Do you really need a set of rules to play a Fantasy or Any Other Type of Role Playing Game? Actually no, you don't. Game Mechanics are simply a Target Number and a Resolution Dice Roll (or some other way of determining success or failure). What are really the most important elements of the game, there are two, an Imaginative Gamemaster or Story Teller and Imaginative Players. Before the game starts the Players are asked to describe their characters, no dice rolls, just a brief one or two word description, start with an occupation, a con man, a magic user, a blacksmith, a soldier, a priest, etc, then a physical description to match the occupation. As the game progresses, the GM will describe a scene and the players will react, when there is something that needs to be resolved the GM will ask the Player to Describe What their Character will do, based on that description the GM will set a Target Number (a DC if you will) and then based on the Strength of the Resolution Roll determine how successful or how bad the result was. Strength of Success and Adjudicating a Reasonable Target of Success are the two most important game mechanic choices for the GM. For the Players a good description of action might be better than a good dice roll. Do you see what this does, it takes the emphasis off of character building through sets of rules and places it on the imagination of the player. Here is are some simple scenarios: You are a player (before you became an adventurer what was your occupation and what is your physical description) Character Name: The Scene: You and your comrades have fought a recent battle with a band of marauding orcs. During that conflict some members of your group including yourself had some of your equipment damaged. You've come to the local blacksmith to have some of the metal items repaired. The blacksmith tells you he will repair your items in three days but if you could do him a simple favor and get that anvil, points to a rather large iron anvil on the ground next to a wagon, into the back of the wagon he will start your repairs immediately. What do you do? The Scene: One of your fellows has been pinned under the talon of a great dragon, the dragon need only apply a bit of pressure and your companion will be crushed to death, what do you do? The Scene: You've been granted permission to enter the ancient archives of the lost magics. Only you know what it is that you are looking for. What do you do? Would anyone like to Try a One Shot Session using this technique?
