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How do you feel about a game with no weapons or armor? (self.rpg)

submitted 1 year ago by crbn 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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[–] WillOfTheWest 2 points 1 year ago (3 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.

[–] crbn 1 points 1 year ago (2 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.

[–] WillOfTheWest 1 points 1 year 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.

[–] crbn 1 points 1 year 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.