TheDevinTeam
@thedevteam.itch.io
Hyper-focusing on RPG design, Scroll & Steel (out now!), PBTA, Pathfinder 2e, etc.
he/they, free Palestine, blocks AI slop
he/they, free Palestine, blocks AI slop
That’s why I don’t gel with OSR design. When I run games, I don’t want to be the authority at the table. I don’t want to talk over the mechanics. I want my players to say, “Here’s what *I* decided.”
The magic of RPGs is that the designer, the other players, and I are all playing together. (16/16)
The magic of RPGs is that the designer, the other players, and I are all playing together. (16/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
That’s why I don’t gel with OSR design. When I run games, I don’t want to be the authority at the table. I don’t want to talk over the mechanics. I want my players to say, “Here’s what *I* decided.”
The magic of RPGs is that the designer, the other players, and I are all playing together. (16/16)
The magic of RPGs is that the designer, the other players, and I are all playing together. (16/16)
And that’s what is, personally, frustrating about OSR design. I enjoy reading various OSR blog posts, but they often boil down to variations of, “The GM is the ultimate authority.”
(Which is why systems discourse is so prevalent. If the GM is the authority, what is the system there to do?) (15/16)
(Which is why systems discourse is so prevalent. If the GM is the authority, what is the system there to do?) (15/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
And that’s what is, personally, frustrating about OSR design. I enjoy reading various OSR blog posts, but they often boil down to variations of, “The GM is the ultimate authority.”
(Which is why systems discourse is so prevalent. If the GM is the authority, what is the system there to do?) (15/16)
(Which is why systems discourse is so prevalent. If the GM is the authority, what is the system there to do?) (15/16)
To be clear, I don’t think that the problem is the hierarchical relationship. That type of relationship makes sense in games like these… to an extent.
But you can’t rely on that relationship for all aspects of play. There has to be some give and take. (14/16)
But you can’t rely on that relationship for all aspects of play. There has to be some give and take. (14/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
To be clear, I don’t think that the problem is the hierarchical relationship. That type of relationship makes sense in games like these… to an extent.
But you can’t rely on that relationship for all aspects of play. There has to be some give and take. (14/16)
But you can’t rely on that relationship for all aspects of play. There has to be some give and take. (14/16)
(And even then, I think you still are centralizing mechanics because the system is defining play, so I’m not sure this model really fits those games. Though having said that, I’m much less knowledgeable about GMless games so I’m not going to spend a lot of time on that) (13/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
(And even then, I think you still are centralizing mechanics because the system is defining play, so I’m not sure this model really fits those games. Though having said that, I’m much less knowledgeable about GMless games so I’m not going to spend a lot of time on that) (13/16)
You can get around this by playing a GMless game. If everyone is involved with prep and there are no hierarchical relationships, the dynamics are different.
If OSR design was primarily centered around GMless games, I probably wouldn’t do this thread. But I don’t think that’s the case. (12/16)
If OSR design was primarily centered around GMless games, I probably wouldn’t do this thread. But I don’t think that’s the case. (12/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
You can get around this by playing a GMless game. If everyone is involved with prep and there are no hierarchical relationships, the dynamics are different.
If OSR design was primarily centered around GMless games, I probably wouldn’t do this thread. But I don’t think that’s the case. (12/16)
If OSR design was primarily centered around GMless games, I probably wouldn’t do this thread. But I don’t think that’s the case. (12/16)
Meanwhile, all the other players’ tools to interact with the fiction are reduced. Your character sheet is less important than your GM’s interpretation of your character. There is no amount of system mastery that will guarantee success because you cannot be a master over the GM. (11/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Meanwhile, all the other players’ tools to interact with the fiction are reduced. Your character sheet is less important than your GM’s interpretation of your character. There is no amount of system mastery that will guarantee success because you cannot be a master over the GM. (11/16)
This is my main problem. This onion centralizes all the tools the GM has to drive the fiction. If you remove the outer layers, all that’s left is the GM’s prep and the GM say.
