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When Mechanics Substitute for RPG Flavor
Author:
Mechanics are Soft Role-playing
The older I get the more I realize that more mechanics crowd the game. Lots of cool mechanics impinges on good story and narration. It’s not always true, but it tends to follow. The more you crowd the game with mechanics instead of letting the story and narration speak for the results, the less memorable the play tends to be overall. Many people rely on the ‘soft’ role-playing of mechanics to be the entirety of their boundaries for role-playing… and lose some of the amazing benefits it can bring.
For mechanics driven adjustments that individuals get by virtue of race, class, background, and whatever else, I also prefer that the labels actually refer to something larger that gives a greater sense of character and visioning. For instance, if a player were to get a plus one Charisma bonus, I would prefer that it be tied to something like a “Gregarious by Nature” aspect that is societal or physiological/biological in its origins.
character Creation: I have one broad caveat to that and that is character creation. I think character creation should be as interactive and fun as adventuring itself – and can incorporate more mechanics for the actual “coming of age” itself. It cements how a character will play by adopting cultures, behaviors, and even reflect the sense and scope of adventure. I enjoy putting risk into the character creation process. At the same time, I also enjoy having a baseline that everybody has access to the even playing field for the vast majority of non-player characters who are not seeking risk. The character is looking for thoroughly different options in the creation process – just as a real person is looking to establish their own identity in real life at that point.
Relying too heavily on the classic RPG Race/Class combination to express yourself is a very passive way to role-play. It relies on one player making assumptions about another, or the player in choosing a particular subgroup thinking that’s what other players around them see them as. Its a classic balancing act of these being a starting point, with the individuality of your in-game role-playing rounding it out. The active adoption and expression of a particular culture, society, physiology, or subgroup come through in the words and deeds of the character that evolves as they experience life through adventuring.
- Race/Species: The range of adjustments are what represent or manifest ideas for a more complete role-playing expression. It’s one of the aspects that instantly conjures up a picture of the character in people’s minds.
- Class/Archetype: Very cookie cutter notions of character envisioning. It’s one of the aspects that instantly conjures up a picture of the character in people’s minds when they are used, whereas non class systems don’t use definition by massive label, but smaller ones of individual skills and traits.
Relying heavily on the ‘soft’ mechanics of race/class for roleplaying is all of the flavor and none of the fat. That is one way, it’s always been there. Especially for what is called ‘neuro-divergent’ or ‘neuro atypical’ players today. It’s nothing new. However, it seems to be the assumed way these days, which aligns more with the passive aggressive flavor of our society direction. Acknowledging that confrontation and conflict management are lacking, I understand the adoption of this approach. As a game master, I have to learn to accommodate it. However, as a game master, I can also encourage others, and in my opinion a more legacy and more interactive/explorative avenue of role-playing. Engaging with other players outside the tropes and themes of soft role-playing also helps with immersion and creates a better (and in my mind, more memorable for Players AND the GM) storytelling experience.
Mechanics need to facilitate role-playing, not substitute for it. The balance for this is as old as the concept of a role-playing game itself. The less active the role-playing element is the more mechanics will get substituted for it. So one has to encourage the other and the other must facilitate it so there can be some level of consistency. The danger is too little or too much which will skew expectations and distance people from a reliable, immersive experience.