Minor game stuff from around the web for commentary...

[Leress]

Question for Zak:

Is there a place I can look over the rules for you game in particular, because since there is no way to "fix" the violin rule without first looking at all the others as a whole?

[Zak S]

Question for Zak:

Is there a place I can look over the rules for you game in particular, because since there is no way to "fix" the violin rule without first looking at all the others as a whole?

Do you think the rule is broken, Leress?

[Leress]

Question for Zak:

Is there a place I can look over the rules for you game in particular, because since there is no way to "fix" the violin rule without first looking at all the others as a whole?

Do you think the rule is broken, Leress?

I would need to see it in context with the rest of the rules. Currently it looks like something that anyone who wanted to be a diplomat would always get.

[Zak S]

Question for Zak:

Is there a place I can look over the rules for you game in particular, because since there is no way to "fix" the violin rule without first looking at all the others as a whole?

Do you think the rule is broken, Leress?

I would need to see it in context with the rest of the rules. Currently it looks like something that anyone who wanted to be a diplomat would always get.

So then how do you explain the existence of players who want to be as charming as possible ("want to be a diplomat" is not a thing anyone I know has ever said) who didn't get it? They exist.

[Voss]

Question for Zak:

Is there a place I can look over the rules for you game in particular, because since there is no way to "fix" the violin rule without first looking at all the others as a whole?

Do you think the rule is broken, Leress?

I would need to see it in context with the rest of the rules. Currently it looks like something that anyone who wanted to be a diplomat would always get.

Tsk. You didn't agree it wasn't broken sight unseen. How can he trust you enough to show you any of the rules at all?

[Leress]

Answer my question, Zak.

[Zak S]

Do you think the rule is broken, Leress?

I would need to see it in context with the rest of the rules. Currently it looks like something that anyone who wanted to be a diplomat would always get.

So then how do you explain the existence of players who want to be as charming as possible ("want to be a diplomat" is not a thing anyone I know has ever said) who didn't get it? They exist.

Still waiting on this. If you answer it, then I promise you right now I will answer this question:"Is there a place I can look over the rules for you game in particular, because since there is no way to "fix" the violin rule without first looking at all the others as a whole?" right after you answer it.

Because I have been waiting for someone to answer it for like 18 pages here.

[Leress]

There could be a lot of reasons:
can't afford the instrument
don't want it and can tolerate the loss of advantage
the bonus could not stack with what they already have.

That is just off the top of my head.

[DSMatticus]

Zak is like the deadbeat dad of debate - there's no argument he won't eventually abandon. Seriously. Holy fuck. Could you at least attempt to go down with your goddamn ship? I'm getting tired of sinking them only to have you escape on a smaller and smaller boat each time, like some sort of matryoshka doll of failure and suck.

But what the hell, let's peel one more layer off this onion: Zak's latest argument is that because he's seen people not take advantage of his shitty rule, the rule clearly isn't broken. Reductio ad absurdum: I've seen games of 3.5 in which people played fighter instead of cleric, yet the fighter/cleric balance is very clearly broken.

Well, Zak, what's it gonna be? Do you want to admit your latest argument is rotten and fallacious to its core, or do you want to defend 3.5's class balance?

[zugschef]

What's the likelihood of Silva dropping in to this thread?

Silva teaming up with the one who must not be named?

[Zak S]

There could be a lot of reasons:
can't afford the instrument
don't want it and can tolerate the loss of advantage
the bonus could not stack with what they already have.

That is just off the top of my head.

The first and third reasons aren't the case. So it's the second " don't want it and can tolerate the loss of advantage". So this prediction: "Currently it looks like something that anyone who wanted to be a diplomat would always get." is wrong.

