I know this isn’t an RPG forum, but many board game designers are also RPG players, at least. I’ve posted this several places, and decided I may as well post it here.
This is an unusual piece because I want to talk about what “should” be in an RPG design book. Somehow I once again have the idea of writing a 100,000 word book about role-playing game design. This is not the first time I've thought about this, last time was in 2017. Actually a great deal of it has already been written in my old articles from the 70s and 80s, in hundreds of my videos for online courses and YouTube, and in my “Worlds of Design” column, plus stuff that I've written that has not (yet) been published. This book might pair well with my 2012 book game design how to create video and tabletop games, which is still in print and not outdated, and still sells. I prefer small to medium books that people might actually read (rather than “TL;DR”) rather than a monster book, hence the limit to 100,000 words, about 250 pages in 5” by 8” format (the average novel is 90,000-100,000 words).
The question is, what would people expect in such a book, because I have far more material than I have space.
First we should ask what goes into a published RPG. An RPG can have up to three parts, but can do with just the first. The first is the RPG rules, the mechanisms that govern play. You can’t have a role-playing game without that, you can have something else but not a role-playing game. The second component that might be in the game is a description of a world or setting. Third could be sample adventures or how to GM advice, or both.
So why setting? Some games rely on a default setting, for example, D&D's default is late medieval Europe (stone castles come after the halfway point of the Middle Ages) plus magic and monsters. But the publisher has released many separate D&D settings. Still, everything references back to that default, which is kind of the default setting for fantasy novels and games in general. A World War II RPG would have a World War II setting, a Tolkien RPG would have the Middle-earth setting, etc.
There are also RPGs that are as much or more the setting as the rules. for example Dystopia Rising is very heavily focused on the rich post-cataclysm setting rather than on the rules. The rules unfortunately are not good, much too complicated for a setting that cries out for simple rules. Of course there are games everywhere between the extremes.
When you write a role-playing game, sometimes you expect the reader to know how to GM already, sometimes you don't. This depends on your target market. For example, if you have a heavily storytelling game, then you might want to provide advice to the reader about storytelling. At the other end of the spectrum there is at least one book, by Alex Macris who designed the Adventurer, Conqueror, King system, that's about GMing in a general sense.
You can include adventures with the rules, and an adventure itself might include advice about how to make stories. Or we can assume that the readers already know how to make an adventure. A sample adventure included in the rules may be a compromise.
I just described what a role-playing game can be. What should the book be? Clearly a book must discuss game design generally and role-playing game design specifically, at length. This is not a problem for me, I've written and talked a lot about this in my online video courses on Udemy and wrote a book about it. This needs to include an extensive section on rules writing, as poorly written rules can ruin a good game.
What about the rest of the possibilities? Worldbuilding? There are books, and many long YouTube videos (not mine) about worldbuilding. It's of great interest to some aspiring novelists. I think that is the main reason why there is so much material. But it's also quite complicated. Yet it's not directly related to the game. Too many GM's concern themselves more with their world than with actual gameplay. So their adventures are “look at what I've made” instead of actual adventures. I think less emphasis on the world may be better than more. So worldbuilding may be a matter of what space is available in the book after we take care of other elements.
Adventure making? Again, there are entire books about video game level creation, and innumerable books about writing stories. Perhaps an example adventure would be better than extensive advice. I recall Advanced D&D included a sample adventure as well as tables to help create adventures.
What about “how to GM?” That could be a problem when the space available is only 100,000 words. An entire book can be written about how to GM. This can’t take up much space.
How about including an actual complete role-playing game with commentary about its design? I think this might be especially useful but has to be short and simple, if only to fit in the book. I do have one that has been partially tested. I originally wrote it to accompany a boardgame, but decided that it wasn't practical because the boardgame would never have a GM and something like a deck of cards wasn’t good enough to control the opposition on its own. So I have this very simple game that makes a lot of sense in many respects.
There are lots of subsidiary possibilities, for example, would you expect to see lots of dice tables in a book about RPG design? I wouldn't. What about a glossary? There’s a glossary in my general game design book, but I don’t think there’s space for much of a glossary in this case.
I seek your comments. However large or small, what do you think must be in or must not be in a book about role-playing game design?
Current list of chapters:
13% The Design Process
10% RPGs in particular
7% Playtesting, the heart of game design
5% Philosophical underpinning (definition etc.)
12% Rules Writing
8% Marketing/Publishing an RPG
13% World and Setting Creation
10% Adventure Creation
5% How to GM
13% Example Very Simple Fantasy RPG
4% Discussion of my design choices
No glossary, insufficient space
Comments
dice
Have a chapter on dice.
