How much camp do you like in your games?

[Jeysie]

Heh. I always figured my group was an anomaly...

I could probably count on one hand the number of times my group did any "serious" RP. Dysfunctional PCs, kooky NPCs, running gags, gratuitous references, pun names, tongue-in-cheek locales, and weird plots are the norm for my group's campaigns. We do actually stay in-character... just that that character has a few screws loose. Think sort of OotS-like, but with much rarer meta-humor (we do chide about outright breaking of the fourth wall).

Peace & Luv, Liz

 

[Mallus]

Heh. I always figured my group was an anomaly...

I could probably count on one hand the number of times my group did any "serious" RP. Dysfunctional PCs, kooky NPCs, running gags, gratuitous references, pun names, tongue-in-cheek locales, and weird plots are the norm for my group's campaigns. We do actually stay in-character... just that that character has a few screws loose.

You are not alone.

I've always thought D&D lent itself to 'fantasy camp' (I can use that term, my current game features a transvestite were-dog cult leader named "The Queen Bitch"). Playing it that way seemed to be keeping with the spirit of the rules.

Besides, I wholeheartedly agree with the poster who pointed out that a group of adults who enjoy sitting around pretending to be elves is inherently faintly (faintly?!) ridiculous.

 

[Mercule]

Besides, I wholeheartedly agree with the poster who pointed out that a group of adults who enjoy sitting around pretending to be elves is inherently faintly (faintly?!) ridiculous.

Which is why I choose to avoid adding any more to it.

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

Let me put it this way...

I opened my last campaign by running X3, Castle Amber. I figured it would give the PCs a good idea of things to come.

 

[Mallus]

Which is why I choose to avoid adding any more to it.

To continue with my transvestite theme, that's a little like a guy worrying that he's dressed a bit swishy while standing around in a cocktail dress and pumps.

Which shouldn't be taken as a criticism of someone's preferred play style, or, for that matter, of cross-dressing. I just find that it takes so much effort to make D&D dignified that I've stopped trying. I embrace the silliness/camp now.

In for a penny, in for a pun... err... pound.

 

[Baby Samurai]

I've been known to love it both ways.

Yeah, I've heard that about you…

 

[werk]

Mostly none.

Just seems a waste and distraction...unless I don't know what you mean by 'camp'.

 

[Stormborn]

Very nearly none. I wont say it doesnt happen on occasion, but it would be my prefrence that it not happen at all. Out of game jokes about gaming are great, but when I play I dont want that. I would, however, be OK with a game where we said "Alright this is going to be a silly game for 2-3 sessions" but would likely be tired of it by the end. What Jeysie describes would have turned me off gaming long agao.

 

[Jeysie]

I would, however, be OK with a game where we said "Alright this is going to be a silly game for 2-3 sessions" but would likely be tired of it by the end. What Jeysie describes would have turned me off gaming long ago.

Heh. Well, I should say that we don't go out of our way to be silly just for the sake of being silly, nor do we make a lot of meta-jokes. We do try to be serious about the actual roleplay, and behaving out of character or getting too "fourth-wall" tends to get a chiding from the other players. Just simply that we tend to come off as the "Mystery Men" of the D&D genre, and the world tends to be far more kooky than traditional.

We *are* aware of how odd this makes us compared to most D&D groups, and tend to crack a lot of jokes about it. While me and another player in the group wouldn't have any issues with trying some serious-themed RP, the others have openly stated they'd get bored if they had to play typical "heroic" characters and couldn't be lighthearted.

Peace & Luv, Liz

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Zero. The players and the player characters can and do provide humor. When the setting itself is inherently humorous, it undercuts the possibility of it being taken as seriously in the future. Unless it's an intentionally funny game (Toon, Kobolds Ate My Baby), it's like laughing at your own joke, IMO.