Recent content by eric mcloins

Thanks, Tormyr. What you are describing is very similar to what happens in the original Way of the Wicked campaign, which is exactly what I wanted to avoid.

I am running Way of the wicked in 5e, and from the beginning of the campaign I knew that I had issues with the way the battle of Saintsbridge is presented. I disliked the linear encounter progression and the fact that player character has little influence on the flow of the whole battle. Instead...

Just one more thing, so we would maybe have a common base ground for discussion, this is a definition of plot. (I don't have acces to any official English dictionary, so this is from www.thefreedictionary.com) plot - The pattern of events or main story in a narrative or drama.

I don't think what I'm doing is railroading. If it is, then any DM I have ever met is railroading, and all players just love that. When I plan an adventure I have a good idea of what's going to happen, in general lines. That is because of a few things: 1. I know the goal, character and...

Well, then, strategy games and RPGs are exactly the same thing? The terms are interchangeable? Tell you what, even if that's true (which I don't agree) then I wouldn't care. If the way I play the game is more fun than what was initially intended, who would stop me from playing a better game...

If what you describe is roleplaying an adventurer, then playing monopoly is roleplaying a real-estate tycoon. Actually, playing D&D the way you describe it sounds exciting to me almost as much as playing monopoly... I did. Gaining XP was never my goal when playing D&D. Of course, Xp is a way...

Do you mean that role-playing=gaining XP and treasure? That's a weird definition of role-playing. It removes the "role" from it... Also, the same books that you mention say that the goal of playing is having fun, not gaining XP. Of course, gaining XP CAN be fun. It can be even more fun if...

I suspect that if I ask you what is the goal in D&D you would answer: "gain XP and treasure". If I was asked the same questions I would answer "have good roleplaying experience and immerse myself in the role of a character". Since these goals are so different in playing D&D, we might as well...

Not convinced. You view D&D as a competition, I simply don't (as i believe most people). I don't care whether some other character has a stronger character than mine, or if he kills more monsters than my character, nor do I care if he has more XP than me, or better equipment. The game is not...

amen.

I never thought of playing D&D in terms of "winning" or "competitive". I always thought that the DM and the players should work together to have fun, and not against each other. When I DM, I want the players to have fun, and to create, along with the players, an exciting story. When I play as a...

Because you want to have fun (both for you and the players). If you feel like it would increase the fun, for any reason whatsoever, then why not? BTW, I would do that only on very rare occasions, but I can think of a game where you fudge alot but is still alot of fun, a la Paranoia.

No, I don't resent him having a different opinion than mine. That's cool, and whatever works in his game then fine. However, what came through to me from his post is not that this is just an "opinion" but rather a lecture on how to play a "good" game, in a sort of "if you don't do like i say...

How about: Midnight Arcana Evolved Mutants and Masterminds

I disagree with what you say in almost everything. But what I resent most of all is that what you are implying through the whole of your essay is that if I don't play it YOUR way than I'm playing it wrong. I've been a dungeon master for many years. When I've started DMing I was much closer...