Common RPG assumptions that really aren't true.

hgjs · July 01, 2007, 03:05:40 PM

Quote from: ColonelHardissonWell, yeah. A good rule of thumb is that if there is an actual rule or game mechanic for it, then players need to specifically mention they're having their characters do it. In D&D, as far as I can tell, there are no rules or mechanics for equipment maintenance or shitting. Thank God.

"It's been twenty sessions and none of you have ever mentioned that you took a shit. I'll roll a d6 to randomly determine which of you has his bowels rupture."

Rezendevous · July 01, 2007, 03:57:14 PM

Vehicles don't need fuel.

(Seriously, it's pretty common. There are games that take fuel consumption into account, of course, but I can think of more than don't).

jdrakeh · July 01, 2007, 04:07:06 PM

Quote from: hgjsOh, if we're talking about inside fantasy games, then you're dead wrong.

No, I'm not. If gold were valuable (i.e., a precious item) in most fantasy games, it wouldn't be the standard unit of currency in same said games, people would hoard it, and they most certainly would not carry it around on their person like a pocket full of subway tokens. Gold, in most fantasy games, is a form of currency -- the most common form, in fact. It's the one-dollar bill, not the one-thousand dollar bill, of such games.

QuoteTalking about D&D in particular, a gold piece is worth substantially more than a dollar.

It's the STANDARD UNIT OF CURRENCY in all editions of D&D/AD&D and, in that regard, it's much like the dollar is in the US. You can't actually do a conversion from D&D gold pieces to dollars, in terms of worth - though thanks for fumbled attempt at a strawman distraction.

One Horse Town · July 01, 2007, 04:16:14 PM

Quote from: ColonelHardissonAs a DM myself, I simply make the assumption, when it comes to equipment, that the PCs spend a bit of whatever downtime they have for maintenance. I mean, I don't expect them to tell me everytime their characters eat, shit, or bathe, either. The only thing I do is have them mark off days for consumables.

Not every character is qualified to maintain equipment though are they? Oiling stuff, stitching stuff and honing stuff goes without saying, but some stuff isn't maintainable unless you have the necessary knowledge. Anyhow, 2 or 3 gold when they visit a town after a few weeks in the wilderness takes care of it now. I've learned my lesson! After a certain level it gets into wandwavium anyway. What's a couple of gold to someone who has thousands?

hgjs · July 01, 2007, 04:39:33 PM

Quote from: jdrakehNo, I'm not. If gold were valuable (i.e., a precious item) in most fantasy games, it wouldn't be the standard unit of currency in same said games, people would hoard it, and they most certainly would not carry it around on their person like a pocket full of subway tokens. Gold, in most fantasy games, is a form of currency -- the most common form, in fact. It's the one-dollar bill, not the one-thousand dollar bill, of such games.

It's the STANDARD UNIT OF CURRENCY in all editions of D&D/AD&D and, in that regard, it's much like the dollar is in the US. You can't actually do a conversion from D&D gold pieces to dollars, in terms of worth - though thanks for fumbled attempt at a strawman distraction.

Ooookay.

And here I mistakenly thought that whether gold is "valuable" or not is determined by what you can buy with it, or how it relates to average salaries. :rolleyes:

Dumbass.

flyingmice · July 01, 2007, 05:52:13 PM

Gamers are social misftis and losers who live in their parents basements.

-clash

Thanatos02 · July 01, 2007, 09:35:15 PM

Quote from: jdrakehIt's the one-dollar bill, not the one-thousand dollar bill, of such games.

I don't think that's right. The Gold Piece is the standard unit for adventurers, if you're talking D&D. The Copper Piece is the one-dollar bill of that game. Silver is a lot closer to a ten-spot, and Gold makes the most sense as a 100 dollar bill. The buy roughly the same amount, really.

Adventurers carry around gold coins like they arn't important, because they're essentially the gangsters of the high-fantasy world. They sport outrageous bling, carry weapons as if they're entitled to them, and earn massive sums of money by offing competitors. They're filthy rich, so they toss around gold coins. But just because they have a lot of them doesn't make them really common.

(EDIT: I'm kind of derailing. Maybe we should start a new thread?)

jdrakeh · July 02, 2007, 02:43:59 AM

Quote from: Thanatos02I don't think that's right.

Until I see a standardized price list where the majority of goods aren't rendered in gold pieces, I'm afraid that I remain unconvinced.

jdrakeh · July 02, 2007, 02:48:04 AM

Quote from: hgjsAnd here I mistakenly thought that whether gold is "valuable" or not is determined by what you can buy with it, or how it relates to average salaries. :rolleyes:

Dumbass.

Value of precious monetary units is determined by rarity (this is why government treasuries limit the number of coins/bills that they produce). Gold, in D&D, is by no means rare. And while I appreciate the offer of average salaries, the fact is that average salaries in D&D horribly clash with the standardized price lists for every version of said game.

The designers want gold to be considered uncommon while making it the all-around standard currency for the purpose of general commerce. And, really, it can't work both ways. Gold, in D&D isn't valuable, according to pretty much every price list ever printed for the game. The listed average salaries don't speak to gold's value, only that many people are paid poorly.

hgjs · July 02, 2007, 03:01:16 AM

Quote from: jdrakehUntil I see a standardized price list where the majority of goods aren't rendered in gold pieces, I'm afraid that I remain unconvinced.

Fucking unbelievable. So it doesn't matter how much you can actually buy with gold, only that it's used as a unit of measure.

(Not even getting into the fact that most things that aren't military hardware are actually priced in silver or copper. But even if they weren't, your argument would still be stupid.)

Settembrini · July 02, 2007, 07:31:44 AM

@price list: ...and a ten foot pole. [as well as the consolidated Harnamster price list]

They got it right, and use silver pieces as units, as well as contemporary prices and development of price over time.

Really, commodity money is not too hard to grasp, no?

Thanatos02 · July 02, 2007, 09:53:43 AM

Quote from: jdrakehUntil I see a standardized price list where the majority of goods aren't rendered in gold pieces, I'm afraid that I remain unconvinced.

If you were playing an NPC, it'd be different. If the focus was on being a Commoner, the prices would be in Copper. If it was being a Warrior or an Expert, it be in Silver.

It's Gold because you've got all the Gold.

Sosthenes · July 02, 2007, 10:18:47 AM

Dang, now I'll never get that Spandau Ballet song out of my head.

Dr Rotwang! · July 02, 2007, 12:59:00 PM

I avoid buttloads of this stuff by not treating my heroic fiction like, you know, reality unless a common, real-world event adds a subtle flavor or effect.

Dirk Remmecke · July 03, 2007, 05:45:07 AM

Quote from: SosthenesDang, now I'll never get that Spandau Ballet song out of my head.

Quote from: MelanAnd sometimes you fall in a 80's pit and die.

(bold part edited by me)