Do things sometimes just become too much? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Do things sometimes just become too much? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tinari
07-02-07, 02:39 AM Have you ever been a D&D gamer and had things slowly change and evolve over the years into something totally different from how you started playing? Perhaps new DMs, DMs changing their way of handling things, new splatbooks being allowed that causes waves or makes a big splash that can leave you all washed up.

Maybe it's just a subtle power creep, or a longing to do things with a fresh, blank slate once again that you can never go back to. You want to be new again, you want to learn things again from the start. You want to hear the description of little reptilian creatures that, after entering their cave, gives your level one character nightmares without you even learning that they're called "Kobolds".

Is there really a way to inject a new life into a gaming experience when it seems like the norm for the group you're in has become making highly effective and powerful characters that end up in very wildly exotic or epic adventures of a grand scale?

Sometimes, you just want to make a level 1 character who has to rely more on having a quick mind and a clever use of a piton and sledge hammer more than just cleaving into battle with your 18 str and greatsword.

I've been wanting to play D&D more, but in the same stroke wanting to play D&D less. I want a different experience, but it seems like I am unable to find it anymore.

Just unloading some D&D thoughts from my mind. There's no correct way to respond to this, and it wouldn't trouble me at all to let it fade into obscurity.
kelvinaw273
07-02-07, 02:42 AM Happens to us all. The game changes and evolves, and so does the group, until you reach a point where you say: "Hold it! Time to reboot from start!"

Then you discover the game anew ...
Ack
07-02-07, 03:17 AM You can download the rules for original D&D for $4.95 US per book from here (http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1196&).

The various Gazetteers alone are worth it. (I intend to use them for a setting if I ever run a game in 3.5).
Tinari
07-02-07, 04:03 AM Man, that takes me back. Some of my fondest D&D memories from my early teens was playing Goldbox AD&D games on my ol' 3x86. I had the Pool of Radiance decoder ring dedicated to memory so I never had to remove it from the box to boot the game anymore.

Unfortunately, despite having all the AD&D rule books bestowed upon me by a very kind old gamer who didn't play AD&D anymore, my place of living had NO table top gamers of any kind, anywhere that I could find.

It wasn't until 3rd edition was kicking around that I found a group. I played a sorcerer and was pretty ignorant and useless most of the time, and you know what? I loved it, a lot. Now, I know so much and things have changed to a point where I kinda just want to go in reverse. Core only, low level campaigns that get back to "Let's all go strike out on our own and make a fortune!" kind of things.

Nostalgia hitting me hard, I think. :)
Ack
07-02-07, 10:13 AM Now, I know so much and things have changed to a point where I kinda just want to go in reverse. Core only, low level campaigns that get back to "Let's all go strike out on our own and make a fortune!" kind of things.

Nostalgia hitting me hard, I think. :)

I'd be in that.
tui
07-02-07, 05:19 PM Sometimes, you just want to make a level 1 character who has to rely more on having a quick mind and a clever use of a piton and sledge hammer more than just cleaving into battle with your 18 str and greatsword.
Yep, you can certainly do this. It works best if everyone you play with is on the same page, otherwise it kind of sucks.

Also the DM should throw the Monster Manual descriptions out the window and just make up descriptions; that makes it easier for you not to metagame, especially at lower levels.
OravennasBrother
07-02-07, 06:05 PM Try a new game system and only have the DM read teh rules - everyone else gets a quick synopsis of how to create characters (or better, have the DM make them according to the players descriptions)
Sure the characters are unlikely to be optimized, but that's part of the fun - you don't know if they are optimal, or not. Or even what makes for good and what is apt to get you slapped silly.
amethal
07-02-07, 07:01 PM There's a vast amount of d20 stuff out there. Maybe try something different.

