The books are great. They are artifacts; wonderous things that got us into the game in the first place. They are fonts of knowledge and inspiration -- especially the one pictured above.
For some gamers the only time they ever got to look at the books was when we were playing. We were always surrounded by D&D books, and other games, it was part of the culture to look at them as we played... and any time we had (or have) a question about the rules you're damn right we looked it up!
Wizards have spell books and gamers have rule books.
This modern notion that rules can't be looked up during play is pure garbage.
The notion that it's not the "OSR way" is also garbage. Although maybe it's true in the sense that the OSR is a modern creation; a modern reinterpretation of the old. There are a lot of myths involved.
The way people play now is not the way they played then.
It is older people rereading the rules and perhaps coming to a better understanding of them (technically) and then playing the game now, not as they did, but as they wish they had, or as they feel they "should have" and then imposing this falsely as something that always was.
Nope.
There were, and always have been, pauses and interruptions to consult the books; the aversion to it now is repulsive to me. Consulting the very books that the games are based on is an essential part of the experience. I would want it no other way.
In the desire to save the past, the past is being revised.
You can get carried away with writing rules, it's very exciting when you're locked in, but at some point you need to stop... and see if they work.
Although I have 30 some odd classes, the usual plus oddities like plague doctors and amazons, this test included four standards, warrior, cleric, thief, and sorcerer (to call it wizard or mage or sorcerer is more of a quandary than it should be).
To sum up the system super fast:
I was working on a new adventure and I like what I've done there (real dark!) but system mechanics have occupied my mind consistently for quite some time now.
I'm tired of being disappointed by games, even games I technically like or want to like. This always leads me to create my own stuff.
Too many house rules and you've created something else.
I wish the perfect system existed so I could just enjoy it.
And I'm certainly not creating it.
But what I'm making hits all the right buttons for me.
So far I have about 50 incomplete pages in progress (and that just in the last couple of weeks!) most of that is classes (around 30 right now). I have no idea when I'll finish it (end of the year? longer? probably longer) and I won't rush it, that's for sure, but this will be taking up the majority of my free time.
Thankfully I've got lots of art already drawn. No way I'm drawing all the monsters though.
What is it? I do have a simple but cool name for it. And that's a trick these days -- coming up with a name that no else has.
But what is it?
An amalgamation of D&D, Fighting Fantasy, and Traveller.
Game on.
2 claws/1 bite... iconic monster stat-line -- but, what if the bite attack did twice the listed damage and was only triggered if both claws hit? Obviously both claws have to hit the same target, like grappling and hug attacks.
With if a dragon's breath weapon was only triggered on a critical hit? It would need a greater threat range than just 20, say 18/19-20 (20 would still be double damage.) Their breath weapon becomes an unpredictable bonus attack that occurs after all melee strikes are determined. And if multiple crits are rolled... prepare to burn!
How about wizards getting a free spell if they score a 20 in combat? -- whether they have one available or not. Makes combat a little more exciting for magic-users. Same goes for spell-casting monsters or any monsters' special ability.
Suppose ghoul paralysis is only triggered on a bite (double listed damage) which in turn is only triggered if both claws hit? Makes paralysis less common, but more fun (it is a death sentence after all.)
The assassin's death strike triggered on a crit...? (Said that before, just saying it again.)
A medusa's gaze... Nobody fights medusas, you see statues, you run! Too fucking dangerous. What if her gaze (that's right, HER gaze, Woketards of the Coast) was triggered on her critical hits and your critical failures?
Level drain, (the dreaded!)... again, make it triggered; 2 attacks, if both hit, then the classic -- grab you by the throat/kiss you/bite you/suck out your breath, whatever it is, followed by your preferred way to deal with energy drain.
Thieves get a pick-pocket check on a crit (if applicable) or a free back-stab, or a back-flip out of harms way, or hide-in-shadows (even if there aren't any!) They're just cool that way!
You see, crits should do more than just double damage.
How about a free attack if your crit slays? (This idea's certainly not new, but it is to someone.)
