misterdaniel (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
misterdaniel) wrote2025-01-15 04:26 pm
misterdaniel) wrote2025-01-15 04:26 pm
RPG Commentary: Unconventional D&D
In fiction, I love juxtaposition. I love unholy mash-ups of things that do not go together and yet somehow do. I love the subversion of expectations. In fiction, I haven't seen a status quo I haven't wanted to upend or an apple cart I've not wanted to knock over. (I tend to be more conservative (small 'c') in real life where such things involve the lives of real people but that's another discussion).
This is perhaps very evident in my approach to LRP and RPGs where there is an entire fictional setting laid out just teeming with tropes and expectations to subvert.
It is one of the reasons I love to DM/GM games, because I have the power to do unconventional things. Now don't get me wrong, if I am running a game of D&D for you then you can fight the goblins, cast the fireballs and sway folks with charisma. The expected is always on the table.
However, for variety - and because it has amused me to do so - here are some examples of the things I done to stray from the norm:
1. A random encounter table prompted me to have a circus in town. Since I had a dinosaur mini, I made it the star of the show. Because Jurassic Park exists, it proceeded to be 'enchanted' and go on a rampage. This is pictured below. The red motes are 'innocent civilians'. Our heroes had to save the civilians and find out which of six quicklings was concentrating on the spell that was causing the rampage. It was a lot of fun.
2. Whilst travelling through the Feywild, our band of heroes had to take up instruments to engage in a Battle of the Bands versus an Archfey with a judgemental audience disapproving with psychic damage for poor Performance.
3. In order to discourage criminals from crime, our heroes engaged in a cooking competition with the prize being enough money to pay the criminals' debts. This involved a lot of skill checks and presentation (and sabotage). With an octopus familiar providing Guidance-by-Proxy it got a bit Ratatoille.
4. In order to free a group of grippli from the Yuan-Ti who had conquered their village, our heroes engaged in a Strictly-style dance off against the snake invaders - and triumphed.
5. Having defeated the bad guys, our heroes discovered that the information they needed was available in the form of a play - and proceeded to do a read through of the play (their characters taking on the roles) as a novel form of exposition).
Back in the late 1980s, I was given one piece of advice in running games that I carry through to this day:
'Give Your Players A Good Time'
It was excellent advice then and its excellent advice still
This is perhaps very evident in my approach to LRP and RPGs where there is an entire fictional setting laid out just teeming with tropes and expectations to subvert.
It is one of the reasons I love to DM/GM games, because I have the power to do unconventional things. Now don't get me wrong, if I am running a game of D&D for you then you can fight the goblins, cast the fireballs and sway folks with charisma. The expected is always on the table.
However, for variety - and because it has amused me to do so - here are some examples of the things I done to stray from the norm:
1. A random encounter table prompted me to have a circus in town. Since I had a dinosaur mini, I made it the star of the show. Because Jurassic Park exists, it proceeded to be 'enchanted' and go on a rampage. This is pictured below. The red motes are 'innocent civilians'. Our heroes had to save the civilians and find out which of six quicklings was concentrating on the spell that was causing the rampage. It was a lot of fun.
2. Whilst travelling through the Feywild, our band of heroes had to take up instruments to engage in a Battle of the Bands versus an Archfey with a judgemental audience disapproving with psychic damage for poor Performance.
3. In order to discourage criminals from crime, our heroes engaged in a cooking competition with the prize being enough money to pay the criminals' debts. This involved a lot of skill checks and presentation (and sabotage). With an octopus familiar providing Guidance-by-Proxy it got a bit Ratatoille.
4. In order to free a group of grippli from the Yuan-Ti who had conquered their village, our heroes engaged in a Strictly-style dance off against the snake invaders - and triumphed.
5. Having defeated the bad guys, our heroes discovered that the information they needed was available in the form of a play - and proceeded to do a read through of the play (their characters taking on the roles) as a novel form of exposition).
Back in the late 1980s, I was given one piece of advice in running games that I carry through to this day:
'Give Your Players A Good Time'
It was excellent advice then and its excellent advice still
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It's from the "shoot your Monks" philosophy. If a character can do something cool (Deflect Missiles) then let them do something cool. Actively facilitate it.
Which requires knowing your PCs and what they like
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For the record, it was a heist against the Lampblacks while they were having a secret negotiation with the Red Sashes. The suggested flashback was “we set it up with the Red Sashes so they would distract the Lampblacks while we stole the MacGuffin” to which I was “hell yes!”
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PCs vs DM is just so dumb on so many levels - and yet so prevalent
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