When that happens, the “shared fiction” becomes subservient fiction. It’s the GM’s world; we’re just playing in it. (10/16)
When that happens, the “shared fiction” becomes subservient fiction. It’s the GM’s world; we’re just playing in it. (10/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
This is my main problem. This onion centralizes all the tools the GM has to drive the fiction. If you remove the outer layers, all that’s left is the GM’s prep and the GM say.
When that happens, the “shared fiction” becomes subservient fiction. It’s the GM’s world; we’re just playing in it. (10/16)
When that happens, the “shared fiction” becomes subservient fiction. It’s the GM’s world; we’re just playing in it. (10/16)
So let’s go to the onion. If we replace “Adventure” with “Prep” and “Shared fiction,” and then add “Mechanics” and “GM say,” the problem becomes evident. We already have “Mechanics” in the outer layer.
So if we remove all the outer layers, we’re also removing part of the inner layer. (9/16)
So if we remove all the outer layers, we’re also removing part of the inner layer. (9/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
So let’s go to the onion. If we replace “Adventure” with “Prep” and “Shared fiction,” and then add “Mechanics” and “GM say,” the problem becomes evident. We already have “Mechanics” in the outer layer.
So if we remove all the outer layers, we’re also removing part of the inner layer. (9/16)
So if we remove all the outer layers, we’re also removing part of the inner layer. (9/16)
The best way players can usurp that hierarchy is through the agreed-upon mechanics. If a player rolls an attack roll and gets a nat 20, they don’t wait for the GM to tell them they deal damage. They just declare it.
Mechanics give players ways to interact with the fiction on their own. (8/16)
Mechanics give players ways to interact with the fiction on their own. (8/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
The best way players can usurp that hierarchy is through the agreed-upon mechanics. If a player rolls an attack roll and gets a nat 20, they don’t wait for the GM to tell them they deal damage. They just declare it.
Mechanics give players ways to interact with the fiction on their own. (8/16)
Mechanics give players ways to interact with the fiction on their own. (8/16)
Usually, only the GM has ultimate power to affix things into the shared fiction. When the player opens a door, they ask the GM what’s there. When the GM introduces a character, they don’t have to ask the players who they are.
This puts the GM into a hierarchical position over the players. (7/16)
This puts the GM into a hierarchical position over the players. (7/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Usually, only the GM has ultimate power to affix things into the shared fiction. When the player opens a door, they ask the GM what’s there. When the GM introduces a character, they don’t have to ask the players who they are.
This puts the GM into a hierarchical position over the players. (7/16)
This puts the GM into a hierarchical position over the players. (7/16)
Often these things stay in a murky spot until something affixes them.
When the bartender kisses Rolf, it’s clear that his advances were welcome. When the quest giver doesn’t budge on price, it’s clear that Daniella’s efforts were in vain. But who decides that those are the outcomes? (6/16)
When the bartender kisses Rolf, it’s clear that his advances were welcome. When the quest giver doesn’t budge on price, it’s clear that Daniella’s efforts were in vain. But who decides that those are the outcomes? (6/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Often these things stay in a murky spot until something affixes them.
When the bartender kisses Rolf, it’s clear that his advances were welcome. When the quest giver doesn’t budge on price, it’s clear that Daniella’s efforts were in vain. But who decides that those are the outcomes? (6/16)
When the bartender kisses Rolf, it’s clear that his advances were welcome. When the quest giver doesn’t budge on price, it’s clear that Daniella’s efforts were in vain. But who decides that those are the outcomes? (6/16)
Prep is easy to define, but shared fiction is a bit trickier. Some things are clear to everyone, such as if you are all in a tavern, but other things are tricky.
Is Rolf flirting with the bartender or harassing them? Is Daniella haggling expertly or making the party look like rookies? (5/16
Is Rolf flirting with the bartender or harassing them? Is Daniella haggling expertly or making the party look like rookies? (5/16
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Prep is easy to define, but shared fiction is a bit trickier. Some things are clear to everyone, such as if you are all in a tavern, but other things are tricky.
Is Rolf flirting with the bartender or harassing them? Is Daniella haggling expertly or making the party look like rookies? (5/16
Is Rolf flirting with the bartender or harassing them? Is Daniella haggling expertly or making the party look like rookies? (5/16
Prep, which includes prewritten adventures, is everything the GM does to prepare for a session, all the notes they have about what exists and what’s real.
