I’m not talking about the old backstabbing mechanic from yesteryear (don’t even get me started on the different iterations from various versions of the game) I’m talking about when one character in the party decides to grab the loot and/or slit throats on his way out of town, leaving a wake of destruction and a really pissed off party behind.

Going against the party has a lot of ramifications.  First, it is likely to cause some out of game friction.  If, for example, you play in a game with your wife/girlfriend, then slitting her character’s throat in her sleep may cause you to sleep on the couch in real life.  In other words it really does piss of the players, not just the characters.  If you make enough people mad (or just one mad enough) you may find that you as a player are no longer welcome in your group.

Next, understand that in all likelihood this is a suicidal path.  There are times when the evil-doer gets away with it.  Usually this is because there is generous support from a willing DM.  In most cases, however, the resources that the other members of the party can garner are simply overwhelming for one lone character.  So if you decide to undertake this option, beware that it will most likely ultimately result in some sort of permanent retirement.

Now, for role-playing purposes, I highly recommend that you play a character that is evil from the start.  This can and will make for some interesting interactions from the start of the adventure.  If you play a good paladin for sixteen levels and then wake up one day and slaughter your companions there just isn’t a good way to explain it.  Many people have tried in many different ways, but the truth is it always feels unsatisfactory.  Plus it usually carries more out of game consequences.  When the evil warlock who the party recruited because they needed his support starts poisoning the water, nobody is surprised.

I recommend this sort of option only for more experienced players.  In general once this happens the main adventure gets forgotten entirely.  For this reason it could really piss of a DM, and if you do it to a new DM they may really do some horrible things to your character by way of retaliation.  A group that has been playing for a while, will know how to handle the situation better and there is a greater chance that everyone at the table will find a way to enjoy it.

Now, if you are going to do this and get away with it, here are my suggestions.  First, play an evil character.  Second, make yourself as valuable to the party as possible.  Third, gain a measure of control over at least one other party member.  Fourth, blame it on someone else.  Finally, get your DM’s permission first.

In case your wondering these experiences are also almost always the most memorable.  People will talk about it for years to come.  You will be regaled in D&D history.  And you will never be trusted again.

As always, have fun!

Welcome back to Dungeons and Dragons Corner.

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So it doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen.  You get tired of playing the character that you are playing.  This could be a result of some mistake you made during your build that you didn’t anticipate, or a bad fit for the party or a maybe you just fell out of love with dwarves.

Whatever the reason, you may find that your enjoyment of the game is significantly diminished.  My first rule of playing any game is to have fun, and especially when I sit down for D&D, so if this is causing your game to be un-fun then it needs fixing right away.

You have several options here.  First, though you may want to really think about what is causing you to wish to play something else.  Odds are good that when you know the reason you can find the solution easier.  Now, talk with the DM.  This may sound a bit difficult to some players, but the truth is you just have to do it.  The DM will most likely be able to help you find a solution that won’t hurt the group.

They may suggest quietly retiring the character.  The character may just buy a tavern and settle down or may get married and start popping out kids.  Retirement is a good option because it allows the character to come back later in a new adventure if things change.

The DM may allow you to simply rework your character into what you want.  If the changes are relatively minor this can be the best option.  If all you want to do is swap out a feat (and you don’t want to wait a level for retraining) then your DM might just allow you to do it.  It doesn’t hurt to ask.  However don’t make a habit of this.  I know that I cut some slack to newbies, but if you’ve been through more than a session or two with me I expect that you understand the rules and the consequences of your decisions.  A lot of DM’s are like this.  They don’t want to have to spend time memorizing everything on your character sheet and doling out character building advice to all the players when they could be spending that time preparing new encounters.

Finally, you may be asked to play the character out.  Now, if you are a subversive sort of person this may be your opportunity to go really wild, taking total risks and behaving in a totally suicidal manner.  Open every door.  Charge into every battle.  Take on every trap.  Eschew aid from the party cleric.  In short, do what it takes to get killed.  The change of pace alone may renew your love for your character

Whatever you do, have fun with it!

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Is there such a thing as too much realism in a fantasy game?  Most people that I have talked to would agree that yes there is a line that can be crossed where the game gets too real and it is no longer fun.

