Help - I need to revive my interest in this campaign!

[Goddess FallenAngel]

I've been playing the same 3.5 Forgotten Realms campaign with my roommate and fiancé for about a year. My fiancé DMs, and I and my roommate play.

Well, up until recently, I've highly enjoyed the game. There's been a lot of RPing and political-type intrigue, with the occasional battle thrown in for good measure. We’ve spent whole 10 hour game sessions RPing, and been happy about it.

Background Information:
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We’ve recently been sent on a trip to the Underdark. Not a big deal, even if it did consist of more hack ‘n’ slash than I usually enjoy. And it was still interspersed with some roleplaying, so it was alright.

However...

Along the way, we picked up two more players, and thus, two more characters. I was happy – they are great roleplayers, are fun to hang around, and their characters fit into the existing group (if you could call 2 characters a group).

We got sent on a mission to the Planes from the Underdark, which afforded more roleplaying – but unfortunately, my character was left out of much of it, because it took place on a Plane she couldn’t go to (long story). I was okay with this, as I knew the drawbacks when I made my character.

Now, we are back on the Prime Material Plane, and out of the Underdark – and about to go on a dungeon-delve to recover some artifacts to use to fight the current BBEG in the game.
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Frankly, I’m just not looking forward to another hack ‘n’ slash portion of the game. I’m playing a rogue3/cleric8, who is currently struggling with faith in her Goddess, and the fear that she’s been tainted into unknowingly serving her Goddess’ arch-enemy (cleric of Tymora, beginning to suspect that Beshaba has been granting her spells for a while now). I’m finding it hard to roleplay that struggle out with “Oh, I cast XXXX” or “I attack with my rapier” or “I check for traps”, especially with the two new characters/players that don’t know the background of the campaign.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can overcome my growing boredom?

BTW – the DM knows my feelings about dungeon crawls, and in addition recently the DM sat down with the players and he explained what he was planning for the next portion of the game, to see if that would be okay with everyone. Everyone was somewhere on the neutral to happy scale, while I was on the ‘dislike’ side of neutral. He said he was going to try to think of how to “make a dungeon crawl not a dungeon crawl” so as to try to please everyone, but recently confided in me that he was having difficulty doing so.

I want to continue with this game and group, so please don’t give me advice to ‘find a new group’ – that’s not what I’m asking for. I just want advice on how to continue through this current section of the game, and get back to the main storyline.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Basically, the current type of the game doesn't correspond to your likings.

I'm not sure it's a possibility, but I'd suggest that your character doesn't participate in the next dungeon crawl. You're saying she needs to perform some soul-searching. Try to talk to the DM to see if you could go on a side-quest.

I'd say leave the group temporarily, and try to play solo with the DM for a little while (if he has the time, and if you don't mind not playing in the usual games). Not playing for a while might rekindle your passion, and give you a chance to resolve your character's personal issues.

Or, if you DON'T want to stop playing with the group, ask the DM if you could play a temporary character that would be more suited for the mission at hand (some kind of mercenary). I know that battle heavy games aren't your forté, but if it's what's going to happen, you might as well prepare for it accordingly and try to enjoy it.

Hope this helps!

AR

 

[Conaill]

I’m playing a rogue3/cleric8, who is currently struggling with faith in her Goddess, and the fear that she’s been tainted into unknowingly serving her Goddess’ arch-enemy (cleric of Tymora, beginning to suspect that Beshaba has been granting her spells for a while now). I’m finding it hard to roleplay that struggle out with “Oh, I cast XXXX” or “I attack with my rapier” or “I check for traps”, especially with the two new characters/players that don’t know the background of the campaign.

Hmm... If you suspect this other godess has been granting you spells without your knowledge, you could resolve yourself not to cast any spells until you've satisfied yourself where those spells are coming from. I suspect that will give you plenty of roleplaying opportunities with your fellow PC's.

I don't know anything about Tymora and Besheba, but I suspect one is Good and the other Bad? If so, certain spells should be "safe" to use - healing in particular.

 

[Goddess FallenAngel]

I'd say leave the group temporarily, and try to play solo with the DM for a little while (if he has the time, and if you don't mind not playing in the usual games). Not playing for a while might rekindle your passion, and give you a chance to resolve your character's personal issues.

