I am putting Philosophia Polyhedra on a brief hiatus. I have a few other projects that I'm currently working on that I'd like to devote some more time to. I do fully intend to return to blogging in a few weeks, but at the moment, I don't have enough time to complete all the things I'd like to work on.
Keep on playing and trying new things.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Taboos
Whether we realize it or not, there are a number of topics that are off limits at the gaming table. Maybe there is an unspoken, unwritten rule about what is ok, maybe there have been "incidents" where a taboo was broken and repercussions were felt.
Both the best and the worst part of this is that what is taboo for one group, won't be taboo for another. Drugs might be an ok topic or theme in with one group, while another may not feel comfortable involving them at all.
This series will cover a variety of general taboos (they may not apply within your own group), how to use them responsibly and respectfully to hopefully great effect. As long as your group is open and, most importantly, on the same page social taboos can make for very deep and defining character moments.
Both the best and the worst part of this is that what is taboo for one group, won't be taboo for another. Drugs might be an ok topic or theme in with one group, while another may not feel comfortable involving them at all.
This series will cover a variety of general taboos (they may not apply within your own group), how to use them responsibly and respectfully to hopefully great effect. As long as your group is open and, most importantly, on the same page social taboos can make for very deep and defining character moments.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Party Size in D&D
How big is too big for a gaming group? How small is too small?
D&D (in particular) is set up to run with 4 players and a GM. However, you can run games with significantly more players or significantly less. At a minimum to run a game, one player and one GM. Any less than that and you're not running a game, you're writing a short story/novel. As long as you have at least one other person, you can run a game.
There are special considerations when running with less than the "expected" number of players. If the experience is handed out for combat, you may need to alter the encounters for combat, since there aren't enough players. With fewer players experience will need to be handed out for more than just combat (or increase the xp awards for combat). Roleplaying would be the easiest method for awarding extra XP. Also, running a game that isn't focused on combat allows for much smaller parties than a combat centric game.
On the other end, there really isn't an upper limit to how many people can playing a game. I've played in games that had 12 people in them. The only limit to how many people can play in a single game is determined by two things: how much effort the GM can put into it and the patience of the players. Certain GMs can run more, other can run less. GMs also have the option to co-GM if the group gets too big. However, if the players aren't willing to put up with a group that size, it won't work. The more people you add to to a group, the length of time everything takes increases exponentially.
D&D (in particular) is set up to run with 4 players and a GM. However, you can run games with significantly more players or significantly less. At a minimum to run a game, one player and one GM. Any less than that and you're not running a game, you're writing a short story/novel. As long as you have at least one other person, you can run a game.
There are special considerations when running with less than the "expected" number of players. If the experience is handed out for combat, you may need to alter the encounters for combat, since there aren't enough players. With fewer players experience will need to be handed out for more than just combat (or increase the xp awards for combat). Roleplaying would be the easiest method for awarding extra XP. Also, running a game that isn't focused on combat allows for much smaller parties than a combat centric game.
On the other end, there really isn't an upper limit to how many people can playing a game. I've played in games that had 12 people in them. The only limit to how many people can play in a single game is determined by two things: how much effort the GM can put into it and the patience of the players. Certain GMs can run more, other can run less. GMs also have the option to co-GM if the group gets too big. However, if the players aren't willing to put up with a group that size, it won't work. The more people you add to to a group, the length of time everything takes increases exponentially.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Choosing the Right Character
Hello, and welcome to a guest post. I'm not the guest poster that you were told about a few posts ago, I'm the guest poster that was supposed to be guest posting from the beginning and didn't. Sorry.
Some brief background before we get into the actual post. I have played RPGs on video game consoles for as long as I can remember, but I am relatively new to tabletop gaming. I played 2nd edition once when I was a sophomore in high school and spent 2 hours making a character and waiting for the game to start and then was killed by an ooze slime 10 minutes into combat. In game time, it would have taken roughly 18 seconds between me pulling out my sword and me being below -10. I did not play again for a while. Actually until I was a sophomore in college, when I started playing 3.0 and then 3.5 after that. However, I am a big fan of tabletop gaming because of the role playing and the storytelling that it allows to take place. For the most part those are the topics that I will be limiting most of my posts to.
This is my first post, and it isn't going to blow the lid off of gaming, but it is a nice place to start to set up future posts.