Anyway: my rules, they are spread out a lot of places:
1. All the posts tagged "rules" on my blog, and ones tagged "useful things". Newer ones generally supercede older ones.
2. 3.5 for spells at home, AD&D for spells in online games. Spells might get altered before they're chosen for the first time. For example: summon requires reaching into a box of minis and pulling one out, it will have HD commensurate to the power of the spell. The alterations are written down in a notebook but not all online anywhere.
3. Mutations from Realms of Chaos-Slaves to Darkness and Lost And The Damned come up all the time. They get converted to D&D from Warhammer.
4. FLAILSNAILS rules are in effect (google it) so PCs can show up from other versions of the rules and get altered on the fly. So sometimes PCs have mechanics attached to them that I never even heard of but their manifestation in the local game gets houseruled on the spot and written ont he PCs character sheet.
5. Monsters are all custom-made, including abilities that might alter PC abilities like causing blindness, etc.
6. Combat is done D20 style basically, with ascending AC and target numbers, but grappling is simplified. Looks most like Castles & Crusades. Most noncombat tasks are roll-under unless they have to do with a PC's class specifically, in which case there's a system you'll find if you read through the rules tag on the blog. No skills or feats as described in 3.5, though there are class-specific tasks that get difficulty bonuses based on level.
7. Everything in Vornheim is in effect.
8. There's some other stuff that's in my notebook or just common practice in every game I ever played as player or GM (like: when we use AD&D spells we ignore segments) but if you have specific questions not covered I can answer them. Players sometimes as before making choices. When there's stuff we're likely to forget we wrote them down on the thing it's attached to.

…but no, they're not all in one place.

[Kaelik]

So then how do you explain the existence of players who want to be as charming as possible ("want to be a diplomat" is not a thing anyone I know has ever said) who didn't get it? They exist.

Because you implemented the rule in one campaign for one party and they already have a face who uses the rule, so no benefits arrive from additional people obtaining instruments.

Because your players have been conditioned by you being a complete asshole who regularly describes your only method of conflict resolution as kicking people out of the group on your blogs which they read occasionally, so they don't want to make waves.

Because your players don't give a flying fuck about your game and use it as a bullshit with friends session while humoring you by occasionally pretending to give a shit about your game.

Any or all of these.

[Zak S]

Because you implemented the rule in one campaign for one party and they already have a face who uses the rule, so no benefits arrive from additional people obtaining instruments.

Nope. 3 players at least (in 2 separate partes) have used it, but none of them are there all the time.

Because your players have been conditioned by you being a complete asshole who regularly describes your only method of conflict resolution as kicking people out of the group on your blogs which they read occasionally, so they don't want to make waves.

This isn't true. You can talk to them and try to convince yourself they value playing in my game so much they're lying to you to stay in it, though. They are available to the public. OOooOOh! Maybe you could "rescue" them from my tyranny with your superior crunchy rules!

Because your players don't give a flying fuck about your game and use it as a bullshit with friends session while humoring you by occasionally pretending to give a shit about your game.

Nope: they ask to play even when I am not thinking of scheduling a game. They hang out all the time even when there's no game. They'll be sipping lemonade poolside and go "I wanna play D&D". Also: my players asked to start the campaign--in both cases.

Let's see if you can think of some plausible reasons or if you really just have so little insight into the human condition that you can only imagine two groups: people like you, and people who would act like you if only they weren't fundamentally dishonest or traumatized.

Try again.

[Leress]

There could be a lot of reasons:
can't afford the instrument
don't want it and can tolerate the loss of advantage
the bonus could not stack with what they already have.

That is just off the top of my head.

The first and third reasons aren't the case. So it's the second " don't want it and can tolerate the loss of advantage". So this prediction: "Currently it looks like something that anyone who wanted to be a diplomat would always get." is wrong.

That wasn't a prediction, it was my current critique of the rule. Now I will have to look through your house-rules to see if I would need to change my critique or give more support to my current one.

[Zak S]

There could be a lot of reasons:
can't afford the instrument
don't want it and can tolerate the loss of advantage
the bonus could not stack with what they already have.

