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How do you feel about a game with no weapons or armor? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Would you play a game with no combat items? There would still be items to bolster social interactions, stealth, and other out-of-combat activities.

Would this impede your sense of advancement, or are character feats and non-combat items enough?

I am working on a game with a magic system for combat. It is already complex enough that I prefer not to have combat items. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Some of my favourite systems are light on combat rules or feature combat as some kind of fail state. If you're leveling a shotgun at an ancient void-dweller that may or may not be immune to conventional weaponry, you've messed up somewhere. Maybe the better plan is to douse the floorboards in lamp oil, smash a lit lantern, and run.

Would I play a game with no combat items? Absolutely. I'd love a game that invests as much pagespace into intrigue or stealth systems as some D&D-like systems invest into combat.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

So I should have been more specific. While I like those kinds of games as well, in this case I am thinking of a medium-crunch game that does include frequent combat. The combat is magic-based, but is already complex enough that I prefer not to have items.

That said, I am also thinking about mechanical novelty for stealth and social interactions. It seems it will be less involved than combat, so there likely will be items for stealth and social aspects.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Ah. Are you aware of Mage: the Ascension and Mage: the Awakening? Both World of Darkness books; mechanically crunchy with a strong focus on magic as a solution to all situations. Looking at established systems that have already done something similar can help with ideas.

For a slightly different spin, I just picked up the Black Sword Hack yesterday. In terms of combat items, there are actual listed combat items but it's all fluff really; every weapon is d6 damage. Maybe that would be another thing that interests you: weapons are abstracted to the point of players being able to buy/find "a weapon" which gives you a basic action.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I am aware of them, but haven't read them. In the past World of Darkness has thrown me off with its lack of conciseness, but maybe I should give those a shot. I remember hearing something about a very philosophical and open-ended take on magic in one of those that did seem intriguing.

Can't say I like the idea of specifying combat items, but having them all mechanically identical. Seems simpler to just not specify them at all then.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

A game should have rules for what it is about and not waste word count on what it is not about. If any kind of weapons or armor are just flavor differences with no impact on what the PCs will do, then it should not be included.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Definitely agree, just wondering if it may be off-puting for some folks how are used to adventuring for that +1 sword. But I suppose wasted words and meaningless items would be worse for everyone.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Thats not a bad thing. Making an indie RPG is not the same as designing the next edition of D&D. Let a tiny percentage of your tiny potential market share have their minds blown by your game and youll achieve success far beyond what any heart breaker could ever hope for.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Thanks! That is the dream

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It’s really all about context. If we’re all playing Harry Potter-esque mages, we’re not worried about swords and shields, generally. If I’m playing as Aragorn or Boromir, my expectations will be very different.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Harry Potter is a good analogy haaha. I guess the question in that case is do you expect to get to wand items? Say this is a game with at least some crunch to it. Or are you satisfied if only your character improves, but the wand itself is not mechanically specified?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

So the other element is player expectations. Me— I personally might because I tend to expect those things, having played many TTRPGs. My daughter, who has no such experiential baggage, might not.

Back to HP, I’m not an expert on the lore but, generally, all the wands are interchangeable, right? Other than the three master wands or whatever they’re called. So in that case, a wand, like a mundane tool, might not need stats/mechanics.

Ultimately, it’ll be on you to set up the context and sell the players on the concept to overcome any expectations.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yeah I'm worried that the expectation of many RPG players to find loot, especially for combat, may be problematic. I think you're right that setting the context is key to managing these expectations.

Couldn't tell you how wands actually work in Harry Potter...

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think a lot of things in HP are only half-baked but that’s just me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

Haha yup, I agree

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I've played systems without any combat. So sure.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

To be more specific then: in a game with medium crunch combat, would you be disappointed if there were no weapons? Your character improves, gets feats, casts new spells, but will never go on an adventure to find that rare 7-crystal wand that gives you +3 to magic shenanigans.