Should a DM change an official NPC?

[Mark Chance]

Yeah, but...

Since D&D books sell much better than any other roleplaying books, and Forgotten Realms material sells better than any other campaign setting, it is reasonable to deduce that at least a few players, if not many players, feel the same way I do. My gaming group consists of about 10 guys, and all of them feel the same way I do, so I know from that fact alone that I am not the only one who demands an authentic FR campaign.

McDonald's is the most successful restaraunt in the world. Billions of burgers sold every year. McD's outsells all the competition.

Doesn't mean the food is any good.

FR is fast food fantasy.

 

[greymarch]

ok, now i'm really curious. first off:

and, what setting do you play in your SW game? is there alot of contact between the PCs and the movie or novel characters?


(i've started quoting myself! )

In my SW campaign, we are playing the Rise of the Empire era (prequel era.) We have meet several movie characters, but havent affected them. Two of our characters are Jedi, and work for the Jedi council (as prescribed in the RCRB.) We have been playing official modules found on the WOTC website, and have played the WOTC Tempest module (wonderful module by the way.)

We are debating if we will have any actual large, long-term effects on the campaign world. Its much more difficult to run an authentic SW campaign, because if an NPC bites it, you cannot get him or her resurrected. In SW, what is done, is done.

Alas, I digress from the topic at hand. It would probably be a bad idea to start steering this topic towards the SW d20 game, or Star Wars in general. I suspect this topic is about to delve into political definitions anyhow, considering how often I am hearing the words "close-minded" and "education."

I want to add that it's also a matter of economics for me. I love buying WOTC roleplaying books. I enjoy reading them, and most of all I enjoy using them. When I play D&D, I expect the DM to use these books. If he is not using them, then I feel I am not getting my money's worth out of them. My gaming group feels the same way. We dont need a GM who says "ok guys, I have written my own campaign, with my own spells, characters and monsters, lets get started!" Such an act would virtually guarantee the end of the roleplaying session. By sticking as closely to the WOTC rules and FR campaign as possible, my friends and I all feel we are all playing the same game on equal ground, and are getting value out of the books we buy.

 

[greymarch]

Re: Yeah, but...

McDonald's is the most successful restaraunt in the world. Billions of burgers sold every year. McD's outsells all the competition.

Doesn't mean the food is any good.

FR is fast food fantasy.

If FR is fast food fantasy, then everything else is Turkish prison food.

 

[herald]

FR is fast food fantasy.

Ouch!

If FR is fast food fantasy, then everything else is Turkish prison food.

Double Ouch!!

Could we move beyond the my game world sucks less than your game world comments and get back on track?

 

[IceBear]

Yeah, I just wanted to point out that I don't think there are more "kids" on these forums than on the offical ones. As sad as it is to say, I would think that most of the serious 3E DMs and players have been playing it for a long, long time - I don't think we're recruiting much new blood into the hobby.

I also don't think that all the newcomers to the game have come to these forums alone and thus it invalidates the opinions of the posters on here.

This thread started because you don't like the CRs of some of the demon princes in the BoVD. When the solution was offered that you modify them to fit the CR that you think is correct, you immediately stated that this wasn't an option. Thus, you started this thread to see if our suggestion was a poor one. Now that you see that most people disagree with you, you attacked our mental capacity and basically said our opinions don't count. Since this option of "fixing" the demon princes is out, then I guess you'll have to go to the offical boards and ask them to release a web enhancement that will have these demon princes the way you like.

Anyway, as has been stated above, as long as you're playing the game and having fun that's all that counts, I just have a hard time thinking of how I could let my groups creativeness be controlled by WotC. Education and age has nothing to do with this.

IceBear

 

[Grazzt]

We dont need a GM who says "ok guys, I have written my own campaign, with my own spells, characters and monsters, lets get started!" Such an act would virtually guarantee the end of the roleplaying session.

End the roleplaying session? So, if the DM comes up with a really cool NPC or really cool monster he can't use it? Homebrew doesn't necessarily mean EVERYTHING is made up. My campaign world, Alorel, has a "feel" somewhere between Andre Norton's Witchworld and Elric's world. But, we use the classes, rules, spells, monsters, etc. from the PHB, DMG, MM, etc. We also use some d20 stuff (Necromancer Games, SSS, etc.) as well as stuff I have created (monsters mostly...go figure ). But, its still D&D any way you slice it. And there is a lot of satisfaction in creating a homebrewed world (using the D&D rules), sitting back, watching the players have fun interacting with something you created, and thinking "Yeah- I made that."

By sticking as closely to the WOTC rules and FR campaign as possible, my friends and I all feel we are all playing the same game on equal ground, and are getting value out of the books we buy.

Perhaps. But, like I said earlier, I don't use the Realms. I don't like the Realms. But, I own a lot of the stuff. And I use some of it sometimes too. I get value out of most everything I buy at some point. It's just a matter of how you put it to use.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

)

When I play D&D, I expect the DM to use these books. If he is not using them, then I feel I am not getting my money's worth out of them. My gaming group feels the same way. We dont need a GM who says "ok guys, I have written my own campaign

so does your group have a new DM, or one who can't keep up on purchases, or just one who's determined to change the Realms to suit him?

(and i'd like to hear more about your SW game, but you're right about this thread. there's always d20 games, plots and places....

 

[Darkness]

My gaming group has been together for over 14 years now, and we play in the Forgotten Realms. We demand an authentic Forgotten Realms campaign. When we fight Drizzt, we want to fight the official Drizzt, not some 19 year old geek's version.

1. Your group has been playing together for 14+ years.

2. If your DM altered Drizzt, this Drizzt would be "some 19 year old geek's" version.

Conclusion: Your DM started running games for you at age 5?!

 

[greymarch]

1. Your group has been playing together for 14+ years.

2. If your DM altered Drizzt, this Drizzt would be "some 19 year old geek's" version.

Conclusion: Your DM started running games for you at age 5?!

Nope. My gaming group started when we were generally 16 years old. Needless to say, we didnt know what we were doing, but we tried to stick to the rules as best we could.

I gave the example of the 19 year old as an abstraction.

 

[barsoomcore]

Re: Re: Yeah, but...

If FR is fast food fantasy, then everything else is Turkish prison food.

Oh? You've tried everything else, have you? You played in MY campaign, did you? Uh-huh.

You do realise that comments like this make it harder for people to take you seriously, don't you? Mark Chance expressed his opinion on FR, which is fair enough. One can imagine that he has read enough of the available material in order to present his opinion. If he hasn't, his lack of knowledge will come out in time and we'll all be thinking, "That Mark Chance, don't trust that guy. Don't bother reading his posts."

But you? You who categorize everything other than what WotC produces? How are we to take you seriously? You have no basis for your opinion. None whatsoever. If you put forward this opinion with such strength, even though you have no means of backing it up, how do I know that you aren't incapable of defending any of your opinions? How do I know that every one of your assertions is just as ridiculous as this one?

Make enough foolish generalization like this, and people will stop listening to you. I guarantee it.

You like Forgotten Realms. That's great. You want to play in a version of FR that is exactly what WotC suggests. That's great, too. I wish you joy in your endeavour.

But to then go ahead and make a statement like this -- that's uncool. You realise you attacked my own hard work -- have you even visited my campaign site?

Talk about what you know about, or ask questions about what you don't. Asserting truths about topics you know nothing about only makes you look foolish.