Do we coddle new Players?

[Corinth]

I run the game by the book. I never coddle. This is a game, just like any other, and that means that new players need to learn two things fast: (1) death is not the end; (2) you need to develop your skill as a player here as you would with any other form of game. Do that, and you'll do just fine in this hobby.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Why am I hearing the voice of Grandpa Simpson when I read this?

Eh? Back in my day we didn't use dice. We hit each other with sticks until the other player went down!

There were broken, bleeding gamers all over the place, and we liked it that way!

'Cause we were stupid.

The Auld Grump, okay, so that was the Grumpy Old Man from SNL - close enough!

 

[francisca]

Eh? Back in my day we didn't use dice. We hit each other with sticks until the other player went down!

There were broken, bleeding gamers all over the place, and we liked it that way!

'Cause we were stupid.

The Auld Grump, okay, so that was the Grumpy Old Man from SNL - close enough!

And I thought I was grizzled.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

No one (me included) has suggested killing characters for the Player's "own good". No one has suggested intentionally killing PCs for any reason. The conversation is concerning "allowing" PCs to die when the situation or circumstance unfolds that way.

Actually, if you go back to the topic that spawned this one, there were indeed people making exactly that recommendation. And the thought that went through my mind was indeed 'jerk'.

The Auld Grump, I think that you caught some of the backlash from those gentle folks.

 

[MonsterMash]

I think it's a gradual shift in the nature of the game. Which is somewhat ironic given where the game seems to be headed, with the rise of miniatures and a more rules-oriented approach.

I think 2nd edition was a larger leap towards the idea of keeping players alive. D&D was born out of wargaming roots, so it was natural to have people die in the early versions of the game..

As one of those that came into OD&D(1974) from miniatures gaming that probably influenced my attitude then. We used to play skirmish wargames with a figure scale of 1 figure = 1 real person (as opposed to usual wargames 1:20/1:50 ratios) usually with individual names and an status indicator (veteran/average/novice) which very much matches the roots of D&D, but as you had new characters in every skirmish game there was no particular attachment to them.

Nowadays, I'll be damned if I let a DM kill me willy-nilly after I just spent a couple of days writing up 6 pages of character history. That's not fun, that's just plain mean.

These days as a player and GM I'm less keen on seeing frequent character deaths, though with the group in my Wilderlands campaign the potential for character death or TPK is part of the '1e feel' and the players are experienced so I don't feel any need to coddle them.

With newbies I'd run more 'balanced' encounters and not be as clever tactically, using monsters that didn't tend to use ambushes or clever tactics against them, but if a 1st level fighter attempts to go head to head with an Ogre I won't prevent them getting killed.

 

[hong]

If I say something that can be taken two ways: 1= a concept to spur discussion, or 2= a personal insult to the way you play, I probably mean #1.

Stop trolling, Quasqueton.


Hong "never coddles old DMs" Ooi

 

[jeff37923]

Do I coddle new players? Yes and no.

Lemmee explain.

If I have a player who is unfamiliar with the rules then I will give them the benefit of the doubt and allow "take backs" if their action shows that they do not understand the rules in use. This will only go on for a few adventures, otherwise I will assume that they are trying to take advantage of my good nature by pretending to be ignorant.

If I have a player who just does something blatently stupid, then I hammer them with the consequences. I've found this is extraordinarily useful. Now, I'm DMing a game for my friend's 12-year old son, so sometimes this can get pretty extreme (Case in point, above mentioned 12-year old PC decides that he will meet the local Baron of the community sans clothing. He then wondered why his character was chased down by the local guard, knocked unconscious, and thrown in the pillory for a weekend).

So for the unfamiliar with rules - yes I coddle new players. For those who just do something stupid and get their PCs knocked about - no I don't coddle new players.

One thing I do recall, are the stupid things I did my self when I was 12 and began playing Basic DnD. So I try to keep a sense of perspective.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

I am not sure if I would call it coddling but I certainly make a friendlier learning curve for new players. I want them to have an easier time than others as there are a variety of things to learn. In the past few years I have introduced three people into a campaign I run that have never played any kind of RPG before. They really love it but at first I was a little easier on them than I was the veterans.

 

[DragonLancer]

My experience with ENWorld does suggest to me that a lot of the DM's on these boards do coddle their players.

I don't believe in TPK's but I do believe in a challenging, and where nessecary difficult & dangerous games.

 

[Psychic Warrior]

My experience with ENWorld does suggest to me that a lot of the DM's on these boards do coddle their players.

I don't believe in TPK's but I do believe in a challenging, and where nessecary difficult & dangerous games.

Define 'challenging'. I think my players would say that I run a very challenging game with lots of combat and tense NPC interaction (they recently played mediator between 3 warring factions and brokered a peace out of it!) but I try not to kill PCs. That is not to say that it hasn't happened. 3 PCs have died so far only one of which came back. This is in about 2 years of gaming. Is that coddling? I probably could have had more PC deaths if I had had some monsters fight smarter.