We'd talked about this, but he's already running this one, two online campaigns, and another FTF game - time to prepare is lacking, and he was talking about dropping the other FTF. So, adding another really isn't kosher - and, I do want to play with this group.

Or, if you DON'T want to stop playing with the group, ask the DM if you could play a temporary character that would be more suited for the mission at hand (some kind of mercenary). I know that battle heavy games aren't your forté, but if it's what's going to happen, you might as well prepare for it accordingly and try to enjoy it.

That was the other thing discussed. However, we're kinda in a bad area to bring in a new character without stressing suspension of belief - and, the 2 new players/characters just got used to the characters the older player and I were running, and he just switched his character. So, I'm hesitant to do this, although it does seem to be the best solution at the moment....

Hmm... If you suspect this other godess has been granting you spells without your knowledge, you could resolve yourself not to cast any spells until you've satisfied yourself where those spells are coming from. I suspect that will give you plenty of roleplaying opportunities with your fellow PC's.

I don't know anything about Tymora and Besheba, but I suspect one is Good and the other Bad? If so, certain spells should be "safe" to use - healing in particular.

I didn't think of this one. It might bear some thought. (You are correct about one being Good, the other Evil.) I'll have to think about it.

In the meantime - any more suggestions?

 

[Mista Collins]

find a new group

 

[Delemental]

Have you considered writing short stories about your character, or a journal in your character's perspective? While it doesn't keep you from have to endure the dungeon crawls, you can at least maintain the elements you enjoy - personal conflict, personality growth, etc - on the side while you do it.

Alternately, start up an IC dialogue with another player, possibly over email (don't want to be having side conversations at the table) where the two of you can get in some roleplay.

I also enjoy these kind of RP elements in a campaign, and I have similar problems when the campaign is in a 'dungeon crawl' mode, or if the DM is focusing on other characters. I'll occasionally write short stories about my character in order to explore his current situation, or to set up future plot elements. I've also established an IC relationship with another player, but we conduct most of our relationship over email. This helps me feel like my character is still 'in the spotlight' even when the spotlight is on others.

 

[Delemental]

Another thought about the Tymora/Beshaba thing;

IIRC, Tymora is a goddess of good luck, and Beshaba of misfortune, correct? Perhaps your cleric could decide to start 'trusting to fate' more often - in other words, take bigger risks in order to see if your aura is influenced by good luck or bad. So, instead of "I attack with my rapier", its "I grab the rope holding the chandelier and swing down on them, slashing with my rapier as I swing by!" (probably won't find many chandeliers in dungeons, but you get the idea). If that feels too swashbuckly, then there are other ways you could play out combats where the outcome relies more heavily on luck. Now, this may put your character in more danger than normal - your call on how much of this you can tolerate.

 

[Kelleris]

What you need is a foil. You say you're heading into a dungeon? Suggest to the DM that he introduce a rival group of adventurers heading for the same prize, led by a cleric of Beshaba. Make them pretty tough, say with each one equal to the average party level, and have the cleric of Beshaba notice your character's crisis of faith in your first encounter. Start it out peaceful, but tense, and let it grow into a full-out conflict at the conclusion of the adventure, preferably with several skirmishes beforehand. (Though it's hard to have an enemy group that poses a credible threat but also survives multiple encounters with the party; that's the DM's job.) That way the other characters and the DM have their BBEG, and you have an ongoing confrontation with the embodiment of your character's fears that ought to lead to some interesting conflicts.

That's what I would do if I were DMing, anyway.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

I want to continue with this game and group, so please don’t give me advice to ‘find a new group’ – that’s not what I’m asking for. I just want advice on how to continue through this current section of the game, and get back to the main storyline.

Fake it, smile, giggle, out right laugh cause sometimes in the quest to have fun we sometimes have to do what we don’t like or want to do…

If you want more advice than that, anything can be fun if its a new discovery for your character... Consider your dislike for Dungeon Crawls I doubt you character has been in the tight confines of a dungeon or various other aspects typical of a dungeons.

 

[Thundering_Dragon]

Focus on your characters inward development since the outside world is not shaping her at the moment. She's merely doing a job that needs to be done, allowing her time to contemplate and think over what she's been through so far, and what to do about it. There are times in life when you cannot force the situation to bend to your will and you must simply ride loose in the saddle of fate.