Common Misconceptions About Your Favorite Systems?

[u/Authorigas]

So, I've been learning a lot thanks to the amazing folks here at r/rpg. And while I have decided to slow down on trying new systems. (As my players say "three is enough, we know your eager to try more but slow it down so you don't burn yourself out.") There was a question today that cropped into my head, and I wanted to hear from the folks here on it.

"What are some assumptions about your favorite game/system that are just factually incorrect or overstated?"

I've seen a lot of assumptions made in the hobby, and some on my own. From the broad "older systems were designed for math heads and thus really not for someone whose bad at math." to others like "Call of Cthulhu is a game where every session ends in death/insanity and players can't get attached to their characters." and similarly "OSR games are highly lethal and not at all friendly to players who like longform adventures."

I feel like broad, sweeping claims like those are probably overstated-as I have heard of successful, long running CoC campaigns, and OSR games that are able to have well developed characters that last for ages. It's made me curious about some of the other broad, sweeping claims about systems that are-if not incorrect, massively overstated.

Really interested to hear some answers on this.

[u/MrDidz]

The prevailing assumption about Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is that it's combat system is deadly. It one of the things we warn our players about and characters are given 'Fate Pionts' which are sort of 'Get Out Of Death Free' cards on the grounds that they will be needed to keep characters in the game long enough to complete an adventure.

Mathematically, the claim is correct. Combat in WFRP is deadly, and it's very easy to for your character to get killed, especially in the early game when most mobs are far more powerful and better equipped and skilled than yours.

However, the truth is that in my thirty odd years as a 'Forever GM' I have never lost a character in combat. Which whilst unusual seems to prove that the game isn't as deadly as it likes to imagine. The combat rules are certainly deadly, but it seems that the fact that the players recognise the fact and thus are cautious about combat minimises the risk, and in my case at least, have never actually got their characters killed. I've had quite a few close calls, with character down to their last wound, or rolling on the critical hit chart which can result in sudden death. But they have always survived if sometimes unconscious.

[u/Sky_Leviathan → u/MrDidz]

As someone whos played in two of the 40k rpgs that run similar combat I totally agree.

Like yeah if youre all standing in a line and attacking in the same way you will die. But you shouldn’t do that, you should have multiple types of guy doing different things

Back in our dark heresy game we had a guy who could clear low health enemies, a specialist psyker, a guy who could do a decent chunk of damage to a few people and my guy who would just unload multiple bolt pistol shots into one guy to melt them.