It was a pleasure to run it. I look forward to more of your work in the future.

When it comes to TTRPGs, the GM is free to create content that's not in the rulebooks (such as when they're designing their own adventures). This is when they need to go beyond the rules and examine their philosophy of what it is to play TTRPGs as well as what experiences the players want to have at the table. This is why managing expectations during a Session Zero is vital and why, without explicitly talking about these things (or being aware that they are things to talk about), incidents like these almost always rear their ugly heads by surprise, much to the chagrin of the affected parties involved.

In order to run Ascendant as smoothly as possible while using all of the tables in order to keep it by the rules, the GM will need every table easily accessible. Unfortunately, the Ascendant GM screen only provides the most basic of tables with none of the formulas for any spot situations, such as those for using one's senses or the momentum-related situations (i.e. collision, fall damage, etc.) Those things are scattered throughout the book and it's up to the individual GM to compile all of that information into an easy-to-access format in order to maintain the fidelity that the rules ask the group to use in order to adhere to its comic-book physics simulation. As you mentioned, the edge cases don't come up often, but when they do and the GM wants to maintain the fidelity of the physics in accordance to the rules, better to be prepared than risk the game grinding to a halt as they rummage through the book to find out how to, say, find out what the RV is to smell out a 10-day old corpse that's buried 10 feet underground at a distance of 60 yards away in a deodorant factory. The other alternative to maintaining strict fidelity is to simply wing it by using the Difficulty Table and picking a DV for each task.

In PbtA-style games, the conversation between the Master of Ceremonies and the players is at the core of the game. This conversation seems to be done, by and large, out-of-character, even when the MC asks the players "what does your character do," because often times, the conversation is about the meta-narrative. However, when the MC (or at least me, specifically) asks the player to describe the outcome as if they were watching a movie or a TV show, that's a prime moment for the player to really get into character. Many of the mechanics of PbtA-style games involve characters having to make choices from a limited selection about how to respond to a certain situation (i.e. how to behave within a restricted set of parameters), which can really provide direction on how to roleplay that part of the scene, especially when these mechanics have mechanical consequences to them in a diegetic fashion (i.e. providing modifiers, imposing conditions, influencing bonds, etc.). As an example, let's take a mechanic from Avatar Legends called Guide and Comfort. When you roll a 7-9 on 2d6 + Harmony, Guide and Comfort allows the target (not you, the player making the roll) to either embrace your guidance and comfort in order to clear a condition or fatigue (while answering one question of yours honestly) OR to shut you down, imposing a condition on you and shifting your balance (where you stand between two competing principles) in response. So, if you get shut down on a 7-9 Guide and Comfort roll, while you get to choose which emotional condition your character is inflicted with, by the rules as written, your character will suffer that condition as well as its mechanical consequences until you do something in the narrative to clear that condition (which typically involves some fallout). This is just one example of a mechanic that very explicitly informs the player how to roleplay their character; whether they incorporate those mechanical consequences into their method acting (i.e. "4D roleplaying") or simply dictate what their character does in the third-person is still up to them. This is something that is often lacking in more traditional TTRPGs and those elements, while they can be accounted for voluntarily, can be disregarded or trivialized with no consequence to the game's rules and mechanics. Unless it's a spell or some other form of extranormal coercion, your character's emotional state has no mechanical consequences on their behavior nor does it limit how they behave in any way. Even combat abilities that act like an MMO taunt (by imposing a penalty when not attacking the taunter) have no explicit effects on the target's emotional state; it's just a button to press in combat. Hopefully, I've answered your question regarding how a PbtA-style game's design can serve to influence and promote roleplaying.

If I had someone help me with character generation and had a GM who could competently run this game with minimal loss of momentum, I would play Ascendant. Would I run it RAW, however? At this point, I don't think I can, even with quick reference material within reach; there are just too many SP formulas to account for and they're spread throughout the book, not just in the tables from the introduction. If I were to wing it in order to maintain momentum, I would rather run something like Mutants & Masterminds 3e, which I am much more familiar with and comfortable not only running, but winging it.

LOL! That you all did.

That's what happens when a DM behaves like a storyteller, rather than letting things play out. This is why it's super important to address expectations in a session zero, IMO.