Clerics/paladins, when they score a crit vs chaos or undead, they (or their weapon) start(s) to glow with holy light and for the rest of the fight they do double damage (triple if another crit is scored, etc.) Who wouldn't enjoy that? It's bad-ass.
The barbarian's rage should be triggered, not planned -- a berserker can not control themselves! So, triggered by their own crit or a crit against them and then they fucking lose their shit! (They should also become a threat to allies while enraged.) If they want to fight the rage, they must roll under their wisdom score on a d20; same thing to end it. A crit on them also ends it.
Mechanics like this make the game more fun. They'll prompt more combats with monsters we've always avoided, and more combats period. Combat is FUN. It is not a failed state... unless you're a thief.
The possibilities here are simple and numerous.
Tweak your games thus.
Totally disagree with banning A.I. from gaming products or anything else.
Taking a stand against A.I.is a form of virtue signaling. This always backfires as pretenders will be plentiful. Be very suspicious of this bandwagon. Pay no attention to organizations, awards, and accolades that claim to be pure. Don't believe me? Just wait for the scandals.
If I couldn't draw, I'd be using it. Why spend money on art when you don't have to? Of course, there is the cost of subscribing to A.I. -- I have no idea how much this is. It will come down to is it cheaper or not. Probably is cheaper. Much. And of course A.I. artists will emerge, experts in producing high quality stuff...
I've never played around with A.I. -- I suspect it's a massive time sink (fun or not) and no doubt I'd eventually feed my own art into it to see what I could "draw." Why should I draw, when A.I. can draw what I would draw, only better?
Pandora's Box has been been opened, that genie's out of the bottle... forever.
I see a lot of truly phenomenal A.I. art online... just scan Pinterest. Admittedly, most A.I. art right now is a bit flawed, little mistakes here and there, and, it has a certain "glow" to it that I can't explain other than calling it a "glow." This glow makes it unmistakably A.I., like water-color is unmistakably water-color. This will vanish. A lot of A.I. also happens to be boring, but so is a lot of corporate art (just look at WoTC.) Like real art, a certain amount of skill is involved.
A.I. WILL be everywhere. Nothing you can do about it.
Here's a prediction:
In the future (not too distant) you'll come home from a hard days work (or not) and instead of playing video games or watching a movie or watching YouTube, you'll use some form of A.I. to create your own unique movie/game/whatever. You'll type something like: 1920's noir, violent, sexy, rainy, main character type X, 3 hours long, plenty of twists, animated (or live action) etc., and out will pop perfection customized just for you. You'll have your own library of movies and games that no one else has ever seen before. A.I. will pop out a complete movie in minutes (or instantly) that would normally take a year and hundreds of millions of dollars to make. Maybe you'll share them, maybe you won't. Some of these you'll watch over and over... they'll be that good. You'll create your own series.
Right now, there are A.I. mini-movies on YouTube. They're surprisingly fascinating and remind me of dreams in how the reality sometimes warps in them. I actually like this aspect. Unbelievable potential is there.
There'll be no more actors except in little known, back-alley, old school stage-theaters. No more animators. No more, etc., etc.
There'll be entirely A.I. sports leagues. Don't like the MLB or NFL? Simply create your own league and watch an entire season unfold. It'll be as detailed and real as you want it to be.
And just wait till you can jack into your own creations... Live a video game. Live anything.
Some people will make millions ($) because they will have a knack for creating amazing whatever.
Movies will be made completely by one person.
The best super-heroes movies have yet to be made (that's an understatement) because A.I. will perfect the effects, flying and such. The characters will look PERFECT.
Of course you'll pay for all of this stuff, but it will simply replace what you pay for now. And that'll be the rub... who controls the "program." Ultimately, the people with the money will try to ban it's use unless you're paying them. Laws will be passed. Enter the A.I. black market.
A.I. RPGs are on the way too (they're probably already here, I just haven't seen or looked for them.)
Taking a stand against A.I. is like taking a stand against the printing press, that's how revolutionary this is.
Good luck with that.
Pandora's Box is irreversible.
Only something apocalyptic can stop it.
Either way, game on.