Want to play Dungeons and Dragons 5E?

[Stranger]

Whatever happened to Mordigan?

Got his head chopped off fighting BeeDee's fight.

made a sacrificial pact with some entity to come back to life.

has a very crude scar around his neck and empty eye sockets.

can only see 60 feet, but has night vision.

has a blood opal gem in one of his eye sockets that makes drum beating sounds

Still as bad ass as ever!

[GORDON]

Sent Troy a PM on this forum.

[Leisher]

I'm sure Troy will try and kill one of us off before stories end.. and i'm ok with that too.

This line made me do some thinking about everyone saying something to the effect of "I don't care what happens to my character." It's something that has struck me as "wrong" for a while now, and I think I've figured out why.

First, I know I said the same thing week 1 or 2. I will also admit to now being vested in Koban's story.

Second, yes, we're just playing a game.

However, if you're RPing, shouldn't you actually care about your character? If you have no investment in your character, then isn't the game just listening to Troy tell a story and occasionally rolling some dice?

Point being, not giving a shit completely removes all drama, doesn't it? Shouldn't we be pretending to be that character with their backstories and in their shoes in this shitty undead filled land? Thus, shouldn't actions have consequences? Shouldn't we be concerned with our fellow party members beyond "I know him or her in real life"? Shouldn't we see them more than "Eh, if this character dies, I'll just re-roll a new one" because that kills the suspense of the story? I mean, if we can respawn at any point, where's the challenge and drama?

Additionally, if we don't care about our characters, why go to any extremes to save them in combat? Again, it removes the drama of any selfless acts or saving actions.

I don't know. This isn't "calling anyone out" or anything, so if you read it that way, it was not my intention. So don't get all pissy. In fact, if you get too pissy, we'll all know it touched a nerve and you're feeling guilty. Stranger's comment just sparked my memory of it and events that freed up my evening made me decide to post it. Oddly enough, I've been thinking about this topic due to all the different articles I've read and posts I've written about the shit show SW:TLJ and how Rian Johnson's terrible story telling ruined characters.

Am I wrong? Am I completely off base? I'm honestly asking. People don't read Harry Potter books because they don't give a fuck about him, right? So if this is OUR story, shouldn't we be vested in the main characters?

[Alevard]

Ill be joining you all on location in beautiful Newark NJ. Where there have been random bouts of screaming and yelling at random hours of the night for the past week that I have been here... and still 2 weeks left to go. Then I go straight into Philly for a month gig. Hope I'm still married after this whole thing is over.

[Alevard]

I'm sure Troy will try and kill one of us off before stories end.. and i'm ok with that too.

This line made me do some thinking about everyone saying something to the effect of "I don't care what happens to my character." It's something that has struck me as "wrong" for a while now, and I think I've figured out why.

First, I know I said the same thing week 1 or 2. I will also admit to now being vested in Koban's story.

Second, yes, we're just playing a game.

However, if you're RPing, shouldn't you actually care about your character? If you have no investment in your character, then isn't the game just listening to Troy tell a story and occasionally rolling some dice?

Point being, not giving a shit completely removes all drama, doesn't it? Shouldn't we be pretending to be that character with their backstories and in their shoes in this shitty undead filled land? Thus, shouldn't actions have consequences? Shouldn't we be concerned with our fellow party members beyond "I know him or her in real life"? Shouldn't we see them more than "Eh, if this character dies, I'll just re-roll a new one" because that kills the suspense of the story? I mean, if we can respawn at any point, where's the challenge and drama?

Additionally, if we don't care about our characters, why go to any extremes to save them in combat? Again, it removes the drama of any selfless acts or saving actions.

I don't know. This isn't "calling anyone out" or anything, so if you read it that way, it was not my intention. So don't get all pissy. In fact, if you get too pissy, we'll all know it touched a nerve and you're feeling guilty. Stranger's comment just sparked my memory of it and events that freed up my evening made me decide to post it. Oddly enough, I've been thinking about this topic due to all the different articles I've read and posts I've written about the shit show SW:TLJ and how Rian Johnson's terrible story telling ruined characters.

Am I wrong? Am I completely off base? I'm honestly asking. People don't read Harry Potter books because they don't give a fuck about him, right? So if this is OUR story, shouldn't we be vested in the main characters?

Dude, I for one love my wolf hunting, thick accented, hot wife having lug. Sure he may roll some awful rolls but I really was afraid that he was going to die against Winter Splinter. #TeamSzoldar #WolfHunter #TrophyWifeOfVilaki

[Cakedaddy]

+1 on roll-playing. I asked almost from day 1, "Are we playing characters in a story, or are we rolling dice looking for a win".

That being said. . . I haven't been able to. I've pretty much turned my character off and am playing by the numbers now. There are too many unresolved issues among party members that are swept under the rug in order to keep the story moving forward. And I have to admit, the game is far less fun in this mode.

[Troy]

There are too many unresolved issues among party members that are swept under the rug in order to keep the story moving forward. And I have to admit, the game is far less fun in this mode.

I think you should raise the issues you have - in game for sure but here as well if you want to.

