RPG Master Class

Currently Playing: Designing With Negative Space in TTRPGs

Dr. Ben discusses designing with negative space in TTRPGs, Full Lecture (Episode #124). #dnd #pathfinder #ttrpg #wfrp Website https://rpgphd.com/ RPG PHD swag!!! https://rpg-phd.myspreadshop.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089593636905 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rpg_phd/ Bluesky @rpg-phd.bsky.social Patreon https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87730462&view_as=patron --------------------------------------------- Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:18 Negative Space & Implied Design 04:53 Rulings Not Rules 16:00 Implied World 24:38 Power of Uncertainty 31:00 Designing With Negative Space 36:59 Final Thoughts 39:55 Thoughts? --------------------------------------------- Music and Sounds: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Erdns8jA3D/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/MRyCi54t7M/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/AQBpWzOsID/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe/ Music: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe/ Music: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/bWHPOsoaql/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/uDAHxg3lIS/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2dLRmfzdA5/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/jrNZjxJQqZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/sound-effects/tracks/8c51eca6-dbb5-4925-b4ec-7ee51630322e Works Cited" Mike Bourke, “Leaving Things Out: Negative Space in RPGs.” Campaign Mastery (2013) – Discussion of negative space as a design principle in various aspects of RPGs Wolfgang Iser (as cited on Wikipedia), Reader-response theory – Concept of narrative gaps/blanks that readers fill with imagination Dungeon World SRD, “Gamemastering Principles” – Includes “Draw maps, leave blanks” guidance for collaborative world-building Matt Finch, A Quick Primer for Old School Gaming (2008) – Rulings, not Rules philosophy; quoted in Travis Miller, "Subtleties of 'Rulings, not Rules'" (2023) Travis Miller, “Subtleties of ‘Rulings, not Rules’” – Discussion of implied rules and player freedom in OSR Dungeon Master’s Guide, 5th Edition (2014) – Emphasizes DM as final arbiter and guiding hand Review of Mörk Borg on Deathtrap Games blog (2022) – Notes the game’s loose rules (e.g. ignoring tactical minutiae) and minimal attention to specifics Ibid. – Notes Mörk Borg’s limited lore: “not enough lore… golden spot where the GM can make the setting their own” Mazirian’s Garden blog, “Pleasures of the OSR: Emergent Story and Open Worlds” (2019) – Defines emergent story as unplanned narrative arising from play Kyle Maxwell, “Implied Setting” on Technoskald’s Forge (2020) – Defines implied setting as rules giving enough, table does the rest; notes OD&D’s emergent setting assumption Fate Core rule (Fate SRD / forums) – Players can spend Fate points to declare story details (shared narrative control) Laozi, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 11 (as quoted on Philosophy.SE) – “We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.” Emptiness creates utility Jo Wehler’s commentary on Tao Te Ching (2015) – Interprets the pot metaphor: value not in the clay but the space it opens for freedom