[dungeoncrawl] Re: Campaign Thoughts

  • From: Johnathan Detrick <jdetrick@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 06 Sep 2002 11:24:11 -0400

    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!!


Other related posts: