The number one staple of tabletop gaming is combat. Many games are centered around fights and have most of their core rule books focused on combat mechanics and techniques. Of course, there are other aspects to these games, like solving puzzles or skill-based encounters, but they always take a back seat to fighting.
What makes this so ironic is that they are called role playing games, not tabletop fighters. Role playing should be considered a key component to the game, and some people definitely do get into it, but characterization tends to take a back seat, even in good games. Characters don't spend a lot of time sitting around a table talking to each other about their past and their motivations. They keep moving forward with the plot. Sure, they grow and develop, but again, it is secondary, more of a byproduct of adventuring.
Imagine, though, a role playing game that had no fighting. The whole point of the game was just to role play characters and have small time adventures. There would be activities to do, lots of challenges to use the dice on, but it wasn't about killing things to solve problems. When I first heard of the idea, I scoffed at it. It seemed so counterintuitive that I thought it was impossible. But the more I considered it, the more it made sense.
There are times when it may sound crazy to suggest writing a story that doesn't involve tons of action and drama and intense dialogue, but it's no an issue. Many stories don't have those things, and they're wonderful. It is certainly uncommon these days, but there's nothing about it that betrays the spirit of the form.
If you find yourself the kind of person that is looking to do some pretending and some acting, somebody who maybe likes the idea of thinking outside the box, consider a non-combat adventure. It may be hard to find a lot of people into it (since tabletop gaming is still fringe culture, and non-combat is the fringe of the fringe), but it could be a great activity to try out with your friends. There aren't a lot of systems out there, but if you're feeling bold, you may want to try building your own system. (More on that tomorrow, so stay tuned.)
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I'd love a system where combat was a thing, but much more like real life.
ReplyDeletePeople go to war.
They don't typically see combat every day or kill 3,000 people in the process of doing so. Having something like 50-100 kills is a pretty crazy thing.
I think it'd be neat if there was a story where you might see combat occasionally, the combat skills you choose matter, immensely, but you just don't see it all day, every day.
It's hard to feel alive if I'm not throwing fireballs out my ass every 5 seconds though.