That is just off the top of my head.

The first and third reasons aren't the case. So it's the second " don't want it and can tolerate the loss of advantage". So this prediction: "Currently it looks like something that anyone who wanted to be a diplomat would always get." is wrong.

That wasn't a prediction, it was my current critique of the rule. Now I will have to look through your house-rules to see if I would need to change my critique or give more support to my current one.

Remember to ask about any rules your ideas depend upon before you post. Things change--for example the Alice character class is about to see print and has been tightened up since it hit the blog.

[darkmaster]

Leress, even if the resource exists, shitmuffin is never going to tell you where to find it you gave him his fucking answer and he is still dodging the request because he is a dishonest person.

[Zak S]

Leress, even if the resource exists, shitmuffin is never going to tell you where to find it you gave him his fucking answer and he is still dodging the request

I gave him the answer already, dumbass. The exact answer. You're so wrong you went back in time and were wrong before you even typed your comment. Damn.

he is a dishonest person.

Provide proof.

[Leress]

Okay, Zak, here are some questions and requests:

Anyway: my rules, they are spread out a lot of places:
1. All the posts tagged "rules" on my blog, and ones tagged "useful things". Newer ones generally supercede older ones.
2. 3.5 for spells at home, AD&D for spells in online games. Spells might get altered before they're chosen for the first time. For example: summon requires reaching into a box of minis and pulling one out, it will have HD commensurate to the power of the spell. The alterations are written down in a notebook but not all online anywhere.

Do this rule apply to both home and online games?

3. Mutations from Realms of Chaos-Slaves to Darkness and Lost And The Damned come up all the time. They get converted to D&D from Warhammer.
4. FLAILSNAILS rules are in effect (google it) so PCs can show up from other versions of the rules and get altered on the fly. So sometimes PCs have mechanics attached to them that I never even heard of but their manifestation in the local game gets houseruled on the spot and written ont he PCs character sheet.
5. Monsters are all custom-made, including abilities that might alter PC abilities like causing blindness, etc.

Please show an example of one(monster) and how it was created.
Also the conversion of the Mutations.

6. Combat is done D20 style basically, with ascending AC and target numbers, but grappling is simplified. Looks most like Castles & Crusades. Most noncombat tasks are roll-under unless they have to do with a PC's class specifically, in which case there's a system you'll find if you read through the rules tag on the blog. No skills or feats as described in 3.5, though there are class-specific tasks that get difficulty bonuses based on level.
7. Everything in Vornheim is in effect.
8. There's some other stuff that's in my notebook or just common practice in every game I ever played as player or GM (like: when we use AD&D spells we ignore segments) but if you have specific questions not covered I can answer them. Players sometimes as before making choices. When there's stuff we're likely to forget we wrote them down on the thing it's attached to.

I request to see those practices and relevant stuff from your notebook (that isn't available online) as well.

[Zak S]

Okay, Zak, here are some questions and requests:

Anyway: my rules, they are spread out a lot of places:
1. All the posts tagged "rules" on my blog, and ones tagged "useful things". Newer ones generally supercede older ones.
2. 3.5 for spells at home, AD&D for spells in online games. Spells might get altered before they're chosen for the first time. For example: summon requires reaching into a box of minis and pulling one out, it will have HD commensurate to the power of the spell. The alterations are written down in a notebook but not all online anywhere.

Which rule?

3. Mutations from Realms of Chaos-Slaves to Darkness and Lost And The Damned come up all the time. They get converted to D&D from Warhammer.
4. FLAILSNAILS rules are in effect (google it) so PCs can show up from other versions of the rules and get altered on the fly. So sometimes PCs have mechanics attached to them that I never even heard of but their manifestation in the local game gets houseruled on the spot and written ont he PCs character sheet.
5. Monsters are all custom-made, including abilities that might alter PC abilities like causing blindness, etc.

Please show an example of one and how it was created.