So where do you draw the line?  My simple answer is “when it isn’t fun anymore.”

Unfortunately in a game as dynamic as D&D, the definition of what is fun is as varied as the people who play it.  This means that the amount of realism that should be included in your game in order for it to be fun will also be different for each player.

Some players want the game to feel as real as anything.  They want the game to feel as close to real life as possible.  This could mean live action role-playing and speaking in character at all times or complex house rules to govern occasional situations that arise.  Grappling and disarm rules, for example, have evolved over the various editions of D&D.

Realism can also come in the form of the way that the game world evolves.  Treatment of social structures, businesses, commerce, family life, religion, and so forth can all be made more realistic – that is they can more closely mimic actual organizations or people, or they can draw closer to some fantasy ideal.  The level of realism again needs to reflect what is fun for the players.

Some players really want to be involved in a game that is totally foreign to their lives.  They want to imagine themselves doing and saying things completely different from what they live day to day.  Other players would rather play a game much closer to their lives.  They simply want to extend their imaginations to the point where they are the heroes in an existence that greatly mirrors their own.

As players it is important to understand where the expectations begin to impinge on the expectations of others.  If the degree of realism for one player is so diametrically opposed to another player’s then they may not be happy in the same group.  This means that they need to communicate with each other in order to find a compromise or agreement; even if the agreement is that one or the other leaves the group on peaceful terms.

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Like other aspects of a fantasy world, religion can be very important to making it feel believable and alive.  Often religion is used as a hook to start various adventures.

One caution I would make would be to try to give it as original a feel to it as possible.  In our world there are many, many religions and as many viewpoints about it as there are individuals on the planet.  Most of us, if we are religious, have a monotheistic view, but in reality our definitions of deity are so varied that we may as well worship a dozen different divinities.  The point I am making is that it is okay to draw upon the world around us in order to get NPC’s or PC’s with realistic feelings and reactions to religion.

Most people who get a knock at the front door by missionaries from one church or another do not respond favorably.  We have reasons.  We have purposes.  We just don’t care.  Often we play practical jokes on them.  More often we just ask them to go away.  Sometimes we get harsh, even violent with them.  Sometimes we invite them in and willingly listen to their messages, seeking something better in our lives.

The same thoughts and feelings also affect people in fantasy lands.  Most don’t attend church – unless they have to.  Most of them who do don’t follow everything the church says unless there are strong social consequences.  Some follow the teachings because they are strong believers.  Even these people struggle with aspects of the teachings.  They have temptations.  They have weaknesses.  Most of the time they succeed, but sometimes they fail.

Bringing a bit of this realism to a character can really give them a feel that goes beyond the numbers and the statistics.  A rogue who was raised by a cult somewhere may still struggle with guilt about leaving them behind.  Perhaps he hates the life he has chosen, but lacks the strength of character to change.  Maybe he has tried before and failed.  Maybe he is just waiting for the right person to push him over the edge.

Perhaps the cleric that you play is devoted only in word but not in feeling.  She has studied and goes through the motion, but really doesn’t have any conviction.  Perhaps she is a corrupt priestess or maybe just happy to live a comfortable life living off of the donations of the followers – until forced into an adventure.

Taking a different view of religion – other than blind devotion – can take your character to a new dimension of interest and playability.  At some point most of our characters will react with a cleric of some faith or another.  Put a little thought into how the character really feels about it and the session might go a bit differently than expected.

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Do you remember your first character?  How about your first adventure?  Who did you play with?

My first character was a magic-user.  I played under basic Dungeons and Dragons rules (the red box).  My brother was DM.  My Dad wanted to know what we were up to so he chipped in and played a thief.

A 1st level magic user and a 1st level thief under the basic rules wasn’t much.  We crawled through some dungeon that my brother drew up.  We missed the secret door (of course) and triggered the trap.  I think we had a total of about 4 HP between us so needless to say we didn’t last very long.

But I fell in love with the game.  I fell in love with magic users and went on to play several more later.

What about you?  What was your first character?  Your first adventure?  What hooked you?

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So I’m browsing the web and I came across www.spellfury.com.  Understand that I’m pretty much into whatever has to do with D&D or sword and sorc type stuff.

