A big one is an overuse of technology. VTTs, music, Discord bots, etc all can be useful from time to time but when you need to have four tabs, three apps, and three monitors / screens to run a ttRPG you're doing too much.
The other one, which is definitely more common, is the absolute adherence to the rules of a game -- to the point where play needs to stop so a rule can be looked up rather than just ruling in a way that makes the most logical sense and finding the answer later.
Have you had examples of diegetic play that you've enjoyed recently? Or non-diegetic play?
Or at the very least, when the mechanics si the one being reflected into the real world instead of the other.
I had a fun time where a 'Warlord' style of class gave men an off-turn one tile step which a class feature I have is meant to be me dancing to sppease the spirits. Allowing me to sustain a spell off turn. Why does being shouted at by a military general allow me to dance so that a fire spirit continues buring my enemies? Don't care! I love this form of action economy synergy more than I care about it 'making sense'
A more diegetic one was when I managed to pull-off seducing a religious witch hunter over several sessions so that my party would be safe from further hunts. It was an Exalted game and those social mechanics really helped.
What are some examples of unnecessary , non-diegetic, elements you think GM's often have at their tables?
A big one is an overuse of technology. VTTs, music, Discord bots, etc all can be useful from time to time but when you need to have four tabs, three apps, and three monitors / screens to run a ttRPG you're doing too much.
The other one, which is definitely more common, is the absolute adherence to the rules of a game -- to the point where play needs to stop so a rule can be looked up rather than just ruling in a way that makes the most logical sense and finding the answer later.
Have you had examples of diegetic play that you've enjoyed recently? Or non-diegetic play?
I LOOOOOVVVVEEEE NON-DIEGESIS
Or at the very least, when the mechanics si the one being reflected into the real world instead of the other.
I had a fun time where a 'Warlord' style of class gave men an off-turn one tile step which a class feature I have is meant to be me dancing to sppease the spirits. Allowing me to sustain a spell off turn. Why does being shouted at by a military general allow me to dance so that a fire spirit continues buring my enemies? Don't care! I love this form of action economy synergy more than I care about it 'making sense'
A more diegetic one was when I managed to pull-off seducing a religious witch hunter over several sessions so that my party would be safe from further hunts. It was an Exalted game and those social mechanics really helped.