"How" is just I decided what the stats would be. Check Vornheim for some monsters fully statted. Or, here's one: Goblin: 1 HD, otherwise as average level 1 thief.

6. Combat is done D20 style basically, with ascending AC and target numbers, but grappling is simplified. Looks most like Castles & Crusades. Most noncombat tasks are roll-under unless they have to do with a PC's class specifically, in which case there's a system you'll find if you read through the rules tag on the blog. No skills or feats as described in 3.5, though there are class-specific tasks that get difficulty bonuses based on level.
7. Everything in Vornheim is in effect.
8. There's some other stuff that's in my notebook or just common practice in every game I ever played as player or GM (like: when we use AD&D spells we ignore segments) but if you have specific questions not covered I can answer them. Players sometimes as before making choices. When there's stuff we're likely to forget we wrote them down on the thing it's attached to.

I request to see those practices and relevant stuff from your notebook (that isn't available online) as well.

I'll stop painting and drop everything and scan my notebook if you legitimately have questions about the rules and you can explain how they're relevant to the rules interpretation in question and can't be explained otherwise. Since you haven't read all the other rules yet, this can't possibly be the case.

Demonstrate you have some legitimate and honest specific question that needs to see my notes and I'll get them. Right now you could just be being a dick.

[PhoneLobster]

Anyway: my rules, they are spread out a lot of places:

Translation : "You cannot actually find my rules anywhere."

1. All the posts tagged "rules" on my blog, and ones tagged "useful things". Newer ones generally supercede older ones.

Translation: "I have mentioned my rules in places. Read everything I have ever said on the internet and eventually you may encounter between some or all of them. Some of them aren't rules anymore, you may have to guess which. Apparently including the rule I mentioned on the internet where my rules are born perfect and unchanging an only clarified later. Ignore that one. As it was superseded just right now when I said this."

2. 3.5 for spells at home, AD&D for spells in online games. Spells might get altered before they're chosen for the first time. For example: summon requires reaching into a box of minis and pulling one out, it will have HD commensurate to the power of the spell. The alterations are written down in a notebook but not all online anywhere.

Translation : Spells come from completely different books with completely different text and rules systems for no apparent reason. For some inexplicable reason your physical location changes which rules are applicable. Also they aren't actually in those books but in a notebook. Which is secret. And could be anything. And even then they aren't in the notebook because sometimes they become a new spell before you are allowed to finish choosing them from the notebook/3.5 D&D/AD&D. Also miniature's lucky dip! Awesome sauce!, am I rite?

3. Mutations from Realms of Chaos-Slaves to Darkness and Lost And The Damned come up all the time. They get converted to D&D from Warhammer.

Translation : The rules set was looking too tight and predictable. So... Grimderp mutations for everybody! MERRY XMAS hurhurhurhurhurhur...

4. FLAILSNAILS rules are in effect (google it) so PCs can show up from other versions of the rules and get altered on the fly. So sometimes PCs have mechanics attached to them that I never even heard of but their manifestation in the local game gets houseruled on the spot and written ont he PCs character sheet.

Translation : OK, so also there is this BRILLIANT original and INCREDIBLE idea that someone told me about that totally blew my mind and I evangalise all over the place. OK okokokokok, so get this, you can use ANY rpg character in ANY other RPG game! And you do so using a complex set of community driven translation guides and tables made simple within modern internet technology where you can just plug in your game systems and look up matching rules, all developed so everyone can easily find "similar" character abilities and facilitate quicker mechanical translat... AHAHAHAHAHA JUST KIDDING there's a useless skeletal wiki on it, what you really do is you all just yell out FLAILSNAILS! to make sure everyone is in the "special" bus RPG club, THEN the GM takes your old character from a game system he has no knowledge of and totally makes shit up right out of his ass! And that shit is now your same old character!

