What are "essential" TTRPG mechanisms?

[Tonguez]

If one player takes four moves and the others take none, and the scene is now done, we did not "take turns". There is no mechanism nor rule that transfers or sets who goes next. The GM should make sure everyone gets equal spotlight, but since PbtA games you can easily split the party that doesn't always mean within a particular scene.

ah okay, as I define turns I'd include the GM setting up the scene in the first place as a Turn that the other players then respond to.
Even in a GM-less game there is a first Turn that sets the scene for further interactions

 

[Committed Hero]

A core activity for the PCs to be doing, and mechanisms for character change.

 

[aramis erak]

You don’t have to have any of that. The core of a TTRPG is “Let’s take turns telling a story.”

Strongly disagree.
Then again, I came to D&D after counters-on-map wargaming. For me, it was 3 years later that I really grasped that it was more than an open ended boardgame. And many times, I find D&D still just that: A boardgame with the decisions supposed to be made based upon the character. Any of that Story element arising from play as an artifact arising from memory of play, not as the goal of play.

 

[pawsplay]

"Jump in" or "the GM makes a Move" are still methods of taking turns.

 

[Brumal]

I understand that there are many different TTRPGs, many different style of playstyles etc. But in your opinion, what are "essential" (whatever that means for you) mechanisms that your games (usually) have to have?

For me:

• Perception check
• Ability checks
• Skill checks
• Combat mechanisms (Hand-to-hand, ranged, magic, spaceship, etc.)
• Health system (insanity, critical hits, armor etc.)
• Equipment/tools (lock picking tools, magical ingredients, fuel for spaceship etc.) and economy simulator
• Powers/abilities/spells (D&D 4e style daily, encounter and at-will powers, for example normal spells), a bare bones game where the fighter can swing his sword and that's it is boring for me.

Increasingly I am seeing "flags" for players to say what they want play to be about. Their beliefs, ideals, bonds etc.

Also principles and agenda, to say how the game is intended to be played. And GM actions to bring GM properly into the rules.

EDIT to agree with the sense of @GuardianLurker about possibly going too fine grained. "Perception check" for instance, could cover "a way to invite GM to establish fiction" (or "reveal", depending.) Or it could just cover the Stealth/Perception hidden movement minigame.

 

[Blue]

ah okay, as I define turns I'd include the GM setting up the scene in the first place as a Turn that the other players then respond to.
Even in a GM-less game there is a first Turn that sets the scene for further interactions

Ah, I had read "taking turns" as some sort of initiative mechanism. I see what you're saying though and have to agree - there is mechanisms for GM / player turns. Good point.

 

[Emberashh]

Mechanically speaking, RPGs revolve around playstyle reinforcement:

This doesn't just apply to classical XP and level up systems though; the improv game thats inherent to all RPGs works in the same way, just for character narratives rather than character mechanics. (Not that you can't get these to blend together, that is. My improv enhanced combat systems see to that as an example)

 

[Tonguez]

Mechanically speaking, RPGs revolve around playstyle reinforcement:

View attachment 364461


This doesn't just apply to classical XP and level up systems though; the improv game thats inherent to all RPGs works in the same way, just for character narratives rather than character mechanics. (Not that you can't get these to blend together, that is. My improv enhanced combat systems see to that as an example)

btw wheres that quoted text from?

 

[Emberashh]

btw wheres that quoted text from?

Its from Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design by Ernesr Adams and Joris Dormans.

A little old, and it is aimed at video game people, but it teaches a way of looking at games that abstracts them into their pure mechanics so you can understand what they do and then go on to manipulate them. It does have a focus on video games but it pulls in examples from all game types, including TTRPGs, to illustrate its concepts.

 

[Retros_x]

• some sort of resolution mechanism
• some sort of mechanism to track beneficial and negative attributes of one role (very abstract, but I think there is some mechanic needed to track consequences of roleplaying decisions for those roles. HP, level, conditions are all examples for those kind of mechanics)