D&D General What tone do you prefer for D&D?

[DEFCON 1]

Tone Loc.

That's why I found you don't play around, and kill that funky old hyena.

 

[Reynard]

D&D spell casting can be overwhelming with raise the dead and the like

I don't know, there is something deliciously cruel about raise dead in a grimdark game. Death comes often and swiftly and horribly. Sure, you get raised. All that means is there is never an end. You get to die over and over, and you carry with you the psychic scars of death after death.

 

[GlassJaw]

I prefer PULP action. Somewhere between Gritty (Cthulhu) and Heroic (D&D).

Absolutely this.

I like the players to be heroes but I always err on the side of dark and creepy just under the surface...

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I find that I really have to work to moderate my tone, to keep it from getting too grimdark. Otherwise, I'll have tons of gruesome undead, vicious descriptions in combat, and threats everywhere. Knowing this, I always try to put in elements of levity and lightness to my game. So that when they find themselves in a land of the dead, they'll encounter a hag that really just wants them to eat right and take care of themselves, or a strangely intelligent zombie that doesn't like eating the flesh of the living.

 

[Shiroiken]

I split the difference between heroic (?) adventure and gritty realism. The players are free to be good/evil/lawful/chaotic, so long as they can work together I can create a campaign around it. Most of my campaigns are typical adventuring, usually with an overarching plot the players don't realize until much later. I prefer to have a level of "realism" in my games, however, but that realism doesn't have to be based on our reality, just be internally consistent (for example, astrology is divination, the sun revolves around the world, alchemy is a form of magic, etc.).

 

[Garthanos]

I don't know, there is something deliciously cruel about raise dead in a grimdark game.

4e had disease removal be dangerous as hell somebody want to do dark there are tools but I really think you have to pick through D&Ds spells to the point of no return.

 

[Reynard]

4e had disease removal be dangerous as hell somebody want to do dark there are tools but I really think you have to pick through D&Ds spells to the point of no return.

I'm just talking about role-playing. Dying over and over again is going to mess you up, especially if you a playing a grimdark game where everything else is messed up to begin with.

 

[Oofta]

...a strangely intelligent zombie that doesn't like eating the flesh of the living.

I may have to steal that one.

 

[Minigiant]

D&D spell casting can be overwhelming with raise the dead and the like

There are worse fates than death.

You can have a grimdark game from level 1 to 20. You can have a paragon game from level 1 to level 20. And everything between.

 

[Garthanos]

There are worst dates than death.

You can have a grimdark game from level 1 to 20. You can have a paragon game from level 1 to level 20. And everything between.

I mentioned Cu Chulainne could go from 5 to finale while being very grim but I just think the game has heavy handed magic even at fairly low levels which interferes D&D magic != Classic Fiction or Myth or Legend it is its own thing really flashy and over coming death itself at low levelsreally isnt very grim sorry.

 

[Garthanos]

Even back in AD&D it was like one is fighting the spell casting system if you want different flavor. Hence why it seemed for many the first part to house rule

 

[Garthanos]

To be honest really the best way to genre is by player buy in....
Got players who want to do X genre they can all help make it happen

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Be warned, my group really cottoned to him (much to the undead-hating ranger's disgruntlement), and ended up taking him with them to get brought back from the dead.

Also, come up with a name in advance! The encounter was supposed to be a throw-away, and of course they asked "what's your name?"

I may have to steal that one.

 

[CleverNickName]

For me: Virtue first, Heroic second, everything else tied for third place.

 

[Umbran]

I don't find D&D, as a system engine, does gritty realism particularly well. If I want that, I use a different system. And I'm not much for grimdark play.

All the others are fine.

 

[Oofta]

Be warned, my group really cottoned to him (much to the undead-hating ranger's disgruntlement), and ended up taking him with them to get brought back from the dead.

Also, come up with a name in advance! The encounter was supposed to be a throw-away, and of course they asked "what's your name?"

Yeah, now I'm trying to figure out how to insert this guy into my next session. Except of course he'd be chef with a big mustache complaining in my really bad french accent "You call theez brains? Pah, I spit in the general direction of theez so-called 'brains'."

 

[RogueRonin]

Murderhobos at first, and then murderhobos with super powers at higher levels.

 

[Legatus Legionis]

.

 

[Lidgar]

Murderhobos at first, and then murderhobos with super powers at higher levels.

Beat me too it. Murderhobo style FTW.

 

[robus]

I like heroic adventure, reality is grim & gritty enough these days. And while I love to laugh during the game, I don’t go looking to pre-inject humor into my campaign the players provide plenty of that.