I wish D&D could have been more heroic

[Zappo]

Edena, consider this: if not D&D, is there any RPG at all that you consider heroic?

 

[zouron]

Heroic and DnD is much more a matter of the players then DnD in my experience, I myself is not exactly one to be the coward normally, which I am learning to the bones currently, playing a paladin (in my version ;-) ) whom has a severe problem with his party as they are somewhat less willing to risk themselves then he is.

and as for normal characters... don't think I have to many of those (anyone think zouron the dark in the IR was just your average self preserving john doe? hehe), but some people are not as willing to risk their characters, I am not sure there are all that many people (of course some excepted no doubt!) who thinks it is wise smart or intelligent to be a hero, superheroes in much game discussion I been in are almost considered a derrogating term which pretty much means being stupid beyond belief charging into hopeless battles one will loss and if you win then because you are a munchkin or some similar thing.

This I guess is just not an age of heroism overall, doesn't stop me personally, cause rpg (and DnD) is an adventure and darn it if I am gonna miss out because I withdrew once to many times!

 

[Echohawk]

...a more serious version of the game Paranoia, in which there is no chance of your character surviving...

Homer voice: Mmmmmmmmmmmm.... Paranoia.

Now there's a game I'd like to see a d20 version of

 

[megamania]

Movies and books are tightly controlled by the writer. As such the heroes will always succeed.

Real life- Heroes are killed before court, die in burning buildings...etc

D&D is a mix. The DM must CREATE a moment for heroism then the PCs must do it....and not role a 1.

I understand what you mean however. This is one of the reasons I liked the game "Torg" from the late eighties/early nineties. It encouraged and gave rewards for being heroic.

 

[Ascending Crane]

Methinks Edena needs a good D&D group, of all new players.

Or something.

The magic isn't in the paper, or the ink, or the dice - it's in the minds and imagination of the players and the DM.

It sounds like you've lost it somewhere along the way.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, I'd like to think you can reward XP for heroic acts in D&D, albeit not a standard rule but more like a suggestion in the DMG. Then again, almost everything in the Dungeon Masters' Guide are guidelines, suggestions, and variant rules for DM to introduce in the game.

You are right, the DM has to create opportunity for the PC to shine, but that's half the ingredient. The players has to be able to pick up and seize the opportunity, or out of the blue come up with a risky plan. After all, a heroic act usually involves some high risks. Hence the saying "you are either brave or foolish."

 

[Mark]

It's been said above in a number of ways, but not, IMO, inclusively enough. It's not the game system that brings Heroism to the game, it is the Players, the DM and the Setting. That said, there are certainly any number of ways that Heroism can manifest itself within a single game or campaign. I'd venture to guess that if you are not finding Heroism in your game, you either need to get on the same wavelength with your DM (which is not always possible) or adjust the setting in which you play.

Hope that helps!

 

[Bihor]

I had players in Dark Sun, playing lowlife elven thief group, orgenising ilegal gladiator mach sometime fixted. Even though it wasn't there style, they did heroic things.
Once they where in front of a almost dead dragon-king, I think it was Nibane, the gladiator and the fire-cleric desided to take a shot a him. They took only 3 steps and met a air invisible elemental. With there two best fighters out in a sigle round they gamble there way out with the two almost corps.

The players made there caracter heroic, even in a world with no hero.

 

[Voneth]

Not exactly...

Most players take two routes: either being a coward selfish self-preservating investigator, as most of us would be in real life, or being an heroic yet almost hopeless characters.

Like a 1st level PC in D&D can choose to be coward and self-preserving or be heroic.

Yeah they can, but I bet the coward lives longer.

 

[Bagpuss]

Yeah they can, but I bet the coward lives longer.

I suppose it depends if you see living longest as the point of the game. Personally I think if a character dies is less important than the manner of their death.