This post is part of my Indies & More companions to Monte Cook’s Legends & Lore articles. This week Monte’s topic was realism. This week’s post is particularly interesting because, moreso than usual, Monte is poling the audience. I’m looking forward to seeing the poll responses next week, but I’m also not sure data from a designer’s blog is actual representative. But that’s beside the point. My take on what Monte is really talking about here, and what he’s trying to poll about, are creative agendas. (Hang on, here comes some game theory (not the mathematical game theory either).)...

Each week I do an Indies & More post where I take a look at Monte Cook’s Legends and Lore column for the week and share some thoughts on how other games and designers tackle the same issues. I’m not arguing with Monte or speaking for some larger design movement, these are just my thoughts on the same topic coming from a different gaming background. Since Monte’s writing for Wizards of the Coast he can’t talk about how other games deal with these issues, that’s why I write this column. This week Monte’s topic was the role of the DM. I think Monte may have read some of my posts. Or maybe we just think alike, but his post...