D&D 5E What is the appeal of the weird fantasy races?

[doctorbadwolf]

Outside if a NASA themed rpg it's kinda ludicrous.

DM might be running a Tour of Duty RPG in Vietnam. Astronaut training didn't involve being sent to the frontlines although you might be able to go the other way if you're a pilot in Nam.

It's roughly equivalent to PCs wanting to be king or emperor in their background.

It's not even kinda a little bit vaguely equivalent, nor is it at all ludicrous.

If the campaign is Vietnam based, in the real world, not an analogous world, sure. You can usually come up with a mutually exclusive campaign to rule out a background. Taking place far away doesn't qualify.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

If it's a space program based rpg sure, normal rpg not so much.

I think this mentality is a bigger deal in finding the right group than anything else we've ever had threads about on this forum.

Your mindset is completely incompatible with how DnD is played by every group I know.

 

[Oofta]

I think this mentality is a bigger deal in finding the right group than anything else we've ever had threads about on this forum.

Your mindset is completely incompatible with how DnD is played by every group I know.

I could say the same about your mindset. Different people, different experiences. What works for one group won't work for another.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think this mentality is a bigger deal in finding the right group than anything else we've ever had threads about on this forum.

Your mindset is completely incompatible with how DnD is played by every group I know.

Some extravagant backgrounds and races not suitable for every game.

"My dad's the Emperor...."

Usually the sign of a problem player.

 

[Oofta]

Some extravagant backgrounds and races not suitable for every game.

"My dad's the Emperor...."

Usually the sign of a problem player.

Or even worse "I am the Emperor".

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Some extravagant backgrounds and races not suitable for every game.

"My dad's the Emperor...."

Usually the sign of a problem player.

Or even worse "I am the Emperor".

Man you guys must have had some really bad players.

 

[Zardnaar]

Man you guys must have had some really bad players.

Over the years yes.

I'll type up my rules for the table one day. There's a reason for each one.

Don't deliberatly make a bad PC. Basically don't put a 12 in your prime attribute.

D&D is a team based game.

No PvP this includes stealing off other PCs.

Excessive cowardice. Basically don't run away and leave people to die.

I don't care if you get yourself killed. Don't get the party killed. Basically don't provoke stupid fights and deliberately trigger traps that get others killed.

Don't be a jackass wasn't specific enough.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The question never is whether you can come up with some ludicrous excuse to include the character. This is all mad up, so the answer would always be 'yes'. But this is not the same than that you should do it. Could I come up with a a fictional reason why a samurai, a viking and a klingon would all be adventuring together in the ancient Egypt? Yes I could. Would the resulting campaign be laughable? Yes it would.

 

[Gammadoodler]

The question never is whether you can come up with some ludicrous excuse to include the character. This is all mad up, so the answer would always be 'yes'. But this is not the same than that you should do it. Could I come up with a a fictional reason why a samurai, a viking and a klingon would all be adventuring together in the ancient Egypt? Yes I could. Would the resulting campaign be laughable? Yes it would.

I mean, it seems like they'd have a lot in common. I think klingon is the intersecting area of the samurai-viking Venn diagram.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I mean, it seems like they'd have a lot in common. I think klingon is the intersecting area of the samurai-viking Venn diagram.

You're not wrong on that.