Tastes Great! Less Filling!

Bullgrit · Aug 2, 2010

I was in a conversation in which a gamer I had just met was relating a funny experience his group had in an adventure. The party was surrounded and threatened by orcs. To escape, the PCs got the orcs to arguing amongst themselves over "Tastes great!" "Less filling!"

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omB-HVs6sRw]YouTube - Miller Lite Commercial - vintage bowling[/ame]

He and his game group thought that was great fun. I wasn't impressed, as I like my games a little more serious than that. I'm curious, though, how other people think of this.

Do you enjoy a D&D game where such antics could be used, or do you prefer a D&D game to be more serious (in a we're still just playing a game of make-believe sort of way)?

Bullgrit

Templeton580 · Aug 2, 2010

Herschel · Aug 2, 2010

I try not to take anything too seriously, especially my games. Many times I'm actually successful.

Deset Gled · Aug 2, 2010

An encounter like you describe can be done seriously. If you are in a lucky situation where the orcs decided to talk with the party before attacking them, someone could use the diplomacy skill or a concealed spell to get the orcs focused on something other than the party. The fact that the orcs aren't killing on sight implies they have goals other than a simple slaughter, and can be reasoned with or bluffed. A bard would be particularly well suited to this task. Once they are distracted enough, it's a simple matter of using stealth skills to get away while the orcs fail their spot checks.

The fact that the orcs referrenced a beer commercial may be a little silly, but the antics used by the players are potentially useful in any style of game.

Also, for the record, I prefer beer that sacrifices the "less filling" issue for great taste. For example, Fuller's London Porter or Guinness are awesome, but they can feel like you're drinking a loaf of bread.

jonesy · Aug 2, 2010

It's more interesting if the monsters act more human. Or, not human, but rather as if they actually had lives beyond killing adventurers. And motives for not killing them every time they stumble into their territory. More.. persuadable. Not that they won't kill you later anyway.

Moohand the Barbarian once convinced a horde of orcs guarding a citadel to play a game of dice with him. As they did that, the thief in the party picked everyones pockets. Including Moohand. When Moohand 'caught' the thief he exclaimed outrage at this. He had the orcs carry the thief to the back and start building a hanging platform. As he did this he was joking with them and playing the role of their bestest friend ever. Meanwhile, the rest of the party used the keys the thief had found on the orcs to enter the citadel. They locked the doors, threw a rope down from the roof, and Moohand used it to escape with the thief. If only he hadn't failed the climb. Here's to the most charismatic barbarian we ever had! Who couldn't climb.

Iconik · Aug 2, 2010

I run serious games only. I find when everyone tries to be the quick witted, sarcastic, one liner hero it gets stale, cliche and boring.

Deset Gled · Aug 2, 2010

Iconik said:
I run serious games only. I find when everyone tries to be the quick witted, sarcastic, one liner hero it gets stale, cliche and boring.

"They tried and failed?"

"They tried and died."

:angel:

Umbran · Aug 2, 2010

Bullgrit said:
Do you enjoy a D&D game where such antics could be used, or do you prefer a D&D game to be more serious (in a we're still just playing a game of make-believe sort of way)?

I like both. There are times when a given campaign should be dirt serious, and some times when it shouldn't.

I look to two TV series to demonstrate the point:

1) The new Battlestar Galactica: unrelentingly Serious and Grim. I stopped watching, not because it wasn't a good show, but because the lack of any glimmer of brightness made it implausible that the characters would not simply all commit suicide to escape the stress.

2) Supernatural: Mostly serious, and kind of dark. But once or twice a season, there's an episode with major comedic spin. The plot's still relevant to the characters, but the audience (and even the characters) get to laugh on occasion at some antics.

Humans do comedy. It is not constructive to deny that. It is far better, in my opinion, to allow (in fact, occasionally encourage and focus) comedy than to ban it altogether.

ExploderWizard · Aug 2, 2010

There is plenty of room in the game, even within a single session, for both serious situations and the utterly ridiculous to coexist.

Ultimately, the group should decide if they have more fun with the grim and gritty, the lighthearted, or a mix of both.

Games are also social gatherings and getting together with friends on game night and not having a few laughs in the process just wouldn't feel right.

Perhaps that might be the missing ingredient from old school play that WOTC brand D&D is missing- THE FUNNY. Silly monsters, magic items that do ridiculous random things such as change a character's sex or shoot a jet of flowers.

For those of you who remember BD&D/ 1E does 3E and 4E seem like it has a more "sewious bizzness" attitude?

garrowolf · Aug 2, 2010

Personally I'm a smart ass so I make jokes all the time. However in most games as gamemaster I am much more serious. Now if someone makes a joke in character I have no problems with it and I will usually award them with a Social Point (Social version of Action Points). However if it is something that is out of the frame of reference of the characters then it is automatically out of character. We laugh about how it would work out in game but it doesn't actually work out that way unless someone comes up with a way to make it in setting.