Game in the Brain

last 2019 Xmas I bought a The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition, Dungeon Fantasy Boxed Starter Set, Essentials Kit and the D&D5E starter set. So it was pretty obvious I was trying to fill a void left by trying to fix the family business and self-improvement and trying to be a good family man.

I look at these books and I’m not happy. I have many complaints, which I don’t mind home-brewing to correct. Its hard to be objective – its really about personal tastes and my tastes are unreasonable. But then I bought these books hoping I don’t have to homebrew, that I can just rely on the books. There is no perfect system – there are very good systems – D&D5E’s attempts to simplify creating a simple Dice + 2-3 modifiers vs DC as compared to The Fantasy Trips or GURPS Dice + >5 modifiers to Track. Mental Bandwidth I used for System-Mechanics Processing I migrated to Storytelling and Sandbox-Simulation.   At 41 I am too old to have a list of Unstructured Modifiers in my Head, I would rather Dice + 2-3 modifiers. I’m too old for unstructured data when everyday I use ANKI and cannibalize old mental artifacts for javascript, mandarin, pmbok, ERPnext, Biz process mgt, etc…

I want a system to make sense and it makes sense whether I’m dealing with traditional fiipino organizational behavior, best practices of the developed world, or emerging practices of bleeding edge organizations. The way I can talk about Finance, Inventory systems and Management science – but still talk about it in Narrative – like when funding for an Expedition, the Complexities of a Fief’s stocks and inventory and how thieves game the systems, or how Feudalism is alive in Patronage Systems in modern times. the Knowledge to run immersive games are alive here in the present – the way 19C propaganda is used in Social Media.

When Ancient Concepts evoke Fantasy and History: When the narrative in social media paralleled the Friars Propaganda in 19C Philippines it felt like someone using Dark and Ancient magics of a forgotten age.  When racist slurs of old were used – if felt like acolytes and cultists evoking times of lynching – and calling forth their dark gods. 

Some Fantasy Trip Notes

1. Core Mechanic: Determine Adjusted-Dexterity (AdjDex)
1. Melee page 10.  
2. Succeed if you roll 3d6 Equal or Less-than (<)AdjDex
3. AdjDex = Dexterity + Modifiers
2. Key Category of Modifiers. It would be simpler to just describe the modifiers in 3 categories. 
1. (Character) Condition. From -1 to -6. Check the character’s condition. 
1. Equipment: Armor and Shields give penalties 
2. Battle-Condition: taking 5 or more damage gives a -2 penalty. 
3. Training. 
2. (Character) Position. From +2 to -4. GM can simplify by asking “How is the Character’s Position?”
1. Braced. This is when the character has traded mobility to be in a better position to attack.
2. Range. Missile and Thrown Range penalties. 
3. Cover.  
4. Footing.
3. (Character) Target or Objective. Various bonuses and Penalties.
1. Attacking an angle the Target cannot defend effectively against. Attacking the Rear or Odd-Angles/Flanks grant. 
2. Attacking specific areas on the Enemy is harder than whatever is available to strike.
3. Hand to Hand Rules in page 18. 
1. Defender rolls a d6 when attacked (by the wording, even if its an unsuccessful attack)
2. Relative Strength determined Damage in Barehands attacks. Stronger vs Weaker. 
4. Engaged and Disengaging is Confusing.  Page 19.
1. The use of “may” in the wording. Disengaged is not an Option, it is the process you have to perform if you want to move away from a Threat.