Which anime do you think it parallels the most?

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying its so hard to say personally because i know id have alot of people agree or disagree with me. (For me tho it would be noragami) haha, but structure wise the idea that one shots being more popular in japan fits with animes considering how many anime’s especially isekai animes only have one, and very rarely if ever, two seasons; compared to the west where i think the show “adventure time” best fits a D&D cartoon and has a veryyy long time span including many spin offs, mirroring the long campaigns which many players join and leave the campaign🥰❤️

@@Ruggipedia I just watched the first episode of Noragami and I see why you'd say that Ryuutama parallels that anime the most, with Yato being comparable to a Ryuujin and Hiyori (probably) being one of the PCs. With regards to one-season anime shows, I'd probably parallel that more with games like Shadow of the Demon Lord and Band of Blades, where each campaign is meant to be completed in a limited amount of adventures because there is a definite finale (11 for Shadow, not sure about Band). But that's just me being pedanic ;P

This makes sense, especially in the context of this game's setting, which isn't supposed to be some dark fantasy. As far as GMPC's go, Gandalf was one of the better ones, because he ultimately served the Fellowship, instead of the Fellowship propping him up as the main character.

Was it because it was too loud or not to your taste?

A bit loud and just generally distracting.@@quickanddirtyroleplaying

@@JGray1066 I'll lower the background music a bit more for future videos. I personally prefer it to my PC fan, however, which is why I include those tracks.

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying Nice going, maybe as an alternative it might help to add a noise gate/filter to your audio. This might also help reduce fan noise without needing to get a quieter fan.

Quick & Dirty is the name of the RPG system that I made, which is available on DriveThruRPG for free. I named my system Quick & Dirty because it's a hodgepodge of a bunch of my favorite RPG mechanics compiled in a way I most prefer to play and run games with as little prep as possible. I placed the music to drown out the PC fan. Seems like I still need to lower the music volume some more if it's still causing an issue with my voice being drowned out. Last but not least, please feel free to check out the rest of my content (and the Quick & Dirty RPG System). Take care and stay safe.

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying, thanks bro. I appreciate the reply.

Thanks, Trent. I've noticed that the MCDM RPG bug bit you, with regards to how you're modifying the Pressure system. It's all good! My interest in it and my respect for the game design has reached a point where I backed the physical copy of the Heroes and Monsters books. I've also been fiddling around with a tactical combat system using some DC20 concepts along with straight damage rolls, first using a d20 but then changing it to a d6. It's still very rudimentary but it's pretty neat thus far.

Do these CoC one-shots put the investigators on rails or can their actions in the narrative affect the outcome of these scenarios?

@@ronwisegamgee Here in Germany, I can confirm, that there are quite a lot of CoC adventures offered at conventions, whose ends are predetermined. After all, the point of a horror RPG is to experience an horror story, so how can it end up anything than bad, right?

@@ronwisegamgee Their actions can affect the outcome. It's the situation and premise that's set, but how people respond to it is up to them. That said, I don't think Ryuutama stops you from affecting the outcome of a given scenario.

You've made a very comprehensive sound and valid argument for how PF2's rules promote roleplay. It's a matter of the presence of procedures that cover lots of ground with regards to how the consequences of a character's actions play out, as well as the expression of the type of fantasy and experience it's attempting to demonstrate via its rules and procedures.

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying 1. I really respect your way of responding to criticism. I don't take it for granted especially since my original comment could have been formulated a little more "nicely" here and there 2. Yeah. As I believe you say, how good the RP is depends mostly on the style of a group, not as much on the system. (Although I do believe that a badly designed rules-heavy system really can hinder role-play). The reason I take issue with people saying that rules-heavy systems necessarily hinder roleplay is because I think there often is that image of fun/roleplay/deep stories and crunchy/optimized/hardcore gameplay being opposites, when they are really not. And how much you like of each of these aspect (Like difficulty, rule-heaviness, Roleplay, Optimization) is highly personal and customizable. 3. While I did disagree with your fundamental point, I don't think your video wasn't without merit. As I said, while I really like The Rules Lawyer and the system of pf2e, I think sometimes he can oversell it a little or makes bad arguments in its favor. I don't exactly remember that video in particular, but I do believe that there were many bad arguments there (Like the one you pointed out in your vid in regards to "There being a rule for that", because this just has little to do with how well the system enables rp).