Also flailsnails has inexplicable bullshit like XP carry over (Imma bringing my 50000,00000XP super hero character into your level one D&D game, I know rite, but FLAILSNAILS!!!) and the rather odd decision to limit this utterly to exclude characters created before an arbitrary date in 2011. Because older characters would break shit or something! I mean FLAILSNAILS has to have sensible limits or it would be fucking stupid!

5. Monsters are all custom-made, including abilities that might alter PC abilities like causing blindness, etc.

Translation : There flat out ARE no rules for monsters or monster creation. Even what monsters can do has no rules. Also conditions and status effects, also no rules! BRILLIANT, FLAILSNAILS BRILLIANT AWESOMESAUCE!

6. Combat is done D20 style basically, with ascending AC and target numbers, but grappling is simplified. Looks most like Castles & Crusades.

Translation : We use 3.5 D&D combat to the limited degree we understand it's basic elements. Except for grappling since nobody understands that. (fair enough on the grappling, but Castles & Crusades? Really? must have an awesome system to go as far as digging up that sort of obscure gaming corpse and cutting it's grappling organs out for transplant)

Most noncombat tasks are roll-under unless they have to do with a PC's class specifically, in which case there's a system you'll find if you read through the rules tag on the blog.

Translation: Noncombat tasks use sucky resolution mechanics for no reason unless they are class based/improved in which case they use a secret rule you might be able to find if you read everything I have ever said on the internet.

No skills or feats as described in 3.5, though there are class-specific tasks that get difficulty bonuses based on level.

Translation: There are no rules for skills or feats. But there is stuff you do using methods unknown! That's perfectly clear now I hope, am I rite?

7. Everything in Vornheim is in effect.

Translation : Oh yeah and I wrote a "book" with "rules and stuff" in, including monsters (even though until now I was saying they had no rules). Don't know why I didn't mention this sooner. For some reason everything I ever said on the internet and my secret notebook, and other insane ass pulled nonsense got higher billing. It's almost like this book probably mostly contains directions to pull things out of your ass, and examples of random shit I pulled out of my ass. The blurb certainly suggests it.

But anyway you clearly need this book to "draw floor plans spontaneously" and "read about advice running games in this one city AND ALL OTHER CITIES!!!!!11!!!" and about how to totally run rules lite on the fly games! Contrary to whatever else I may have said about rules lite and on the fly gaming not needing books and books being evil and stuff, whatever, you clearly need to read this book of advice along those lines, just... whatever just buy my fucking bullshit book!

8. There's some other stuff that's in my notebook or just common practice in every game I ever played as player or GM (like: when we use AD&D spells we ignore segments)

Translation : Despite my actual book you can actually get and read it is important to now disclaim and lessen the importance of it's contents by affirming again I DO still totes have more secret rules in my secret notebook. Also a bunch of rules which I and like every other GM ever just "know" and like we all know so no need mentioning them, but if you don't know them then fuck you you ignorant loser because clearly if I ever use or mention one it's your failure for not just like, knowing these things that, trust me here, I assure you everyone ever has totally always known, but which kinda aren't written down ANYWHERE I could possibly refer you to.

but if you have specific questions not covered I can answer them.

Translation : There are other secret rules I know that I may need prompting in question form to er... remember that I know... yeah that's it...

Players sometimes as before making choices.

Translation : ****TRANSLATION MACHINE BROKEN*****

When there's stuff we're likely to forget we wrote them down on the thing it's attached to.

Translation : OK well in addition to all that I and other people write down random "rules" on whatever character sheets, notes, maps, playing cards, napkins and stone tablets happen to be handy. Now, stay with me here, you should be able to find these lying around my house, maybe on the floor, maybe in those draws stuffed full of old campaign notes being eaten by mice, maybe pinned to my fridge. BUT importantly some of these pieces of paper with important rules on belong to other people and go home with them on character sheets or like that the back of that totally sweet picture of a devil unicorn with six boobs that chad took home and pinned to his cieling that we wrote our unique rules for swimming, drowning and having your clothes "fucked up" by angry house cats on. So awesome sauce treasure hunt! for the rest of the rules OK?

