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are drow evil because they are black or did they turn black because they are evil?
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Apr 17, 2018 18:43
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Kaysette posted:are drow evil because they are black or did they turn black because they are evil? trick question they're actually purple
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Apr 17, 2018 18:44
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I dunno it's never been an issue for me because as far as alignments go in games I run, mortal beings are basically never inherently evil. Only demons and supernatural poo poo ever has a hard-coded alignment. You still get to fight orcs because hell, orcs can be assholes, but no more so than human bandits and marauder type dudes. Semi-related question that sprung into my head: Why is it that all tieflings can speak Infernal despite a lot of tieflings just being... dudes. Like do tieflings actually use demon-speak in day to day conversation?
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Apr 17, 2018 18:52
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Glagha posted:I dunno it's never been an issue for me because as far as alignments go in games I run, mortal beings are basically never inherently evil. Only demons and supernatural poo poo ever has a hard-coded alignment. You still get to fight orcs because hell, orcs can be assholes, but no more so than human bandits and marauder type dudes. I like to think it's a fundamental rule of the universe, .e.g, if you scan as a Fiend you can speak Infernal. Hell, maybe the ability to speak Infernal is what marks you as a Fiend! EDIT: which would suggest learning Infernal would make you a Fiend. I'd like to follow this line of reasoning a bit further.
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Apr 17, 2018 18:57
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So if everyone knows alignment is dumb... why keep it in? Is it that important to the 'spirit of D&D' even if everyone ignores it most of the time?
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Apr 17, 2018 18:59
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lofi posted:So if everyone knows alignment is dumb... why keep it in? Is it that important to the 'spirit of D&D' even if everyone ignores it most of the time? Of course it isn't important to keep. I barely use it in my home games. But I don't have the ability to change the book so when I discuss it with other nerds on the 'net I have to acknowledge that it exists.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:05
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lofi posted:So if everyone knows alignment is dumb... why keep it in? Is it that important to the 'spirit of D&D' even if everyone ignores it most of the time?
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Apr 17, 2018 19:05
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lofi posted:So if everyone knows alignment is dumb... why keep it in? Is it that important to the 'spirit of D&D' even if everyone ignores it most of the time? A lot of people don't ignore it and it's one of the most widely known D&D tropes / memes in public knowledge.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:13
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Alignment's still handy as a DM shorthand for how monsters might act. I think the biggest issue with it I'd like to see addressed is that "good" and "evil" are cosmically overwrought terms for whether one tends to give of themselves for the benefit of others or takes from others for their own benefit. For example, I don't think having evil PCs would be nearly as big a deal if instead of being mustache-twirling supervillains who will rob and betray the players, they're more like Elon Musk. There are lots of successful, well-liked evil people who function well in groups.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:25
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Alignment can be a useful and harmless starting point if you treat it as descriptive rather than prescriptive and are willing to ignore 99% of D&D cosmology, but sadly that is not how it officially works. I'm just thankful that alignment is largely vestigial at this point, because it caused so many problems when it was tied to actual mechanical rules. Also there's a lot of interesting ways to slide up and down the good-evil axis, but because people don't generally associate evil allies and heroic antagonists with high fantasy, it's rare that people think to play those kinds of characters.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:31
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Nehru the Damaja posted:Alignment's still handy as a DM shorthand for how monsters might act. I think the biggest issue with it I'd like to see addressed is that "good" and "evil" are cosmically overwrought terms for whether one tends to give of themselves for the benefit of others or takes from others for their own benefit. For example, I don't think having evil PCs would be nearly as big a deal if instead of being mustache-twirling supervillains who will rob and betray the players, they're more like Elon Musk. There are lots of successful, well-liked evil people who function well in groups. I also take issue with this. When you have a trait that's supposed to inform quick NPC behavior, "Good" "Evil" or "Who Gives a poo poo" doesn't really inform anything at all. It tells you - does this guy want to be my friend, use me like a tool, or neither? Same with "Law", "Chaos", or "hosed If I Know" which is, "Help me", "Rob Me" or "Indifferent" respectively. I mean you might as well have "Hostile", "Nonhostile", "rear end in a top hat" and "Other." Mendrian fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Apr 17, 2018 |
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Apr 17, 2018 19:31
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I think whether a chaotic evil character is going to murder me or evict me is a lot more a question of their means and their station in life than some fundamental difference between them. Rich Takers gently caress you like this while poor Takers gently caress you like this.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:42
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Nehru the Damaja posted:I think whether a chaotic evil character is going to murder me or evict me is a lot more a question of their means and their station in life than some fundamental difference between them. Rich Takers gently caress you like this while poor Takers gently caress you like this. Sounds like Nonhostile rear end in a top hat to me.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:46
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We have clearly had different landlords.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:48
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I think alignment might just be a fundamentally bad concept because even games like Dungeon World don't seem to handle it that well.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:50
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I'm playing my very first game of D&D tonight. Doing our session 0 with a buddy and the DM. I've already made the character and backstory and all that (Tabaxi Bard), but am looking for some basic advice for a first time player. I've watched Season 2 of Critical Role, so I think I have an idea for what I'm doing, but any specific tips would be appreciated.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:52
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Maybe codifying your character's personality, worldview and morals into two words on a 3x3 grid isn't feasible.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:52
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It is, you just need better, more evocative words like "ravenclaw chandler".