Shared fiction is the shared reality of the table. It’s what everyone has agreed is happening in the world of the game. (4/16)
Shared fiction is the shared reality of the table. It’s what everyone has agreed is happening in the world of the game. (4/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Prep, which includes prewritten adventures, is everything the GM does to prepare for a session, all the notes they have about what exists and what’s real.
Shared fiction is the shared reality of the table. It’s what everyone has agreed is happening in the world of the game. (4/16)
Shared fiction is the shared reality of the table. It’s what everyone has agreed is happening in the world of the game. (4/16)
This is fine, in theory, but my problem is that this post uses “Adventure” to mean multiple things, and which things you emphasize drastically impact play.
This is how the post defines “Adventure,” and it’s conflating two things: prep and shared fiction. (3/16)
This is how the post defines “Adventure,” and it’s conflating two things: prep and shared fiction. (3/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
This is fine, in theory, but my problem is that this post uses “Adventure” to mean multiple things, and which things you emphasize drastically impact play.
This is how the post defines “Adventure,” and it’s conflating two things: prep and shared fiction. (3/16)
This is how the post defines “Adventure,” and it’s conflating two things: prep and shared fiction. (3/16)
But I wanted to discuss what this lens misses.
The crux is that “Adventure” sits at the heart of OSR design. Everything else exists in relation to that. If you remove all the outer layers, the GM can still go, “You’re in a 10x10 room with 3 entrances.” (2/16)
The crux is that “Adventure” sits at the heart of OSR design. Everything else exists in relation to that. If you remove all the outer layers, the GM can still go, “You’re in a 10x10 room with 3 entrances.” (2/16)
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 PM
But I wanted to discuss what this lens misses.
The crux is that “Adventure” sits at the heart of OSR design. Everything else exists in relation to that. If you remove all the outer layers, the GM can still go, “You’re in a 10x10 room with 3 entrances.” (2/16)
The crux is that “Adventure” sits at the heart of OSR design. Everything else exists in relation to that. If you remove all the outer layers, the GM can still go, “You’re in a 10x10 room with 3 entrances.” (2/16)
Proof that woke is ruining games.
(Congrats!!!)
(Congrats!!!)
November 29, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Proof that woke is ruining games.
(Congrats!!!)
(Congrats!!!)
I've gotten so much play out of Spots. It's so easy to introduce to groups.
November 29, 2025 at 12:40 AM
I've gotten so much play out of Spots. It's so easy to introduce to groups.
No but I do like the conversation... at least for a little bit.
(Until they play their hand too openly and go back to systems don't matter discourse)
(Until they play their hand too openly and go back to systems don't matter discourse)
November 28, 2025 at 6:31 PM
No but I do like the conversation... at least for a little bit.
(Until they play their hand too openly and go back to systems don't matter discourse)
(Until they play their hand too openly and go back to systems don't matter discourse)
To be clear, though, I am also still writing cool sword attacks.
![Blessed weapon
When you pray to a deity and ask for their blessing on a weapon, you may mark a bond with that deity. If you do, that deity blesses your weapon.
When you deal damage with a blessed weapon, you may mark a bond with the deity who blessed it. If you do, you deal [+3d6] damage and choose one:
Your weapon gains messy while resolving this move.
Your target is flung to a near location after taking this damage.
The damage you deal is in your deity’s domain element.
These blessings last until the deities revoke them, which they can do at any time.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cv35qcosmyolzqbe5dknsob7/bafkreig77ujtxkz5glewlnuphhgbvgmxy2tuxtvikjpougvo6n7e4md3sa@jpeg)
November 28, 2025 at 5:36 AM
To be clear, though, I am also still writing cool sword attacks.
Very cool and so well deserved!
November 28, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Very cool and so well deserved!
It’s actually pretty funny how close to this Harley Quinn got.
November 27, 2025 at 7:44 PM
It’s actually pretty funny how close to this Harley Quinn got.
If you tell me your favorite game is 5e, then my only conclusion is that you don’t play many games.
November 27, 2025 at 4:03 PM
If you tell me your favorite game is 5e, then my only conclusion is that you don’t play many games.