a DM's reference. what to steal, what to skip, what to avoid.
This is the polymyth filter applied to tabletop game design choices. Each chip below is a specific mechanic or design pattern from a real published game. S-tier are the polymyth-core: load-bearing for player agency, NPC depth, setting coherence, and pressure. A-tier are drop-in compatible: import as-is. C-tier is decorative or vestigial. F-tier actively undercuts the project. Click any chip for what it does at the table, what problem it solves, which D&D versions can host it, and what to pair it with. Click a category bar above the tier list to filter by table function.
Audit note. Original schema shipped May 12 2026 with four categories. Advancement was added May 13 after May 4 leveling-system work (chat 0f3705ce) was surfaced and the inventory was found to have no slot for "how a character grows." Resolution, economy, knowledge, and time-scale were added later that same day after audit-completion. The 9-category schema is now the working surface. Knowledge currently has zero mechanics filed under it — itself a finding: the 33-mechanic inventory lacks any first-class information-asymmetry mechanic, an open invitation for future inclusion (e.g., Blades-in-the-Dark flashbacks, GM mystery-clocks, player-facing dice). See ml* Schema-audit entries.
click any chip
each mechanic answers four DM questions: what it does at the table, what problem it solves, which D&D versions can host it, what to pair it with. or click a category bar to see all mechanics serving that table function.