@emptyptr9401 You made a good point about separating the group's style of play being a contributing factor to hindering roleplay as opposed to the rules and procedures of the game in question. I guess the point I'm trying to make is how the rules and, by extension, the focus of a particular game (PF2, in this instance) contribute to the group's style of play. While I recognize that it's not a direct correlation and that immersive roleplay can occur regardless of (or in spite of) the rules of the game, I'm confident that the rules of the game (especially one so focused on balancing encounters and "combat as sport") can incentivize certain playstyles in order to win. When the group's main focus is on winning combat encounters and when most of the periphery activity is in service to help winning combat encounters, there seems to be a reduced incentive to engaging with the game world as an actual place and more like a board game or a video with largely meaningless fluff in between. Even in the best of cases, where the players find themselves immersed in the narrative, there's still the matter of combat encounters taking up the vast majority of the session in these combat-centric games. One counter that I'm aware of to that phenomenon is having some sessions devoted entirely to RP and having no combat whatsoever, while dedicating other sessions entirely to the combat mini-game. While that's a valid way of playing, it kind of spotlights the issue I brought up with PF2's rules hindering roleplay, not so much with the individual rules or procedure itself, but with how time-demanding the focus of the rules (skirmish, map-and-minis combat) is. Or, at least, that's my impression of it.

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying Sorry, that one got a little long xd. " I guess the point I'm trying to make is how the rules and, by extension, the focus of a particular game (PF2, in this instance) contribute to the group's style of play." That is absolutely fair, yes. Although the question is whether the system shapes the group or whether the group chooses the system. Of course there will be a little bit of both but which one is more prevalent. But in any case, my original point, as you say, is that the system doesn't hinder RP if you want to have a focus on RP and in that sense we seem to agree. "While I recognize that it's not a direct correlation and that immersive roleplay can occur regardless of (or in spite of) the rules of the game, I'm confident that the rules of the game (especially one so focused on balancing encounters and "combat as sport") can incentivize certain playstyles in order to win." 1. Not sure if you meant it like that, but as I said, I don't think a well designed rules-heavy system like pf2e hinders RP. I think a system like pf2e actually does enable RP in ways that a system like 5e can't. Specifically I think about how much freedom of expression you have in the character creation process in pf2e. Also 1 of its strengths is that you really don't have to try to make a viable character, you can just choose stuff that makes sense for your character and still be perfectly capable. In 5e that isn't really the case for example, although that might very well be a weakness of that system specifically. 2. I agree to an extend. I think whether you see encounters as "sport" depends on the group, not the system and on the difficulty level. If you force your players to always try-hard, then they will, but if you want more RP then you can tone down the difficulty (Which is easier to adjust in a system like pf2e) and leave room for non-optimal, role-play based decisions. Also keep in mind that pf2e has a mechanic to specifically reward RP and to off-set the strategic disadvantage you put yourself at by Rping (=Hero Points, which are extremely powerful) Of course rules heavy system enable and encourage far more strategy and that does of course take time away from Rp, but I don't think that this necessarily means that it HINDERS RP. Just that there are moments of both. If you are a group that only want to Rp, then a system like that might, while it still can work imo, probably not an ideal choice, but if you like both strategy and RP then I think this is one of the best systems out there if you can get over the learning curve. Also, I don't think that players wanting to and playing to win is a bad thing that hinders immersion, I actually think that high difficulty and players playing to win can actually enable immersion (immersion specifically, it can still take away from RP-time). Dark Souls is a videogame-example of this, where the unforgiving nature and difficulty perfectly reflects and immerses you in the world and the position your character is in. Or look at final fights on Critical Roll. They are (or at least seem) very difficult which pulls in the players and the audience alike into the world like few things can (And theoretically they could very easily run CR in pf2e I think. As far as I know Matt runs Dnd by the book and contrary to popular believe, 5e is not that much less rules heavy). While they are of course professionals, they are a very good example of how you can combine mechanics with RP. "there seems to be a reduced incentive to engaging with the game world as an actual place and more like a board game or a video with largely meaningless fluff in between" As is aid, I don't necessarily agree with that. I mean, it certainly CAN happen, but it can have the opposite effect also. You are right in the sense that it can take away from the absolute RP time, but it can actually enhance the RP quality and immersion depending on the group. "but with how time-demanding the focus of the rules (skirmish, map-and-minis combat) is. Or, at least, that's my impression of it." 1.I mean, while it was quite time demanding to learn the rules in the first place for me as a (Relatively new to pf2e) GM, once I am at the table it usually doesn't take away that much time. If I don't know a rule I can either look it up with a 10 second google search or I just make a judgement-call, inform my players that it was a judgement call and until the next session I know the official rule and will not forget it from the point forward. Although technological help is essential in running pf2e smoothly, if you have that technological help it runs like 5e did in my experience. 2. I mean, if you want a theatre of mind game, then yeah, there is no way you can run pf2e like that. But if you are fine with playing on a board I don't really see how it is different from 5e tbh. It is actually a lot more liberating and free than that system in my experience because in 5e you don't get to use much more than your abilities, while in pf2e you are very flexible in what you want to do and there is also a lot more environmental interaction. But honestly, from what I have seen, I think that pf2e modules often do a pretty bad job and highlighting the systems strength in that regard. Pf2e shines when you have big, open, complex battlefields with a lot of cover, differing terrain and interactables (Which actually enable in-fight Rp). Narrow rooms with little stuff in them is not where the system shines, its actually where it is the most annoying imo.

