Sample Rules part 6 musings on experienc and role playing

Some aspects of gaming that I would like to rope back in is smarts.  Good ideas were at the core of early gaming and modern gaming seems to have taken and wrapped them up in skills.  I have seen several articles talking about 4th edition D&D not promoting role playing and just being a dice game.  Really 3rd did the same thing.  You just don't use cleaver ideas anymore you use skills. 

I have been on both sides of the fence on this idea, I mean throwing out ideas and Knowledge that your character doesn't have is bad role playing too.  Also why shouldn't the simple and direct guy be able to play a rogue.

The thing is Character interaction is good, quick witted ideas are great.  These are the sorts of things that make Role playing valuable and worthwhile. I mean that aside from the fun these are solid interpersonal skills.

What I suggest is a goal and description system that comes from many of the rules light system.  Players role playing to their description key words or toward a described goals should generate something like my pente stones and exp.

Role playing along the concept description should give stones as should working on a goal that is outside of the group.  Finishing a goal should give exp.  The Pente stones will be useful in the gaming itself.  I may have described them but I will if i haven't.

My experience system is not as granular as AD&D experience.  it will be something where you have two tracks, sessions played and goals.  Goals will be the real system used and players will be able to log and track their complete goals with some listing multiple goals.  Completing a module could give a three goal completion for example.  The sessions played will be a secondary track that will be try to be a fall back for players and campaigns not going as intended.

Characters would have a couple of sentences or up to seven key words for their character description of concept.  They would have big and small goals to describe, one each.  These would allow the player to say what they are all about and what they want to do.  After some time a new description could be worked out after some large goal is met.  Perhaps every adventure or personal goal they complete they are given a chance to rewrite.