Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Literacy: Clocks

Clocks are a relatively new piece of design technology. Unlike earlier entries in this series, Clocks are not especially widespread, nor are they considered fundamental to the act of playing TTRPGs, like Roles. Instead, they represent a relatively novel way to handle a common problem in TTRPGs: tracking progress.

Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Literacy: Roles

Perhaps the core element structuring The Conversation are the Roles that participants take on. While the roles of GM and Player are reasonably well known, they are only the very basics of Roles available. What is more, the responsibilities and permissions of each role can vary greatly from baseline expectations. Let us explore more together in this week’s Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Literacy.

Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Literacy: The Conversation

While last week covered the Dice Pool, finishing the series’ introduction to resolution mechanics, this week will cover The Conversation, which is the glue that connects other mechanics together. In short, it is the simple back and forth between participants of a game. At length, well, read on.

Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Literacy: Dice Pools

If the Roll-Over is the first and foremost resolution mechanic in the TTRPG world, then the Dice Pool is a close second. Popularized by White Wolf’s games, the mechanic likely had its origin in tabletop wargaming. In this article, we’ll delve into the Dice Pool and see how exactly it works.

Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Literacy: The Roll-Over

Welcome to the Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Literacy! Today we’re going to be covering one of the most fundamental kinds of rolls in TTRPGs, the Roll-Over. It’s such a fundamental concept that I have no idea where it came from, but it’s the primary form of roll in Dungeon and Dragons and thus other games like it. Join me as I explore the mechanic in more detail below.

The Familiarity Ratio

The Familiarity Ratio is a concept that you may already be familiar with. I first learned about it from Brandon Sanderson on his podcast Writing Excuses. Since then, I have considered the ways that it can apply to different media, and especially its importance for TTRPGs. In this article, I will discuss what the Familiarity Ratio actually is, before talking about its specific importance for TTRPGs.