And a paragraph on d7.
:p
I agree with X3M: A chapter on DICE...
And if you do ... Well I would ASK (it's not really a big ask TBH) you support in your RPG Design Book the D3. Why? Well I've been having a lot of success trying to market my "Dual Dice" which are Designer D6s with special capabilities to do things such as simulate D2s, D3s, D6s, and some other possibilities with other distributions (such as Multiply "x") which yields: 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 9. which is less than 10 in values and has a 0.
So the existence of the D3 which used to be a CUSTOM dice is now possible with Dual Dice.
And it is used in Pathfinder, Cthulhu 7th Edition, Advanced Dungeon & Dragons. You merely need to search for the occurrences and it's usually in the area of Hand-To-Hand combat or weaker weapons like a Knife or Sling, etc.
It is also used in some spells... I see this like a 1D3 roll to determine the effect of a DAYS spell (lasts from 1 to 3 DAYS) for example. Or when using some Minor Healing, heals 1D3... Or Chain Lightning which Targets from 1 to 3 opposing creatures (another valid but imaginary usage).
In any event, since I am PUSHING for more D3 usage, it would be my pleasure to send you a couple "complimentary" Dual Dice (if that interests you). I have not had time to write out the Guide Book for the Dice... But I will be doing this in the future (in the next few months) as I get around to different other "Games" that I am currently working on.
Obviously with the listing you get:
1D2, 1D3, 1D6 (all Dual Dice)
1D4, 1D8, 1D10, 1D12 and 1D20 (all Poly Dice)
If you SUPPORT the D2 and D3 that would be very beneficial as my Dual Dice allow for such outcomes to exist from the rolling of these Designer Dice. I know I don't want to POLLUTE your writing with my own interests. But you would definitely be helping a fellow Game Designer.
It's really not too much to ask (honestly). Just saying that you support the use of a 1D2 and a 1D3 would be greatly appreciated and expand on what OTHER RPG Design Books are doing already. Like I said, I've found instances in all of the MAJOR Systems out-there.
I often used to TOY with a Custom D6 that had a 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, and 3 distribution... But now that my Designer Dual Dice support D3 directly, I am always looking for more promotion and ways to INCLUDE the support of the D3 (and even the D2).
Again, I can send you a complimentary pair of dice if you Private Message (PM) with your home address and I'll send you the dice for your review.
Thank you again... And I hope this doesn't feel like too much to ask. Especially when other MAJOR Players are using the dice just in less instances and maybe in your RPGs there may be a greater need for D2s or D3s...
Cheers @Dr. Lew.
Joking??
While you guys may be joking, I'll give a straight answer.
At this level of granularity I only have space to talk about different methods of randomization (dice being one) and suggest that using LOTS of dice (e.g. dice pools), or specialized dice, is poor functional design. Though may work from an emotional point of view.
The sample RPG uses sum of 2d6, period.
Randomization is a good
Randomization is a good title.
My first line wasn't a joke.
I have seen only 1 rpg that made use without dice, so far.
Rest seemed to have dice. Hence I pictured dice naturally. But the bag...mr. magic man uses a bag/hat for random spell effects. Not sure if you can do anything with that information.
Good luck on writing the book.
Nobody is joking ... At least I'm serious...
I was not joking. Dice in RPG Designs is very important to explain how the game is going to work. Why? Because some RPGs use 1D20 as their "go to" dice. I'm not sufficiently versed in those RPGs to know if this is the ONLY dice used would be a 1D20 or other polys are also involved as well... To be analyzed.
Nothing emotional. If you are talking about a Sample RPG you need to cover a lot of content including spells for example. Or Creatures and Damage ... What dice will be involved in the interaction between players and their opposing counterparts, etc., etc.
That's fine in that it is simple enough... But will that also work for "Character Generation"?! Or are there limitations like a Thief has a Constitution Penalty (CON) and therefore uses only 1D6 or a Knife only produces 1D3 of Damage and limits how an Assassin uses 2D3 and is double handed... etc., etc.
There are so many purposes of dice ... That including them in the "book" would be essential to understand how to do ANY and ALL the fundamentals of the game.
Like I said "Character Generation", "Spellcasting", "Equipment" , "Dealing Damage", "Healing and/or Resting", etc., etc.
Nothing emotional about any of these topics except to say dice MAY be involved and if they are in what capacity. Again no joking ... If the primary purpose of an RPG is to make my OWN "Character" (and RPGs like Advanced Dungeon & Dragons focus on "Character Generation") and you must do this to PERSONALIZE the experience... No doubt that some form of "randomization" will be required. How? Is a valid question...
