Turanil
First Post
Okay, I am opening the can of worms here, especially as I will present my opinion in an extremely biased way, ready for flame war...
So, in reading some threads around, I think I have discerned two main tendencies in gaming style. I say "Left Wing" and "Right Wing" to quote the terms used to designates the two main political currents in France, that have been bickering and insulting each others for ages, and will never reconcile. It seems to me that there is likewise two opposing conceptions of D&D gaming style, that will fight each other bitterly until the ends of time and will never reconcile. Hey! I don't speak of role-playing versus roll-playing, but of a new concept World Cuisine D&D versus Traditionalist Campaign Setting.
[Before all, a word about "World Cuisine". A friend of mine once told me (don't know if this is true or not) that a new culinary concept had been invented in the US: the "World Cuisine". Basically, it is putting everything and its brother together on the same dish: Spanish paella + Italian spaguettis + Mexican buritos + Chinese nems, etc. Needless to say, as Frenchs we were both staggered for days by this abomination. (Don't meddle with a French's food)]
So, that being said, let me describe World Cuisine D&D and Traditionalist Campaign Setting in gaming:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Cuisine D&D
[SARCASM]
A typical World Cuisine example: adventure of the Princess Rescue.
The four PCs are:
-- Countess Ulricka Mallory, a paladin and Arthurian knight. [You may notice that Ulricka being a German name has nothing to do with an Arthurian character, but frankly, who cares? You may also note that there weren't women among Arthurian knights, but it would be sexist to point out.]
-- Myamoto Musachi, a monk from Shaolin who like to quote Lao Tseu whenever he feels it would be cool to do so. [You may notice that Myamoto Musachi is the name of a Japanese samurai, not a Chinese monk, but frankly, who cares? You may also note that Shaolin monks being Buddhist wouldn't quote a Taoist, but frankly, who cares?]
-- Sganarel, a gnome sorcerer with kewl neopunk clothes (read black leather Trenchcoat) and hairstyle. [This name is drawn from French literature, and everytime you hear it you cannot but remember that boring theatre play you went to see when you were a schoolboy. It's really annoying, but since you rejected the player's wish to have a nunchaku for weapon of choice, you let him keep this name.]
-- Lady Vine Solania, an elven cleric of Taarnhul God of Storms. [First note the funny pun in the character's name. Taarnhul comes from a cheap pdf bought online, that the player chose because of the cool domain associated with this deity, and that it will let her gain the Arcane Archer prestige class reworked into Divine Archer at 9th level.]
And so the players meet in a tavern. There was probably only one table with just four seats in this tavern, otherwise how to explain that so different characters would seat at the same table in the first place? And become friends 5 minutes later? Anyway, just then they are hired by Jarl Osric, a local noble of this Viking community, to seek beyond the Trolls' mountains to the East, his daughter who was kidnapped by Ankhatmon the necromancer.
And so, after some random encounters where the PCs defeated a couple of orcs, wolves, and raiding berserkers, the party arrives in front of Ankhatmon's obsidian black pyramid. Entering inside the pyramid proves difficult, because the door is magical and thus cannot be broken or get past using magic. Instead, the players have to solve a riddle inscribed in Fiendish tongue on the door. Fortunately they succeed as the riddle resembles that found in LotR on Moria's entrance. You could wonder why this door can be easily opened by anyone finding the solution to a riddle, instead of simply requiring a key (that good-doers wouldn't have)? But who cares?
Then, the PCs do fight a beholder, a drow party (drow are so cool!), a mimic, and then the mummy of Ankhatmon. The players were afraid the fabled necromancer would be much tougher, like being a lich. Fortunately the DM knows how to use the CRs of monsters to make balanced encounters. Then, the adventurers get the treasure, with a chest of 4500 gp (notice how treasure chests never contain odd numbers like 4358 gp, but always 500, 1000, 1500, etc.) and various magical items (including one that could have saved Ankhatmon's unlife if he had used it instead of leaving it in the chest; how stupid these BBEG!). There is also a wonderful nunchaku +3 of disruption for the gnome, as the player didn't cease to whine about it during the session.
Then, the PCs travel back to Jarl Osric. No random encounters or what not on the way back home though, since it's too late and the gaming session must finish in 30 minutes. Then, the players just have time for a few minutes of roleplaying. So they tell that they sell their gems (4 gems of 1200 gp each) to a local merchant, and as the DM agrees, they just need to take their pencil, and replace "deep red gem" by "1200 gp". Just note how convenient having four gems for four players, and don't ask about a gem merchant residing in this small Viking village, with large amounts of money at his disposal. Who cares after all? Then, the paladin wants a magic sword. However, the DM saiys this is a low magic world here: no magic shops!! On the other hand, as you saved the Jarl's daughter, he can make an effort. So the DM rolls a percentile dice (behind his screen of course), and tells that indeed the Jarl is okay to sell her a +2 longsword of electricity for 1850 gp. As Ulricka's player modifies her character sheet to remove the money and add the sword, she notices that she still has enough money for a healing potion and asks if there is a wise woman in the village who could sell her one (we are roleplaying in this campaign dude!).
Next adventure: the DM has got a nice spelljammer module with Mind flayers! Cool!
[/SARCASM]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traditionalist Campaign Setting
-- Conan d20
-- Black Company d20
-- Dragonlance
-- Nyambe
-- Anything that tries to reflect with some consistent degree of accuracy a European (or Arthurian, or Oriental, or Antique, etc.) medieval setting. In this case, ahem: no magic shop, no out-of-place class, no riddles on the magic gate, etc., etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So now the flame war:
In which camp do you reside. Tell us why your game style is the good one, and why the other side doesn't understand anything to the game. (If you lack arguments, there is a good deal of examples on the latest Magic Item Purchase thread...)
