What's Diceless?

[templeorder]

The best way i ever ran a diceless game wherein everyone thought i was fair and felt like they made a difference (its too easy to appear as if you are just telling a story and everyone is along for the ride) was to set aside three types of "uses" (tailored to the setting - it can be what you need it to be) that each character had a certain amount of (different characters can impact different things). Then, i went with best stats and story effect combo unless a character wanted to step in and play one of the "use" actions that would ensure success in an activity.

[yukonhorror]

pieces of paper in a hat

[templeorder]

I guess it would all depend on why you are moving to diceless. If its to sped things up and focus on story, then my previous answer applies. If you just don't want to use dice, then you are just substituting some other form of random checking and i have to ask whats the point? If its just to change things up, great... but systems are designed around averages and math behind dice and if you are using what you think is just some other manifestation of dice, it may be the math behind your method is different. I've never actually tried to do that... i've only gone diceless in order to speed up resolutions and focus more on story... of course i prefer checks (using dice or appropriate resolution means).

[Edsel2012]

look at ....

[mrken]

What everyone has failed to mention is the dice less RP we used to do as little kids before we discovered dice and random results. In the way old days we played without dice and it was fun. Actually, it still is fun as long as we don't have to play with the kid who never died in army man or cowboys and Indians. It's all about the people we play with.

Once, while making that four or five hour drive to Gen Con we did dice less. The five of us played the same game we had played for years even though our dice were all packed in the trunk. Was one of the best sessions we had ever had.

[ronpyatt]

I'll be trying out an Amber Diceless game next weekend. So far, all the players rave about how good it is.

[tesral]

The quality of Amber is highly dependent on the quality of the GM. Nuff said.

[Blond Gamer Girl]

OMG! - We began diceless RPG'ing on long car drives. It really makes you think. One GM I had (a very good one) would sometimes say, "No dice figure it out yourselves." I adopt that philosophy many times when I GM. Once players have enough clues, I figure there's several of them and one of me. They should be able to outthink me. That's a player's job.

[ronpyatt]

The quality of Amber is highly dependent on the quality of the GM. Nuff said.

That could be said about a great many RPG's. What was your experience playing Amber diceless?

[tesral]

That could be said about a great many RPG's. What was your experience playing Amber diceless?

Agreed, the quality of GM is important regardless. However some times it is more important.

Full Disclosure. My friend's experience with Amber. He was an advid Amber player what,fifteen-twenty years ago. And would speak at length on how the GM made or broke the game. With equal over all gaming expeiacne to my own and having played the game often.I'll take his word on that. I will also add that Ron can tend toward the negative. I am taking that into account here. It's not a knock on the Amber system. He had a lot of fun with it. He was a regular Ambercon attendee for several years running. He stopped going when Eric Wujcik left Michigan for Sierra Studios. With Eric no longer with us it's highly unlikley he will return to it.