What game system is best for PbEM or PbP

[catsclaw227]

Hello All!

I am considering my first PbEM or PbP game and though I have been a F2F DM for almost 25 years I feel a bit out of my element in this format.

I am wondering if the d20 rules are a bit too much for a campaign that by all appearances is mostly RPing. I am confident in my storytelling skills, but how does one handle the game mechanics (or are they really quite invisible to the players)?

Are there game systems that work best for PbEM or PbP? What are most of you using? I am considering taking the PCs, putting them in DM Genie and then handling most of the mechanics behind the scenes and just acting as narrator (mostly).

Advice anyone???

Catsclaw

 

[S'mon]

I developed my own simple system for PBEM play, which worked well and was adopted by several other PBEM GMs - you can find it at:

http://www.geocities.com/s.t.newman/EaToC2.html

I've also used 3e rules, which is a bit heavy but can work ok if the GM handles all the rules stuff 'off-stage' - PBEMs are or should be far less tactical than battleboard play and rules are best kept in the background.
PBEMs can also work completely freeform rulesless with the GM adjudicating all conflicts, roll a die/flip coin if uncertain. That requires a reasonably competent GM to give fair & in-genre conflict resolution, but can be the best approach; problems arise mostly from player vs player conflict.

 

[Jdvn1]

I'd recommend just going with what you like. Most if not all systems can find a home in PbP, and how mechanics is handled is up to the GM. Most people around here, I think, play D&D in their PbP games, since that's what these boards are mostly about. Some GMs ask their players to roll for themselves (often using an online roller and posting the link), and some GMs handle all the mechanics and rolling themselves. A player is often expected to know what he can do in a round (about) and the emphasis is often on the story rather than rolling dice. (To mention, rolling dice isn't as fun online since you don't get the whole, "Oh, that's a long roll... oh, it's on a 20... oh, it rolled off..." that some people do... and since battles can take a long time, non-battle situations have to be well done to compensate, and your players often will make worthwhile contributions in this regard) There is also a number of PbP games you can read through to get an idea of what it's like.

Aside from my D&D PbP games, I'm also in a Nobilis PbP game. Nobilis is a diceless RPG, and that game is very different from the rest, and markedly different in style. Whereas in most PbP games (and most games) the GM narrates and such, the Nobilis game everyone narrates. It's more of a collective story-telling game... the HG (the version of GM) throws situations at us and a small discussion about what actions are allowed might come up, but it's very character-driven.

There are also some other diceless, systemless PbP games, but I dont' know much about them. There is obviously a variety of things you can pull off in PbP, though.

 

[Pinotage]

I think most systems will work well with PbP. I've been using d20 for 4 years, and it's a good system to use, with no problems despite some apparant complexities. Go with what you want, I'd say.

Pinotage

 

[Cor Azer]

I've done fine with 3.0 and 3.5, as well as a few homebrew systems. I do try to keep it flowing though - if you suspect (or know) a lot of rolls will be needed to resolve something, I tend to go loose with the rules to speed things up.

 

[IronWolf]

I've seen the 3.x rules used in PBeM with no issues. In most ones I have seen the DM handled the mechanics in the background, making rolls for people, etc. Go with what you prefer and it should be fine.

 

[shaylon]

I play in a PBeM and it's been my experience that the DM does a lot of the work while the players focus on roleplaying. The only rolls I make are when I level. That is done with a random number generator and then emailed to the DM.

I think the d20 system works fine with PBeM but I would make sure as a DM that you are commited to the time of figuring out exactly what your characters are trying to do and then rolling out those actions for them. It depends on how good your player's are at explaining what they want to do and how to perform that action within the ruleset. I would also ask for player's to comment out of character any bonus modifiers if possible.

Hope this helps!
-Shay

 

[nothing to see here]

Some games actually improve when you PbP. Avalon Hill's 'Diplomacy' being a fine case in point. While the game itself is mired somewhere in the netherworld between RPG's and traditional...it's a lot of fun to play over distance.

 

[Bobitron]

Combat is D&D and d20 Modern's big stumbling block in these sort of games, but most of my games use those systems. Just be prepared to ignore some details and have some long, drawn out periods of time to complete a few rounds of fighting.

 

[Andor]

Synibarr