In our current campaign the DM is using a lot of 3rd edition Ravenloft stuff from White Wolf. None of us are familiar with the monsters, and given that its

a) Mostly weird stuff, and 3.0, so we are out of our comfort zone
b) Notoriously unbalanced (so lots of DR 30/something we haven't got)

we are pretty scared most of the time.
The_Third_Karsus
07-02-07, 11:06 PM Perhaps you should start a campain where you are level one with a different group. Or perhaps why don't you start a campain to help others get that feeling. :)
navar100
07-02-07, 11:40 PM It's why I'm now playing a Chaotic Good warlock instead of a Lawful Good cleric I've been playing for the previous 5 real world years. I love playing Lawful Good clerics. I still do, but now I can more easily just go with the flow since my character doesn't care too much about consequences. With limited class ability combat choices, I also don't have to think so hard during combat.
The_Third_Karsus
07-05-07, 12:14 AM It's why I'm now playing a Chaotic Good warlock instead of a Lawful Good cleric I've been playing for the previous 5 real world years. I love playing Lawful Good clerics. I still do, but now I can more easily just go with the flow since my character doesn't care too much about consequences. With limited class ability combat choices, I also don't have to think so hard during combat.

Maybe you should try doing something oposite and play a Chaotic Neutral character or maybe even just a neutral character. It seems to me you like playing Good characters. Maybe try something different?
Or maybe keep the characters but try a new campain setting?
Crash169
07-05-07, 11:41 AM I think that these types of experiences rely heavily on what kind of DM you have, or maybe just that fact that he is not good.

I would suggest trying to switch DM's for a while, and let the new DM know how you feel.

In my group, the DM noticed that he was starting to get repetitive and gave up his seat. It's a good thing we have enough players willing to take the job though.

Another thing, don't let players just browse through the monster manuals!!! We have a player that used to call out every fricken monster we put up against him, it ruined a lot of the surprise and fun in the games.

Make your own monsters people!! I cant stress this enough. When you have players that have played the game over and over, chances are, they are going to know what everything is.
Let them know that the world you run is different than all the other worlds they've played in. Be creative!

Always give them an intro to the world before they make their characters. Tell them that monsters are a thing of legend, and folk tale. Have their characters be sheltered from the evil in the world and then open their eyes to Fantastical Monsters and beasts.

Tell them to take it seriously, award experience points based on Roleplay and gaming etiquette.
We make a pool of experience at the end of each session. X combat exp divided equally among the players, and a % of X given to each player depending on their roleplaying performance.

