D&D 5E Enforcing theme/structure by saying NO to players

[Dorian_Grey]

Oh we do try new things - but no one can claim misunderstood dark elves are new. I draw the line at that. And every time someone rolls a misunderstood drow Ranger, Salvatore earns an extra year in Limbo.

 

[The Human Target]

Oh we do try new things - but no one can claim misunderstood dark elves are new. I draw the line at that. And every time someone rolls a misunderstood drow Ranger, Salvatore earns an extra year in Limbo.

Who gets Limbo time for surly xenophobic Scottish Dwarf fighters and shiftless halfling rogues who steal from the party?

 

[Dorian_Grey]

I'm not sure about the xenophobic Scottish Dwarf fighters, but ze gods I do agree. As for shiftless Halfling rogues I'm assuming whomever on the DL project created Tas. I do have the annotated Chronicles, but I can't remember who was responsible And I just moved so all my books are packed up!

But yes, death to stereotypical class/race/personality combinations!

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Every time Wee Jimmy McPubdrunk of the Clan McPubdrunk or Zeno "Axe-biter" McPhobic appear it makes my fists itch, but somewhere deep in Moria a smile crosses the undead visage of JRR Tolkien's lich form.

My dwarves are Welsh. There's lovely, see.

 

[Dorian_Grey]

Totally agree. Tolkien is cackling evilly at us while we fight a losing battle.

 

[discosoc]

This has been a perennial problem for me, going back to high school and the guy who wanted to play a drow assassin in Lankhmar.

These days I try to be open...my main stipulation is "If it would look good airbrushed on the side of a van, it's in". But for this campaign, there are two cultures, Ancient Greek, and Norse-all they had to do to fit in was to pick a name that fit one of those two categories. Aaaaand, I've got a character named after Red Dwarf character who belongs in Harry Potter, a Dragonborn named after a Scottish Immortal, and the one guy who actually cares about history? He heard "Norse and Greek" and said, "Cool, I'll make an Anglo-Saxon!"

I just rolled with it, by this point the world has opened up to having Ancient Syria and Egypt too, so why not. I just have the occasional bard comment on the strangeness of their names.

Character names do annoy me sometimes. I call it the "MMO syndrome" where people got used to names being funny or a pun or something, and figure that's the point of D&D as well.

 

[The Human Target]

Character names do annoy me sometimes. I call it the "MMO syndrome" where people got used to names being funny or a pun or something, and figure that's the point of D&D as well.

How does that have anything to do with MMOs?

Look at the names of the characters Gygax and his crew used, and you will find plenty of the kind of thing you're talking about.

You should call it the "D&D syndrome."

 

[discosoc]

How does that have anything to do with MMOs?

Look at the names of the characters Gygax and his crew used, and you will find plenty of the kind of thing your talking about.

You should call it the "D&D syndrome."

I have no idea what "gygax and his crew" named their character. What I do know is I didn't actually see this become an issue until after World of Warcraft picked up. And that experience was across 2 state lines and over the last 20 or so years, so it's not like I just had a group of people that changed and I'm extrapolating it out to everyone.

 

[The Human Target]

I have no idea what "gygax and his crew" named their character. What I do know is I didn't actually see this become an issue until after World of Warcraft picked up. And that experience was across 2 state lines and over the last 20 or so years, so it's not like I just had a group of people that changed and I'm extrapolating it out to everyone.

Drawmij (Jim Ward backwards)
Melf (Male Elf)
(Medium) Rary
Erac's Cousin
Bigby, Rigby, Zigby, Digby, etc
Yrag (Gary backwards)

 

[discosoc]

Drawmij (Jim Ward backwards)
Melf (Male Elf)
(Medium) Rary
Erac's Cousin
Bigby, Rigby, Zigby, Digby, etc
Yrag (Gary backwards)

Most of those wouldn't bother me. Same with palindromes or other similar types.

I'm talking about stuff like Bearackobama (druid). Don't get me wrong, some of them are completely hilarious, but it ends up skewing the whole mood of the game on a dime.