September 1999
I'm stepping out of my lurking shadows to comment on the seemingly endless arguments about what DnD is "supposed" to be and what is or isn't appropriate or "canon".
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By way of background, I've been playing since the very beginning, 1974 with the 3 pamphlet sized books in the brown box. I've bought and played every other incarnation of DnD and ADnD and have had the privilege of playing in demo or tournament games with Gygax, Rob Kuntz, and sundry other TSR staffers. I've also bought, played and collected GURPS, Traveller, Runequest, Tunnels and Trolls, Rolemaster, FUDGE, MERP, Earthdawn, CoC, Stormbringer and countless small press games.
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My point being that I feel fairly well-rounded and experienced in RPGs in general and DnD in particular.
Now to the meat of the matter. I'm frankly astounded at the way some people feel that DnD is being "destroyed" and at how many people feel that if the "rules" (or more accurately what the poster's opinion of what the rules are) are not slavishly followed then DnD is forevermore destroyed.
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Hogwash!
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There is NO ONE TRUE WAY!!! THAT is the only rule that matters. Second to it is "It's a game, it's supposed to be fun!"
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DnD is nothing more or less than what you make of it. This has always been true and always will be. Whether you understood that from the sense and "feel" of the game in the earliest (and worst edited) set of rules or from the polished and "professional" new rules that clearly state the words "guidelines", "options" and "suggestions".
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What edition or iteration of the rules you prefer is a moot point, it is just your (and your groups') preference. None is more right, or correct or accurate than any other. The idea that there is, or even should be, some set of "core" mechanics that spans the hobby is a nice ideal but frankly, IMHO, ridiculous! The most valuable element to my mind of any RPG is the fact that they are CO-OPERATIVE games rather than COMPETITIVE. What is the need for "tournament" rules that try to enable competition? This game ain't Magic after all!!
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Yes, it would be nice, in an ideal world, to be able to walk into any store or anyone's home and sit down and play. But even when the rules consisted of just the 3 core books, that situation never really existed. I doubt that any group has played the game the same as any other group for more than a few coincidental moments. These rules are ideas after all, and an idea is executed by we poor humans colored by our own unique and personal experiences. Any casual debate on a list will show that no rule can EVER be interpreted exactly the same way by any two people.
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Most disturbing to my mind, however, is the way in which the gaming materials TSR pushed out have somehow become synonymous with fantasy "authenticity" or "tradition". Hell, this stuff is game background, folks. The FANTASY CAME FIRST, THEN THE GAME!! Arguing about how Elves do this and Dwarves like that is so damn ridiculous. TSR did not invent Dwarfs and Elves. Their rules are not, and never were, the authority. They are just one marketed version of a particular authors viewpoint.
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What happened to the days when a DM dreamed up a fun place to adventure and made up his monsters and/or "special" races and took a grand and fun trip into a shared story? What happened to the days when playing was the important thing, not which system mattered most and what rules could and should be used for or against the players? For gosh sakes, When did it become a major issue for DM's to CONTROL the players in his/her game??
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Believe me; I understand the feeling of having a large investment in rules and supplements being "threatened" by new edition of a rules set. Hell, I'm afraid to add up all I've spent over the years on TSR products- I know it is well over $6000! But when I think about it calmly, I know that nothing is useless. The materials that sparked my creativity then, still do. The great ideas and clever suggestions in those modules, books and boxes are still there to be found. All the "published" stuff really is little more than a sort of "Idea mine" that we, as players and DMs dig into and the riches we bring to the surface are the wonderful moments in the playing! Just because 3e (or 2e, or the "red basic") set has come out doesn't mean those mines are worthless, it just means that a new vein of precious ore has opened up!
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Get a hold of yourselves and relax! No one can "destroy" your campaigns except you. No one can dictate what you like, what you use or what you hate. YES, your opinions do matter and YES you have every right to air them in a public forum like this list, but NO ONE is absolutely right and NO ONE has the absolute truth of anything. It doesn't exist.
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I look forward to 3e because it is a chance for me to see new ideas and new ways of doing things. I will, as I always have, take what feels right to me and my group and ignore the rest. (At least on the first reading.) I will undoubtedly come back a few weeks or months later and re-read and have something different strike me and I'll incorporate that.) IMHO, a campaign NEEDS to be a dynamic and growing thing. The real world changes, so should a campaign world. Natural disasters, magical experiments or catastrophes occur, the gods act and the world is a little different tomorrow than what it was today. So something changes. It can have a major effect on your immediate play or not as you see fit. Maybe it has no effect whatever. The point is that it is YOUR GAME. You decide what happens and You take the responsibility for how the game goes. The power has never been in the hands of the publisher. Remember that and feel more secure!
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I'm rambling so I'll get off my soap-box. I just felt the need to inject a little perspective. I agree with the great post that enumerated what went on in the old style games and, yes, "I liked it!"- cruddy dice and lead miniatures and all. Let's all just enjoy the hobby!
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Patrick Seymour
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Nice Post, PKS. With one interesting note on this topic:
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"Yes, it would be nice, in an ideal world, to be able to walk into any store or anyone's home and sit down and play. But even when the rules consisted of just the 3 core books, that situation never really existed."
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Which is a shame, because it IS possible in the Gaming world. The Alternity game has been out for over two years, and I know dozens of folks who play it and guess what? NO HOUSE RULES. Or the house rules are SO amazingly small and seamless that they work WITH the system and not against it to cause confusion. What it comes down to is Alternity was SO well designed, that the few house rules we tried introducing DIED in playtesting, and were never bought up again.
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I subscribe to the Alternity Mailing List as well. You hardly EVER see these silly rules interpretations fights. They are usually resolved in one or two posts. The A-List is able to concentrate on sharing campaign and adventure ideas, GM techniques, and constructive rules posts and I believe that's a tribute to the game.
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If they can do that with 3E, then I, for one will be a VERY happy player. I will also be happy when I go to GENCON to play DandD and not have to RELEARN the darn rules every time I sit down because the DM decided to change all the spell rules or combat rules or WHATEVER :).
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-Jeff, Dungeon Master
Jeff Ibach
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I've also been around since those little brown books and have played almost every system you named + many others. The point your making is, to me obvious. What is also obvious is that these dogmatic rules and customs arguments have been around since the start and will never be resolved by those that go into that sort of thing.
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Ever notice how hard it is to introduce new players into your established group? Or to join another? Even worse, how many of you who DM really enjoy playing under another? Makes you want to grit your teeth at every stupid ruling or break in his campaign continuity- right? Right.
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The rules are and always have been guidelines for creating a fantastic world of episodic adventures. They can't possibly cover every situation or DM/player whim. They've grown over the years from very basic to what they are now. Each rule has been added either to refine what was done before or to answer in a semi-consistent way all those actions, situations and settings that have come up often enough that the designers (old, new and all else) decided it warranted an official ruling.
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10 years from now the rules will have to have grown just to include the ideas that haven't yet been done. It's always going to be that way, role-playing is organic. If you want hard and fast, inflexible rules Monopoly is more suited for that mindset.
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I guess my point (and I did have one once) is for some people debating the rules is part of the game. The only ones who lose out are the ones who get too angry to see that and just want things THEIR way. That's an ok attitude, but it's going to limit the number of people who you can play with for any length of time.
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Unless of course you take in foster children to create a stable of captured gamers.
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Have fun, Tom
Thomas E Morris
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