Fair point made on my American Football comment. Aside from every combatant's actions happening simultaneously (to stick to the TTRPG analogy), for the viewer on TV or on the bleachers, it's still a very pulled-back perspective. The contrast to this would be something like watching the movie "Any Given Sunday," where it makes sense for a film crew to get the necessary shots to give the viewers a more cinematic American Football experience, because it's literally a football movie. I'm still keeping my eyes and mind open on how MCDM is going to change things up in order to make their game more cinematic or to actually define what they mean when they say they want their TTRPG to be cinematic.

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying Yeah, I hope Matt releases another video diving deeper into what they're doing to accomplish each of those points. I'm really interested to hear how they would stack their mechanics up against their goals.

Tian Shang: Lone Wolf Fists doesn’t seem to be getting much love …

@@MisterWebb It's truly a shame, that.

Theoretically, I think cinematic combat can be done with grittier settings with a higher degree of verisimilitude. For example, if there's a reduced emphasis on exact movement and positioning, the results you get in combat with Mythras (Runequest) or Rolemaster can be cinematic, since the procedures involve determine attack accuracy, hit location, and descriptive & mechanical result of said attack, along with extra combat maneuvers. The challenge with maintaining a cinematic feel is in enough rules mastery that running combat can be done ideally without having to look up rules or charts or, barring that, having quick and easy access to the necessary charts for reference.

Hey Trent! Thanks for the reply. I wonder if Matt Colville has ever played Dungeon World and, if so, what his opinions on it are. In my experience, that game was a cinematic representation of D&D due to the complete absence of the "narrative mode to combat mode" transition while still paying a lot of homage to D&D.

@@quickanddirtyroleplayingI’d say that D&D is so fundamentally broken that any game trying to replicate its core elements is doomed to failure.

Thank you for your feedback, richmcgee434. I greatly appreciate it. I concur with the point you made regarding backgrounds, such as Academic, that offer dice only to two qualities and not three, as well as your suggestion for offering a d8 and a d6 with no third die. I also concur with your analysis on the amount and distribution of Green and Yellow abilities of certain archetypes, as well as how certain archetypes will not function properly if their abilities are chopped up to be acquired on a bit-by-bit basis. I was not aware that folks make use of the Retcon option for character advancement as a way to re-roll their maximum health to attempt to ideally gain 4 more health than by taking the average. That seems like a cheesy exploit to me and characters should simply start with that extra 8 health so that folks can focus on other forms of Retcon. A big part of my proposal to chop up full-fledged heroes is to use the rules for the Sentinels Comics RPG for more than just the Silver Age comics genre. The mechanics for Overcome are very much in the vein of Powered by the Apocalypse games (which I really enjoy) and I really dig its dice pool system. Damage is very fast-paced (just roll for damage dealt w circumstantial reduction to damage as dictated by the rules) and even low Boost/Hinder results still affect dice rolls. If I was to play a superhero game using Sentinels Comics RPG, I would not go zero-to-hero; this is if I wanted to use the mechanics for something like more traditional fantasy. Even in non-Silver Age comic genres, I would really like to see this game's scene design rules employed in other TTRPGs that seek to emulate action and adventure fiction as opposed to the "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots" style of combat we see in many a dungeon-delving and dragon-slaying TTRPG. I've found your comment to be very insightful, richmcgee434. Do you believe that the core mechanics of Sentinel Comics RPG can be successfully employed for other TTRPG genres? If so (or not), why (or why not) and how (if why)?

