So I was thinking about some of the reasons that Pathfinder, and to a lessor extent, Adventure League players have transitioning to how we do things in Arcanis. I was also reflecting on some of my own past misunderstandings of the rules as well. I came to what I think is a profound insight regarding how RPG games function. I'd like some feedback into that insight. What I discovered is that their are sources of rules for every RPG game, not just one.
The first set of rules is the printed word contained within the rulebooks. Admittedly these printed rule books change from game system to game system. But what is common between every set of these books is that they are "express rules". So that is what I will call them.
The second set of rules are what I will called "House Rules". These are those rules that are common to a given group. Most players are familiar with them on some level. Critical Hit Tables are a frequent example. But other "House Rules" would include "The last player to sit at the table plays the Healer". Or, even "Bob always brings the beer". An important subset of "House Rules" are rules the interpretations of "Express Rules" each group has come to agree on.
The third set of rules are "Plot Rules". These are a bit harder to pin down. But every RPG has a story of some kind. Some stories are more developed than others. Lets take the example of your favorite swash buckling pirate PC. Can he swing from the chandelier? Of course he can....IF.... the combat is inside, there is a chandelier within reach, and his hands are free. But if the combat is outside, or if there is no chandelier, or if the pirates hands are bound, then PLOT RULES prevent the swashbuckling pirate from performing his favorite stunt.
Now, the second insight I had was that different games put these three sets of rules in different priorities. For example the typical Pathfinder League puts "Express Rules First", followed by "House Rules" followed by "Plot Rules". While Arcanis puts "Plot Rules" first, followed by "House Rules", Followed by "Express Rules". See the difference? A player that is used to having everything thing revealed in an express manner will have trouble understanding the how and why of Arcanis, because they are looking at different sets of rules.
The third Insight I had was that different games weigh the rules differently even if they place the groups in the same order of priority. For example, a "Home Game" that has the "Bob brings the beer rule" could do several different things when Bob breaks the rule. They could shrug their shoulders and move on, or they could all go on a beer run and postpone the game. Or they could cancel the game all together. Practically speaking, Pathfinder and Legends of Arcanis are similar. While Pathfinder puts "Express Rules" at the top of the food chain, and Arcanis puts "Plot Rules" at the top of the food chain, both systems weigh their respective priority very heavily. In contrast Adventure League weighs each of the three sets of rules fairly equally.
Anyhow, that was my insight, I hope that helps.
Thanks
_________________ --- Eric Hughes
There once was a gnome called Oozy, Who kissed a Yaricite floozy. But rather than wed, She drowned him instead, Now he is a Yaricite toosey!
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