Is your game silly or serious?

[Oryan77]

Over the last few months I've met more people that seem to play D&D with a more silly attitude than a serious one. I always thought silly games were played only by young players, but I realize adults still play the same way...a lot. I've always preferred a more serious approach to gaming. I've played in sessions where it was just a "jolly" fun laid back game and we had a good laugh, but never anything over the top down-right silly.

I recently joined a modern game with a player I never met before. The DM warned me beforehand that this new guy told him about his old games and it sounded like he was a "silly" type of player. And sure enough, during our session, he's doing random weird things trying to be funny when in reality, his PC would be labelled mentally retarded & a moron. Actually, a mentally disabled person would have more common sense than what his PC was doing.

I compare being silly as being like an over the top Roger Rabbit who does random lame things just to make the group laugh at him.

Being serious would be like playing a guy (even a comical guy) in a more mature setting as if he was like a character from a fantasy novel.

The difference between comical and silly would be like sticking Roger Rabbit in Lord of the Rings, that's silly. Comical would be like Gimli in LotR falling off his horse but playing it off by telling the group, "It was deliberate".

How many people here take the "silly" approach to D&D and how many only play it seriously?

 

[Brain]

I play in a bunch of games and they range a lot. All of them have humor (but some it's just ooc)

 

[Angel Tarragon]

You missed an option: Serious with occassional bits of comedy. It describes my groups to a T.

 

[Emirikol]

Our group is like 'silly pornography.' The gals make the guys uncomfortable..and it's not because of the typical she-gamer traits..."Hey your armpit hair is rubbing on me again" or "would you please not smile, your teeth are scaring me."

Ahh, S&M granola in CO, USA.

jh

 

[DaveMage]

You missed an option: Serious with occassional bits of comedy. It describes my groups to a T.

Ditto.

 

[Crothian]

Ya, serious game over all but one that can laugh at iteself when needed

 

[Kanegrundar]

It all depends on the game. If the game has a serious tone, then I am a serious DM. The same goes for more light-hearted games; I tend to be more laid-back in those types of games.

Kane

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

Interesting question. I like the game itself to be on the more serious side, but enjoy having a lighthearted evening joking, and laughing or whatever between the in-game action.

 

[Kuld]

Some of my best memories of D&D are funny ones. However, I don't like it when the game becomes too silly.

 

[megamania]

Serious themes with comedy thrown in to keep it light.