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying "I was not aware that folks make use of the Retcon option for character advancement as a way to re-roll their maximum health to attempt to ideally gain 4 more health than by taking the average. That seems like a cheesy exploit to me and characters should simply start with that extra 8 health so that folks can focus on other forms of Retcon." It's not using your Retcon (in character generation) per se. They're using the "Majorly Rewrite Hero" option on page 143 and deciding to roll d8 for health instead of taking the fixed 4 when you get to that step. You could make other changes or not as per that section, but nothing actually obliges you to. Since you can only do it once per collection earned and it's never a sure thing what you'll get it's hard to really call it an exploit, and some folks just like "rolling for hit points" when they "level up" so there's not much reason to veto it. At best you'll eventually roll an 8 and stop gambling, coming out a whole 4 health higher than the folks using a fixed 4 option. The ones that really baffle me are those who *will* keep rolling every time even when they're on an 8. But they sure aren't power gaming and if it amuses them, good for them. I do love hearing their explanations for why their Health just dropped by 7 though. :)

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying On your question, I think the core mechanics (dice pools, actions, scene types, etc.) are extremely versatile and can probably do any genre, but the character generation system is (obviously) intended for supers (although I wouldn't say just Silver age - I've run everything from Gold to Moderns with success- it's all how you skin things). Taking the core and rewriting character gen for other genres should work fine. Depending on how you approached it you might need something to replace Powers, or you might opt to build pools with two Qualities and leave out Powers altogether. Abilities might be chosen from small sub-lists as they are with the Source/Archetype system (maybe calling them something else - Heritage/Training perhaps) or you could drop that altogether and just have big Green/Yellow menus partially gated behind some kind of qualifier like the Red abilities are. None of it looks like it would be hard to do, but it would be a lot of work to actually type everything up into a test-ready document. That's the kind of thing designers get paid for, not hobby work.

That's something I'd rather not reveal to a total stranger. As for Discord, I don't have an official Quick & Dirty Roleplaying server at the moment.

Thanks! As for the music, it at least masks the noise made by the PC fan, LOL!

The video game RPG that comes to mind the most regarding targetable body parts has been the Fallout series, ever since the first one made by Interplay. As far as video games using TTRPG systems, while D&D has been the most widely used TTRPG system for video games, I would really like to see a video game RPG use the HERO system. Yes, Champions Online is based off of the Champions TTRPG, but it doesn't really play like the Champions TTRPG.

Thanks, Crispy. Which ones were new to you, if you don't mind me asking?

Apocalypse World, Sentinel comics RPG, Mythic GM Emulator, Ironsworn, Worlds in Peril, Bounty Hunter, Quest, and all the titles that you mentioned but didn't have a physical copy to show are new to me. I think that's most of them. I'm not as well read in RPGs as you are!