…but no, they're not all in one place.

Translation : No. No they really aren't in one place. Not in one place at all. Not even a bit. Oooooh boy no. Oh gee. WOW!

[Leress]

Which rule?

The rule about the instrument.

Demonstrate you have some legitimate and honest specific question that needs to see my notes and I'll get them. Right now you could just be being a dick.

I ask because if you had made a change to the rule then I want the see that to save time on asking a question that could have been address with your change. I want to see you notes that have rules that interact with the small instrument rule from the post.

[Zak S]

Which rule?

The rule about the instrument.

Yeah, all the games I run, not all the games I play in

Demonstrate you have some legitimate and honest specific question that needs to see my notes and I'll get them. Right now you could just be being a dick.

I ask because if you had made a change to the rule then I want the see that to save time on asking a question that could have been address with your change. I want to see you notes that have rules that interact with the small instrument rule from the post.

Again: you can ask after you've looked at the other stuff if you still have questions that can be answered no other way, otherwise it's a lot of work for nothing.

[Zak S]

Anyway: my rules, they are spread out a lot of places:

Translation : "You cannot actually find my rules anywhere."

1. All the posts tagged "rules" on my blog, and ones tagged "useful things". Newer ones generally supercede older ones.

Translation: "I have mentioned my rules in places. Read everything I have ever said on the internet and eventually you may encounter between some or all of them. Some of them aren't rules anymore, you may have to guess which. Apparently including the rule I mentioned on the internet where my rules are born perfect and unchanging an only clarified later. Ignore that one. As it was superseded just right now when I said this."

2. 3.5 for spells at home, AD&D for spells in online games. Spells might get altered before they're chosen for the first time. For example: summon requires reaching into a box of minis and pulling one out, it will have HD commensurate to the power of the spell. The alterations are written down in a notebook but not all online anywhere.

Translation : Spells come from completely different books with completely different text and rules systems for no apparent reason. For some inexplicable reason your physical location changes which rules are applicable. Also they aren't actually in those books but in a notebook. Which is secret. And could be anything. And even then they aren't in the notebook because sometimes they become a new spell before you are allowed to finish choosing them from the notebook/3.5 D&D/AD&D. Also miniature's lucky dip! Awesome sauce!, am I rite?

3. Mutations from Realms of Chaos-Slaves to Darkness and Lost And The Damned come up all the time. They get converted to D&D from Warhammer.

Translation : The rules set was looking too tight and predictable. So... Grimderp mutations for everybody! MERRY XMAS hurhurhurhurhurhur...

4. FLAILSNAILS rules are in effect (google it) so PCs can show up from other versions of the rules and get altered on the fly. So sometimes PCs have mechanics attached to them that I never even heard of but their manifestation in the local game gets houseruled on the spot and written ont he PCs character sheet.

Translation : OK, so also there is this BRILLIANT original and INCREDIBLE idea that someone told me about that totally blew my mind and I evangalise all over the place. OK okokokokok, so get this, you can use ANY rpg character in ANY other RPG game! And you do so using a complex set of community driven translation guides and tables made simple within modern internet technology where you can just plug in your game systems and look up matching rules, all developed so everyone can easily find "similar" character abilities and facilitate quicker mechanical translat... AHAHAHAHAHA JUST KIDDING there's a useless skeletal wiki on it, what you really do is you all just yell out FLAILSNAILS! to make sure everyone is in the "special" bus RPG club, THEN the GM takes your old character from a game system he has no knowledge of and totally makes shit up right out of his ass! And that shit is now your same old character!

