Natalie Ash (she/her)
@thenatalieash.bsky.social
Fuck you, make me.
she/her, audhd, trans, gay, polyam and available.
tabletop rpg writer and all-around awesome person. 😏
she/her, audhd, trans, gay, polyam and available.
tabletop rpg writer and all-around awesome person. 😏
I'm sure that this is not a piece of great design. Rolling for everything just to find what points can be turned into interesting stakes sounds like it would be really slow. And, me, I don't have the patience for that.
But it's an idea to keep in your GM cap: sometimes roll, then figure it out.
/🧵
But it's an idea to keep in your GM cap: sometimes roll, then figure it out.
/🧵
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
I'm sure that this is not a piece of great design. Rolling for everything just to find what points can be turned into interesting stakes sounds like it would be really slow. And, me, I don't have the patience for that.
But it's an idea to keep in your GM cap: sometimes roll, then figure it out.
/🧵
But it's an idea to keep in your GM cap: sometimes roll, then figure it out.
/🧵
But we don't need to come at the situation with an a priori understanding, we can create that a posteriori.
This is *kind of* like Maq's option 2, but we don't need to come up with a reason until we know we need to.
🧵
This is *kind of* like Maq's option 2, but we don't need to come up with a reason until we know we need to.
🧵
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
But we don't need to come at the situation with an a priori understanding, we can create that a posteriori.
This is *kind of* like Maq's option 2, but we don't need to come up with a reason until we know we need to.
🧵
This is *kind of* like Maq's option 2, but we don't need to come up with a reason until we know we need to.
🧵
But the reverse is also an option: the thief biffs it. Which is unrealistic for "best lockpicker in the world", so then we ask ourselves, what is the fiction that explains the failure?
So first we roll, then we determine what fiction fits the roll...
🧵
So first we roll, then we determine what fiction fits the roll...
🧵
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
But the reverse is also an option: the thief biffs it. Which is unrealistic for "best lockpicker in the world", so then we ask ourselves, what is the fiction that explains the failure?
So first we roll, then we determine what fiction fits the roll...
🧵
So first we roll, then we determine what fiction fits the roll...
🧵
Maybe the lock doesn't have a state until it is picked. We roll to see *what the lock state is* rather than how well it is picked. The GM says, this door is locked. Thief: show me your skill!
Now, this thief rolls and aces it - great, no problem, nothing you haven't seen before it's like butter
🧵
Now, this thief rolls and aces it - great, no problem, nothing you haven't seen before it's like butter
🧵
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Maybe the lock doesn't have a state until it is picked. We roll to see *what the lock state is* rather than how well it is picked. The GM says, this door is locked. Thief: show me your skill!
Now, this thief rolls and aces it - great, no problem, nothing you haven't seen before it's like butter
🧵
Now, this thief rolls and aces it - great, no problem, nothing you haven't seen before it's like butter
🧵
But the a prior nature of the lock also implicitly accepts the GM as the arbiter of the world. The one who determines the difficulty of the lock.
Now, this is where the secret 4th option exists... and it's not some amazing new insight I'm bringing, a lot of solo-focused gameplay has this:
🧵
Now, this is where the secret 4th option exists... and it's not some amazing new insight I'm bringing, a lot of solo-focused gameplay has this:
🧵
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
But the a prior nature of the lock also implicitly accepts the GM as the arbiter of the world. The one who determines the difficulty of the lock.
Now, this is where the secret 4th option exists... and it's not some amazing new insight I'm bringing, a lot of solo-focused gameplay has this:
🧵
Now, this is where the secret 4th option exists... and it's not some amazing new insight I'm bringing, a lot of solo-focused gameplay has this:
🧵
Heck, it mirrors the way we think about navigating our world: challenges are either easy or hard, we either have great skill or little, etc.
But we should remember that the game space is nothing but shared imagination — we desire it to be consistent and coherent so we can effectively share it
🧵
But we should remember that the game space is nothing but shared imagination — we desire it to be consistent and coherent so we can effectively share it
🧵
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Heck, it mirrors the way we think about navigating our world: challenges are either easy or hard, we either have great skill or little, etc.
But we should remember that the game space is nothing but shared imagination — we desire it to be consistent and coherent so we can effectively share it
🧵
But we should remember that the game space is nothing but shared imagination — we desire it to be consistent and coherent so we can effectively share it
🧵
They all assume that there is a fixed and determined state to the lock. That the GM has already decided what state the lock is in and how it relates to the situation and to the lockpick's skill.
It's pretty simulationist as far as design goes, but it is also really easy to understand.
🧵
It's pretty simulationist as far as design goes, but it is also really easy to understand.
🧵
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
They all assume that there is a fixed and determined state to the lock. That the GM has already decided what state the lock is in and how it relates to the situation and to the lockpick's skill.
It's pretty simulationist as far as design goes, but it is also really easy to understand.
🧵
It's pretty simulationist as far as design goes, but it is also really easy to understand.
🧵
Maq posits the greatest lockpick is trying to pick a lock and offers three responses the GM could/should have (it does read a bit prescriptive): 1-the lock is picked, 2- the lock cannot be picked, 3-there are stakes that we resolve with the dice roll.
But all of these have one thing in common:
🧵
But all of these have one thing in common:
🧵
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Maq posits the greatest lockpick is trying to pick a lock and offers three responses the GM could/should have (it does read a bit prescriptive): 1-the lock is picked, 2- the lock cannot be picked, 3-there are stakes that we resolve with the dice roll.
But all of these have one thing in common:
🧵
But all of these have one thing in common:
🧵