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Apr 17, 2018 19:53
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Chaitai posted:I'm playing my very first game of D&D tonight. Doing our session 0 with a buddy and the DM. I've already made the character and backstory and all that (Tabaxi Bard), but am looking for some basic advice for a first time player. I've watched Season 2 of Critical Role, so I think I have an idea for what I'm doing, but any specific tips would be appreciated. Be open-minded to anything before your "this is creepy" line, feel free to respectfully talk about your DM about any sort of problems you're having with them or maybe another player, relax, remember it's fun, and bring pencils and snacks (unless it's at a game store), and welcome. Rick fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Apr 17, 2018 |
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Apr 17, 2018 19:55
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Chaitai posted:I'm playing my very first game of D&D tonight. Doing our session 0 with a buddy and the DM. I've already made the character and backstory and all that (Tabaxi Bard), but am looking for some basic advice for a first time player. I've watched Season 2 of Critical Role, so I think I have an idea for what I'm doing, but any specific tips would be appreciated. As a warm up, try to fit your core personality and motivation into a single sentence. When in doubt, overreact to everything.
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Apr 17, 2018 19:56
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i got an alignment for ya
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Apr 17, 2018 19:57
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Chaitai posted:I'm playing my very first game of D&D tonight. Doing our session 0 with a buddy and the DM. I've already made the character and backstory and all that (Tabaxi Bard), but am looking for some basic advice for a first time player. I've watched Season 2 of Critical Role, so I think I have an idea for what I'm doing, but any specific tips would be appreciated. *Don't be scared to break character to talk like an adult, particularly after the game is over. "I don't like this" or "this is great" or "Jimmy keeps talking over me." *Respect the other players. Enjoy their moments in the spotlight. Wait for people to finish speaking before you speak. "Respect the DM. If he makes a call that doesn't jive with your sense of the rules, be careful asking in the middle of a heated scene. That kind of poo poo can derail a session. *Have fun! There's no wrong way to role play as long as no one is being creepy. I like to keep an IC notebook to get I side my characters heads.
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Apr 17, 2018 20:03
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Chaitai posted:I'm playing my very first game of D&D tonight. Doing our session 0 with a buddy and the DM. I've already made the character and backstory and all that (Tabaxi Bard), but am looking for some basic advice for a first time player. I've watched Season 2 of Critical Role, so I think I have an idea for what I'm doing, but any specific tips would be appreciated. Have fun!! Also get in the habit of just saying you're doing things as a way to boostrap your DM into not having you roll for every. single. thing. Just say you're doing something and don't stop until they tell you to roll
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Apr 17, 2018 20:07
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Serf posted:i got an alignment for ya Whether I like it or not most of the characters I create and play are basically Quina.
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Apr 17, 2018 20:08
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13th Age's Icon mechanics don't really do a whole lot in play but I like them as an alignment replacement. Which major forces you support/oppose is more gameable and also signposts to the DM what bits of the setting you're interested in.