Spellfury doesn’t really have much to do with D&D other than it is a sword and sorcery type live action movie.  Okay, movie might be a bit of a stretch.  Basically it looks like a bunch of like-minded people getting together and filming some serious live-action role-playing with some low-budget special effects thrown in for fun.

What can I say, its pretty fun stuff.

Personally I never got into live-action role-playing.  Not because I have a particular aversion to live-action role-playing, but more because circumstances never really came together for it.  Between the wife and kids I barely have time for the role-playing that I do let alone gearing up for a live game.  That, and all the friends I have (had) who do live action role-playing now live in other states (which is to say that I now live in another state).

But I digress.  The point is that if you are into low-budget fun and checking out others who are also into low-budget fun then check out spellfury.com.  It is worth the short trip over, and if you don’t like it then it is worth the short trip back to leave your opinion here.

Now, be forwarned that the website is nearly impossible to navigate.  There is a huge clutter of art in various locations, so it can be more than just a tad difficult to figure out where to go.  Luckily the movie bits are all there on the front (at least I didn’t find any anywhere else), so no worries about navigating through a jumble of links to get to the juicy bits.

There is also a message board, though at the moment it appears to be more or less dead.

Did I mention low-budget?  As in friends getting together to have fun, which is what D&D is all about.  You can call it cheesy.  You can call it simple.  There are lots of things to call it.  Mostly I think it is just fun.  I think that is what I liked about it.  It is just people having fun with what they love, regardless of the opinions of others.  That is something I can respect.

I’ll be following their continued adventures until inevitably they run out of time and/or money and the project dies.

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When it comes to designing adventures, one of the hang ups can be finding a place to start.

Building individual components isn’t necessarily all that difficult.  Putting together a monster with a treasure packet is a fairly simple process.  Making a story that makes some degree of sense can be a bit more difficult – especially if the players decide not to play along.

Building a setting around a fantasy story that you like – a book, a movie, a game – can be an excellent way to build flavor into your game without stressing yourself.

My main rule of thumb when designing this way is – Keep the setting; make new characters.

The look and feel of a world, the kinds of creatures found there and their habits add a lot of flavor.  Keep these elements and the players will almost instantly recognize where they are and how they are supposed to act.

By eliminating over-familiar characters and plot devices the players will be able to find their own adventures.  If there is a personality in the story that you liked a lot, then go ahead and have that personality – but change some aspect.  Change the name, the location, or clue that they are guarding.  Changing these aspects of the characters will keep the players guessing as to what is coming next.

Taking multiple elements from different stories is an easy way to build in originality.  If you enjoy watching mysteries, then take elements from a modern mystery and apply it to your world.  A serial killer that needs to be caught might use magic instead of weapons.  The flavor and feel of the mystery are the same, but can be applied to your universe and given a unique spin.

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There are lots of ways to enjoy playing any class, but the rogue (and perhaps the warlock) offers more opportunities to play with the information available to the other characters.

Dungeons and Dragons is a game of many dimensions.  The opportunity to hack through monsters and snag the nifty lootz is always a lot of fun.  Exploring strange new worlds and discovering new creatures is part of what draws us to fantasy.  Interacting with others, however, is what draws us to tabletop gaming.

Choosing a sneaky character (not necessarily a stealthy character) opens up many options for interacting with the other players in interesting ways.  If they do not know for sure what class you are playing they will act differently in different situations.  If they are not sure that they can trust you they will act differently.  If they are not sure what abilities you possess or what the true limits of your powers are they will treat you differently than scout/disarm.

Yes, playing up the personality of your rogue will add time to the game and slow down the pace a bit.  This isn’t for everyone.  However it has a lot of rewards beyond just gold and magic items.  Many DM’s will not reward this style of play with experience points and some may be unfamiliar with it altogether, but the intangible rewards are real and exciting.

Be cautious when interacting with other players.  Understand that creating barriers between characters can undermine the effectiveness of the party in dangerous situations.  Don’t hold back in a crisis just to prove a point.  Letting other characters die or suffer serious setbacks can create very real metagame effects such as getting a drink dumped in your face.

