Yes it is. I've been too busy lately to do that sort of thing, but this morning was really nice. Damon Kline wrote: > I always enjoy talking about the different DMing styles. And just D&D in > general. I particularly like to read the long emails that you and Jim can > put together sometimes. We did a lot of that when we were playing the > Tiamat War. There was always something going back and forth. Whether it > was about the characters or the campaign in general. That type of thing is > fun. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Johnathan Detrick [mailto:jdetrick@xxxxxxxxxxx] > Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 11:05 AM > To: dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [dungeoncrawl] Re: Campaign Thoughts > > I knew you meant it as an exaggeration. Heck, I hope you did. :) I'm > just > splitting hairs, mostly because I've enjoyed the discussion and was trying > to > prolong it! > > Damon Kline wrote: > > > Well, I did mean the chicken thing as an exaggeration. I would not be > happy > > if Jim had the Riders do all of this work, only to end up ruling a world > > full of chickens. I guess I should have made that more clear in the > > previous email. > > > > Jim doesn't need any help getting whacky ideas, so I'm sorry if we end up > > ruling a world of chickens!! > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Johnathan Detrick [mailto:jdetrick@xxxxxxxxxxx] > > Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 10:08 AM > > To: Riders II > > Subject: [dungeoncrawl] Re: Campaign Thoughts > > > > I agree with what you say to a point, but I think it's a little too > > simplified. > > For some years after Shawn Barrick stopped DMing, we were the worst > > players in the world to deal with. We fought with the DM constantly, > > and whined like a bunch of babies. If the DM did something we didn't > > like we would throw a fit. Sadly, Jim had to DM much of that and he got > > the brunt. > > As we grew older, we realized that the DM needed to have the > > absolute power that Shawn Barrick had wielded to be truly effective. > > The players backed off, and the DM was given total control. We thought > > we had found the way to play D&D. > > However, both of these options are skewed. Yes, the DM needs total > > control. But I believe the DM has a responsibility to the players to > > make the game enjoyable. That doesn't mean that they have to do what > > the players want. But I think it does mean that they can't go crazy > > with their plots. > > Your example is a perfect place to illustrate my point. You say > > that if the world is populated only by chickens, it's ok with you. I > > disagree. I have no problem with Jim doing something unexpected, but it > > should have some sort of future potential. In my opinion, ending the > > campaign as you suggested seems like a big joke. I think we've put a > > little too much energy into these characters to end their adventures > > like that. > > Of course, you meant your example to be an extreme case. And I > > don't think Jim would ever do that. And I do trust Jim. But I just > > wanted to make my feelings clear. Because, goodness knows, we don't > > need to be giving Jim any ideas like a world of only chickens. :) > > > > Okay, I really don't have too many expectations for the Riders at this > > point. I expect that they will succeed, but then I always reserve a bit > > of > > conscious that says, "Maybe they won't succeed. What then?" Well, as > > John > > said, if they don't succeed, that could be just as interesting. I'm not > > > > sure how well the Riders would fair against a consortium of powerful > > evil > > deities, but they would at least give it one hell of a shot. > > > > In the past couple of years, I think that we have all grown as people > > and as > > players. I have learned to just let the DM do whatever he wants to. If > > all > > of my characters die and I have to start over, so be it. If Jim decides > > > > that the Riders get to a world and become Gods, only to find out that > > the > > world is inhabited completely by chickens, so be it. My point is that I > > try > > not to have any expectations, because I want the DM to have complete > > control > > and I don't want to influence his ideas. My characters don't have any > > control over what the DM decides to do, so neither should I. > > > > If Jim wants to break tradition and give my characters some items that > > they > > don't have to make Wisdom checks to use...so be it!!! :) Sorry Jim, I > > couldn't resist. > > > > On that note though, Quasit and Baish are severely low on items. Most > > of > > Quasit's were technological and most of Baish's were destroyed along > > with > > Sir Malcolm's by that bitch of a priestess that they fought on the > > Pirate > > Isles. > > > > Baish did really well in his fight with Rig, as he usually does, but he > > was > > also in a gladiatorial arena. Most of his abilities as a gladiator rely > > on > > that type of setting, so he was getting bonuses that he normally > > wouldn't > > get. Anyway... > > > > Suffice it to say that whatever happens to these Riders, I'll work with > > it! > > Go Jim!!