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Apr 17, 2018 20:12
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Glagha posted:See, all this "goblins/orcs are evil and are always evil murder them" talk is why I was real happy when I noticed that Volo's in the section about kobolds threw in some fluff about communities sometimes having understandings with local kobolds where they have the little buggers dig them tunnels and sewers and stuff and they let them live in their little burrows under the city where it's safe. Why can't they touch on peaceful interactions with the other monster races? Why can't kingdoms hire orcish mercenaries and stuff instead of them always, exclusively, being marauding savages that burn and kill everything they encounter. Also makes it so they don't have to keep dancing around the way half-orcs are made if people can get along with orcs. Volo's does mention that. It states that there are Orcish mercenaries, and Orc tribes tend to get along with Human Barbarian tribes. Which is were the majority of half orcs come from. And that notable humans employ them. quote:The survivors of a tribe scattered by defeat sometimes fall back on their fighting skills to find employment, individually or in small groups, with whoever is willing to hire them. These mercenaries, while they might pride themselves on their seeming independence, nevertheless strive to follow through on their end of a bargain, because being paid by one’s employer is better than being hunted down for breaking a deal. quote:Lord Dagult Neverember once told me, during a drunken tirade, that orcs are fearful of their gods, and, if one plays one’s cards right, they can be controlled through that fear and made to dance to any tune. quote:The lore of humans depicts orcs as rapacious fiends, intent on coupling with other humanoids to spread their seed far and wide. In truth, orcs mate with non-orcs only when they think such a match will strengthen the tribe. When orcs encounter humans who match them in prowess and ferocity, they sometimes strike an alliance that is sealed by mingling the bloodlines of the two groups. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Apr 17, 2018 |
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Apr 17, 2018 21:15
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Chaitai posted:I'm playing my very first game of D&D tonight. Doing our session 0 with a buddy and the DM. I've already made the character and backstory and all that (Tabaxi Bard), but am looking for some basic advice for a first time player. I've watched Season 2 of Critical Role, so I think I have an idea for what I'm doing, but any specific tips would be appreciated. The most important thing is obviously ROLEPLAYING. A lot of people treat their characters as if they are playing in a video game, and it gets really annoying because they make all sorts of highly risky actions that don't make a lot of sense based on how a living creature would respond to danger. This being said sometimes the best way to play a beginning character as basically a more capable version of yourself, so your actions are logical and the desires of the character are something you personally identify with. We are currently finishing The Curse of Strahd and more than a few of the players are having trouble with this concept, which resulted in the following: 1) A friend's warlock committed suicide by jumping into a group of something like 20 assorted vampire spawn and werewolves, in order to retrieve the party's communal Bag Of Holding, despite this almost having zero chance of success. His response was basically "I didn't want to lose all our gold...". His character was not made out to be especially greedy or material driven on a level to warrant this action. 2) A Chaotic Neutral character basically going whole hog sucking dark powers within The Amber Temple, resulting in an alignment shift to Chaotic Evil, but then basically playing as if nothing had happened despite said powers granting numerous character flaws that should've effected literally every further interaction. 3) Another NEW player deciding to take his Monk's "search for knowledge" background into a full blown psychosis by refusing to leave The Amber Temple until he had read every book in the place's vast library. There is nothing wrong with purposely making a character with intent to be powerful or extremely skilled at a certain thing, but your conduct as a team member and actual role-playing far outweigh whatever numbers gimmick you might come up with.
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Apr 17, 2018 22:04
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I mostly ignore alignment charts and things just are whatever they need to be. Sometimes there will be a really well meaning goblin, and sometimes there is a squirrel lord who is trying to take over the woods.
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Apr 17, 2018 22:08
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Chaitai posted:I'm playing my very first game of D&D tonight. Doing our session 0 with a buddy and the DM. I've already made the character and backstory and all that (Tabaxi Bard), but am looking for some basic advice for a first time player. I've watched Season 2 of Critical Role, so I think I have an idea for what I'm doing, but any specific tips would be appreciated. No phones at the table, if there's a problem with anything talk it out like real people.
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Apr 17, 2018 22:21
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Uroboros posted:... it gets really annoying because they make all sorts of highly risky actions that don't make a lot of sense based on how a living creature would respond to danger. Actions taken by characters only have to make sense consistent with theme, and if your theme involves them being big drat heroes then even characters who know they're gonna get hurt or killed will probably try anyway, because that's what heroes do. Not saying you're playing wrong, but nearly everyone I know wants action movie levels of constantly throwing yourself into mortal danger. It's probably just where everyone draws the line between heroic and stupid, and that's definitely a conversation worth having before the game starts. You could do worse than just collectively agreeing on whether or not "...or die trying" is gonna be a thing. E: people have differing expectations about what's going on, too. I don't have all the info about the bag of holding scenario you talked about, but if that were my game the stakes would probably be "you do / do not retrieve the bag, either way you get beat up a bit", rather than "you either retrieve the bag or die". If the scenario was intended to be "you will be killed in a straight fight here", I would explicitly tell them so. Again, it's about differing expectations and it's worth discussing those before the game so people don't get frustrated or disappointed. Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Apr 17, 2018 |
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Apr 17, 2018 22:58
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Glagha posted:See, all this "goblins/orcs are evil and are always evil murder them" talk is why I was real happy when I noticed that Volo's in the section about kobolds threw in some fluff about communities sometimes having understandings with local kobolds where they have the little buggers dig them tunnels and sewers and stuff and they let them live in their little burrows under the city where it's safe. Why can't they touch on peaceful interactions with the other monster races? Why can't kingdoms hire orcish mercenaries and stuff instead of them always, exclusively, being marauding savages that burn and kill everything they encounter. Also makes it so they don't have to keep dancing around the way half-orcs are made if people can get along with orcs. I used a lot of mixes of interactions, but I was a social setting nerd when I ran games. Like every town has evil people in it, but that doesnt mean EVIL like a demon. Some people find that stuff boring though and want to just kill things. And then there are the faux-outraged people that are just mad at everything. Nehru the Damaja posted:Alignment's still handy as a DM shorthand for how monsters might act. I think the biggest issue with it I'd like to see addressed is that "good" and "evil" are cosmically overwrought terms for whether one tends to give of themselves for the benefit of others or takes from others for their own benefit. For example, I don't think having evil PCs would be nearly as big a deal if instead of being mustache-twirling supervillains who will rob and betray the players, they're more like Elon Musk. There are lots of successful, well-liked evil people who function well in groups. inthesto posted:Alignment can be a useful and harmless starting point if you treat it as descriptive rather than prescriptive and are willing to ignore 99% of D&D cosmology, but sadly that is not how it officially works. I'm just thankful that alignment is largely vestigial at this point, because it caused so many problems when it was tied to actual mechanical rules.
