[Rant] Bad cliches, silly names, and acting stupid around the gaming table

kiznit

Explorer

• Dec 2, 2006

• #1

...I'm for it.

I'm sorry, but it's the way I like to play the game. I mean, if you're rolling dice and make-believing that you're dwarves and half-elves killing monsters in dungeons, I don't think there should be very much that's serious about it.

Sure, I can play engaging storylines, and I find intrigue interesting. But here's a secret confession: I think characters with depth, angst and conflict are boring. I like shallow, one-dimensional characters that go for the funny and ridiculous every time over characters that "explore" and "develop" their personalities over time. I like to laugh and cheer at absurd and violent situations. That's the kind of player I am. I'm here to have fun, galdurnit, and I'm takin' you all with me!

Who's with me? Cheer if you like your dwarf drunk, your elf foppish, your rogue a complete bastard, your wizard an insufferable know-it-all and your paladin a self-righteous prude! I know you're out there!

 

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d20Dwarf

Explorer

• Dec 2, 2006

• #2

<grumbles in a gruff voice>

Aye, laddie, all dwarves are Scottish in my world!

*drinks dwarven ale out of a big mug and wipes froth off his beard*

 

pogre

Legend

• Dec 2, 2006

• #3

I think the humor comes out of the game if you are trying to be funny.

A cool D&D game that embraces the things your talking about is The Chronicle of Burne, and Some Others of Lesser Importance . That story hour proved to me over the top stuff can work in D&D and be very, very funny.

For my personal game though, I outlaw goofy names, I try to keep it mostly serious (not intentionally funny at least) - and my players have a blast in killing things and taking their stuff.

 

Piratecat

Sesquipedalian

• Dec 2, 2006

• #4

I love this sort of game as a one-shot, but they're not how I like to have a campaign. Still, there's something primal about being the big hulking half-orc barbarian...

 

Joshua Randall

Legend

• Dec 2, 2006

• #5

pogre said:

I think the humor comes out of the game if you are trying to be funny.

Click to expand...

I concur. I think the game is funnier when the humor develops naturally than when it's forced.

But hey, it's your game. If you like playing it deliberately humorous, great!

As long as people are having fun, that's what matters. Just like there's no wrong way to eat an Oreo, there's no wrong way to play D&D.

 

Aaron L

Hero

• Dec 2, 2006

• #6

Joshua Randall said:

I concur. I think the game is funnier when the humor develops naturally than when it's forced.

But hey, it's your game. If you like playing it deliberately humorous, great!

As long as people are having fun, that's what matters. Just like there's no wrong way to eat an Oreo, there's no wrong way to play D&D.

Click to expand...

Trying to deliberately inject humor into something that isn't inherently comedic gives you Jar-Jar Binks.


I hate Jar-Jar Binks.

Let the humor flow naturally. Just because a character is serious doesn't mean he cant be a jokester, or no one can be funny. On the contrary, I find that the more serious a game, when funny things happen to come along it makes them stand out and they become that much funnier and more fun.

But playing a game as an intentional parody would seriously irk me.
As a one shot game, like PC said, sure, why the hell not? Sounds fun. But for a long term campaign, no thank you.

Now, say, if you wanted to do something ala Ghostbusters, with equal parts of comedy, action, and horror/sci-fi/fantasy/whathaveyou, then I can dig it.

Now, of course, if you have fun with those kinds of games, who the hell am I to tell you you're doing it wrong?

 

Last edited: Dec 2, 2006

B

Brimshack

First Post

• Dec 2, 2006

• #7

I make no effort to control the level of humour whatsoever. The game is as funny or serious as we feel like making it on any given day. If we're in a serious mood, the existing joke names are ignored and the plot is dealt with in earnest. If we're in a goofy mood, then it's all the sillyness you want to produce. I don't so much dictate the tone as facilitate the process of finding one, one which is different with every game.

 

N

Nomad4life

First Post

• Dec 2, 2006

• #8

Piratecat said:

I love this sort of game as a one-shot, but they're not how I like to have a campaign.

Click to expand...

This is pretty much what I was going to say.

 

M

Michael Silverbane

Adventurer

• Dec 2, 2006

• #9

On the one hand, I'm with you. I am all for yukking it up at the gaming table... Thus I've played in games with the characters, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, April, and Casey. Of course, none of us were ninjas... or turtles... but a few of us were teenaged, and a good time was had by all.

On the other hand, I also enjoy seriousness, depth, and angst. Thus I've had characters die because of their own convictions, characters that outgrew the adolescent ideal, settled down, had a gimp leg, and were real-ish. Of course, some folks might still have thought that our plot-lines were childish, or that our characters were stereotypical and stale... but a good time was had by all.

So. While I hear you, and you're more than welcome to bring Lothar, of the Hill People (which was an old SNL sketch, by the way) to my table. Just don't step on my drama.

Later
silver

 

I'm A Banana

Potassium-Rich

• Dec 2, 2006

• #10

I like to take those broad stereotypes and find the motives behind them, challenge them, and research them.

So yeah, be a foppish elf. But expect me to run you through grimy sewers before I have your father leave you out of his will in place of your wicked half-brother because you're far too flighty (after, of course, your turning down of the bard spreads your bad name accross town)

And be a drunken scottish dwarf. But expect me to go wild with what drove you to alcoholism, and force you to endure a week at a dry monestary (after, of course, your drunken rampage in a bar results in some orphan orclings).

So if you like playing the exaggerated stereotype IMC, I just hope you like dealing with the mind behind it. Good times.