​@@Tablerunner Thanks for sharing, Crispy. The great majority of those titles (with the exception of the Bounty Hunter TTRPG) have the common design element of having more than two results occur from a dice roll (which, while popularized by Apocalypse World, actually stems from the reaction roll of the earliest editions of D&D). Another common design element that many of those games share is that of each result that could be generated by a dice roll having a range of outcomes that could occur, which may or may not involve things happening in the narrative that, while not a causal consequence of the action in question, adds dramatically-appropriate consequences (therefore taking more narrative liberties in that regard). As a point of comparison, there are moment in, say, C&C or Weird West when a particular dice roll triggers a roll at a random table. Said random table could have 30 different outcomes and so you roll a d30 to determine which outcome occurs. Sometimes the outcome that gets generated may not make the most causal sense with the situation at hand and so you or the player finagle it in a way that's still dramatically cool. Many of the games that I've mentioned in this video thrive on that dynamic, but rely more on the group using their imagination, inductive reasoning, and the context of the scene and antecedent events rather than on random tables with specific, detailed outcomes. Mythic GM Emulator is probably the progenitor of this methodology, so I'll provide an example from it. In Mythic, there are a bunch of Meaning Tables, and one of the most common tables that will be used is the Actions table. With the Actions table, you make a d% for both a verb and a noun to make a two-word phrase, such as "Fight Power" or "Fail Project." Those phrases serve as prompts to help the GM (or group, if played in a Co-op manner) to figure out what that action means in the context of the situation at hand. While this method does take more effort than rolling a specific result on an old-school random table, it has the advantage of versatility and of taking up less space. All of that being said, if you want to learn more about this style of game design, the sources I would recommend starting with are Ironsworn (www.ironswornrpg.com) and Quest (www.adventure.game/store/digital-edition). Both of these games have digital editions that are available for free. I'd love to hear your feedback on your exploration of these games, should you be so inclined to investigate further.

Thanks for letting me know. I'll tweak it down even lower for future vids. It did have the useful effect of not only adding a little bit of spice to my narration, but also of drowning out my PC fans 😅 As for the immersion element, has your experience or sentiments with immersion in TTRPGs been similar or different in some other way?

Good stuff! I'm pretty sure you can easily figure out how to deal with Karma and Hero Dice usage and acquisition as seamlessly as possible with your immersive style of GMing. Aside from that, it really does just get out of the way while being conducive of creative strategizing and spellcasting. It's also incredibly easy to make custom content for it as well.

You're welcome! I admire how, as a TTRPG content creator, you can just stick to talking about TTRPG content without having to make generalizations about people based on their preferences, all while humbly expressing your emotional and thought processes about your experiences in the hobby. You've been a role model of mature adulthood, Crispy, and others could learn from your example.

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying that's very kind of you to say. Glad to have you along for the ride!

Thank you, thank you!

I did not know that Tunnels & Trolls uses exploding dice. Thanks for letting me know! 👍

They do yes.

An oversight on my part. Thanks for pointing that out!

Pleasure, and thanks for talking about EZD6@@ronwisegamgee

You're welcome. Still more to come!

Excellent!@@ronwisegamgee

Thank you! I've started to add lounge music tracks from RU-vid's library in my videos to help with listener engagement and to drown out the fan from my PC 😅 If there's a topic related to TTRPGs that you'd like to hear me talk about, I'm open to suggestions!

@quickanddirtyroleplaying I would love to hear your suggestions and thoughts on how to get better engagement and keep players honest playing remotely on something like Zoom or a Video Chat! That would be great!

@@chrisgideonrosario Hmm...by better engagement, do you mean keeping their attention for greater lengths of time? If not, then I'd appreciate some clarification. As for keeping players honest in a remote game, is that with regards to dice rolls and information on the character sheet? There are apps and virtual tabletops for stuff like that. If they're being dishonest about that stuff, though, there's are deeper issues about why they have that modus operandi (i.e. "winning" the game as opposed to experiencing an emergent story, immaturity, disordered personality, etc.) In any case, I don't think they're suited to contributing to a healthy and productive TTRPG experience with others at the table.

I'm looking forward to getting my hardcover copy of both the core rulebook and the Book of Quests in the mail so that I can run at least one adventure for my gaming group 👍

