Just what the title says.

For me, I see Burning Wheel's Beliefs and Instincts as a wonderful way to cut down not only on in-game arguments, but to help players who sometimes have trouble coming up with character motivation or attitude.  

With Instincts, you can cut down on arguments of "There's no way you had a dagger under your pillow!  You never mentioned it before the assassin showed up!" by writing down things/habits your character always does, from "Sleeps with dagger under pillow" to "draws sword when going into dark places" to "picks at lute whenever party rests".

With Beliefs, as stated earlier, I mainly use them to help players who have trouble forming solid motivations for a character or coming up with depth.  I don't always make them give me a 2-page backstory, but I do ask that they come up with 3 core beliefs of their character, be it "Elves will only win back their homeland through the spilled blood of Man", "All gnomes should be fed to the flame for their lies", or "My blacksmithing will be what wins me the hand of Peggy the Town Trollop".  Coming up with these is easier for some players than others (a lot of beginners especially), and I find its a solid, uncomplicated tool to use.

I don't think it needs to be taken to the lengths it is in BW for use in another game (such as having other players voting changed beliefs), but it's a small, unobstrusive element I think would work nicely in many different games.

Spycraft's dramatic conflicts would be nifty to port to any d20 game... or any game, really. I was just contemplating last night how to do some in FUDGE.

Actually, the upcoming Iron Gauntlets Companion has convictions in it - temptations, beliefs, values, fears, and triggers (just like in Active Exploits Diceless). Also, threads are included to define relationships between characters in a group.

I like some version of a role playing tip system.

Examples: Codes from Hinterwelts iridium system, beliefs from BW, Motivation from HEX.

I also like to see a mechanical influence produced by them so players are more inclinded to play them out. Yeha, I know we shouldn't have to have a reward to encourge role-playing, but in many groups it is needed. It really helps out the new players as well.

Quote from: McrowI like some version of a role playing tip system.

Examples: Codes from Hinterwelts iridium system, beliefs from BW, Motivation from HEX.

I also like to see a mechanical influence produced by them so players are more inclinded to play them out. Yeha, I know we shouldn't have to have a reward to encourge role-playing, but in many groups it is needed. It really helps out the new players as well.

I have no problem with rewarding roleplaying.  I've been known to hand out bonus experience, a hero/action point, a circumstance bonus on a roll, etc.

I also think that porting things into a different system can be a good thing.  In my case, it is because my players want to play D&D, yet there are certain things that I don't like about D&D...so, my answer (which just came to me recently) is to port those things that I like into D&D.  I am just now getting back into D&D, so my first experiment with "porting" should be this weekend.  My changes are "DM only" changes, so the players will still be playing D&D as they want to.

Quote from: FickleGMI have no problem with rewarding roleplaying.  I've been known to hand out bonus experience, a hero/action point, a circumstance bonus on a roll, etc.

I also think that porting things into a different system can be a good thing.  In my case, it is because my players want to play D&D, yet there are certain things that I don't like about D&D...so, my answer (which just came to me recently) is to port those things that I like into D&D.  I am just now getting back into D&D, so my first experiment with "porting" should be this weekend.  My changes are "DM only" changes, so the players will still be playing D&D as they want to.

I've decided next time I play D&D, I'm dropping Vancian magic altogether and going to a Power Point/Mana system.  Not sure which one to use yet...

Another one:

Per-incident compensation drawbacks are the one true drawback system (featured in nWoD, Spycraft, 7th Sea, Weapons of the Gods, etc.) All systems that have "up front compensation" drawbacks/disads/flaws should have them ripped out and replaced with per-incident style drawbacks.

I was rather fond of Zir'an's combat system, or elements of it. The whole 'speed as a spendable resource' worked rather well to provide for dynamic action I thought, and expirementation to 'break' the system showed me that you could EITHER be incredibly fast OR Incredibly strong/tough but never both.  

Now, if only I could find a way to port it over to my own work without actually... you know... STEALING it...:rolleyes:

Quote from: Zachary The FirstI've decided next time I play D&D, I'm dropping Vancian magic altogether and going to a Power Point/Mana system.  Not sure which one to use yet...

Unfortunately, there are limits to what I can port in.  Aside from a few house rules and Unearthed Arcana additions, my players don't want any other changes.  So, if I change things for them, we end up butting heads and nobody gets to play.

So, as long as anything that I port in is for my benefit and does not alter anything for the players, then I'm good.

