D&D 5E (2014) Whimsy in your game?

[delericho]

I'm not sure how a D&D adventure could include a monster called a Black Pudding and it not be whimsical. That's only one step removed from the dread Were-Haggis.

 

[Mistwell]

I love it.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Sacrosanct]

I'm not sure how a D&D adventure could include a monster called a Black Pudding and it not be whimsical. That's only one step removed from the dread Were-Haggis.

or the flumph for Christ's sake I think whimsy really took root in D&D in 2e, with the art of Tony DiTerlizzi. And he's almost universally liked.

But seriously, I could probably do without the whimsy in an underdark setting and be perfectly fine. Not a huge fan of it. That said, I don't have anything against it either. There's a TON of underdark material out there that has no whimsy in it at all that I can use, and have used. I still have my boxed "Ruins of the Undermountain" set to use if I want. Or Night Below. I have no problems with this at all.

If all I wanted was grimdark, I'd break out WFRP 1e.

 

[collin]

Whimsy is good, but it has to be in a proper amount. Too much and the game devolves and just gets silly. Too little, and it just gets too serious and not as much fun. Even the original Star Trek would occasionally delve into a little whimsy to keep from being too dire and serious.

 

[Mallus]

If all I wanted was grimdark, I'd break out WFRP 1e.

Yeah, and even Warhammer's grimdark is meant to be funny in a mean satiric British sort of way. "Small but vicious dog" and all.

I'm all for whimsy. We bake a lot of whimsical humor directly into our settings, and them again into our characters. I think we're just too damn old for "serious business" fantasy -- it no longer has a strong appeal.

edit: whimsy is a great way of acknowledging a lot of fantasy's essential silliness. Kinda in the same way Star Trek works best when it's Kirk delivering a speech in front of a painted Styrofoam rock in the company of space ladies in big wigs, instead of a more dignified Picard having a meeting of upper management in a tasteful space conference room.

 

[ZeshinX]

A little whimsy has its place, for sure. Unfortunately, in something titled "Out of the Abyss", I expect dark, demonic forces with no whimsy. A little light relief in a sea of darkness certainly, but not whimsy.

Frankly this is only reinforcing my view that WotC are fine game designers, but patently awful story-tellers.

 

[Iosue]

If the whimsy wasn't there in the product, my group would probably put it in ourselves, anyway. Playing HotDQ, when the players came to the ambush spot after the attack on Greenest, one player critted their Perception roll and spotted the ambushers. So the group pretended to be straggling mercenaries. The cultists welcomed them to the ambush spot, and they all settled in to wait for the PCs, who were of course already there. One Affably Evil cultist spent the time encouraging the PCs to join the Cult of the Dragon, talking about the decent hours, good benefits package (including dental), and how wonderful it was going to be when Tiamat-Praised-Be-Her-Name came back. Afterwards, there were shenanigans, and a good time was had by all.

 

[Morrus]

Frankly this is only reinforcing my view that WotC are fine game designers, but patently awful story-tellers.

There's a difference between personal taste and objective quality.

 

[epithet]

I didn't know there were so many people who took their tabletop roleplaying sooooo seriously. I mean, if you can't laugh at a mind flayer, what can you laugh at?

If it weren't written that way, I'd have to go in and add whimsical bits myself.

I'll just leave this here...

[video=youtube;SJUhlRoBL8M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUhlRoBL8M[/video]