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Apr 17, 2018 23:39
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My players are in for a treat in their session tonight. They will be fighting creatures that have +10 AC against attacks made while not dancing.
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Apr 17, 2018 23:46
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Is that just a gently caress you to the martial classes?
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Apr 18, 2018 00:35
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kidkissinger posted:Is that just a gently caress you to the martial classes? Make it a silent disco where verbal components don't work.
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Apr 18, 2018 00:49
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-10 to all attacks when dancing. Meanwhile, yeah, having it only affect AC unless dancing doesn't affect anything is kinda not the best for martials.
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Apr 18, 2018 01:16
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FRINGE posted:The DnD cosmology (as in The Great Ring and Planescape) is actually really interesting and lots of room for all kinds of creative play, and myth-type drama (if thats your thing), the main issue is that people complaining about it never read it (for the most part). Its like people saying "FR is boring" and all they know is the same recycled areas from the video games. I'll grant that something somewhere in forgotten realms would probably be awesome to me. Here's what I experienced with the two setting you mentioned. Open the box, see that there's maps etc, grab the book that's not marked "DM", and... Planescape: A short fictional thingy written with weird slang, which was somewhat engaging. Then "what's what, and what's where?" which deals with "The center of the multiverse", "The Unity of Rings", "The Rule of Three". That poo poo grabbed and held my attention, and then there was 1-2 paragraphs about various different planar stuff which was a big-picture overview and filled in some of the blanks of this really vast concept. FR (1e): Introduction, which contains stuff like "The Forgotten Realms is a world very similar to the Earth of the 13th and 14th centuries", "Some individuals of the Forgotten Realms have the ability to channel magical energies, allowing them to perform mighty tasks", and "The Realms are a land of adventure, and therefore adventurers". I'm sitting there reading it going "No poo poo, this D&D book contains D&D?". The first non-intro thing is "Time in the Realms: The calendar and roll of years". That goes on for a page and a quarter. It then goes into names, languages, currencies, all of which sound pretty generic-D&D to me. So yeah, my eyes glaze over at Forgotten Realms because my introduction to it started with "It's D&D, now read about calendars" because that's how the box set presents it. Again, I'm genuinely sure there are cool bits. So what' the coolest bit? I mean, what's the uniquely-FR, game-based bit (any era, any edition, but if you can use 2nd ed that would be great) I can look at right now and go "wow, that's loving cool" without reading multiple giant iterations of a knockoff Silmarillion? Edit: I'm not really knocking FR here because I obviously don't know much about it, I'm knocking the way it was presented in the 1st ed campaign books, which I found dull and generic. I'm not even saying that nobody should have enjoyed those, just that I didn't. e2: What I'm saying is, assume I'm a new player who's not into generic D&D "it's 13th century Europe but wizards and elves" settings but enjoyed Baldur's Gate in spite of that setting. Sell me a part of the forgotten realms that's unique and cool, that I can get into in ~30 pages or so. Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 01:36 on Apr 18, 2018 |
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Apr 18, 2018 01:25
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What are some good cantrips to load up on for a tome warlock? I want some utility and variety but I have no idea what I should take.
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Apr 18, 2018 01:32
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Planescape sounds really cool. Will they remake it for 5e? Actually, wait. How does stuff like Planescape, Ravenloft, Eberron, etc. work? Is the expectation that they put out rulebooks and adventures for those settings per edition, or is it more like "hey a guy wrote a thing a decade or so ago, refer to that or whatever"? Do they have actual physical stuff to point to, or is it more of an idea? Do I buy books to do them or something? Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Apr 18, 2018 |
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Apr 18, 2018 01:39
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It used to be that way back in the 2e and 3e days but now not so much who knows what they'll end up doing with 5e in the future though
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Apr 18, 2018 01:46
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Pollyanna posted:Planescape sounds really cool. Will they remake it for 5e? It really really is, but it's about 99% cool ideas rather than cool rules. Just get the 2nd ed setting and mine the hell out of it for your own game.
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Apr 18, 2018 01:53
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