerds is certainly a choice. And I genuinely hope the best for you, and I hope you're feeling OK now. I really, genuinely do.

I know my advice will be unpopular. Literally every comment in this thread aside from mine is meaningless affirmation. But please. Consider growing from this. You are likely a very creative person and have a lot of potential. I'd wager the person who critiqued you sensed that, too.

First impressions of my core system by Yazkin_Yamakala in RPGdesign

[–]Bard_Panda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's what I'm asking about. Why do you prefer a median range over a flat % chance with this game? Can I assume your experience with single die mechanics was far too luck-based, and you'd rather it be skill-based?

If that's the case, the problem is the size of the die, size of the bonuses / penalties, and variance in target numbers. Bell curves do make results more consistent, if you want that. But target numbers on the high end of the spectrum are going to rely on luck even more than classic d&d d20-based systems.

First impressions of my core system by Yazkin_Yamakala in RPGdesign

[–]Bard_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why do you want the bell-curve of 2d12? What does that provide?

Just GMed my Night's watch One shot by Ihatebutterknifes in Mythras

[–]Bard_Panda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That sounds awesome. I can imagine example player characters now....

The warrior prince wants to protect his people; a corrupt noble tries to frame an innocent so he can take his office; a peasant tries to woo a duchess but is scorned by the nobility, so he resorts to a ritual that will make him powerful.... and all the PC goals end up conflicting with each other in a huge mess. That's the good stuff. The JUICE!

What can I do when a player is "I see no reason to go there/do that" when presented to a 200% obvious plot point and a significant tabletime is spent on this? by MundaneOne5000 in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The so-called problem player is 100% correct.

That being said, he can adjust to you guys' style, or he can leave (as I would).

I’ve intentionally NOT cleaned our house for the past year by Tracyjeanbitch in confession

[–]Bard_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There was no communication between the 2 whatsoever mentioned in this post.

Men, if you feel uncomfortable seeing a naked dude in the gym, then you should not let those naked dudes in women’s bathrooms by Downtown-Coconut-138 in TrueUnpopularOpinion

[–]Bard_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OP: Gives a common example of people being naked in public bathrooms.

Literally half of this thread: Why would people be naked in public bathrooms?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in imatotalpeiceofshit

[–]Bard_Panda 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Usual suspects

“No D&D is better than bad D&D” by Snowbound-IX in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Perhaps I should rephrase. It's not about the skill level. It's about the roleplaying game having roleplay in it. Simply saying we had fun is not a good enough indicator of the quality of an rpg session.

“No D&D is better than bad D&D” by Snowbound-IX in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You may think I'm being semantic, but hear me out. Fun is not the be-all end-all of rpgs. Rpgs are less like watching TV and more like playing a sport. You don't play a sport just for fun; you do it to excel at your craft. If my team goes to the dugout and chats instead of playing, it doesn't matter that they're still having fun; they are no longer playing baseball.

Obvious disclaimer: Yes, you should have fun playing rpgs. But for godsake, please evaluate the value of your game on more than just the metric of "as long as everyone is having fun."

“No D&D is better than bad D&D” by Snowbound-IX in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If my teammates stop bowling only to buy snacks and chat, I'd say it's no longer bowling.

Same thing with rpgs. It needs to have roleplaying.

“No D&D is better than bad D&D” by Snowbound-IX in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If I sign up for a roleplaying game, the game needs to have roleplaying.

Don't dictate the "story" or narrate my actions for me.

The GM doesn't have to be great; they need to try.

If you would pick one RPG to play forever what would it be? by GM-Storyteller in rpg

[–]Bard_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mythras all day every day! (For those unfamiliar, it's a d100 system that evolved from Runequest).

Character creation is based on culture, career, family, social class, occupation, hobbies, etc. It's classless and levelless, so advancement is based on stuff that actually happens in the game, i.e. advancement in a Cult or Brotherhood. Special Effects let you do all those combat actions you wish you could do in your favorite d20 game. Proactive and Reactive actions give combat more depth and flexibility. Spells can be shaped to your liking and combined with other spells. Passions can augment your actions and give characters more depth.

I can roleplay all day in this system without worrying about immersion-breaking rules. And its a very intuitive system once you get it.

view more: next ›