Roleplaying Game Systems and Attributes

[disableanonymos]

Of the tabletop games I have played - D&D has 6, WoD has 9, Shadowrun has 9 too, Dark Heresy has 9 again, Cortex has 6 and FATE doesn't really have any definable, but still has them if you chose to make it part of your character.

Long ago, a friend of mine said something that effected my thinking along the lines of, "Roleplaying games need

Comments

Traits

[anonymous]

I think traits have to be measurable examples of the characters limitations. In essence your stats reflect any time the player asks "can my character do X?" that can be answered just by looking at their sheet. They are the bones of your imaginary persona, upon which the fleshy personality can then be hung.

That's also why I don't like IQ and Charisma type scores, as these are nearly always situational and need Storyteller input when that question is asked.

So stats. Something to reflect how much physical power the character can deliver. Something to reflect how robust the character is. Something to reflect how agile the character is. Something to reflect how mentally resilient the character is. stats beyond that are optional and usually tailored to the systems little quirks.

Re: Traits

[disableanonymos]

Thanks for your input. You make a very good point of situational traits - something I will have to consider carefully

[disableanonymos]

While on the topic - here is an article I found that was very interesting and expanded my perceptions on the matter:
http://hiddenway.tripod.com/articles/attrib.html

required attributes?

[kage_73]

The off the cuff facetious comment is that if you're Roleplaying effectively then you don't need attributes/stats at all... or at least that's the LARP point of view for many

Re: required attributes?

[disableanonymos]

The LARP point of view is fine - and I have been an advocate for that point of view. I suppose I am more asking about Tabletop gaming than LARP, but it didn't occur to me since so much of my recent LARP is stat driven. Where that view falls down is where you have to simulate physical things without doing them as it could harm yourself or others - and stats are needed for that. Then the problem becomes, if stats are needed for that, why not make them universal and for everything

Re: required attributes?

[kage_73]

From a totally TT perspective I agree... it can get annoying if a GM just says 'roleplay it' especially if you've stat'ed your character to have different strengths and weaknesses to your own actual ones, and that's regardless of the situation be it social, political, negotiations, or even combat (minimising dice rolls to just the to hit and damage dealing). I guess that holds true for LARP also but less so because the majority of player I've encountered tend to roleplay through encounters more than at a TT game

Re: required attributes?

[disableanonymos]

Dice are like gamer crack, and games are the addicts alley with the GM as the dealer - if there are dice, gamers will use any excuse to use them, games are where they come to use them in an environment of addicts that vindicate and make their use okay - the most popular games tend to be those who use all the different types of dice, or at least have lots of dice - and for GMs, dice make their job easier, mean they have to think less to get the pay-off, but really draw them into a web where they can't help but give players the dice

Relevance of Traits to RPGs

[daman_asha]

Heya Conrad - did not know you had an LJ 'til Em pointed it out. I'm gonna presume that the open question is on the basis of designing a system of your own? Knowing more about the goals of your design makes the question easier to answer appropriately, but here goes

Re: Relevance of Traits to RPGs

[disableanonymos]

Hey Odie - ditto. I've known about Em's LJ for ages - but had no idea you had one. I don't use mine much - although I am thinking of using for this project