Love and the DnD experience

[WizarDru]

Within the right context with players on the same page, it can make for some compelling stuff. How about the high-level cleric who the Overking wants to marry into a political position who falls in love with a paladin from a faraway land who is secretly a cursed princess? And how about after they get engaged the cleric has to decide if he's going to accept the power of apotheosis, and how will that affect their relationship? Or the elven champion who falls for the outcast elvish prince who loses all hope when his bow-hand is cut-off, who becomes her teacher and then more than that? Or the rogue who falls for the dragon-in-human-form master-smith, after their shared interest in serving good without following the law? No to mention the cleric's paladin cohort who secretly marries the cleric's sister and who he accidentally discovers while they're...ahem...enjoying their marital priveleges?

It can be a total blast when handled well and when everyone's interested. But that's a big 'if', so to speak.

 

[Acid_crash]

I will simply say that it depends on the maturity level of the players involved in the game. If you can find a group of players that won't treat romance and love as a simple form of teenage puppy love and then play their characters out as sluts (like the last group I was in) then it might be okay. If they just flirt all day long and in game do unplausible things, like a half-orc barbarian follower of grumsh (however it is spelled) who is an evil barbarian who suddenly becomes passive and a lover of all things good simply because of another player in the group is flirting with him, that's just pathetic.

 

[sckeener]

like a half-orc barbarian follower of grumsh (however it is spelled) who is an evil barbarian who suddenly becomes passive and a lover of all things good simply because of another player in the group is flirting with him, that's just pathetic.

One aspect I do recommend, speaking as a DM, is couples playing in a game should try to make characters that wouldn't be offensive to their mate. The reason is nothing is more annoying that having to bring in a new character simply because one player gets jealous that their mate is flirting with another character (pc or npc.)

I ran one game where the husband and wife created characters that would lock horns/bicker constantly. When one of the other players started flirting in character to the husband's character, the wife got jealous. There were acusations of virtual cheating and all sorts of silliness. I say silliness since because it was done all out in the open. There really wasn't any solution beyond simply stopping the in game romance, but that wasn't enough. Eventually the wife brought in a new character to dazzle her husband.

 

[WayneLigon]

I haven't read all these authors, of course, but it seems to me romance is used in fantasy novels to sell books, not because it's good for the story.

The mere idea a person could type that sentence and apparently mean it seriously just astounds me. It floors me. It.. I don't know how to react to it, at all.

Love is, I'm sure we're all aware, a many splintered thing and a four letter word.

It.. sounds like you're being facetious, but I can't tell. Please, please say you're joking. Many-splendored thing. Love is a many-splendored thing.

 

[sckeener]

I haven't read all these authors, of course, but it seems to me romance is used in fantasy novels to sell books, not because it's good for the story.

Love is a human condition and it has a tale just as equal to tell as the others in our pysche.

I am finding the concept of love in Battlestar Galactica interesting between number Six and Sharon Eight. All the Sharon Eights seem to believe in love and at least Caprica Six loves Gaius Baltar (episode Downloaded.) Then there is the whole cylon debate on whether love is needed.

IMHO since the cylon's are flesh and blood now, they have a lot of growing up to do with their own repressed ID and a ton of conflict built in with their totally machine relatives. Toss in the quarter machine child between Sharon and Helo and it really gets confusing.

the most obvious examples to use for a game would be constructs and undead, but I assume any outsider to the human condition could be used if they came at the human passions from a different slant.

We already know what it's like. Why do so many novels make us read the same thing over and over and over again?

I think the tale of love is told far to little. I'd rather see more love than violence. Isn't action in most RPGs the same thing over and over again? Kill monsters and take their stuff...a perfect console game.

Without some romance...you can't have the old 1e campaign arc, where you play your characters to 20th level, build strongholds/rule nations/become gods, and then play their kids

That still is happening in one world I am still in from the late 70s. Admittedly I have never played one of my character's kids. I have played some of his brothers. He had 13 siblings.

 

[DonTadow]

Love just has not worked well in my other roleplaying games as well. Eaerlier in the chrystaria timeline I had to boot two players whom fell in love at my game and decided to share pet and baby pics while i was describing dungeons.

This week we got a new male player and the single female player was playing her character a bit more agressively than normal. Almost a bit too obviously showing off for the new male player. In the process some of the other players were caught off guard.

I have couples play at my table, but I often tell them to leave their relationships outside of the table. I just dont see how living out your fantasy of flirting with other players is realistic. For those of us in relationships or married, it seems that it would over complicate the game far more than it helped. I am sure a story can e told without confessing your love for fellow players. If this enhanced the experience so much, why don't more male players play females so that this can happen. I'll even go another step and say that I doubt this happens in parties where both players are male and one is playing afemale.

I'm somewaht ok with nPCs if its a story element or enriching the players background, but players borders on that real life thing you really don't want to put in your games.

 

[sckeener]

I'll even go another step and say that I doubt this happens in parties where both players are male and one is playing afemale.

The last campaign I played in had a male paladin (male player/DM different times) in love with a female wizard/rogue (another male player) for several real world years.

Both players were married though I do not think the characters ever got married. I think it was the paladin that said no as he wanted to rid the world of evil first...though it might have been the rogue as she was interested in power.

How about friendship in RPGs? I mean friendship is just platonic love. Are adventurers friends or just working companions? Are we saying love isn't in most games or are we just talking about how graphic to make it?

If it is just about the details, then I'll agree as everyone's tastes about love are different. The attempt should be to minimize the details, but it should still be there. It is an important human condition....perhaps the most important since many people wouldn't be here without it.

 

[Lanefan]

It.. sounds like you're being facetious, but I can't tell. Please, please say you're joking. Many-splendored thing. Love is a many-splendored thing.

Hmmm..."many splintered thing" has a nice ring to it, you have to admit....

Lanefan

 

[DonTadow]

The last campaign I played in had a male paladin (male player/DM different times) in love with a female wizard/rogue (another male player) for several real world years.

Both players were married though I do not think the characters ever got married. I think it was the paladin that said no as he wanted to rid the world of evil first...though it might have been the rogue as she was interested in power.

How about friendship in RPGs? I mean friendship is just platonic love. Are adventurers friends or just working companions? Are we saying love isn't in most games or are we just talking about how graphic to make it?

If it is just about the details, then I'll agree as everyone's tastes about love are different. The attempt should be to minimize the details, but it should still be there. It is an important human condition....perhaps the most important since many people wouldn't be here without it.

I'd be wierded out if i went home and told my girlfriend I"m married to a dude's female character for a few years.

 

[STARP_Social_Officer]

It.. sounds like you're being facetious, but I can't tell. Please, please say you're joking. Many-splendored thing. Love is a many-splendored thing.

I was in fact joking, and deliberately misquoting. I said "splintered" because it so often goes wrong as we all know and as it often can in campaigns. Nevertheless, I think I prefer "splintered" to "splendoured" anyway. It has more zing.