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The Spectral Mask
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The Spectral Mask


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PostSubject: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyThu Jul 15, 2010 5:17 pm

Here's the place to discuss Dungeons and Dragons, the very first fantasy role-playing game!

In Dungeons and Dragons, you move small plastic miniatures around the board and role-play. Playing the game is basically group storytelling; you discribe your character's actions, and the other players discribe theirs.

Of course, a story has more than just main characters. It also has supporting characters, extras, settings, and plot. Those elements are controlled by the Dungeon Master or "DM". The Dungeon Master runs the game, controls all of the supporting characters and monsters, and designs the encounters the characters face. The Dungeon Master is a lot like the programmer of a fantasy video game, except the Dungeon Master can improvise - creating a fantasy role-playing experience of unrivaled potential.

Eventually, the characters stop roleplaying and start rolling. Whenever there is a chance the character might fail, you role a twenty-sided die. The harder the task, the higher you have to role to succeed. There are also modifiers and penalties; numbers you add or subtract to your die to make your role higher or lower, based on your character's statistics or the situation. If you choose to play as a human or elf, for example, elves have +2 bonuses to Wisdom, while humans do not.

Discuss!


Last edited by The Spectral Mask on Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:36 pm; edited 5 times in total
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Cryomancer
The Cold Mage
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyFri Jul 16, 2010 11:21 pm

:<3:

That is all.


~A~


Last edited by Cryoemancer on Sun Jul 25, 2010 12:55 am; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : Emote fail.)
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Umbramancer
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptySat Jul 24, 2010 2:16 pm

Short story, for you Not Amused


Last edited by Scodonius on Wed Aug 11, 2010 3:11 pm; edited 1 time in total
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The Spectral Mask
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The Spectral Mask


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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Oct 13, 2010 8:57 pm

I'm not usually one for online DnD. If you want to play a medieval MMO, I would direct you to World of Warcraft. Dungeons and Dragons is a way to get a group together and play a board game.

And then there's the fact that there's no DM in an online game ... without one, improvisation is impossible. Interaction with NPCs functions like Improv Theater in the tabletop version, as both the Players and the Dungeon Master can ad lib. In a computer game, all text has to be pre-written, unless you're one of the more innovative companies who hire people to voice them. None the less, although many shortcuts can be taken in the virtual plane with more and more ingenuity, nothing can perfectly imitate Dungeon-Master-and-Player gaming.


Last edited by The Spectral Mask on Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:36 pm; edited 3 times in total
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Cryomancer
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Oct 13, 2010 9:00 pm

@Spectral: Check "out". :P

And REALLLY? C:



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Lord Mayhem
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Oct 13, 2010 10:19 pm

also the creators of the game neglected alot of stuff (like the ability to talk with npcs) so CHA is only good for bluff (causes monsters not to fight you) diplimacy (same thing) and intimidate (which causes them to attack) this is NOT how dnd handbook described those skills I guess whoever made the game hasnt really been playing dnd
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Cryomancer
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Oct 13, 2010 10:22 pm

Wow, that's kinda sad.



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The Spectral Mask
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The Spectral Mask


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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Oct 13, 2010 11:24 pm

Actually, that sounds like the version three version of Bluff and Intiminate and some lazy programming under Diplomacy. So, maybe this is an older game?


Last edited by The Spectral Mask on Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:37 pm; edited 3 times in total
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Lord Mayhem
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyThu Oct 14, 2010 6:46 pm

ive always wanted to play a tank or a striker which do u think i should be
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Cryomancer
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptySat Oct 16, 2010 3:14 pm

Tank?

Is that even...?

~A~
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Lord Mayhem
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptySat Oct 16, 2010 3:50 pm

a tank is like a fighter or a barbarian or paladin basically heavy AC and damage
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Cryomancer
The Cold Mage
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptySat Oct 16, 2010 3:51 pm

I see.


~A~
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The Spectral Mask
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The Spectral Mask


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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptySat Oct 16, 2010 3:58 pm

In forth edition, "tanks" are called "defenders", but the discription is about the same. They're heavy hitters who do a lot of damage but have good AC and hit points.

They're called Defenders because they're meant to defend the striker and controller.

But remember, this topic is for fourth edition discussion only. Try to stay on topic.


Last edited by The Spectral Mask on Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:37 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Lord Mayhem
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptySat Oct 16, 2010 5:40 pm

so striker defender leader and controller right?
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Cryomancer
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptySat Oct 16, 2010 9:37 pm

No, he defends the STRIKER and the Controller.



