Magic, first games and expectations

[Undrave]

So you have never written/prepped an adventure before the players decided what characters they wanted to play? Or you have never run in a convention environment where you have no clue what characters will be used at your table?

Or used a pre-published adventure?

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Umbran]

So you have never written/prepped an adventure before the players decided what characters they wanted to play?

I always wait until after character generation. For my campaigns, character generation is typically its own session anyway, so I don't need to have an adventure prepped.

Or you have never run in a convention environment where you have no clue what characters will be used at your table?

I have never run in a convention environment in which players are bringing their own characters. When I run in convention environment, I bring pre-generated characters.

 

[prabe]

So you have never written/prepped an adventure before the players decided what characters they wanted to play? Or you have never run in a convention environment where you have no clue what characters will be used at your table?

I'm not @Umbran but speaking for myself, I had the instigating events in my head for how the campaigns I'm running were going to start, before I knew exactly what characters I was going to have. Other than that, I've tried to make things fit the characters, both in terms of abilities and interests.

 

[Umbran]

Or used a pre-published adventure?

I always review (and likely edit or change) pre-published adventures before using them. Don't you?

 

[Undrave]

I always review (and likely edit or change) pre-published adventures before using them. Don't you?

I dunno, I only used such an adventure once and never finished it so... shrug Maybe not...

 

[billd91]

For some DMs that's apparently blasphemy be careful the Simulationists don't get to you

Well, some DMs are idiots. I mean if your players want to play non-spellcaster/non-heavily magic characters - then why would a DM be running a campaign style that requires them? That's just setting them up to fail.

Now, if you pitched a D&D campaign that you figured was going to incorporate a need for spellcasters and they all showed up with Mundane Joes, then they're setting themselves up to fail. And hopefully they'll hire some spell-casting henchmen.

But if the players came to the DM to ask about playing a relatively less-magic campaign and the DM agreed but didn't deliver, then that's a bad DM.

 

[billd91]

Of course people play what they like, but would you be uncomfortable in a party where the most magical character is like... I dunno, an Arcane Trickster or a guy who took Magic Initiate - Cleric? Would you be surprise to get to a random table and find not a single caster? That's sorta what I meant by expectations.

Having played PFS and AL, no - I wouldn't be that surprised. Random tables are random tables. They're rare but not impossible. And I have been at ones that have been heavily martial.

 

[prabe]

Of course people play what they like, but would you be uncomfortable in a party where the most magical character is like... I dunno, an Arcane Trickster or a guy who took Magic Initiate - Cleric? Would you be surprise to get to a random table and find not a single caster? That's sorta what I meant by expectations.

To the extent I'd be surprised, it'd be because there are so many magical options in 5E. To the extent I wouldn't be surprised, it'd be because playing a spellchucker can be awfully thinky, and some players don't want that, at least some of the time.

 

[Lanefan]

Well, some DMs are idiots. I mean if your players want to play non-spellcaster/non-heavily magic characters - then why would a DM be running a campaign style that requires them? That's just setting them up to fail.

Now, if you pitched a D&D campaign that you figured was going to incorporate a need for spellcasters and they all showed up with Mundane Joes, then they're setting themselves up to fail. And hopefully they'll hire some spell-casting henchmen.

My take here is not to "pitch" anything beyond it'll be a D&D game in a setting based on culture-x, and here's the setting-specific rules.

After that, the hooks they get, and the subsequent adventures I run, are character-neutral without regard for who or what is in the party until-unless the players via their characters' actions force me to run something else. Given the amount of character turnover at low levels, planning ahead based on party compostion is a fool's errand anyway.

But if the players came to the DM to ask about playing a relatively less-magic campaign and the DM agreed but didn't deliver, then that's a bad DM.

This last is true.