Maybe in an alternate Earth, but not this one 😆

Thank you for pointing out the failure of the gamification of social skills in TTRPGs with your anecdote. Correct me if I'm wrong, but games like D&D and Pathfinder seem to have their rules regarding social skills written in a way where the triggering of a social skill check essentially boils down to the player stating, "I use my social skill on the NPC" (and will often proceed to grab, roll the dice, and declare their roll without being prompted by the GM). These are the game mechanics that make sense to me in a TTRPG regarding social skills: - A dice roll to determine an NPC's initial disposition (modified by the PC's charisma and other relevant factors) if the GM is unsure of what that NPC's initial disposition should be. - One dice roll per encounter to attempt to sway an NPC's disposition, NOT to get them to do what you want. - A dice roll to come off as sincere in accordance to the NPC's disposition towards the PC if their sincerity would be in doubt on a per-case basis. Everything else should be handled through roleplay. An NPC's disposition should be a significant factor in the tone that they will take with the PC and what kind of asks will make sense, require compensation or assurance, or just will not fly. As for the situation of being pigeonholed into a type ever further as levels increase in order to remain relevant, I would like to suggest Tabletop Bro's video titled "Pathfinder Isn't Fun."

But in that case I feel like that was kind of a failing on the GMs side. I mean, social situations shouldn't maybe always requre rolls and I as the gm would then let her participate but would call other players for their roles when one comes up and it is justifieable. Sure, she can't be thebparty face, but in what system can you be good at xombat AND magic AND talking. And from a gamedesign perspective, limitations are a powerful tool to make decisions interesting... Also, there is a rule for a situation like this. In pf2e you can "follow the expeet" which lets you add you proficiency mod if I remember correctly as long as you can follow someone who is a Master in yhay skill I believe. This rule was meant specifically to aboid situations like this. Of course its fine to not know all the rulea on the fly, that is admittedly the downside to such a system, but while it does take time to learn, once you did learn it its actually quite well designed imo (Like you can see here).

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the matter. This citizen's game perspective you bring up reminds me of the Ys series of video games, which started in 1987 for the PC-8800 and continue to this day. The main protagonist of almost every Ys title (except for Ys Origins, which serves as a prequel to Ys I & II) is a young red-headed adventurous swordsman named Adol Christin. Adol lives to see the world and all of its splendor and has a terrible propensity for being shipwrecked off of the coast of some beach, which is often how his adventures begin. Though each game is self-contained, an overarching lore of the setting and its mythology pervades throughout the series. Adol serves mainly as a self-insert for the player and typically has a flat character arc throughout each game; the focus starts with how to get out of the predicament that he's in (shipwrecked, imprisoned, indebted, contracted, etc.) and usually ends up being a save-the-region or save-the-world plot by the end of it. Later titles include voice acting of an older version of himself telling a tale from his past, so we see that he chronicles his adventures for future generations to read. No indication has been given that he ever has offspring to pass on some biological legacy. If I were to GM a particular character (or party's) lifelong journey, I think I'd do it in this manner, though I have a stronger preference for anthologies (same world, different character stories) because that maintains my interest longer.

Are you addressing something specific in my video? This seems like a strawman argument.

@Quick & Dirty Roleplaying how is having a good base of rules so all players can follow the same line vs a gm/dm who just makes it up as they feel like it, and can change per player a strawman?

​@@RagingWyvern Okay, I just looked over my script for this video to attempt to understand what point(s) you were addressing in your post. Regarding changing a rule based on the GM's mood, I see this as a strawman to the part where I talk about the "gut-level reaction that spurs spot-rulings." This is more of an intuition that acts as a shortcut to the analysis of a specific situation and attempting to recall the exact information on which rules to apply. In other words, it's eyeballing a situation and applying an appropriate ruling. Many, many TTRPGs codify this in the rules by stating stuff like "if it's easier than normal, apply +X to your dice roll; if it's harder than normal, apply -X to your dice roll" instead of spelling out each and every situation and which modifier should be applied. It's a matter of diminishing returns where, past a certain level of detail, the amount of complexity or volume of information required to accommodate it doesn't not provide a worthwhile return on investment. Also, any GM worth their salt would make a specific spot-ruling for a reason that stems from the situation at hand and the rules either don't cover it, are not immediately (or shortly) recalled and simply disregarded at that point in time for the sake of pacing, or because the GM is using a house rule, not because of some arbitrary "because they feel like it." Never did I say that GMs should always have to make up a rule every single time nor to just make up or change rules all willy-nilly.

Did I pronounce your last name correctly, by chance?

@@quickanddirtyroleplaying Not really, but don't worry too much about it. The last sound of my last name doesn't have an equivalent in English. The first part "Boi" is pronounced a bit like "boa", but more condensed.