Also flailsnails has inexplicable bullshit like XP carry over (Imma bringing my 50000,00000XP super hero character into your level one D&D game, I know rite, but FLAILSNAILS!!!) and the rather odd decision to limit this utterly to exclude characters created before an arbitrary date in 2011. Because older characters would break shit or something! I mean FLAILSNAILS has to have sensible limits or it would be fucking stupid!

5. Monsters are all custom-made, including abilities that might alter PC abilities like causing blindness, etc.

Translation : There flat out ARE no rules for monsters or monster creation. Even what monsters can do has no rules. Also conditions and status effects, also no rules! BRILLIANT, FLAILSNAILS BRILLIANT AWESOMESAUCE!

6. Combat is done D20 style basically, with ascending AC and target numbers, but grappling is simplified. Looks most like Castles & Crusades.

Translation : We use 3.5 D&D combat to the limited degree we understand it's basic elements. Except for grappling since nobody understands that. (fair enough on the grappling, but Castles & Crusades? Really? must have an awesome system to go as far as digging up that sort of obscure gaming corpse and cutting it's grappling organs out for transplant)

Most noncombat tasks are roll-under unless they have to do with a PC's class specifically, in which case there's a system you'll find if you read through the rules tag on the blog.

Translation: Noncombat tasks use sucky resolution mechanics for no reason unless they are class based/improved in which case they use a secret rule you might be able to find if you read everything I have ever said on the internet.

No skills or feats as described in 3.5, though there are class-specific tasks that get difficulty bonuses based on level.

Translation: There are no rules for skills or feats. But there is stuff you do using methods unknown! That's perfectly clear now I hope, am I rite?

7. Everything in Vornheim is in effect.

Translation : Oh yeah and I wrote a "book" with "rules and stuff" in, including monsters (even though until now I was saying they had no rules). Don't know why I didn't mention this sooner. For some reason everything I ever said on the internet and my secret notebook, and other insane ass pulled nonsense got higher billing. It's almost like this book probably mostly contains directions to pull things out of your ass, and examples of random shit I pulled out of my ass. The blurb certainly suggests it.

But anyway you clearly need this book to "draw floor plans spontaneously" and "read about advice running games in this one city AND ALL OTHER CITIES!!!!!11!!!" and about how to totally run rules lite on the fly games! Contrary to whatever else I may have said about rules lite and on the fly gaming not needing books and books being evil and stuff, whatever, you clearly need to read this book of advice along those lines, just... whatever just buy my fucking bullshit book!

8. There's some other stuff that's in my notebook or just common practice in every game I ever played as player or GM (like: when we use AD&D spells we ignore segments)

Translation : Despite my actual book you can actually get and read it is important to now disclaim and lessen the importance of it's contents by affirming again I DO still totes have more secret rules in my secret notebook. Also a bunch of rules which I and like every other GM ever just "know" and like we all know so no need mentioning them, but if you don't know them then fuck you you ignorant loser because clearly if I ever use or mention one it's your failure for not just like, knowing these things that, trust me here, I assure you everyone ever has totally always known, but which kinda aren't written down ANYWHERE I could possibly refer you to.

but if you have specific questions not covered I can answer them.

Translation : There are other secret rules I know that I may need prompting in question form to er... remember that I know... yeah that's it...

Players sometimes as before making choices.

Translation : ****TRANSLATION MACHINE BROKEN*****

When there's stuff we're likely to forget we wrote them down on the thing it's attached to.

Translation : OK well in addition to all that I and other people write down random "rules" on whatever character sheets, notes, maps, playing cards, napkins and stone tablets happen to be handy. Now, stay with me here, you should be able to find these lying around my house, maybe on the floor, maybe in those draws stuffed full of old campaign notes being eaten by mice, maybe pinned to my fridge. BUT importantly some of these pieces of paper with important rules on belong to other people and go home with them on character sheets or like that the back of that totally sweet picture of a devil unicorn with six boobs that chad took home and pinned to his cieling that we wrote our unique rules for swimming, drowning and having your clothes "fucked up" by angry house cats on. So awesome sauce treasure hunt! for the rest of the rules OK?

