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

[FrozenNorth]

In my definition, that grim.
The player's characters are always rising to the occasion. Otherwise there is no game to play.

The question is what are their chances? How dangerous are their normal challenges relative to them?

Instead of “what are their chances?”, I would ask “what are their choices?”. I would call the tone grim if the characters always take the heroic option, but the choice is always between “50 people die” and “100 people die”.

 

[Oofta]

And that's mostly relationship between PCs and challenges.

If you fail your rolls a lot, you'll get hit more. You'll take more damage. You'll take lasting damage. You'll run out of resources faster. And you'll most likely lose. Bad. That's grim. Your chances are grim.

In heroic, you'll succeed more of your rolls and more likely succeed if you don't go over your head. Because you are better than your challenges and stronger than your enemies.

But you could be in smurf world and still be unlikely to succeed.

That would not meet the generally accepted definition of bleak and forbidding world that defines grimdark. I didn't make up the definitions I provided - it's what you get from a quick google search.

 

[Minigiant]

But you could be in smurf world and still be unlikely to succeed.

That would not meet the generally accepted definition of bleak and forbidding world that defines grimdark. I didn't make up the definitions I provided - it's what you get from a quick google search.

The poll says grim not grimdark.

Grim and Dark are two different things.

Grim means you likely won't succeed. And if you do, you don't affect much. And either way, you are damaged. Grim

You can succeed in dark fantasy. You can be a big hero in dark fantasy. The world is just a level of gross or terrible.

You can have a grim realism but in a nice and appealing world. If you cannot change the world.. if you won't succeed in your quest... it's grim. Many cyberpunk worlds are grim but not exactly dark.

 

[Oofta]

The poll says grim not grimdark.

Grim and Dark are two different things.

Grim means you likely won't succeed. And if you do, you don't affect much. And either way, you are damaged. Grim

You can succeed in dark fantasy. You can be a big hero in dark fantasy. The world is just a level of gross or terrible.

You can have a grim realism but in a nice and appealing world. If you cannot change the world.. if you won't succeed in your quest... it's grim. Many cyberpunk worlds are grim but not exactly dark.

My page says "Really Grimdark".

In any case, do what makes sense for you and your game no matter what style you prefer. Have a good one.

 

[Minigiant]

My page says "Really Grimdark".

In any case, do what makes sense for you and your game no matter what style you prefer. Have a good one.

Youre right.
My eyes must be going doing double work covering for absences in this pandemic.

 

[OB1]

I go for summer action/adventure blockbuster mixed with a healthy dose of high fantasy gonzo.

 

[Lanefan]

Instead of “what are their chances?”, I would ask “what are their choices?”. I would call the tone grim if the characters always take the heroic option, but the choice is always between “50 people die” and “100 people die”.

Sounds good.

What would you (or anyone) call it if-when the characters don't always take the heroic option?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I like pulp games, where even if the campaign themes are dark, it's never hopeless, and I prefer heroic PCs who don't need money as a motivator to adventure. So I voted Heroic Adventures.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

PCs solely motivated by greed can really drive me up a wall. This is D&D, you know there's going to be plenty of overflowing treasure chests and magic items. I don't appreciate when a player that tries to shake down the quest-giver. Meanwhile, everyone else just wants to get to the actual adventure.

I prefer heroic PCs who don't need money as a motivator to adventure.

 

[Lanefan]

PCs solely motivated by greed can really drive me up a wall. This is D&D, you know there's going to be plenty of overflowing treasure chests and magic items. I don't appreciate when a player that tries to shake down the quest-giver. Meanwhile, everyone else just wants to get to the actual adventure.

I've come to accept - and even at times embrace - the fact that rare indeed is the PC who isn't either largely or solely motivated by greed. If nothing else, it makes baiting adventure hooks so trivially easy...

That said, I'd only shake down the quest-giver once we'd got back from the quest, for two reasons: one, we'll be better at what we do by then and thus more likely to succeed; and two, pulling the shake-down before we leave wipes out any potential reward we might have otherwise got.

Greed says do the quest, take the reward, and then shake him down.