Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Dr. Ben discusses how to choose resolution mechanics for your TTRPGs (Episode #136). #dnd #pathfinder #ttrpg #wfrp
Website rpgphd.com
RPG PHD swag!!! rpg-phd.myspreadshop.com
Facebook facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089593636905
Instagram instagram.com/rpg_phd
Bluesky @rpg-phd.bsky.social
Patreon patreon.com/user?u=87730462&view_as=patron
---------------------------------------------
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:33 What Resolution Really Resolves
04:19 Common Resolution Families
13:53 Matching Mechanics
15:50 Design Levers
20:23 Design Pitfalls
25:20 Closing Thoughts
28:31 Thoughts?
---------------------------------------------
Music and Sounds:
epidemicsound.com/track/Erdns8jA3D
epidemicsound.com/track/MRyCi54t7M
epidemicsound.com/track/AQBpWzOsID
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/bWHPOsoaql
epidemicsound.com/track/uDAHxg3lIS
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/2dLRmfzdA5
epidemicsound.com/track/jrNZjxJQqZ
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/sound-effects/tracks/8c51eca6-dbb5-4925-b4ec-7ee51630322e
Further Reading & Resources
Hunicke, LeBlanc, Zubek. MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research (2004). The foundational Mechanics → Dynamics → Aesthetics framework for linking rules to player experience.
Edwards, Ron. System Does Matter (The Forge, 2001). The essay that launched GNS theory (Gamism, Narrativism, Simulationism), emphasizing how system choices privilege one kind of play over others.
Fine, Gary Alan. Shared Fantasy: Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds (1983). A sociological study of RPG play culture and how systems shape group behavior.
Caillois, Roger. Man, Play and Games (1961). Defines categories of play—Agôn (contest), Alea (chance), Mimicry (role immersion), and Ilinx (destabilization)—which map directly onto different resolution styles.
Savage Worlds Adventure Edition. Showcases exploding dice, raises, and fast resolution mechanics tuned for pulp action aesthetics.
Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition (Chaosium). A definitive example of percentile resolution with tiered difficulty levels that reinforce fragile investigators and investigative horror.
Dread (The Impossible Dream). The classic example of physical resolution mechanics, where pulling Jenga blocks creates embodied suspense and literal tension at the table.
Laws, Robin D. Gumshoe System Design Notes (Pelgrane Press). Introduces the “Three Clue Rule,” a fix for binary stall-outs in investigative games.
Salen, Katie & Zimmerman, Eric. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals (2003). A comprehensive design text exploring probability, uncertainty, and how rules create meaning.
Stuart, Keith. Dice by Numbers: The Mathematics of Role-Playing Games. A set of probability breakdowns and dice math discussions useful for comparing flat, bell, and pool systems.
Forge Archives (2000–2010). A trove of early indie RPG design discussions on Fortune timing, task vs. conflict resolution, and narrative mechanics.
Petri Lankoski. Character-Driven Game Design (2011). Examines how mechanics—including resolution—directly support dramatic and character-driven play.
Bowman, Sarah Lynne. The Functions of Role-Playing Games (2010). An academic deep dive into RPGs’ social and psychological impacts, including how systems shape emotional experience.
The Alexandrian (Justin Alexander). Especially the “Game Structures” essays and the “Three Clue Rule.” A practical blog resource for GMs and designers on resolution pitfalls and fixes.
Playtesting Stress Tests, as described in Unframed: The Art of Improvisation for Game Masters (Engine Publishing, 2014). Advice on stress-testing mechanics in high-pressure scenarios.
John Wick. Play Dirty (2006). GM-focused, but with strong lessons about aligning system choices (including resolution) with emotional impact.
The DDE Model (Dynamism, Decisions, Discovery, Expression). Originating in indie design circles; see designer blogs (Avery Alder, Jason Morningstar) for practical applications.