I thought the last two in game days had a fair bit of downtime between two large fights. A lot of it was just waiting for the next long rest. I thought there was opportune downtime for RPIng, crafting, scouting, etc.

E: Szoldar, BD and Mordigan did scout last night, which was fruitful.

[Troy]

I'm sure Troy will try and kill one of us off before stories end.. and i'm ok with that too.

Point being, not giving a shit completely removes all drama, doesn't it? Shouldn't we be pretending to be that character with their backstories and in their shoes in this shitty undead filled land? Thus, shouldn't actions have consequences? Shouldn't we be concerned with our fellow party members beyond "I know him or her in real life"? Shouldn't we see them more than "Eh, if this character dies, I'll just re-roll a new one" because that kills the suspense of the story? I mean, if we can respawn at any point, where's the challenge and drama?

I think this is true.

I also think that it's fine to both be invested in your character and also be accepting of their death. It hurts, sure - but you still told a pretty rad story and enjoyed yourself. Then you get to make a new character that is hopefully fresh and interesting to you. It's not the end of playing or the campaign. Like Rust server or a new EVE ship.

[GORDON]

Troy: received your PM.

I will put it into effect with the rest of the party after we figure out the nest of spiders and knights, and turn our gaze towards Kresk.

[Stranger]

I guess when i said "i'm ok with it" was just because i've already had to deal with the emotions of losing my character. There was a good 15-20 mins of that game that i really thought Mordigan was lost for good and i immediately had to think about the character i'd make next.

So not that i care any less about any of our PC's i just see it as being part of the story and i'd never blame Troy for doing so.

[Cakedaddy]

Last time I tried to RP, it fell apart pretty quickly.

What I took from that was people don't really want to RP at the same level I do. Some VERY crazy and fucked up stuff has happened recently in the game and everyone just shrugged it all off as no big deal and asked "what's next?" I am left standing there like "what the fuck?" Both RL and as Alex.
Alex is thinking "why isn't anyone taking any of this this seriously?"
I'm thinking "I guess I'm taking this too seriously."

[TheCatt]

Whatever happened to Mordigan?

Got his head chopped off fighting BeeDee's fight.

made a sacrificial pact with some entity to come back to life.

has a very crude scar around his neck and empty eye sockets.

can only see 60 feet, but has night vision.

has a blood opal gem in one of his eye sockets that makes drum beating sounds

Still as bad ass as ever!

[Leisher]

i just see it as being part of the story and i'd never blame Troy for doing so.

I would, BUT only if the death was intentional and didn't have a story line reason. His job isn't to just murder us for his own giggles. He's supposed to guide us at the proper pace, set up encounters that are challenging, but not too easy or too hard, and generally keep us engaged with the story. Out right murder just so we can respawn would be pointless.

If he wanted to, he could kill us at any time. He could have killed Gordon the other night when we stayed in a fight longer than we should have. We figured it out and started retreating and he forgave our aggression and let us run off to lick our wounds instead of killing someone. That's good story telling. A Bond movie wouldn't be much of a Bond movie if he died in Act 1.

I believe Mordigan's death created a sense of danger for the party that wasn't there before. Strahd's right hand man came down, out classed Mordigan, and then executed him. Now we all know that our survival has a ticking clock attached to it, and we'd better stay focused or we could be struck down at any time before we're ready.

What he can't control and isn't responsible for is if we lose a fair fight or we do something stupid. For example: Let's say we opened a chest we knew was trapped without disarming it...

[GORDON]

Not sure what cake means by not enough RPing. Seems to me like everyone is doing so, to the limits of their real life acting ability.

As for having underwhelmed reactions to events, I don't understand that, either. Are we supposed to be traumatized by the he violence?

[Stranger]

I would, BUT only if the death was intentional and didn't have a story line reason. His job isn't to just murder us for his own giggles. He's supposed to guide us at the proper pace, set up encounters that are challenging, but not too easy or too hard, and generally keep us engaged with the story. Out right murder just so we can respawn would be pointless.

agree with you 100%, but any fight could be a deadly one. a monster crits you and a couple of bad death saving throws and its lights out for you, and Troy would have really nothing to do with it.

[GORDON]

edit - I just have no idea how to do it!

1. Who has a Bag of Holding?

2. Who can cast levitate?

3. Who can grab it and Dimension Door?

And that's just 5 minutes of thoughtt

[Leisher]

Don't post your ideas in the forum of Troy will find ways to stop you!

[Troy]

Don't post your ideas in the forum of Troy will find ways to stop you!

I'll try not to! It's a pretty hard quest.

I don't have any ideas on how to exactly go about it - kind of like the Malfoy dog quest. You guys will think of something

I'll spend the off time figuring out the castle itself. I'm sure some useful NPCs will end up there.

[Alevard]

All we will need is a stick of gum, a paper clip and bugbear beak. McSzoldar's got this!

[GORDON]

Hmm.

Need to.research.what happens.to the saddle... And other stuff it is carrying... When I dispel the horse.... If.if.goes with, problem solved. If.it.drops on the ground as the horse disappears, problem not solved.