In my experience, limited though it is, most RPG books tend to be tonnes of setting fluff, some rules for task or conflict resolution (what dice to roll, what modifiers to add, what stats are used, etc), and tables or charts or lists of spells, items, monsters, etc etc etc.
I briefly mentioned Ron Edward's Sorcerer in a thread here and the folks there seemed ambivalent towards the game at best. I haven't even played the game, but in it are a handful of rules that are the only actual rules for role-playing that I've ever seen:
- * A dramatic or appropriate quip while announcing the task: +1 die
* Announcing a task generically (“I swing at him!”): –1 die
* Repeating a simple task after failing: –1 die (cumulative)
* Especially clever version of the action: +2 dice
* Especially stupid move: –2 dice
* The announced action moves the plot along significantly: +2 dice
* Obstructive, petty announced action: –2 dice
Another rule that I've seen is the "Say 'Yes' or roll the dice." from Dogs In The Vineyard and The Burning Wheel. Dogs In The Vineyard's rules also grant players bonus dice for weaving their unique traits or skills or history into their actions or the story.
My 2e VTM book doesn't appear to have any such rules either. A lot of guidelines to be sure, a lot of suggestions and 'best practice' recommendations, but my role-playing would seem to have no impact on my character's 'Computer' Skill outside of a very broad, general sense i.e. scene A led to scene B and I got a bonus during B because of some action I took in during A. I may also influence the StoryTeller to give me an easier Difficulty on a particular task based on my role-playing, but there are no rules binding him or her to do so, meaning it is up to their discretion, i.e. it is based on their skill as a GM and their personal quirks and enthusiasms.
Does anyone else have any cool rules they know of?
Is there any sort of compendium or reference for rules like these?
Also, why don't more RPGs use non-dice mechanics? Why not cards, chips, or tokens? Why are the mechanics primarily rolling dice and not bidding chips or playing cards or passing a token from player to player? Anyone want to link some good threads discussing these kinds of things?