For example,
Combat exp = 600 each
Roleplay exp pool = 1000

Give each player an individual % on their sheet, hide it form other players. Say I gave one of them a 90% they would recieve 900 exp, If I gave another player 80% they would get 800xp.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tinari 07-02-07, 02:39 AM	Have you ever been a D&D gamer and had things slowly change and evolve over the years into something totally different from how you started playing? Perhaps new DMs, DMs changing their way of handling things, new splatbooks being allowed that causes waves or makes a big splash that can leave you all washed up. Maybe it's just a subtle power creep, or a longing to do things with a fresh, blank slate once again that you can never go back to. You want to be new again, you want to learn things again from the start. You want to hear the description of little reptilian creatures that, after entering their cave, gives your level one character nightmares without you even learning that they're called "Kobolds". Is there really a way to inject a new life into a gaming experience when it seems like the norm for the group you're in has become making highly effective and powerful characters that end up in very wildly exotic or epic adventures of a grand scale? Sometimes, you just want to make a level 1 character who has to rely more on having a quick mind and a clever use of a piton and sledge hammer more than just cleaving into battle with your 18 str and greatsword. I've been wanting to play D&D more, but in the same stroke wanting to play D&D less. I want a different experience, but it seems like I am unable to find it anymore. Just unloading some D&D thoughts from my mind. There's no correct way to respond to this, and it wouldn't trouble me at all to let it fade into obscurity.
kelvinaw273 07-02-07, 02:42 AM	Happens to us all. The game changes and evolves, and so does the group, until you reach a point where you say: "Hold it! Time to reboot from start!" Then you discover the game anew ...
Ack 07-02-07, 03:17 AM	You can download the rules for original D&D for $4.95 US per book from here (http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1196&). The various Gazetteers alone are worth it. (I intend to use them for a setting if I ever run a game in 3.5).
Tinari 07-02-07, 04:03 AM	Man, that takes me back. Some of my fondest D&D memories from my early teens was playing Goldbox AD&D games on my ol' 3x86. I had the Pool of Radiance decoder ring dedicated to memory so I never had to remove it from the box to boot the game anymore. Unfortunately, despite having all the AD&D rule books bestowed upon me by a very kind old gamer who didn't play AD&D anymore, my place of living had NO table top gamers of any kind, anywhere that I could find. It wasn't until 3rd edition was kicking around that I found a group. I played a sorcerer and was pretty ignorant and useless most of the time, and you know what? I loved it, a lot. Now, I know so much and things have changed to a point where I kinda just want to go in reverse. Core only, low level campaigns that get back to "Let's all go strike out on our own and make a fortune!" kind of things. Nostalgia hitting me hard, I think. :)
Ack 07-02-07, 10:13 AM	Now, I know so much and things have changed to a point where I kinda just want to go in reverse. Core only, low level campaigns that get back to "Let's all go strike out on our own and make a fortune!" kind of things. Nostalgia hitting me hard, I think. :) I'd be in that.
tui 07-02-07, 05:19 PM	Sometimes, you just want to make a level 1 character who has to rely more on having a quick mind and a clever use of a piton and sledge hammer more than just cleaving into battle with your 18 str and greatsword. Yep, you can certainly do this. It works best if everyone you play with is on the same page, otherwise it kind of sucks. Also the DM should throw the Monster Manual descriptions out the window and just make up descriptions; that makes it easier for you not to metagame, especially at lower levels.
OravennasBrother 07-02-07, 06:05 PM	Try a new game system and only have the DM read teh rules - everyone else gets a quick synopsis of how to create characters (or better, have the DM make them according to the players descriptions) Sure the characters are unlikely to be optimized, but that's part of the fun - you don't know if they are optimal, or not. Or even what makes for good and what is apt to get you slapped silly.
amethal 07-02-07, 07:01 PM	There's a vast amount of d20 stuff out there. Maybe try something different. In our current campaign the DM is using a lot of 3rd edition Ravenloft stuff from White Wolf. None of us are familiar with the monsters, and given that its a) Mostly weird stuff, and 3.0, so we are out of our comfort zone b) Notoriously unbalanced (so lots of DR 30/something we haven't got) we are pretty scared most of the time.
The_Third_Karsus 07-02-07, 11:06 PM	Perhaps you should start a campain where you are level one with a different group. Or perhaps why don't you start a campain to help others get that feeling. :)
navar100 07-02-07, 11:40 PM	It's why I'm now playing a Chaotic Good warlock instead of a Lawful Good cleric I've been playing for the previous 5 real world years. I love playing Lawful Good clerics. I still do, but now I can more easily just go with the flow since my character doesn't care too much about consequences. With limited class ability combat choices, I also don't have to think so hard during combat.
The_Third_Karsus 07-05-07, 12:14 AM	It's why I'm now playing a Chaotic Good warlock instead of a Lawful Good cleric I've been playing for the previous 5 real world years. I love playing Lawful Good clerics. I still do, but now I can more easily just go with the flow since my character doesn't care too much about consequences. With limited class ability combat choices, I also don't have to think so hard during combat. Maybe you should try doing something oposite and play a Chaotic Neutral character or maybe even just a neutral character. It seems to me you like playing Good characters. Maybe try something different? Or maybe keep the characters but try a new campain setting?
Crash169 07-05-07, 11:41 AM	I think that these types of experiences rely heavily on what kind of DM you have, or maybe just that fact that he is not good. I would suggest trying to switch DM's for a while, and let the new DM know how you feel. In my group, the DM noticed that he was starting to get repetitive and gave up his seat. It's a good thing we have enough players willing to take the job though. Another thing, don't let players just browse through the monster manuals!!! We have a player that used to call out every fricken monster we put up against him, it ruined a lot of the surprise and fun in the games. Make your own monsters people!! I cant stress this enough. When you have players that have played the game over and over, chances are, they are going to know what everything is. Let them know that the world you run is different than all the other worlds they've played in. Be creative! Always give them an intro to the world before they make their characters. Tell them that monsters are a thing of legend, and folk tale. Have their characters be sheltered from the evil in the world and then open their eyes to Fantastical Monsters and beasts. Tell them to take it seriously, award experience points based on Roleplay and gaming etiquette. We make a pool of experience at the end of each session. X combat exp divided equally among the players, and a % of X given to each player depending on their roleplaying performance. For example, Combat exp = 600 each Roleplay exp pool = 1000 Give each player an individual % on their sheet, hide it form other players. Say I gave one of them a 90% they would recieve 900 exp, If I gave another player 80% they would get 800xp.