Comments on: 30 Days of The Burning Wheel: character burning session http://sjarvis.com/2006/01/08/30-days-of-the-burning-wheel-character-burning-session/ Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:03:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Steven http://sjarvis.com/2006/01/08/30-days-of-the-burning-wheel-character-burning-session/#comment-157 Steven Mon, 09 Jan 2006 19:04:21 +0000 http://sjarvis.com/2006/01/08/30-days-of-the-burning-wheel-character-burning-session/#comment-157 Exactly! And the "just look at the character sheets" admonition is especially relevant to Burning Wheel: look at the BITs (and relationships). THAT is what that <em>player</em> is interested in dealing with. There's been a thread on the <a href="http://www.treasuretables.org/forum/" rel="nofollow">TreasureTables.org GM Q&A Forum</a> about "Do you [as a GM] keep your player's character sheets?" In BW, there's really no need for that. I'm just going to keep 3x5 cards with their BITRs written down on them. That's all the GM needs to know 99.9% of the time about any given character. Exactly! And the “just look at the character sheets” admonition is especially relevant to Burning Wheel: look at the BITs (and relationships). THAT is what that player is interested in dealing with. There’s been a thread on the TreasureTables.org GM Q&A Forum about “Do you [as a GM] keep your player’s character sheets?” In BW, there’s really no need for that. I’m just going to keep 3×5 cards with their BITRs written down on them. That’s all the GM needs to know 99.9% of the time about any given character.

]]> By: Christopher Peterson http://sjarvis.com/2006/01/08/30-days-of-the-burning-wheel-character-burning-session/#comment-156 Christopher Peterson Mon, 09 Jan 2006 18:59:52 +0000 http://sjarvis.com/2006/01/08/30-days-of-the-burning-wheel-character-burning-session/#comment-156 I think many GMs (especially in D&D) overvalue their control and the rules over the players having fun. If a player WANTS to do something, let 'em try! A player who is repeatedly thwarted by the rules is probably not going to have fun for long. How does a GM know what his players want? Just look at their character sheets! Do they want lots of magic, combat, or political intrigue? Just look at the characters strengths and skill the players chose. They are telling the GM what kind of game they want to play! I think many GMs (especially in D&D) overvalue their control and the rules over the players having fun. If a player WANTS to do something, let ‘em try! A player who is repeatedly thwarted by the rules is probably not going to have fun for long.

How does a GM know what his players want? Just look at their character sheets! Do they want lots of magic, combat, or political intrigue? Just look at the characters strengths and skill the players chose. They are telling the GM what kind of game they want to play!

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