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The hows, whys and whens of mixing roleplay systems
GMs who read multiple roleplay systems will reflexively harvest ideas and implement the good ones as they start new games, either in the form of interpreting an ambiguous rule or outright modifying or converting something. If I want to borrow a mechanic from Green Ronin’s AGE system and use it in D&D, then with a quick glance at how both systems interpret difficulty, I can swap the 3d6 of AGE for the d20 of D&D, confident that the specific statistical differences don’t matter all that much.
In short, I’m talking about the highly inadvisable, gloriously entertaining and sometimes hugely effective insertion of a mechanic into a system that has no business ordinarily being there.
As with all other advice I give to people about GMing or playing tabletop games, the below doesn’t spring from a font of infinite wisdom, but from trial and error over years of failing and succeeding at different points along the way. Feel free therefore to dispute parts of it, call me out on anything that’s nonsensical, or engage me on any part of it, here or on Twitter.
