How to Read These "Rules"

The Basic Rule
''The more rules you add the more likely it is you will constrain the players and the game. Rules are good, too many rules are bad''. -- Dave Arneson  The secret we should never let the game masters know is that they don’t need any rules. -- E. Gary Gygax

The basic rule of the Isekai RPG is very simple: The player describes his character's action to the GM, and the GM describes the results of that action.

This simple rule, however, presents 2 problems. The lesser problem is that a player may believe that the GM has decided incorrectly. The more serious problem is that, while improvised GM responses work very well in many situations, in some situations the GM's brain is neither large enough nor fast enough to calculate fair and consistent results on the fly.

Game Mechanics
Both of these problems are partially addressed by adopting standardized game mechanics. Game mechanics are not rules in the sense that a game like chess has rules. Game mechanics are agreed-upon methods of getting quick and consistent responses to the actions of PCs, in part by enabling the players to take some of the burden off the GM.

Tactical combat in particular calls for extensive use of game mechanics to quantify the abilities of each combatant and to simulate the random element in challenging physical activity. Most other sorts of contests use or adapt the combat mechanics to a greater or lesser extent.

Players should remember, however, that these mechanics are not the game; PC interaction with the NPCs, the story, and the environment is the game. The mechanics are just shortcuts to facilitate play.

Abstraction
Time and space in the real world are continuous, at least at the human level of perception. This familiar experience is also how the PCs perceive the game world. However, simulating continuous time and space is very time-consuming. Play is much faster if we can abstract continuous space into 5' squares and abstract continuous time into rounds and turns. With too little abstraction players become bored; with too much they lose the sense of immersion in another world.

The purpose of both mechanics and abstraction is to simulate the characters' experience of the in-game world. If these "rules" come into conflict with the internal logic of that world, they should be disregarded. Fairness to the players, however, requires that the game world be consistent enough to allow their characters to make meaningful choices.

Two Levels of Play
Because of mechanics and abstraction, Isekai play takes place on 2 different levels. In the game world and in players' imaginations, actions should be unrestricted, time and space should be continuous, and every situation should be considered unique. At the gaming table, however, all these things often need to be abstracted and standardized. The most difficult problem facing the players and the GM is keeping these two levels in balance. Every GM needs his players to be on the side of keeping the balance.

Why Version 2.0?
Mechanics and Abstraction are at the root of recent changes to the Isekai system. My original vision for Isekai was based on the incredible flexibility of the two die pool system. Missile range, for example, could be represented in fine detail by adding dice to the defender's die pool. I initially set out with the intention of making great use of such possibilities. However, our experience has shown that such calculations simply take too long. I was targeting too low a level of abstraction.

Accordingly, the big change in 2.0 is one of attitude: 3 or 4 missile ranges is enough even if it doesn't simulate some situations well. Most character actions were already considered Narrow Skills or Saving Throws, but the exceptions have been pruned to treat any action which needs a die roll as a Narrow Skill or Saving Throw. Various other mechanics will move to a higher level of abstraction.

Play will, I hope, be simpler and faster.

Meet Bob and Friends
Bob Maynard is the patron saint of the Isekai system. Repeatedly typing "a character" or "the attacking character" or "the retreating character", etc. is not only extra work, but also makes the text more confusing to read. Therefore, I have replaced those phrases with "Bob" and use "foe" or "ally" when a second character needs to be referenced.