28 Mar The Power of Limitations in TTRPGs
It seems counter-intuitive, but the longer I play RPGs (and really any games), the more I appreciate limitations as a tool for creativity.
For a lot of people this is already second nature, and it’s something that I’ve often experienced over the years. But the more I make use of it, the more powerful I’ve found it.
RPGs are awesome because of their sheer variety. You can do anything, and be anything, right?
So why, then, could limitation be a tool for creativity, when the whole point of the game appears to be having no limitations?
Well, have you ever found yourself staring at a blank page? Or been given an assignment to write an essay on anything? It can be pretty daunting. What about story settings that don’t seem consistent in their rules?
Limitations and boundaries seem to give you a framework with which to tell your stories. They can be pretty broad, like D&D 5E, or they can be more honed-in, like Warhammer RPG or Basic D&D.
Here’s a few other ways that limitations could help you with your games:
Magic is Rare
In this sort of setting, it would have a much more realistic tone and flavour – a bit more like Game of Thrones. Those who like gritty stories would probably like this. It can serve to make magic mysterious and dangerous. Only a very few people can use it, and because it’s so rare, you can make it comparatively more powerful. If everyone can cast magic, it feels less impressive and becomes more mundane.
Low Hit Points
Low Hit Points makes combats dangerous. It can also mean you can’t take on super powerful opponents with any great guarantee of safety and success. However, this then forces players to be creative in how they take on opponents.
If they need to kill an ogre who has been terrorising the local village, they’re going to plan it out, maybe build a pit trap and lure him into it, ambush him with bows, or even use poison. They might recruit others to help them take it down (and be their own meat shields).
Plus it’s exciting!
No Fantasy Races
This is a common theme for horror RPGs, or those with a grimdark tone. Sometimes even the monsters are just humans. Mutated, freakish, mad, or undead. There is something truly horrific about killing “monsters” that are just people who have been driven mad.
Having no fantasy races like elves or dwarves also means that there’s a more grounded feel in general.
A good example of a gritty fantasy that does have other races is The Witcher. However, the limitations in that world is that the various races war between each other and discriminate against each other. It is often a huge disadvantage to be an elf or dwarf in a human-dominated world.
Don’t Overdo the Limitations
As with all things, too many limitations can become a problem. Players can get too restricted for it to be fun. If your HP is so low that you can’t fight at all that can be pretty frustrating. If there’s no magic at all in a game that’s supposed to be a fantasy, that can also be disappointing if your players were expecting it.
Discuss with your players what you want to have in your world, and why certain limitations are put in place. If they can’t make a leprechaun pirate gunslinger because you’re planning a game of realism set in Earth’s 17th century with a magical twist… well, I guess just communicate why. Making sure they have the right expectations is also an important part of it.
What limitations do you think could fuel creativity in your next campaign?
~Oliver
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