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Sometimes a player finds himself in a party of players that for whatever reason they feel that they are simply carrying the party and that everyone else is just there to leech off of his or her well optimized character and strategy.  Sometimes these same players are leading the party and making decisions and at the end of the night they feel exhausted rather than excited by what happened during the session.

What to do?

First, realize that the game really is about having fun and if you aren’t having fun then you need to change something.  Often this step, as simple as it may sound isn’t usually very easy to take.  The player described here often feels a great deal of pride in their ability to min/max any situation so they are reluctant to be humble enough to admit that perhaps the problem lies not with the other players but with their own play style.

Learning that supporting the party does not mean running the party can be a hard lesson to learn – one usually learned only after being asked politely (or not so politely) to find another group.

Supporting the party is a combination of finding opportunities to step up and take over a situation and sitting back and letting the others work it out.  Most of the time the other players will be able to come up with a solution to nearly any problem.  Letting them work through it will help them learn the game and help them enjoy it more.  If they turn to you for help then so much the better.  If they don’t, no worries.  Focus on the aspects of the game that you enjoy the most and give yourself a break at other times.

One trick that often helps is to focus very carefully on the role-playing aspects of the character.  Focus on the character’s personality.  Would that mage really use the same solution to get through this trap that the fighter you played three characters ago used?  Is this rogue really so altruistic as to care if the cleric gets hurt in a fight she started?

Whatever solution you find, make sure it is one that makes the game fun to play!

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The 4th edition Players Handbook outlines various party roles, defender, controller, striker, and leader but this article has nothing to do with those roles.  What I want to address today is the oft controversial role of party leader – the guy who does most of the talking to NPC’s and who makes most of the major decisions, i.e. which way to go next.

I need to make it absolutely clear to anyone new to the game that any character of any race or class can be party leader, and in fact the responsibility can (and probably will) shift from player to player throughout the campaign.

There are two common misconceptions about being party leader.  First that it is fun.  Second that it is not fun.

Some people feel completely left out.  They feel like the person in the leadership position is stealing their thunder or pushing them to the side.  While this can happen, usually it is not the case.  Usually they aren’t even trying to be leaders.  They just like playing and don’t take time to notice that the other players have something to add.

This brings us to the first responsibility of leadership within the D&D game.  If you are party leader, then your primary job is to make sure that everyone is included and that all party resources are being utilized.  All too often someone who assumes (or is given) the job of party leader feels like they need to solve problems by themselves.  Most times problems can be more easily solved by pooling resources than by tackling them solo.

This can make being party leader sound very unfun.  After all if the other players blame you for leaving them out and making their game unfun that can be a big negative.  So what do you do?  Have fun first.  Learn to balance your needs with the needs of the other players.

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Characters die in Dungeons and Dragons.  It is basically a given.  It will happen.  There is no point crying about it, whining about it, or pretending that it won’t happen or that it didn’t happen.  It has happened, will happen, and it will happen to you or to someone you know.

Unfortunately there are some times when character death actually is a very bad thing.  Some of this has to do with the game and some of it is part of the metagame.

-    When it cripples the party.  If a character’s death cripples the party to point that they can no longer function this can be a bad thing – usually because it leads to Party Wipe.  There is a fine line between making things more challenging and crippling them to the point it is no longer fun.
-    When it causes Party Wipe.  If one character’s death leads to the loss of the party then it is a bad thing.
-    When it is unfun for everyone.  Most times players handle character death without too much trouble – especially if they play in my group for very long.  We all like a challenge and accept that sometimes (no matter who is DM’ing) that the dice will roll poorly and things won’t go well and somebody will do something stupid and somebody is going to die.  But if the character death is unfun then it should be avoided.
-    When it has metagame ramifications.  If somebody’s character dies simply because they pissed off the DM’s girlfriend’s dog then more than likely there will be more unfun group dynamics to follow.  This is a situation to avoid.

Character death should be a normal part of a well balanced but challenging adventure with natural consequences for poor choices.  Otherwise it probably is just mean and not very fun.

And what is the game without fun?

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So you may find yourself in the unfortunate situation of not owning your own printer, and yet you really want to have all the latest and greatest stuff for your D&D game.  What can you do?

Here are some options that I have tried in the past.

