Ahhh Unimaginative players

[Ace]

JUst a short rant here

My D&D group has to be the most unimaginative lot of gamers I have ever seen. We have tons of resources, books and more than a gig of files. But do they use it, No

We have as resources among us

Relics and Rituals 1
Tome and Blood
Magic of the Realms
Forgetten Realms Hardback
Oriental Adventures
Countless issues of Dragon
and probably a few more things I didn't mention

How many spells have we seen from any of these - 0

It isn't quite as bad with monsters
We have Monsters of Faerun
MM2 and Creature Compendium

How many have we seen from there 2

A forest troll and some ratmen (which everyone calls Skaven )

Prestige classes, We have seen 1- some dual rapier thingy from Swashbuckling Adventures oh and a level of Assassin, with the same guy

We have played like 4 campaigns now.

Part of it I know is a few switches we have made over time, keeping us a low levels and all but still you would think with the wealth of stuff we have someone would use it

Oh and to excuse myself, I have played only two casters past a single session and don't own any of the books.

Also the DM's aren't going to let me use the spells unless I really nag them and frankly I'd rather play a fighter /rogue anyway

Just grumping

 

[Dr Midnight]

I've gotta disagree with you on all this. I actually have to ban my players from using some of our many resources (MoP, PsiHB, any FR stuff) because I feel like more rules interferes with imaginative play. I call the players unimaginative because they're into rules and forming a character mechanically. I'm trying to immerse them in the adventure and the world, and it's hard to be immersed when you have to keep on referring to the rules from the thirteen books you used to make your character.

I'm all for growth in the d20 market, I just don't think you need anything other than the three core books to have the most IMAGINATIVE game possible.

My take.

 

[Aaron L]

More choices interfere with imagination?

 

[Dr Midnight]

More choices interfere with imagination?

No, but equating using more rules options with being imaginative as opposed to just being content with simple rules is just not right... IMO, of course.

I'm not saying certain PrCs like the Shifter and Duelist and material like that don't spark the imagination- I'm saying using more rules and having more books to flip through constrains you and drags you back out of where you want to be, which is on the battlefield, plunging your sword into an orc's chest. Suspension of belief flutters and dies like a candle flame when rules come into play. If you're worried about how many AoOs you can score on the opponents in your melee threat area, and concerned about using some spell because its casting time is a full-round action, you're not imagining.

Rules should provide a framework for play and that's it, in my opinion... but then, I value the mindplay more, and my players value the rules more. It's about striking the balance people are happy with. I know I'm only so happy with the balance I've found...

 

[Bagpuss]

More choices interfere with imagination?

As another vote for Dr Midnights claim that more books can be bad...

If you are limited to the PHB for spells, then you are more likely want to design your own, rather than get the spell your looking for handed to you on a plate. Or find more inventive uses for the limited spells you have like, enlarge, various illusions and the like.

 

[Umbran]

No, but equating using more rules options with being imaginative as opposed to just being content with simple rules is just not right... IMO, of course.

And, to a certain extent, using rules options written by someone else isn't using your imagination. It's using the designer's imagination.

The player's imagination comes in more when they are deciding on things other than rules. The imagination is not so much in whether they choose a fighter or psion, but in how they choose to play the fighter or psion. If the character is interesting and well-considered and has depth, it's imaginative. If it's a two-dimensional personality, it's not terribly imaginative no matter how many books you need to cobble togther the rules needed to ajudicate character actions.

 

[Ace]

It wouldn't be as bad if the players were excellent roleplayers and we were in creativly made scenarios

What they are is mostly hack and slay types, in the 4 games we have had there has been 1 creatively used spell...1

It was a grease spell used in a game I ran

I figure it this way if the players are playing with cleverness, more options only make things better

If nott <shrug> I guess the books don't help

I figured all the support would make cool charcters and concepts easier

Ah well, I will at least practice what I preach

Next campaign I am playing a Barbarian, Infiltrator, Fleet Runner of Elhonna who is a merchant, should be fun

 

[ThomasBJJ]

Hey Anthony, what's up?!

I, for one, have been trying to use a few different things in my game.
Last session I ran, the party faced an unknown cloaked figure who turned out to be a druid (among other things, but I shouldnt post it here). When I was selecting spells for him I tried to grab a few from various books -since I have most of the popular D20 books, and all of the WOTC ones. I think it worked out pretty good, the players could not figure out what the spells were and really did not know what was coming next.
Last week, one of the regular players began a new campaign so that we could alternate everyother week (since my time for campaign prep is extremely limited usually). I ended up as the 1st lvl Wizard. First thing I did was pour thru all my books and supplements for some new spells. Right now I'm using Forcewave from Magic of Faerun, Unhand from Book of Eldritch Might 2, and True Strike. I've got my eye on several spells from Relics & Rituals 1 & 2 also when he advances in level.
My point being that I think variety is important. If every wizard casts Mage Armor & Magic Missile every battle, and Every Barbarian rages and power attacks every fight, the world gets a little predictible. I have more D20 books on my shelf than I could read in a year, so I may as well start using them.

 

[Ace]

Double post from user error

Sorry

 

[Ace]

Hey Thomas! Good to here from you. So whats left in that load you've been selling? Send me the spread sheet. Who know maybe there is something left that I can use I am stewing on getting Exalted

As for your post

I am glad to here you are actually using the stuff. Of all the books in our group the only one we really got any use out of was Swashbuckilng Adventures, all the rest were just buy and reads I guess

I am not really worried about it much though, I won't be in a new campaign for at least six months until the current L5R, LARP and Star Wars frenzy is over

Oh and I always go by my screen name around here

Take it easy