tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post2820395697302440159..comments2024-03-27T22:32:17.055-05:00Comments on Jeffs Gameblog: an interesting case from Dr. HolmesJeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-3903211812517188822011-04-01T00:49:41.086-05:002011-04-01T00:49:41.086-05:00@jim: dice as oracle is a great way to explain it!...@jim: dice as oracle is a great way to explain it! yes, no, or roll the dice.Nopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02743719179352388875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-82950361365137827662011-04-01T00:05:37.760-05:002011-04-01T00:05:37.760-05:00On one of the other blogs, someone wiser than me s...On one of the other blogs, someone wiser than me said that we use dice as "oracles" for this other world. When I DM, I say yes, no or I let the dice decide. I agree with Dr. Holmes! Thanks for sharing.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18158916950442942918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-23565476572144015822011-03-30T19:17:17.169-05:002011-03-30T19:17:17.169-05:00Is the book a good read overall?
I like Dr. Holme...<b>Is the book a good read overall?</b><br /><br />I like Dr. Holmes writing but much of the information is outdated or irrelevant to an experienced gamer. It's basically a How-To book with a snapshot of the main products of the era. Not too different from <i>Dicing with Dragons</i> in overall scope, really. I'm enjoying the read, but I'm glad I borrowed a copy rather than shelling out a big chunk of change for it. Does that help?Jeff Rientshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-4942291318260707142011-03-30T18:14:29.360-05:002011-03-30T18:14:29.360-05:00More and more I'm thinking Dr. Holmes is the b...<i>More and more I'm thinking Dr. Holmes is the biggest unsung hero of the hobby.</i><br /><br />Yup! It's why I keep a pic of him up, on my blog.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192212467523179768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-38309528093779337692011-03-30T18:13:17.547-05:002011-03-30T18:13:17.547-05:00*slaps to forehead* we've been trying to figur...*slaps to forehead* we've been trying to figure out how to treat thievery abilities, this really clarifies a lot. Thanks for posting this quote!Nopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02743719179352388875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-54742712422524025542011-03-30T16:04:06.585-05:002011-03-30T16:04:06.585-05:00More and more I'm thinking Dr. Holmes is the b...<i>More and more I'm thinking Dr. Holmes is the biggest unsung hero of the hobby.</i><br /><br />I totally agree Herb.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-18551585977567539472011-03-30T13:28:14.183-05:002011-03-30T13:28:14.183-05:00Yeah I am in the "I do that" herd too. I...Yeah I am in the "I do that" herd too. I do find it interesting what Jeff is emphasizing, I don't really do that (though I do lend a big liberal hand to any co-creation). <br /><br />It would be a fun approach, something like a matrix game if you correspond the probabilities with the strength of their "argument" ("the orc should have a key because we caught him in the room near all the locked doors".Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-29103781901010779732011-03-30T12:17:16.135-05:002011-03-30T12:17:16.135-05:00This idea is built into BRP's "luck"...This idea is built into BRP's "luck" roll (which can be any multiple of a character's 'power'). I use it all the time in my <i>Call of Cthulhu</i> games when I haven't determined certain situations ahead of time (e.g., whether a particular NPC has a key or flashlight, how busy traffic is in a certain area, etc.).<br /><br />It's a great way to keep a game surprising and fun for the GM!Akrasiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08734103159691571156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-2039630341977197602011-03-30T12:13:36.157-05:002011-03-30T12:13:36.157-05:00I think Holmes views the idea of exploring the ima...<i>I think Holmes views the idea of exploring the imaginative world of rpgs as a joint player-GM effort.</i><br /><br />Absolutely. And regardless of how much active narrative control I give my players (depends on what I'm playing), I'm always listening for what the players are thinking about the world, including theories about what caused an event or what an NPC is up to. I'll shameless steal good ideas or assign percentages like Holmes. <br /><br />That percentage system and odds-based exploration of the world is the framework around which the Mythic GM Emulator is built.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17635116929490398699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-70907111885131464552011-03-30T11:53:50.909-05:002011-03-30T11:53:50.909-05:00I thought I'd come across as smug if I chimed ...I thought I'd come across as smug if I chimed in with "I always do that", but I'm pleased to see that if I am smug, I'm not the only one!thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-62427594608933527152011-03-30T11:32:12.595-05:002011-03-30T11:32:12.595-05:00I agree with the Holmsian approach. Thanks for sh...I agree with the Holmsian approach. Thanks for sharing this. Is the book a good read overall?Carter Soleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01286436801953647693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-19710853884123199202011-03-30T11:25:27.070-05:002011-03-30T11:25:27.070-05:00I'm with everyone above...I do things like tha...I'm with everyone above...I do things like that all the time. My most common one is "it would be odd if that was true/false" and throw the first die I pick up.<br /><br />Then again, I started with the Blue Book of Holmes the Physician so I shouldn't be surprised. More and more I'm thinking Dr. Holmes is the biggest unsung hero of the hobby.<br /><br />As for the GM being part of the game, my newest group <a href="http://peopletobe.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-i-love-ttrpgs.html" rel="nofollow">reminded me of how true that is</a> in our first session.Pulp Herbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02486803457210325703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-42138413660674444082011-03-30T10:28:41.361-05:002011-03-30T10:28:41.361-05:00I must have gone to RPG school with Dr. Holmes. Pe...I must have gone to RPG school with Dr. Holmes. Percentile chances set by DM fiat is my favorite tool.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-17150263438314653732011-03-30T10:16:50.332-05:002011-03-30T10:16:50.332-05:00I think it's important for the DM to be a part...I think it's important for the DM to be a participant at the game table, not just someone running the session. The DM needs to be just as surprised as the players at what events and situations transpire, in other words, there needs to be a certain amount of unexpectedness and surprise for the DM. That would involve letting the players disrupt, ignore and twist your best laid plans. The best sessions are when both the players and DM have to improvise at the table.bliss_infintehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433733609487959653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-38180093088995782652011-03-30T09:59:59.217-05:002011-03-30T09:59:59.217-05:00At the core roleplaying is just playing pretend wi...At the core roleplaying is just playing pretend with a framework that gives your story background and structure.<br />But it is also a game, and many players and some DMs from the very beginning on, took it as a sort of challenge against each other. <br />Many people getting into rpg came from a competitive background.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-57016473234736572292011-03-30T09:34:06.658-05:002011-03-30T09:34:06.658-05:00The players don't necessarily have "narra...<i>The players don't necessarily have "narrative control" in the modern indie game sense, but their ideas and input should be respected by the GM. And the GM, under the Holmes interpretation, should be flexible enough to allow some of these ideas to have a serious impact upon the campaign.</i><br /><br />Wait - isn't that how RPGs are always supposed to be played?<br /><br />At least that's how I was taught - the DM sets up some initial parameters but the players propose all sorts of things and the DM should take reasonable requests/suggestions into account when resolving scenarios. Things like "how about my halfling suddenly develops superhuman strength" are out, but things like "is there a stick or something around that I can use as a lever" are obviously in. And things between those extremes get handled on a case by case basis, erring in favor of the player with a random die-roll when questionable.<br /><br />Maybe that's why I'm always getting into arguments with indie gamers who think GM's have too much narrative control and players need some kind of a game mechanic mechanism to keep it in check - I've always just figured they had lousy GMs. Hmmm....Jerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10060430253113856206noreply@blogger.com