Review of Their System, Our Game

Scott DeJong and Marc Lajeunesse. Their System, Our Game. University of Michigan Press. 2026. ISBN13: 978-0472-04026-1.

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) let participants create a shared experience. The form of that experience depends on the group of players (the “table”) and, usually, a referee that guides the action. Rules systems and scenarios can range from highly detailed affairs to the bare minimum required for storytelling.

No system meets every player’s needs, so there is a rich history of modifications through house rules and third-party products. Scott DeJong and Marc Lajeunesse’s new book Their System, Our Game from the University of Michigan Press looks at this “home brew” tradition for Pathfinder, a TTRPG known to accommodate such changes.

The authors set a group of “brewers” who range from the purely amateur to hired third-party content creators for Paizo, Pathfinder's publisher. It’s interesting to read about the brewers's motivations and approaches and contrast them with my preferred puzzle-solving approach rather than character-based theatrical storytelling.

Skipping forward to near the end of the book, DeJong and Lajeunesse use improvisational comedy terms to describe the approach used in Pathfinder 2E (second edition). In improv, the key to effective scenework is the “yes, and” approach, where all players accept offers by other players and extend upon them creatively. For example, a scene start such as “I can’t believe we went fifteen hours without talking!” could be “yes anded” by saying “Yes, and I have never felt more ready to sing an opera.”

The authors characterize a system such as Dungeons & Dragons as a “No, and” system, where specific actions are not allowed but can be handled by the rules if certain compromises are made. “I can’t believe we went fifteen hours without talking!” could have the “no, and” response of “I talked whenever you were out of the room, and we should continue with that in mind.” By refusing, or “blocking” the first player’s offer, the second player has brought the scene to a grinding halt. Pathfinder 1E (first edition) is a step toward the preferred improv approach but remains a “yes, but” framework. In this case, a response to  “I can’t believe we went fifteen hours without talking!” could be “Yes, but I don’t feel any different than before.” The second player technically accepted the offer but then immediately undermined any sense of progress. In system terms, this framework says “Yes, you can do that, but here’s how it has to work.”

Pathfinder 2E’s simplified rules (there are fewer tables and much less math) means the game relies less on adjudication and more on storytelling, a perfect mix for both a “yes, and” technique and a home brew campaign. Fewer inherent restrictions allows freer gameplay, though the gamemaster has to manage game balance and storytelling against players affecting the story in unplanned ways.

DeJong and Lajeunesse mix theory, their own homebrew learning, and the experiences of their brewer cohort effectively. Combined with discussions of TTRPGs in general and homebrew traditions from Pathfinder and other frameworks, Their System, Our Game offers a powerful description and critique of roleplaying through the lens of independent play. Highly recommended.