…but no, they're not all in one place.

Translation : No. No they really aren't in one place. Not in one place at all. Not even a bit. Oooooh boy no. Oh gee. WOW!

It's weird you think there's some kind of moral imperative that my rules to be easy for some guy who calls himself PhoneLobster online to reference. and that you think that so much you took all that time out your day to write all that.

The rules are all over the place. That's not a crime.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Because responding to something 18 pages previous is suitably ludicrous:

It's a BS cocktail napkin house rule which is fine if used once or twice, annoying if incorporated into an optimization protocol where it might otherwise be stylistically out-of-place, and deserving of scorn if monetized. The notion gets a half-pass from me, though, because I've wanted to play a Moon Moth game forfuckingever.

Having never read Moon Moth and going entirely off of a wikipedia summary, I have to ask how capital punishment for not following social customs is supposed to be compatible with individualism? That's exactly like promoting homogeneity by killing people who are too similar to one another. It's like rain on your wedding day then setting off the lawn sprinklers. It's like ten thousand spoons then ordering more spoons. It's like a song about irony that isn't ironic. It's a very ironic kind of that doesn't make any fucking sense, is what I'm saying.

Should one prove so inclined it's not a long story, but it's less a matter of capital punishment than a tolerance for casual violence as a consequence of the settings's reputation economy.

If I were to write up some rules adopting the story's absolute reliance on one -handed musical instruments for social interaction, it would be primarily as a puzzle/potential composition aid, in an attempt to workshop a motif or ten during a PbP game.

My current idea would be to incorporate Hindustani raga (for modal construction, associated meter/mood/time of day, and to help eliminate harmony as a contributing cryptogrammatic element) with Solresol (solely because I don't know of an equivalent conlang based on Sargam). That would allow a given statement to consist of not only the sung words and the sentiments behind instrument/mode choice, but the notes to which the words are sung, and the notes in the accompaniment, leaving timbral and rhymthic choices up to individual expression. With more than five ways to give simultaneous offense it suits the notion of diplomacy being confusing, and likely to lead to a duel, which since social systems in games without exception stink should be the de facto goal.

[Dogbert]

I'll bite and give my 2 cents to this non-debate:

Form follows function.

As long as you're not running an OSR game that has so few rules that no clear purpose/direction can be discerned, specific rules tend to support specific playstyles and genre conventions.

If the game in front of me has a high lethality rate and is unforgiving of mistakes, then I'll say it's a tactical action game and chances are I won't be using it to run a superhero campaign (a genre which requires padded sumo and empowering the player with the ability to selectively get away with murder).

If a game pays mercenary work in pocket change while a sports car costs more than I'll ever make in a lifetime of chump merc runs, then I'll say the game is Grand Theft Auto (because it's what works) and I won't be using it for say, Shadowrun (yes, I had to go there twice this week).

Now, I'll be honest. I don't even remember whatever bonus you're all still arguing about, but if said bonus happened to be clearly better and more cost-effective than any other similar player option in the game (which might or might not be, again I can't remember/don't know/don't care)... then yes, I'd say the game is The Pirates of Penzance.

As part of my credentials I'm trained in Human Resource management and a bit of systems design. As such, I operate based on how things work and how people behaves, not on how I think things should work or how I wish people behaved in a perfect world.

If I drop my wallet in the street, it's full of money, and someone else picks it up, then I can kiss my money goodbye. Is the person who didn't return my money an asshole? Yes, but that's the way things work, so the fault is mine for being careless.

If I was a big shot of the industry and could afford to sit on my ass, seclude myself in my ivory tower, and lose all touch with reality, then perhaps I would. Alas, I am not, and so I need to do things coherently and assume that, whatever I produce, is going to be used by Earth homo sapiens in the way an average homo sapiens from Earth probably would.