"Build your own spell" magic systems like those found in Ars Magica or Mage.  Mage in particular slanted my tastes in magic-mechanics from spell-lists to the "programming language" approach.  The Sphere system could be a serious pain in the ass to rule or to anticipate consequences of...but it captured to me how magic was supposed to feel.  Manipulating the fabric of reality rather than spells as a form of eldritch ammunition.

Dynamic Sorcery from BESM.

A complete magic system in one page is an idea that appealed to me so much that I just had to do a Fudge version of the same.

It so impressed me that I have a distinct distaste for huge spell lists in RPGs.

The one thing I would like from D&D is providing an electronic character creation tool. That just rocked SO DAMN HARD.  Even if it doesn't cover everything, if it allows you to most of the basics.  I know this is tough though, especially to provide a polished one. But even a Excel/Open Office spreadsheet one does the trick. Just release it as an unsupported nice to have or something.

@Zachary The First, I think you'd need to hook Beliefs and Instincts into the reward system somehow. Because I think a big part of why Beliefs work is the ongoing in-your-face to remind you about what is driving the character. As well with Instincts is to allow an opting out when it would be determental, but to not make that free in a carrot sort of way.

My absolute favorite sub-system in BW is Circles. In no small part because of that the Eminity Clause. But the overall concept rocks too, because even when spending huge hours preping for a game you aren't going to cover off every possible NPC the players are going to look for. Of course it would have to be ported to whatever dice system and to provide differentiation between characters you'd have to hook it into character creation and advancement somehow.  I've looked at doing it for Shadowrun, which is actually a really natural fit because of the similarity in the dice systems and because finding someone to get you gear or info (or just to kill them) is a significant part of Shadowrun.

I have done some work to port BW Resources to Shadowrun. Unfortunately we are late enough in our current SR4 campaign that I haven't bothered to propose to my SR group to actually playtest them. I think that system would work very well in SR because it is a somewhat more natural fit for a modern currency, allowing people to get past the abstract nature much easier.

Quote from: blakkie@Zachary The First, I think you'd need to hook Beliefs and Instincts into the reward system somehow. Because I think a big part of why Beliefs work is the ongoing in-your-face to remind you about what is driving the character. As well with Instincts is to allow an opting out when it would be determental, but to not make that free in a carrot sort of way.

My absolute favorite sub-system in BW is Circles. In no small part because of that the Eminity Clause. But the overall concept rocks too, because even when spending huge hours preping for a game you aren't going to cover off every possible NPC the players are going to look for. Of course it would have to be ported to whatever dice system and to provide differentiation between characters you'd have to hook it into character creation and advancement somehow.  I've looked at doing it for Shadowrun, which is actually a really natural fit because of the similarity in the dice systems and because finding someone to get you gear or info (or just to kill them) is a significant part of Shadowrun.

I have done some work to port BW Resources to Shadowrun. Unfortunately we are late enough in our current SR4 campaign that I haven't bothered to propose to my SR group to actually playtest them. I think that system would work very well in SR because it is a somewhat more natural fit for a modern currency, allowing people to get past the abstract nature much easier.

I have to say I don't use Resources when I play BW.  I find my players like their loot a little too much to abstract it to that level (and yeah, I know you can bump things around to make their loot tie in, but it doesn't interest me or them, currently).  Live and let play, though.  And yeah, I can see Circles sliding into SR rather nicely.  Who You Know is a big part of any game when you're pounding the streets.  I submit they'd also be handy in any sort of fantasy city crawl, from Sharn to Ptolus.

As for Beliefs and Instincts, I certainly agree with you there.  If not in XP terms, then in "Action Points", "Artha", "Stones", "Bennies", whatever you call them.

Quote from: Zachary The FirstI have to say I don't use Resources when I play BW.  I find my players like their loot a little too much to abstract it to that level (and yeah, I know you can bump things around to make their loot tie in, but it doesn't interest me or them, currently).

I can see it being a tough sell. One group I play with seems to be ok with the idea.  The other we'll see, although they might I can see it going the other way too.

One thing I do think is lacking, or maybe I'm missing it, are good instructions on how to talk coin but mean dice.  Because talking coin is cool character actions, talking dice isn't. Even the BW book itself acknowledges that, it just drops it there.

I actually have, I think, a decent handle on how the dialog might sound in SR. But I hung a lot of numbers on that, nessasary due to the current gear lists coming in nuyen. I might have to transpose that to a fantasy world somehow. Or go to the BW boards for an answer.

Vitality and Wounds out of Star Wars RPG.
I know it's still hit points.
But it's just... so... right.