#strength isn't something abstract in dnd

[unhookedchalk48]

Might chug some haterade and write about how a lot of the CR fandom fails to understand mechanics as a form of storytelling and how that's part of what makes TTRPGs a unique medium.

[rockofdoom]

if you're using it for a writing project (which is what it sounds like), there are several options based on what exactly you're looking for!

DnD's combat is built on the assumption that you have an actual battlemap and some form of mini-figures to track characters' locations. It's possible to run without a map (the "theater of mind" style), but in truth it really isn't designed for that. If you LIKE that and want something similar that requires tracking positions and area of effects and stuff, I recommend games like ICON (fantasy tactics game inspired by DnD and Final Fantasy, made by the Kill Six Billion Demons guy) or LANCER (a sci-fi mecha RPG with a lot of crunchy character building). Gubat Banwa also falls into this category as I understand it! If you want to move away from that and are more interested in games that work more with story beats than tactical combat, I really recommend Blades in the Dark (BitD) and its many "Forged in the Dark" or "FotD" progeny. BitD is a heist game inspired by Dishonored, but the system it introduced has sort of blown up due to its flexibility and its evocative mechanics. If you want a game in a specific genre you can probably hunt one down by looking for a FotD game. The draw of these games is that instead of HP and spells and stuff characters have "Stress" which they can spend to either do cool shit or defend themselves from harm, they have "Moves" which are specific cool things they can do based on their playbook, and they have an abstracted list of equipment they can potentially have on them and use. Additionally, instead of tracking health with Hit Points you have a series of harm boxes that you fill with your injuries. So instead of taking 3 damage from an arrow you might take the level 1 harm "grazed" (or however you want to word it), which would give you a debuff until you can heal it, which is generally more narratively interesting. It also gives characters the option of going "do I spend my stress to avoid an injury right now, or do I just take the hit?" Very clean systems, highly recommend giving them a read.

There is also always, of course, the host of Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) games, which operate on a similar principal to FotD games but are a bit simpler and represent less powerful characters. FotD characters are scrappy underdogs who can always push through any situation, but only if they play to their strengths and make sacrifices to do it, whereas PbtA characters can generally accomplish their goals, but usually have to deal with side effects or consequences at the same time - making them feel a bit more mundane (which could be what you're looking for, they're built like that on purpose!).

Hope this was helpful!

Does anyone have examples of non-DnD style combat in TTRPGs? Working on a project and I'd like to deviate from it without throwing out structure entirely.