Category: Marcus

RPG Design: Balancing the books

Perhaps the most involved and frustrating thing to get right when designing an RPG is balancing the numbers. Using dice to represent opposed actions is a suspension of disbelief that only works for as long as the numbers make sense. If they’re unfair or lead to ridiculous results it will undermine...

RPG Design: Skills and Languages

I previously discussed skills, and I’d like to expand on that slightly. Tiers upon tiers upon tiers Skills represent your character’s ability to do something. When you attempt to take an action, your skill bonus (combining a basic ability modifer, a number of points you’ve spent training the skill, and...

RPG Design: First Principles

In the last few years of playing roleplaying games – D&D, Pathfinder and a few others – I’ve had various thoughts about the design of such games. I’m going to start writing a column here discussing trends and possible improvements. Pathfinder is our game of choice, and I do love...