Issues for All Game Systems (800 CE Supplement)
Issues for All Game Systems
When using history as a basis for a role-playing adventure, the game master must make savvy choices about the flavor of his game.
How true to history should this adventure be? How heroic and how gritty? How much fantastical and how much "alternate history"? What system best fits his ideas?
How much magic should the setting have and the players have? How should the magic act? What should it look like? What should it never look like? How does that make or break the mood of the setting?
Historical vs. Historically Inspired
How closely tied to history should your system be? Simply because your setting comes from history does not mean that you are bound by history. Likewise, simply because you can do anything and everything with your setting does not mean that anything and everything is a good idea. If your players prefer to kill monsters, then this whole setting merely becomes the backdrop of their game. The setting becomes the excuse to adventure. If your players enjoy story, then the machinations of this setting become paramount.
Magic in All Systems
Picking the correct magic system/special effects system is key to establishing the proper mood to your game. If you pick the wrong system, both the players and the villains will ruin the integrity of your setting. If you pick an appropriate system, the magic from your players and you villains will "feel" correct and enhance the game play.
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