Furthermore...
There are whole chapters dedicated to "Character Generation" in AD&D DM Guide. Tables with bonuses that arise from which will be the default weapon of a Fighter to how much starting gold he/she will have.
You must know that there are GUIDE BOOKS just for "Characters Classes". Take your "Player's Handbook" in AD&D ... And it covers a lot of ground based on what your players can choose and how they can choose to personalize it.
So you need the DM Guide and the Player's Handbook to be able to create and personalize Character Generation for an RPG.
But I THINK(?) you may not be focusing on PLAYERS ... More on Dungeon Mastery (DM-ing)... As such the players are less involved in that you MIGHT focus on telling people "How to make their STORIES..."
That IS very VALID... Even if it is a bit uncomplete and "generic". A specific example is about the CAMPAIGN and not about the PLAYERS. That's the way I get when I read your Point-Of-View (POV).
My POV is that the adventure is only HALF the detail required. The other half lies in the outcomes of the Players and how they can personalize the adventure for themselves. And inevitably, the use of dice (if you choose to use some) will invariably require explanation at each step as to HOW and WHICH dice you plan to use.
I've given some examples of areas requiring dice and certainly that is NOT an exhaustive list, it's more like the more basic POV.
Correct me if I am wrong, but in this RPG Design Book... YOUR focus is on the ADVENTURE itself and not on the PLAYERS, correct? If so, well then I understand why you plan to omit Character Generation and everything that comes with it (including the kitchen sink...) Haha. Just a little joke because you thought I was kidding.
Anyhow... Wishing you all the best with your endeavor ... My estimation is that once you write the 1st Book which is sort of like the DM Guide, you will need to write a 2nd Book which is sort of like the Player's Handbook. And probably as things move forwards ... You'll need some kind of Monster Manual too.
I could be wrong. I'm just saying that there seems to be focus on STORYTELLING versus PERSONALIZATION. And that's OK too... I'm just saying you may need to write MORE to explain everything in your own RPG Design System...
Cheers!
The focus is on the RPG
The focus is on the RPG designer, not the adventure designer. And of course it's the RPG designer who decides the mechanics, including dice, or no dice, and what kind of dice, not the adventure designer or the players.
A whole series of books could be written for the adventure designer. For example:
Designing the opposition in fantasy RPGs
Designing the world/setting
Designing the Adventures
But I doubt it will come to that, as I have several other books to deal with, and I don't have infinite time.
Granularity
Granularity: I don't recall the exact number, but the latest D&D may be 400K words. And it's only one way to do it. So in 100K words I have to very carefully choose what is included and what is not.
I don't recall seeing a book just about dice and probability mechanisms, though I do recall that R. Knizia once published "Dice Games Properly Explained" (IIRC) and Greg Costikyan wrote a book about uncertainty and randomness (that I still have to read, though I have read the long essay that preceded it).
Assumptions
Big picture: yes, many games generate characters with dice. Some don't, such as 5e D&D (the biggest of all the games). Some don't have character numbers at all, especially the really small/simple ones. My simple RPG doesn't use character numbers. It's a good place to simplify.
No character classes, either. It's purely skill-based.
Indeed...
You're talking about the "Standard Array" = 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 in 5e D&D. But this is an OPTION, you can still use a Dice Rolling technique based on the 1D20. And I've also read some place that there are other ways to generate characters based on MATH and a Point Total (It's complicated and it does nothing to help the discussion...) @X3M would like it because it's MATH AND MORE COMPLICATED! Haha.
BTW you said skills, so my guess is Players have a SET of "Skills" and that's what determines what they can do! Correct!?
There are other D&D like games in the form of podcasts (take Liberty: Vigilance based on the Liberty After System) were are bunch of Investigators trying to solve some kind of murder mystery and each player has the same purpose.
But then there are matters like a Perception Roll which makes out that you find an additional clue to the puzzle or what happened at a location (as a CSI).
Anyhow you said you are using 2D6s which is great. If everything boils down to this ... Well then I guess we can all easily say that what dice you use can affect the game itself (enough said!)
Cheers.
Skills
EVERYTHING you do involves a skill. You choose the skills, getting more as you rise in level. Some skills preclude use of others. Getting an extra hit point is a skill. Hitting better is a skill. Casting spells at a particular level is a skill (with prereqs). Being able to wear heavier armor is a skill. Etc.
Not at all like the skills of D&D 3e.
The sample game is meant to illustrate some choices, and must be simple so that it takes up less space. Not meant to strongly influence the would-be RPG designer's choices.