The dark side of gritty realism.
Yes, I like "realism" in my RPG. I think it helps make the fiction more believable. I think it channels the imagination and promotes immersive gameplay. I think it engages players with personal memories (hopefully not painful ones) and can tap into emotions in a fun way - all leading to an entertaining "adventure" experience much like watching a good film or reading a great book.
As referees, we talk about our role serving as the player characters' eyes, ears, and other senses. It is through our referee's description that players are able to mentally "visualize" what their characters are experiencing - even down to a bit of fright or disgust, or conversely, affection and empathy, perhaps for a favored NPC. It's all make-believe and it should be a safe, risk-free fun experience, offering no real danger or ill effects for any player, despite their fictional character finding themselves in a tough spot.
To that end, I like a degree of "realism" in my games. It's a personal preference and many others will certainly differ in this regard. (I have friends who have indicated they have "no interest in a game based on gritty realism.") I believe that differing preferences is one of the reasons why there are so many flavors of RPG to choose from. (Obviously the same is true of literary fiction, which also comes in a variety of "flavors" to suit a variety of tastes.)
My recent posts have been centered on a nostalgic look back at RuneQuest Vikings and similar forays into role-playing in a dark age setting having fantastic undercurrents. In previous efforts to set "my dark ages" apart from more modern times 9or even from historic dark ages), I have found that a smoky, fire-lit world of poor hygiene and superstitious belief can be ripe with possibilities for adventure, atmosphere and spooky encounters. But as a game setting, this has its challenges as well.
Realism in terms of a role-playing game can mean a number of things. I like to feature a "common sense" approach using logic based on our real world knowledge. Heavy things are HEAVY, and cannot easily be moved about and doing so will tire or fatigue the people that strain to do so. Wounds hurt. They don't go away overnight and therefore combat is dangerous - if not outright deadly. Hot things are HOT, and cold things are COLD. Thirst is debilitating, as is disease. One avoids these perils when possible. Planning and clever use of whatever is available to improve one's odds of survival are rewarded. Foolishness and carelessness can lead to unpleasant consequences, and the characters live in a society, have neighbors and kinfolk and there are established authorities.
Sometimes the folks at my game table tire of the struggle "realism" can impose on our game. In my experience, a little bit of gritty game reality goes a long way and the realism thing can be easily overdone if the referee is not careful. Honestly, a tolerance for, or even an interest in, game realism varies a lot, even for me. It is small wonder that I have found striking the right balance to be an elusive target.
Debilitating injuries and tooth decay may be the realistic after-effects of a life of adventuring and of character aging, but they aren't what most folks sign-up for when they agree to role-play.
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