Discordantopia
POLL: Tables vs Questions
While the OSR and OSR-adjacent spheres love tables, I've never really found much use for them outside of very general tables (random encounters, reaction, etc) that are normally baked into play. Story games typically rely on tables a lot less, instead leaving all the improvisation to the GM and the mechanics that drive it. One thing story games do that I like and want to include in Discordantopia are questions that are unanswered in the book, leaving the GM to answer it on their own or when it becomes important to play.
Questions from Stonetop on the Crinwin
Despite me leaning towards the GM questions, I thought it would be worthwhile to hear from you all which you would prefer. Regardless if one clearly wins over the other, I will still include some of both, it would just determine the ratio.
Leave your thoughts / suggestions below!
Comments
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How about a table of questions? 😂
But seriously, both work for me but not in the same way and for the same reasons. Questions are great when I want to expand on the world with my (and everyone's) imagination. They ensure that the game has bits we like, but we'll never be really surprised by every they bring to the fiction.
Tables bring ideas from the designer to the table, even if we adapt and interpret the result. They contain more _stuff_ than questions can (especially if you read all the entries and not just the results you roll). As Yukiko says, they're high potential gameable content (to translate roughly).
Hey, I think I just convinced myself that tables are better 😅
50/50?
I think that we have evolved a lot on the random tables, like the one of troika for example or Eletric bastion land which brings a real added value. In French we call them "contenue haut potentiel", their simple reading is inspiring. Now, the questio nest I find even more inspiring in nature, and I love to have examples, but also methodology to create my turn.