Killing monsters and taking their stuff

[megamania]

What was said about DMing and playing to your players wants is important. I had a near party kill yesterday. My group is on the return trip from the main adventure. the four level 4 characters spot 30+ bugbears doing military drills. One player suggests a stealthy way to avoid unwanted attention. The others ...charged. go figure.

I set this up to keep them on their toes- not get killed. The three roll-players that charged did indeed die. The role-player survived using caution.

I should have known but sheesh- 30+ of the darn critters. I even stressed these were CR 2 apiece with commanders that were given levels.

My lesson as a DM- Unless its an elder dragon- don't allow for a combat they can not survive.

 

[Wombat]

As my father would have said, "Who's milking this frog?"

In other words, your group has found what it likes. That is all that is important. May not be the style of game for everyone's tastes, but that is way, way beside the point.

In the end, this hobby is about having fun. Heck, I don't understand why people find poker or betting on horses fun, but that would never lead to me telling them to never do it!

 

[Romnipotent]

Gurk say too much talkin' not enuff smashin

 

[Starman]

As long as everyone is enjoying the game, I know I'm running it right.

Cheers!

*sniff* That was awesome.

Seriously, I don't understand why some people have such a hard time with this. If you are in a group with a different play style, and it just bugs you to death, and neither side is willing to try another way of playing, then find another game! It is a game for cryin' out loud. It's supposed to be fun.

I'm glad you're having fun, MerricB.

Starman

 

[Numion]

I've had the luck recently og getting to play again when a long time player wanted to try his wings at DMing. The campaign isn't too sophisticated, but it's been great fun. Mostly focusing on combat, with some NPC interaction. The DM has some novice DM faults, like NPCs who insult you for no reason, and the principle that if in doubt if a character could do something, say no (combined with wacky CRs creates trouble). Refreshingly the DM doesn't pull punches and even goes for the kill if a PC tries to escape a fight. The monsters will even risk AoOs to go after the fleeing PCs

Anyway, it's a good game, and very humorous too. We play kinda self-conscious adventurers, who know that their lifes are pretty strange and pointless. Well, pointless if not for slaying enemies and collecting loot.

 

[johnsemlak]

Doesn't the Hackmaster game have a slogan like Kill the monsters and take their stuff--you know you want to!

 

[Turjan]

HeroQuest™ the Roleplaying Game.

No, really, you said it all here...

A bad example. This one is definitely less combat-oriented than D&D, and religion and social relations play a much larger role. Although it's a bit over the top with the heroquests into the Otherworlds .

 

[MerricB]

Doesn't the Hackmaster game have a slogan like Kill the monsters and take their stuff--you know you want to!

Wouldn't surprise me.

My main group has been playing with me for... er... let's see...

Two players have been with me since 3E came out (4.5 years)
One player has been with me since this part of the campaign started (2 years)
Two players have only started in the last year (about 6 months or less).

Their ages range from 18 to 25. (I'm 32 and 4 days...)

Most of the players have either started playing RPGs with me, or had limited experience before joining my game.

In the past two years, they've advanced from 1st to about 10th level, the newer players starting with 8th level characters.

Currently:
* Human Ranger 2/Wizard 5/Eldritch Knight 3/Spellsword 1
* Dwarf Fighter 7/Dwarven Defender 3
* Human Paladin 9
* Human Psychic Warrior 6/Pyrokineticist 3
(I'm guessing a little as to levels, but that gives you the idea).

Absent last session:
* Human Sorcerer (monte) 6/Mindbender 4

This last session was set up as follows: the party returns to town and witnesses the local Skullcrusher Ogres (MM3) who are part of the mercenary force of the Great Kingdom killing the citizenry - they attack and kill the Ogres. (One Sergeant + 3 Skullcrushers down).

They discover that their patron has vanished, along with other citizens. After speaking to the guard and other people - and mentioning how bad they are at investigating - they finally get around to looking in the cellar of his house. There, concealed by a crate, is a tunnel - investigating the tunnel leads to a cave with three Destrachans (I've just got 4 of the miniatures). Destrachans are actually intelligent (Int 12) and had been torturing the merchant and the other townsfolk for fun. The party defeat them, but not before a couple of their magic items fall prey to the sonic vibrations.

The cave leads to a broken underground bridge, and a lower level of the cave system. Investigating that lower level allowed them to encounter 3 Flesh Golems (a long combat - about 13 rounds - as the warriors got a chance to shine), and then an Ettin and his 2 Brown Bears friends. A very lucky roll on the treasure table gave them a Manual of Gainful Exercise +1, but that was sold for a handsome profit (it helps to have a merchant patron you've just rescued )

And that was the session. A small amount of plot. Some roleplaying and investigation, but it was the combat (and the treasure) that they really, really enjoyed.

I don't think it can be "monster, treasure, monster, treasure" all the time; but, conversely, I don't think that the game has to be too intricate (though I do enjoy having plots swirling around the PCs for my own enjoyment).

Cheers!

 

[Garnfellow]

*sniff* That was awesome.

Seriously, I don't understand why some people have such a hard time with this. If you are in a group with a different play style, and it just bugs you to death, and neither side is willing to try another way of playing, then find another game! It is a game for cryin' out loud. It's supposed to be fun.

Although it seems astonishing, within the hobby there was really very little consciousness of this utterly fundamental concept until fairly recently. I think designers and players were so concerned with things like verisimilitude, storylines, or mechanics that they never gave consideration to player experience. They may have assumed that player enjoyment would just naturally flow from having the most "realistic" or "mathematically sensible" or "immersive" experience.

In 2002 Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering (highly recommended!) was one of the first and remains one of the most articulate advocates of understanding what players want and then serving it up.

S. John Ross is another designer who is aware of What It's All About. His Fun:Work ratio should be considered before introducing any new rule to your table: http://www.io.com/~sjohn/funwork.htm

Really, if Rule 0 is "Always ask your DM," Rule 0.1 ought to be "Your players should always have fun."

Congrats, Merrick.

 

[The_Gneech]

I love combat, and I love to schmooze with NPCs; my favorite thing is being able to do both. Taunting (and being taunted) by villains makes my day!

But I will say that I quickly get bored if a game is ALL one or the other. Having interesting NPCs gives me the motivation to get out there and kick monster butt on their behalf!

-The Gneech