~A~
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The Spectral Mask
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The Spectral Mask


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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyThu Jul 28, 2011 5:57 pm

... even I've got to admit, re-reading this topic after so long makes me laugh. It's funny how this has become a "log" of my misadventures trying to start groups ...

Edit: Alright, enough of this. It was a bit of a struggle, but Arty and I have managed to clean this thread up. We need lose some information, most of it irrelevant, but Irae's first post about playing online D&D was lost. Let it be known he sparked that discussion and will always be one post short of his rightful ranking. *takes hat off in respect*

Wow, I just re-read the Player's Handbook for about the fifth time, and I'm still finding things I didn't know before. I never really considered magic items before ... aside from those, I gave some players way to high Armor in a few games (Darkhide Armor only starts showing up around 16th level, for instance) and I never knew drawing weapons and putting them back were both minor actions (I assumed they were free), or the finer rules of off-hand weapons, versatile weapons, ect.


Last edited by The Spectral Mask on Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:38 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Lord Mayhem
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Aug 10, 2011 2:06 am


sorry for posting character stats so I put it in spoiler format


Spoiler:


Last edited by Neutral Evil on Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
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The Spectral Mask
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The Spectral Mask


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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Aug 10, 2011 3:00 pm

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Lord Mayhem
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Aug 10, 2011 3:36 pm

Spoiler:
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The Spectral Mask
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The Spectral Mask


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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyMon Jul 15, 2013 10:43 pm

Well, hehehe, hasn't it been a while?

I'm just here to bump this thread for a conversation with Wally... I think he might have told me this story before, but I'm quite interested in his experience with the game.

Two new campaigns, one which I run and the other which I do not, are both starting up, and Arty and Irae are in both. I might share more information about them as time goes on, if anyone at all is interested.
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Lignar
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyTue Jul 16, 2013 12:02 am

The funny thing is, I might have some interest in hearing about the campaigns. :P

Okay, so many years ago, someone I knew gave me a D&D Player's Handbook (no I don't know what edition) and went through the basics of "gameplay", if you can call it that. I developed a prototype character, as the same person gave me a blank character sheet, and I went on my merry way with book stowed on the bottom shelf of a bookcase in my bedroom.

At least a year later, I still hadn't done anything playerwise. I didn't retain any of the information I'd been told, I had no one to play with, and I had no materials. I also hadn't reread the book much, which I'm sure didn't help. Anyway the same person suggested to me that I become a Dungeonmaster instead, which I showed some vague interest in. I acquired a Dungeonmaster's Handbook or whatever it's called, read a bit of it, then set it on the shelf with my Player's Handbook. Being a Dungeonmaster, I wouldn't have to wait for someone to organize stuff for me.

Well, predictably, I did no such organizing. A year or two later, some of my friends were interested in playing, but I had no such interest and gave away my D&D books. Frankly I found the numbers and specific esoteric skillsets involved in D&D tedious, and if I wasn't interested in managing statistics as a player, I certainly wasn't going to do it for other people. I haven't looked back since and really don't see D&D as something I'd do in the future.

I admit that I don't know that much about the game now that I've forgotten the contents of my two large handbooks, though, and I'm interested to hear how things go well if they do go well in your new campaigns. And if I actually learn what's involved, might I be game for a game? Sure.



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The Spectral Mask
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The Spectral Mask


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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyTue Jul 16, 2013 7:17 pm

D&D is something a storyteller like yourself should try at least once. Much like the play-by-post RPGs you're familiar with, D&D is a game about cooperative storytelling, and that story can be as basic or rich as your group decides. The rules are convoluted, yes, but it's pretty easy if you get into the rhythm, especially if you have experienced players by your side. The game, and most RPGs where statistics come into play, is complex, but that's intentional. It allows for the players to exploit different factors of combat, and occasionally out-of-combat, rules, making strategic characters super interesting.

The Dungeon Master's Guide lists nine common motivations for playing D&D, and the game rewards all of them. Actors, explorers, instigators, power gamers, slayers, storytellers, thinkers, and watchers all enjoy D&D in different ways, and groups can have a wide array of motivations while still running smoothly.

As a player, I'm looking forward to the first gameplay meeting (our first meeting was character creation back in June; one of our players has been on vacation, unfortunately) of a new campaign centered around the rise of a Lich and his army of undead. All six of our characters have some reason for wanting to take the Lich down, but two of our newer players have less prevalent motivations, resulting their reluctance to participate during character creation, but neatly complimenting their predictable play styles. As they grow more comfortable, their characters will grow more involved.