When playing D&D, choosing your character is your first step and can be very the most difficult. A bad character can mean that you spend weeks or months not having fun playing a game, which I would argue defeats the purpose of playing a game. Choosing a good character can heighten the experience for yourself and others. However, I'm going to stop right here at tell you that determining if a character is good or bad has less to do with the character's mechanic than you would think. Instead you should look at a number of factors. The variables that affect the decision on what player to play can be overwhelming, but I will attempt to provide some of the factors that you can consider to maximize your chances of finding a character that will work for you.
Some brief background before we get into the actual post. I have played RPGs on video game consoles for as long as I can remember, but I am relatively new to tabletop gaming. I played 2nd edition once when I was a sophomore in high school and spent 2 hours making a character and waiting for the game to start and then was killed by an ooze slime 10 minutes into combat. In game time, it would have taken roughly 18 seconds between me pulling out my sword and me being below -10. I did not play again for a while. Actually until I was a sophomore in college, when I started playing 3.0 and then 3.5 after that. However, I am a big fan of tabletop gaming because of the role playing and the storytelling that it allows to take place. For the most part those are the topics that I will be limiting most of my posts to.
This is my first post, and it isn't going to blow the lid off of gaming, but it is a nice place to start to set up future posts.
When playing D&D, choosing your character is your first step and can be very the most difficult. A bad character can mean that you spend weeks or months not having fun playing a game, which I would argue defeats the purpose of playing a game. Choosing a good character can heighten the experience for yourself and others. However, I'm going to stop right here at tell you that determining if a character is good or bad has less to do with the character's mechanic than you would think. Instead you should look at a number of factors. The variables that affect the decision on what player to play can be overwhelming, but I will attempt to provide some of the factors that you can consider to maximize your chances of finding a character that will work for you.
- Personal Play Style: This is probably the most obvious variable. If you prefer to not keep track of things spells or abilities then chances are you will want to play a more martial class that does not have as much book keeping. If you like to shine in specific moments at the table then a skill based character can provide you with situations where you can save the party time or resources with a successful check, or in the case of the rouge can save a party member by disabling a trap. These are things that you should consider when choosing a character that is right for you. If you like to be the most powerful person at the table, you're probably wanting to use some magic. You may start out weak, but it will work out eventually.
- Party Play Style: This topic has been covered before, but it should be repeated. RPGs are collaborative affairs, which means that if you want to get the most out of it you should consider the people you are playing with. If your party likes to kill things or collect loot, playing a character that is designed to bluff and talk his way out of a fight may become extremely frustrating to you and the party that will want you to be having fun with them or may just view your character as dead weight. While it isn't always necessary to have a character that fits into the regular 4 party, it is a good idea to make sure that you are trying to have a similar experience to those you are playing with. It is also important to know your party's play style if you want to play a flawed character, will they be supportive of the problems that can arise from such a situation or simply annoyed that their job has gotten harder.
- How Long is the Game Going to be Run: This is an important variable that many players overlook. If you know that you are only going to be player the character for a few sessions, you can feel more freedom to try out strange mechanics or play characters that would be more difficult to play over a long stretch of time. Conversely, a game that is going to take you from level one to twenty requires more planning in order to end up with a character that is viable at early levels as well as higher levels. Something to remember is that a game that is supposed to take you from level 1 to 20 will most likely take you a very long time to complete, which means that it is likely that the group will come to an end before the game does, so I would recommend having the basis for your character to be done before level twelve. That way you maximize your chances of having a character that is fun to play for the game.
- Is There a Story You Want to Tell: This variable is the one that I come back to most often when I make a character. D&D and all RPGs are always about a story, at its most basic a character's story is about growing stronger through adventuring. However, there are plenty of other stories to be told, which is why I am a fan of prestige classes. They offer flavor, which allows you to create a plot point for your character, the point in time when they chose a specific path. Working with your GM in to let him know the story you want to tell is very important, and can more than likely help the GM plan the story that he wants to tell as well. However it is important to remember that RPGs are collaborative games, so don't be surprised if your GM has some insights into how such a story would fit into the overarching story and would prefer to keep them a surprise. Such additions and collaboration can make the game more fun when it comes time for your character to experience a plot point. In another installment I will delve more into creating a story for your character.
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