D&D 5E Preferred DM vs PC game type.

[Voi_D_ragon]

Alright, so this was supposed to be a poll, but apparently I'm stupid with computers and didn't notice I posted it while checking the poll thing etc. Anyway.

In a recent thread I started, (this one http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...think-Strahd-isn-t-actually-so-bad-(Spoilers)) I got a number of comments on my situation saying I had miscalibrated the adventure we were going to play to my group.

Which got me thinking: I myself, although I prefer to DM heroic fantasy/good guy campaigns, thoroughly enjoyed my run as a CN swordsman pirate that literally had no problems with randomly killing strangers to leave messages pinned to their bodies. And the only other slightly lengthy campaign I've been playing is ToA (still in progress, no spoilers pls), but I've had to cycle through so many PCs I just gave up and reverted to killing everything in sight there too since coming up with a different personality every other session is too much of a hassle.

Anyway, what I'm saying is: do you think there's a correlation between the types of games people like to DM and play? Do heroic fantasy DM enjoy playing evil PCs (which kind of makes sense if you think about it) Do evil scheming DMs like playing Lawful Good Paladins when they get to be on the other side of the screen? Is there no correlation? I dunno.
But I thought it would be fun to share. (And I wanted this to be a poll, but oh well).






Original Post (lol):
khg

 

[Harzel]

khg

bqx?

 

[77IM]

ajf!

 

[Rya.Reisender]

*rubs head*

Preferred DM type: As close to RAW/RAI as possible. Strict. No house rules.

Preferred player type: Someone who can roleplay well and is very involved, but doesn't come up with too crazy ideas that completely ruin my preparations. I also have a secret fetish for rules lawyers.

 

[Voi_D_ragon]

LOL I didn't think this had been posted, Omg!

Lemme edit it real quick.

 

[Nagol]

Alright, so this was supposed to be a poll, but apparently I'm stupid with computers and didn't notice I posted it while checking the poll thing etc. Anyway.

In a recent thread I started, (this one http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...think-Strahd-isn-t-actually-so-bad-(Spoilers)) I got a number of comments on my situation saying I had miscalibrated the adventure we were going to play to my group.

Which got me thinking: I myself, although I prefer to DM heroic fantasy/good guy campaigns, thoroughly enjoyed my run as a CN swordsman pirate that literally had no problems with randomly killing strangers to leave messages pinned to their bodies. And the only other slightly lengthy campaign I've been playing is ToA (still in progress, no spoilers pls), but I've had to cycle through so many PCs I just gave up and reverted to killing everything in sight there too since coming up with a different personality every other session is too much of a hassle.

Anyway, what I'm saying is: do you think there's a correlation between the types of games people like to DM and play? Do heroic fantasy DM enjoy playing evil PCs (which kind of makes sense if you think about it) Do evil scheming DMs like playing Lawful Good Paladins when they get to be on the other side of the screen? Is there no correlation? I dunno.
But I thought it would be fun to share. (And I wanted this to be a poll, but oh well).






Original Post (lol):
khg

I'm a very long time DM who very occasionally gets to play. I find there is limited correlation, at best.

As a player, I'm happy to play in humour campaigns/systems. As a DM, I avoid them as much as a I can.

As a player, I strongly dislike systems where the expectation is characters will slowly worsen and die/go mad/something worse and will pass on playing. Though not my first choice for a system, I'll happily run them as a special event or if a player group approaches me and I have the free time.

As a player, I want a game where I can spend as much time as possible immersed in my character. I do not want to be controlling other game entities, dictating events that my character cannot cause, or engaging in world-building of any form. As a DM, I'm happy to run game engines and/or include tools to allow the above in my campaigns.

The old saw of 'to succeed in a campaign, discover what the DM would want to do and do that' is partly right though. Campaign expectations drive in-game consequence and the DM is generally in control of campaign responses and difficulties. If the DM is expecting highly motivated PCs that are going to ferret out their own adventures then a more passive group is going to have a boring and frustrating game. If the DM is expecting high adventure but the players want grittier low-fantasy then the group is going to clash over detail a lot. If the DM is expecting Black vs. White but the players want shades of grey to dominate then there will be frustration again.

 

[5ekyu]

Mostly GM, rarely play. When I do play the character is as keyed to the setting as possible. Obviously, that us not my setting.

If there is a relation between games I run and pcs I play, it's that sometimes I come across ideas in gming I find attractive and note thrm as future pcs.

 

[CydKnight]

Anyway, what I'm saying is: do you think there's a correlation between the types of games people like to DM and play? Do heroic fantasy DM enjoy playing evil PCs (which kind of makes sense if you think about it) Do evil scheming DMs like playing Lawful Good Paladins when they get to be on the other side of the screen? Is there no correlation? I dunno.

If your party is a bunch of "good-guys" it only makes sense that you will have to scheme some evil as a DM. For me personally I would have to say I do enjoy playing an evil NPC as a DM if for no other reason than to help make a fun and exciting campaign for a group of do-gooders but not so much that my goal is to defeat the players (TPK or otherwise). With that said I enjoy playing good NPCs as a DM just as much and possibly more depending on how they fit into the campaign.

As a player I am pretty much always going to play a good aligned player and would likely decline an invitation to an evil-aligned party theme. It's just not enjoyable for me to play a character where the end game is likely chaos and destruction or generally always be performing some deviant type of behavior. You use Lawful good as an example but my characters tend to be mostly Chaotic good and sometimes Neutral good as loosely as alignment seems to be applied to 5E anyway.

 

[Blue]

I think there are strong correlations between how you run a game and how you play a PC. But I don't see it along the "I like playing evil people" lines.

For example, I have no interest in running a joke character nor game that full of silly or absurd things for laughs. I like a level of seriousness - sure we crack some jokes around the table, but the game itself isn't a joke.

Another example is that I'm a big believer in rulings vs. rules, and will make things feel right for the table even if it bends rules (as opposed to my stricter readings when discussing for a large group like on a forum). By the same token I am more likely to run neutral or chaotic characters. Though I will play lawful, just as RAW is fine when it doesn't get in the way.

 

[iserith]

I have two criteria by which I judge a game:

1. It must be funny.
2. We must get stuff done.

If a game I've joined as a player does at least one of these things, I'll likely stick with it.

As a DM, I aim to achieve both of those criteria every session.