The remaining characters invested more time in characterization, with pleasing results. Once captain of the guards and a town hero, our Barbarian was defeated, injured, and exiled by the Lich, leaving him reveling in rage and shame. Our shifty Rogue knows that the Barbarian's shield, now in the hands of the Lich, is a magical artifact created by his Gnomish people, and is waiting for a chance to seize it. Irae's aloof Wizard knew the Lich before the dark ritual turned him into a necromancer, and seeks revenge for his previous exploits which left him disgraced and kicked out of his magic academy - although his expulsion was due in part to his brimming overconfidence. Finally, my Artificer, based on the European Plague Doctors, seeks to destroy all undead creatures and prevent their kind from spreading, at any cost.

My next campaign to DM is still in the works, but I do know that it will be based in the Dark Sun desert-themed campaign setting. This more anachronistic campaign is shaping up to involve cowboys and pirates alongside Psions and shapeshifters, but our character-creation meeting this upcoming week will determine if the mood will be sillier or more serious...
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Lignar
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyTue Jul 16, 2013 10:47 pm

I doubt if I will, but I could look into it. :P The thing is, D&D isn't all that much like play-by-post RPGs. Those are more like stories, at least for me - everyone around me might have goals, but I'm just focused on portraying characters. D&D is foremost a game, and unlike text-based RPGs, it could easily get boring if I had no reason to move "my" character along with a goal. I sometimes like complex games, though, and I think I shied away from D&D because of its calculation and recalculation of statistics as an integral part of gameplay. I prefer my games to have simple rules that lead to emergent difficulties, rather than tortuous rulesets governing what could be simple things. The former epitomizes play-by-post RPGs - especially mine, with their lack of beginning rules other than for character alignment. The latter epitomizes D&D.

I am no power gamer and I take no joy in other people's rules (protip: law school is not in my future). I'm the explorer-narrator as spectator: I strike out into a world and follow people about their hopefully-storyworthy lives. I don't create template avatars to personally maneuver through typecast landscapes.

And sure I'm writing now partly for the sake of argument, but there's obviously some reason I've done nothing D&D in about seven years.


As for the first campaign, something interesting can always come of a disparate cast, even if this is of course very quest-oriented. :P The second campaign is, uh... Odd?



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The Spectral Mask
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Jul 17, 2013 1:22 pm

It's true that many D&D sessions can be foremost a game, but story is a priority in many, if not the majority, of campaigns. I consider the rules an admittedly complex way of assisting the players in telling their stories together, and those rules have been getting progressively simpler as the editions have marched forward.

And of course I'm defending D&D, but our campaign stories have progressed further than many of our play-by-posts on this site. I also find it of interest that you mention the D&D settings being "typecast", and then didn't seem to know what to make of Dark Sun. :P

A quest-oriented fantasy epic can be perfectly compelling, especially with a disparate cast - and most D&D campaigns sport disparate casts. As for Dark Sun, the players seem to be backing away from excessive anachronisms now, so we'll likely see less cowboys and pirates and more of the quasi Middle Eastern aesthetic Dark Sun was originally built on. It's hard to capture the flavor Dark Sun created for itself, but believe me when I say that its usually wholesome and distinct, and it looks like the players aren't so interested in pushing the tried-and-true too far.
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Lignar
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Jul 17, 2013 4:34 pm

The thing is, I don't need rules to pull my own stories together, and I haven't been much of a collaborator. :P If other players are helped by the rules, that's nice, but on my own I'm not sure I care much for D&D's particular rulesets.

True, your campaigns probably have gone a ways beyond the play-by-post RPGs on this site. I feel the need to point out that (other than in Farsight and Mythos) it's no fault of mine that that's happened, though - I apparently push harder for those than for D&D, but I still need the interactions of other players to feed into the story, which doesn't happen nearly as quickly. :P Also, you seem to be misinterpreting my dubious remark as "not knowing what to make of Dark Sun". I just meant, why would one choose anachronisms. It's not as if I'm confused or even that intrigued by the Dark Sun setting itself, even if I don't know much about it.

Quests, though, are not exactly my thing, as you might've seen by most things I write. Same goes for "tried-and-true", and half the time I'm only interested in innovation.



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The Spectral Mask
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Jul 17, 2013 7:47 pm

Well, to each their own, I suppose. I'll update this topic whenever something especially interesting to a non-player such as yourself occurs in my campaigns, but meanwhile...
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PostSubject: Re: Dungeons and Dragons   Dungeons and Dragons EmptyWed Jul 17, 2013 10:19 pm

I'll stick with not bothering on the subject of D&D until I have a group I can feasibly play with. :P I'd still play if I had a free afternoon, just no DMing for me. We shall see what comes up.



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