The Forge (archived discussions): indie-rpgs.com/forge
Dr. Ben discusses how to choose resolution mechanics for your TTRPGs (Episode #136). #dnd #pathfinder #ttrpg #wfrp
Website rpgphd.com
RPG PHD swag!!! rpg-phd.myspreadshop.com
Facebook facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089593636905
Instagram instagram.com/rpg_phd
Bluesky @rpg-phd.bsky.social
Patreon patreon.com/user?u=87730462&view_as=patron
---------------------------------------------
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:33 What Resolution Really Resolves
04:19 Common Resolution Families
13:53 Matching Mechanics
15:50 Design Levers
20:23 Design Pitfalls
25:20 Closing Thoughts
28:31 Thoughts?
---------------------------------------------
Music and Sounds:
epidemicsound.com/track/Erdns8jA3D
epidemicsound.com/track/MRyCi54t7M
epidemicsound.com/track/AQBpWzOsID
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/bWHPOsoaql
epidemicsound.com/track/uDAHxg3lIS
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/2dLRmfzdA5
epidemicsound.com/track/jrNZjxJQqZ
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/sound-effects/tracks/8c51eca6-dbb5-4925-b4ec-7ee51630322e
Further Reading & Resources
Hunicke, LeBlanc, Zubek. MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research (2004). The foundational Mechanics → Dynamics → Aesthetics framework for linking rules to player experience.
Edwards, Ron. System Does Matter (The Forge, 2001). The essay that launched GNS theory (Gamism, Narrativism, Simulationism), emphasizing how system choices privilege one kind of play over others.
Fine, Gary Alan. Shared Fantasy: Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds (1983). A sociological study of RPG play culture and how systems shape group behavior.
Caillois, Roger. Man, Play and Games (1961). Defines categories of play—Agôn (contest), Alea (chance), Mimicry (role immersion), and Ilinx (destabilization)—which map directly onto different resolution styles.
Savage Worlds Adventure Edition. Showcases exploding dice, raises, and fast resolution mechanics tuned for pulp action aesthetics.
Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition (Chaosium). A definitive example of percentile resolution with tiered difficulty levels that reinforce fragile investigators and investigative horror.
Dread (The Impossible Dream). The classic example of physical resolution mechanics, where pulling Jenga blocks creates embodied suspense and literal tension at the table.
Laws, Robin D. Gumshoe System Design Notes (Pelgrane Press). Introduces the “Three Clue Rule,” a fix for binary stall-outs in investigative games.
Salen, Katie & Zimmerman, Eric. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals (2003). A comprehensive design text exploring probability, uncertainty, and how rules create meaning.
Stuart, Keith. Dice by Numbers: The Mathematics of Role-Playing Games. A set of probability breakdowns and dice math discussions useful for comparing flat, bell, and pool systems.
Forge Archives (2000–2010). A trove of early indie RPG design discussions on Fortune timing, task vs. conflict resolution, and narrative mechanics.
Petri Lankoski. Character-Driven Game Design (2011). Examines how mechanics—including resolution—directly support dramatic and character-driven play.
Bowman, Sarah Lynne. The Functions of Role-Playing Games (2010). An academic deep dive into RPGs’ social and psychological impacts, including how systems shape emotional experience.
The Alexandrian (Justin Alexander). Especially the “Game Structures” essays and the “Three Clue Rule.” A practical blog resource for GMs and designers on resolution pitfalls and fixes.
Playtesting Stress Tests, as described in Unframed: The Art of Improvisation for Game Masters (Engine Publishing, 2014). Advice on stress-testing mechanics in high-pressure scenarios.
John Wick. Play Dirty (2006). GM-focused, but with strong lessons about aligning system choices (including resolution) with emotional impact.
The DDE Model (Dynamism, Decisions, Discovery, Expression). Originating in indie design circles; see designer blogs (Avery Alder, Jason Morningstar) for practical applications.
The Forge (archived discussions): indie-rpgs.com/forge
