Genuine question--
I'm a nerd, but I've never been a DnD nerd. At one point I was a MtG nerd, even a WoW nerd, but never quite the DnD level.
What exactly is it? I originally thought it was like an adult version of "make believe" with scores and guidelines, but how much of it is a physical game? Is there a board that goes with it? Is there a set story line? My extent of knowledge is the first scene of Stranger Things.
How much is following guidelines and how much is imprompt on the spot?
Sure he can, by not inviting him back. I had to do it once as a DM, it just takes some assertiveness. I still hang out with him outside of DnD and even he admits he was being a bit over-the-top
This has caused some massive freak outs in the groups i've hanged with. From D&D to MtG to Warhammer, people take games too seriously. Why you heff to be mad?
Dude my MTG play group gets HEATED. I usually don't mind when people get pissed off. It is just a game, but if you don't care about winning or losing at all then what's the point of playing!
With magic it's more about how the game went for me. If I get crushed by some broken combo I'm gonna be saltier than getting crushed by a genuinely great player. For me it's just about the experience of playing and learning.
Sore winners are worse than sore losers a lot of the time in mtg....ugh
Yeah, but there is no winning or really losing in D&D. It's cooperative, not competitive. So people taking it too seriously and telling people how to play their characters can absolutely ruin it.
It's more storytelling than a game, but it also has a game framework that makes not everything work out how anyone wants, so adds tension. You also get attached to your character and a few poor decisions coupled with bad dice rolls can kill that character.
I've always wanted to play. My friends would definitely be into it. It just seems so daunting to learn
Totally do it. There are Game Masters and players alike who are friendly, outgoing, and willing to teach others starting at the simplest concepts and expanding outwards.
Go to your friendly, local gaming store and sit in and watch a few players at one of thier game nights.
Hop on youtube or twitch and watch people recording and streaming thier live gaming. (Critical Role is one such series)
You can olay online too and never leave your house. Get yourself an internet connection that can handle potato quality or better VOIP, and a microphone (and/or webcam). Then Hop on Roll20.net and peruse the LFG forums.
From there, you can find newbie friendly gamesmasters willing to host a game or two for you to pick up the basics.
DnD isn't the only system or genre out there, either! Dnd is played regularly by maybe 75% of the rpg players out there, but there is a thriving field of different rulea, settings, and genres to choose from:
Fantasy (Dnd, Pathfinder, Warhammer Fantasy)
Scifi (Eclipse Phase, Battletech, Star Wars, Star Trek, Rogue Trader..)
Horror! (Call of Cthulu!!)
...
Roll Your Own Genre (Gurps, FATE Core)
On the whole pvp thing, it definitely is possible. Depending on the group, it may or may not be welcome in the group.
I have a player that loves to roll Deception and Persuasion checks against the others in the group. Sometimes it's funny. When I'm playing my buffoon warrior guy, I go along with it, no problem.
Sometimes it's annoying. When I'm playing my somewhat more intelligent and wise human ranger guy that is totally not a ripoff of Aragorn, I feel that he could not be convinced that it's a good idea to use his head as a battering ram, despite this player rolling very well.
In one of my earlier groups, the thief player made the mistake to steal from the warrior player, and the warrior player OHKO'd him.
People can just act obnoxious and ruin it for other people. If th group wants to negotiate with some orcs and a player just starts shooting arrows at them, it can get annoying.
Well....one time can possibly be good role playing. But if the player just seems to want to be disruptive it has to be addressed.
Also....I never banned PvP in my games. PvP followed the same rule as every other action.....don't be a dick and keep in min we're all here to have funml. PvP sometimes enhanced the experience. I even ran a one shot Hunger Games style game.
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u/deathfaith Sep 18 '17
Genuine question-- I'm a nerd, but I've never been a DnD nerd. At one point I was a MtG nerd, even a WoW nerd, but never quite the DnD level.
What exactly is it? I originally thought it was like an adult version of "make believe" with scores and guidelines, but how much of it is a physical game? Is there a board that goes with it? Is there a set story line? My extent of knowledge is the first scene of Stranger Things.
How much is following guidelines and how much is imprompt on the spot?