-    Use the printer at school or work.  Be a bit careful about this one.  Check with your company’s policy or school rules first, but most places are pretty lenient when it comes to printing up a few things especially if you are willing to do it on your own time and not company time.
-    Borrow your friend’s printer.  Again, be responsible here.  Buy your own paper and throw in an ink cartridge if you print a lot of stuff – especially color.  Those cartridges are expensive.
-    Just make copies.  Copy machines are plentiful.
-    Print at the library.  Most public libraries these days will allow you to print just about anything and the cost is reasonable (unless you are trying to print off entire books).
-    Print online using any number of online print services like fed-ex kinkos.  Though this can quickly get very expensive so I don’t really recommend it.
-    Draw the stuff you want to use on regular paper.  This can be a lot of fun, and often generates some of the most adored character sheets, maps, and just plain fun stuff for the game. The drawback here is that it takes a lot of time and more than likely you will make many mistakes and have to start over again and again and again.
-    Finally you could just go out and buy a printer.

Whatever your choice, have fun with it.

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Metagaming – everything that happens outside of the game – is going to happen.  There is nothing you can do as a player or DM to stop it.  Whether it is simply the players discussing what roles they want their characters to play in the upcoming campaign (in order to build a well-rounded party), or running out and buying every pre-made module in order to know the DM’s next move – metagaming will happen.

So what do you do about it?

There are a lot of options, and a lot of opinions.  Some say embrace it.  Most say fight it and put a stop to it.

My recommendation is to direct it, as comfortably as possible in a direction that fits your interests and tastes.  What I am talking about here is being as open and honest with your gaming group about what you feel is an appropriate level and type of metagaming.

If, at the table you prefer that everything be said in character, then let people know.  Perhaps propose that a session or a portion of a session is run according to your style.  By opening the discussion you are enabling the other players to bring out their opinion and increasing the likelihood that they will support your opinion.

If you fight it – especially in a confrontational manner I can pretty much guarantee that you will get nowhere.  Most likely you will frustrate and alienate other players.  At best you will get them to abide by your rules just long enough for them to find another game.

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This is a problem for a number of players.  They believe that their DM is simply out to get them.

Real or imagined, this can be a huge problem for enjoying the game.  So what do you do?

Realistically, no matter the actual cause of the problem there is only one answer.  Talk about it.  Don’t be confrontational or a jerk.  Just bring up the problem and ask what is going on.

It is entirely probable that whatever the true source of the problem is has nothing to do with anything that you have considered to this point.  It is also highly probably that the problem can be easily resolved.

A lot of people make the mistake of whining about the problem instead of dealing with it and drag the baggage around for months or even years before quitting and finding a different game.  This is unnecessary.  Either the problem is easily resolved or it isn’t, but it will never be resolved until it is confronted.

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Sometimes more gold does not help a party much.  Sometimes even more experience points, magic items, and hordes of gems really aren’t worth very much to characters or to players.

Understanding the importance of these items in relation to the world that the characters live in is important to understanding how treasure and even experience can impact the game.

The easiest example is with magic items.  If an item has no use or very little use to the party then it really adds no value or power to the party.  An example would be a magic wand in a party with no one who can use a magic wand.  On paper the party appears to be at the appropriate power level, but in reality they are a magic item short.  This could be particularly devastating because it highlights a deficiency and exacerbates an existing weakness.

Gold can fall into a very similar situation very quickly if there is no place to spend the gold, or if the players are unwilling to spend the gold or if the characters are unable to haul the loot around.  A huge dragon horde at the bottom of a dungeon with a party that has no bag of holding or time in which to pack the loot out does nobody any good.  If, when they reach the top there is nothing waiting but a village with one general store selling only basic goods from the Player’s Handbook, then they will unlikely be able to find a good way to spend their money.

What about experience?  Can it really be of little or no value?  Most of the time experience is the single most valuable reward that can be given.  It is the only reward that inherently increases the character’s power – regardless of the campaign or situation.  However, in a vacuum it still is not the holy grail.  If there is not a corresponding increase in treasure – particularly useful magic items, then experience points alone can be a bit disappointing.  A wizard who does not have a powerful implement may struggle in situations where other high level wizards do not.

Until next time, have fun!

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