Bill Zebub
“It’s probably Matt Mercer’s fault.”
How many moments of levity are there in Lord of the Rings?
D&D General How serious are your D&D games?
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Mad_Jack
Hero
Mostly serious, in as much as after forty years of playing I'm mostly over playing in/running games where everyone's setting out to intentionally be a goofball or, gods forbid, coming into the game with a "here, hold my beer while I light a bag of holding full of dragon crap on fire" mentality...
There may be funny moments or jokes around the table between players, but the in-game stuff is generally mostly on the serious side, with an occasional bit of witty dialogue or light-hearted moment rather than outright comedy. In movie terms, the audience may occasionally be laughing at something, but the actors aren't playing the scenes for laughs (and most definitely aren't turning to wink at the camera).
Even the time when we waited until one of the big bads was in the outhouse and tied a rope around it so that they couldn't escape while we fought the rest of them was basically a tactical decision, rather than primarily being funny.
Personally, although I don't mind an occasional game of Dimwits & Dumbasses, if given a choice I'd generally be more likely to gravitate towards a really serious game that dealt with some serious issues and required making some hard in-character choices than one where it's a running gag to toss the dwarf and the bard plays a drum so he can hit rimshots while casting Vicious Mockery... If for no other reason than that kind of game is much harder to find.
There may be funny moments or jokes around the table between players, but the in-game stuff is generally mostly on the serious side, with an occasional bit of witty dialogue or light-hearted moment rather than outright comedy. In movie terms, the audience may occasionally be laughing at something, but the actors aren't playing the scenes for laughs (and most definitely aren't turning to wink at the camera).
Even the time when we waited until one of the big bads was in the outhouse and tied a rope around it so that they couldn't escape while we fought the rest of them was basically a tactical decision, rather than primarily being funny.
Personally, although I don't mind an occasional game of Dimwits & Dumbasses, if given a choice I'd generally be more likely to gravitate towards a really serious game that dealt with some serious issues and required making some hard in-character choices than one where it's a running gag to toss the dwarf and the bard plays a drum so he can hit rimshots while casting Vicious Mockery... If for no other reason than that kind of game is much harder to find.
Clint_L
Hero
I like it to be somewhat lighthearted, when appropriate, but not random or wacky. As long as the humour comes out of the situation and personalities involved, it's great. Occasionally you get players who are basically just trying to turn the game into a joke, and I don't like that.
Also, the level of seriousness correlates fairly strongly to whether a few beverages are being enjoyed or not.
Also, the level of seriousness correlates fairly strongly to whether a few beverages are being enjoyed or not.
J.Quondam
CR 1/8
Fun was sure to be had when the "Red Wedding" collided with "It's just a flesh wound!"
Let's not bicker and argue about 'o killed 'o
Whizbang Dustyboots
100% that gnome
I came here to say exactly this on my games' overall tone.
Rabulias
the Incomparably Shrewd and Clever
Here's a few off the top of my head:
"Nobody tosses a dwarf!"
Gimli and Legolas's "competition" counting orcs they have killed.
Merry telling Pippin "I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip."
Sam describing meals with "po-tay-toes" to Gollum and saying Gollum could not say no to them, but Gollum says "Oh yes we could."
Whizbang Dustyboots
100% that gnome
My favorite are all the Merry and Pippin scenes in the extended editions. After they have lembas bread explained to them, and that each one can last a fellowship member days, one of them asks the other: "How many did you eat," to which the other replies, "four."
And, of course, them totally not being stoned while watching the ent-wrought destruction of Orthanc. (Yes, yes, JRRT probably didn't mean for pipeweed to be marijuana. The book remains intact, no matter what Jackson did in the movie.)
Vaalingrade
Legend
Bill Zebub
“It’s probably Matt Mercer’s fault.”
Rabulias
the Incomparably Shrewd and Clever
In that case, yes, I agree. There are no moments of levity in the LotR novels that I can recall. The Hobbit, OTOH, does have a few.
Vaalingrade
Legend
Rabulias
the Incomparably Shrewd and Clever
A bright spot of cheer and a touch of whimsy, perhaps, but levity? Something that the reader would chuckle about? An honest question, as it has been many years since I read LotR.
Whizbang Dustyboots
100% that gnome
He's part of the Cthulhu Mythos sneaking into Middle-Earth. Don't be fooled by the hallucinations everyone in his presence suffers.
Ralif Redhammer
Legend
Yeah, there's levity in the books, though it is of a different kind than the movies, for the most part. Gimli commenting on the shield he is given with a horse on it, Legolas teasing everyone that can't run on top of the snow, and a bunch of things in the shire, both in the beginning and at the end. And of course, Tom Bombadil.
John R Davis
Hero
D&D has high laugh level.
Loads other games to do the misery porn level of grim OR very very silly
Loads other games to do the misery porn level of grim OR very very silly
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