NO DICE!

by Anony Mus


Don't you hate it when those spectacular blaster fights take an hour each because every single round you have to stop and roll the dice? An hour for a simple blaster fight? Come on! I have a concept that I thought up (which I found out later had used in some of the first RPGs) in which you need no dice. You heard right! NO DICE!

However, before you continue reading, make sure you have the following:

AS A PLAYER:

  • The character sheet (for reference only).
  • A totally and completely neutral and unbiased GM.

AS A GAMEMASTER:

  • A totally and completely neutral and unbiased opinion of all the other characters.
  • An extremely good imagination.
Also, as a GM, you can't let things get out of control. (ex. A 13 year-old PC can't be overpowering a buff weightlifter NPC). With all this in mind, on to the actual concept! (Oh by the way, I'll be using a lot of examples just in case all of you reading this can understand what I'm getting at).

Like I said in the introduction, all you need for this type of RPGing are the character sheets, a good imagination, and a few willing players. Old RPGing often goes like this:

GM: Okay, the Star Destroyer fires on you.
Player 1: I try to evade.
GM: Let's see…your starfighter piloting is 5D, so roll 5 dice.
Player 1: Total of 23.
GM: Okay, the SD Gunner's laser weapons is 5D+1, total of 24, you're hit. Now lets figure out the damage. Let me look this up in my book, um, I can't seem to find it…

Diceless play goes like this:

GM: The Star Destroyer fires on you before you can react. You're hit!
Player 1: @#%$! Evasive maneuvers, now!
GM: You just barely make it clear of the second salvo. You hear cockpit alarms going off…

You have to admit, this type of RPGing is a lot easier, less stressful (for the GM, anyway), and much more fun. Also, this type of RPGing is good for certain situations such as:

  • When you don't have too much time (ex. You are walking to your next class and want to squeeze a few minutes in).
  • When you are playing in the dark (ex. On campouts after "lights out"
  • When you otherwise can't get dice in to where you'll be playing.

Notice that in many of the examples above, you don't have access to character sheets, either. Well, play without 'em! As long as you have a general idea of the person's skills, it's not too hard to adapt. This type of RPG is more like a story than an RPG, so just go along with it. Things can turn out to be very interesting...

This style of RPGing is one that has become very popular with my players, and it will probably be liked by your group, too. Even if you have the ability to use dice, I believe that this style is much more fun. Try it!


[Editor's note: Those interested in more information on diceless roleplaying are encouraged to read the rec.games.frp.advocacy FAQ on the subject. The Editor would also like to reiterate the need, as mentioned above, for a skilled and impartial gamemaster; while total impartiality is of course impossible, diceless games succeed or fail primarily on the merits of the GM (and, to a lesser extent, the players). With no dice to blame or fall back on, trust among all parties becomes essential. A diceless GM must have the imagination to improvise, the wisdom to rule fairly, and the confidence to stand by those rulings.]



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