And of course no insults please. We wouldn't want to close this thread don't you??
So, in reading some threads around, I think I have discerned two main tendencies in gaming style. I say "Left Wing" and "Right Wing" to quote the terms used to designates the two main political currents in France, that have been bickering and insulting each others for ages, and will never reconcile. It seems to me that there is likewise two opposing conceptions of D&D gaming style, that will fight each other bitterly until the ends of time and will never reconcile. Hey! I don't speak of role-playing versus roll-playing, but of a new concept World Cuisine D&D versus Traditionalist Campaign Setting.
[Before all, a word about "World Cuisine". A friend of mine once told me (don't know if this is true or not) that a new culinary concept had been invented in the US: the "World Cuisine". Basically, it is putting everything and its brother together on the same dish: Spanish paella + Italian spaguettis + Mexican buritos + Chinese nems, etc. Needless to say, as Frenchs we were both staggered for days by this abomination. (Don't meddle with a French's food)]
So, that being said, let me describe World Cuisine D&D and Traditionalist Campaign Setting in gaming:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Cuisine D&D
[SARCASM]
A typical World Cuisine example: adventure of the Princess Rescue.
The four PCs are:
-- Countess Ulricka Mallory, a paladin and Arthurian knight. [You may notice that Ulricka being a German name has nothing to do with an Arthurian character, but frankly, who cares? You may also note that there weren't women among Arthurian knights, but it would be sexist to point out.]
-- Myamoto Musachi, a monk from Shaolin who like to quote Lao Tseu whenever he feels it would be cool to do so. [You may notice that Myamoto Musachi is the name of a Japanese samurai, not a Chinese monk, but frankly, who cares? You may also note that Shaolin monks being Buddhist wouldn't quote a Taoist, but frankly, who cares?]
-- Sganarel, a gnome sorcerer with kewl neopunk clothes (read black leather Trenchcoat) and hairstyle. [This name is drawn from French literature, and everytime you hear it you cannot but remember that boring theatre play you went to see when you were a schoolboy. It's really annoying, but since you rejected the player's wish to have a nunchaku for weapon of choice, you let him keep this name.]
-- Lady Vine Solania, an elven cleric of Taarnhul God of Storms. [First note the funny pun in the character's name. Taarnhul comes from a cheap pdf bought online, that the player chose because of the cool domain associated with this deity, and that it will let her gain the Arcane Archer prestige class reworked into Divine Archer at 9th level.]
And so the players meet in a tavern. There was probably only one table with just four seats in this tavern, otherwise how to explain that so different characters would seat at the same table in the first place? And become friends 5 minutes later? Anyway, just then they are hired by Jarl Osric, a local noble of this Viking community, to seek beyond the Trolls' mountains to the East, his daughter who was kidnapped by Ankhatmon the necromancer.
And so, after some random encounters where the PCs defeated a couple of orcs, wolves, and raiding berserkers, the party arrives in front of Ankhatmon's obsidian black pyramid. Entering inside the pyramid proves difficult, because the door is magical and thus cannot be broken or get past using magic. Instead, the players have to solve a riddle inscribed in Fiendish tongue on the door. Fortunately they succeed as the riddle resembles that found in LotR on Moria's entrance. You could wonder why this door can be easily opened by anyone finding the solution to a riddle, instead of simply requiring a key (that good-doers wouldn't have)? But who cares?
Then, the PCs do fight a beholder, a drow party (drow are so cool!), a mimic, and then the mummy of Ankhatmon. The players were afraid the fabled necromancer would be much tougher, like being a lich. Fortunately the DM knows how to use the CRs of monsters to make balanced encounters. Then, the adventurers get the treasure, with a chest of 4500 gp (notice how treasure chests never contain odd numbers like 4358 gp, but always 500, 1000, 1500, etc.) and various magical items (including one that could have saved Ankhatmon's unlife if he had used it instead of leaving it in the chest; how stupid these BBEG!). There is also a wonderful nunchaku +3 of disruption for the gnome, as the player didn't cease to whine about it during the session.
Then, the PCs travel back to Jarl Osric. No random encounters or what not on the way back home though, since it's too late and the gaming session must finish in 30 minutes. Then, the players just have time for a few minutes of roleplaying. So they tell that they sell their gems (4 gems of 1200 gp each) to a local merchant, and as the DM agrees, they just need to take their pencil, and replace "deep red gem" by "1200 gp". Just note how convenient having four gems for four players, and don't ask about a gem merchant residing in this small Viking village, with large amounts of money at his disposal. Who cares after all? Then, the paladin wants a magic sword. However, the DM saiys this is a low magic world here: no magic shops!! On the other hand, as you saved the Jarl's daughter, he can make an effort. So the DM rolls a percentile dice (behind his screen of course), and tells that indeed the Jarl is okay to sell her a +2 longsword of electricity for 1850 gp. As Ulricka's player modifies her character sheet to remove the money and add the sword, she notices that she still has enough money for a healing potion and asks if there is a wise woman in the village who could sell her one (we are roleplaying in this campaign dude!).
Next adventure: the DM has got a nice spelljammer module with Mind flayers! Cool!
[/SARCASM]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traditionalist Campaign Setting
-- Conan d20
-- Black Company d20
-- Dragonlance
-- Nyambe
-- Anything that tries to reflect with some consistent degree of accuracy a European (or Arthurian, or Oriental, or Antique, etc.) medieval setting. In this case, ahem: no magic shop, no out-of-place class, no riddles on the magic gate, etc., etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So now the flame war:
In which camp do you reside. Tell us why your game style is the good one, and why the other side doesn't understand anything to the game. (If you lack arguments, there is a good deal of examples on the latest Magic Item Purchase thread...)
And of course no insults please. We wouldn't want to close this thread don't you??
