The characters were said to be merely exploring a cave and there was a grid. As far as narration goes, "You guys enter a cave. There's stalagtites and stalagmites and columns" Then everyone hovers ofer the grid to see where the formations are and whether there are tunnels branching off.
More recently, there was a grid set up with dungeon tiles (TM) presumably for an upcoming encounter and before I knew it somebody had their marker on an edge and then everyones markers including mine were being moved around, splitting off into groups. Mine was near the entrance. Apparently we were taking turns moving, or something, I don't know.
All I know is that most of the party got into an encounter but I didn't roll for initiative because my marker was still near the entrance. Eventualy somebody decided that it was my turn. So I rolled for initiative and waited for my character's turn.
I read my friend's Player's Handbook and I think I know pretty well how to play. My question is, how do I go about getting into this game?
I don't want to ruin everyone else's arbitrary and chaotic fun so I don't know if I should tell the DM that the game needs more description and less Parchizzi. I might have all 6 characters(including the DM's) kill mine and turn it into a suit. :D
But on the other hand I don't know what the much these people are playing. When I tried to get something out of the DM I get something along "I dunno, that's how they're playing". The DM's a nice guy, smart, but I don't know what he's running, if anything. All the players including me and the DM are new. Well a couple of guys played a previous version.
Should I try to get the DM to change the game back to regular dnd? Should I at least get him to write all the rules for the game they are playing? (I think it's called "Dungeons and Move-your-marker-around-the-grid-waiting-for-the-battle-DM-to-build-an-encounter-so-we-can-all-just-fight-til-we-level-up-perpetualy")
Should I just keep my mouth shut and be glad I could come and play.
All my friends are there and otherwise I'd have a lonely weekend. And I don't particularly want to ruffle any more feathers since the time I over-role-played my -2 Charisma and clumsily offended every NPC the DM created.
Is there some official rule that says I am allowed to smack a group of players upside the head with the book and tell them its a role playing game and then do all the narration during the game and leave the mechanics and responsibility of DMing to the DM?
)You might want to run the game yourself if you want to go by the books. But remember the main goal of D&D is to have fun. Our group goes off track more times than I'd like, and as a player I can only steer the game only so much.
"Okay," I'd as the DM during one of these off topic sessions, "what happens next?"
Some players prefer to see the landscape, others the description. I find I like a description if the DM is good at that. If not, then I want a topographical map. What I dislike is the reading of boxed text--and then repeating it when I ask to clarify something.
It was easy in 1e-and sometimes 3e to get away from the grid. Not so in 4e. Too much depends on shifting and moving in position that it's best to use the grid. But I know how you feel about the moving pieces around.
But otherwise it's just moving markers around generic tiles waiting for the next encounter.
I like the battle strategy part of the game I really do. I just wonder sometimes why our characters are fighting. As the book calls it "silent axe-wielding bags of hit points"
I don't know how many people in the group are into the flavorless "Attack. Damage. Attack. Damage." pregression of encounters and the narrative-less meandering around tiles in between. I'm not so much for it. If all I wanted was to just attack the same enemy a million times waiting to level up I'd stay at home and roll a d20 repeatedly.
Is it worth it to try and get the DM to throw in some narration? Is it worth it to ask to try DMing myself? I don't know what all is required but out of 7 players we already have two functioning DMs and if I got behind the scenes that's one more character in game at risk of metagame(or whatever its called).
Start asking the DM some hard questions that can't be answered by pointing at the battlemat/tiles, or by trying to do oddball things that don't involve moving or attacking. Encourage more RP amongst the players by doing some yourself; like one of my friends says, "I bring my own fun." Maybe it'll catch on.
How to convey that to this group, I have no idea.
If you need the grid/map for every tiny bit of movement, then something is wrong in your game, as you are NOT playing D&D.
If you need the grid/map for every tiny bit of movement, then something is wrong in your game, as you are NOT playing D&D.
I have to agree with this sentiment. As a DM I like using a grid map for some rooms even if there is not a battle taking place (I often do this just to keep my players guessing as to when they'll have to defend themselves) as I don't want to have them thinking "Oh man, the DM put down a grid map! Everyone, draw your weapons!" because well.. you know.
That said, ask the DM to inject a little more flavor into the descriptions of the rooms. It's fine if they like moving the minis around on a map a lot but that should still be accompanied by some deeper descriptions. It's not much to ask from your DM.