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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Feb 2003 : 22:07:26
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`What tone is your campaign?
Gritty?- Dirt under the fingernails kind of role-playing as real as it gets? The kind where you really find out why people don't yearn for the medievil life, disease poor sanitary conditions and stuff like that.
Moderate?- Mellowed out a bit from Gritty the unpleasantness is glossed over in the moderate campaign. Your rations probably won't rot and get wormy and your character's wounds probably won't get infected in this kind of campaign either.
High?- There is no real unpleasantness as far as daily life goes in this campaign. This is Fairy Tale style roleplaying. The hero's armor is always polished and shiny. There's always a convenient method to keep the situation from getting too grim. Divine intervention is much more common in this type of campaign as well.
Now I know everybody is probably going to say "Moderate" but feel free to elaborate to make things more interesting. I am trying to come up with some interesting topics here!
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Artalis
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Edited by - Artalis on 13 Feb 2003 18:43:11
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2003 : 07:31:26
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Hmmm, let me think about that one for a moment...
I would say my Twilight Dawn campaign falls in the 'gritty' category, things happen in the campaign and the character's backgrounds, which normally don't make it to the table-top game.
Silver Marches leans somewhat more towards the moderate side, but that is still a young campaign and needs a little time to 'mature', I expect at least parts of that camapign to move towards a more 'gritty' nature.
These 'campaign-tones' come for a part from my goal to incorporate a dose of realism into the game and not to have a clean 'Conan-like' high-fantasy tone. I'm looking more for the feel one gets from the movie Braveheart (picture the scene at the end with Mel Gibson on the block and the angelic face of the little babe... "Freedom!") maybe mixed with a little humor from Willow... ("Ignore the bird, follow the river...") |
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Echon
Senior Scribe
Denmark
422 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2003 : 07:39:57
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I would like to think of my campaign as gritty although it is 'only' moderate. Even though the Forgotten Realms is a fantasy setting, I try to incorporate real-life physics. If the players have have been travelling or fighting for the most of the day, I tell them that they are dirty and smelly. If they do not actually tell me that they are taking a bath, things get worse, which, of course, has a not inconsiderable effect on how other people percieve them.
The general populace is somewhat better off than that of 13th century Europe although there is a clear difference when they enter the slums of a city. I try to realistically include all layers of medieval society.
-Echon |
"If others had not been foolish, we should be so."
-William Blake |
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Arion Elenim
Senior Scribe
933 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2003 : 19:06:25
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| All of mine end up gritty....hopefully this doesn't say anything about my psyche.... |
My latest Realms-based short story, about a bard, a paladin of Lathander and the letter of the law, Debts Repaid. It takes place before the "shattering" and gives the bard Arion a last gasp before he plunges into the present.http://candlekeep.com/campaign/logs/log-debts.htm |
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Ditalidas
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
127 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2003 : 21:17:56
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| The campaigns I'm playing in are all kind if gritty and I love 'm that way. But I have also seen what can happen if they go from gritty to ugly... then the fun is gone for me. I don't like to be yelled at or discriminated whole sessions long... nope.. don't do that anymore... I never want to play again in a world without nice people. |
'All that is' is also 'All that is not' for the one cannot exist without the other.
Sweet Water and Light Laughter |
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Elrond Half Elven
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
322 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2003 : 21:38:16
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| I think that my campaign is moderate\high. Possibly nearer Moderate. |
Once upon a midnight dreary, while i pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
While i nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
-The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe |
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Jerock
Acolyte
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2003 : 18:15:25
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Well I would have to say the game i am running now is moderate as it is set in the land of cormer things are about to chang tho as i am about to bring the events from the novel death of the dragon in to play ... That will get it Gritty...
Jerock ... |
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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2003 : 17:43:36
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I have to confess that my own campaign probably falls into the "Moderate-High" area. As a DM it is up to you to provide a game that is enjoyable to all the players.
My players find things like worrying about rations and infection and so on as annoying and detracting from the game. They make their case as follows "I get enough reality in reality, If I want reality then I'll go balance my checkbook" I do understand this and I provide them (I hope at least) with the kind of adventures that they find entertaining and enjoyable and sometimes even inspiring. (Though he doesn't post here much anymore Oden Orcblud could attest to that I believe)
I myself however enjoy playing in all types of campaigns and am enjoying Mumadars' Silver Marches campaign immensly. Despite the fact that my character has been mostly functionally useless and got knocked out in his first encounter, before introductions were even finished! LOL.
However that was my choice to make a wimpy mage character and I knew at the time he would be lucky to survive... I find that I like playing in a realistic/gritty game even if I am unable to DM one. |
Artalis
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branmakmuffin
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2003 : 19:12:23
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"Gritty" doesn't really work in a pseudo-mediaeval setting with lots of magic, unless magic is reserved for the privileged few (much as technology is in our world). I wouldn't want to play in a game where any injury has the chance to become infected and kill me, realistic as that may be.
"High" is pretty much what I see the default setting for any (A)D&D game to be, including FR. Magic is as common as cars, elevators, microwave ovens and DVD players are in affulent Western European-type nations. My guess is that the games of most people who think them "moderate" are in fact "high", since (A)D&D, wtih its abundance of magic, favors that style. I am not knocking the "high" style, but it's not my cup of tea.
I prefer to play in and run games Moderate (with Gritty tendencies). It takes some work to tone FR down to this level, but it's worth it because FR is a very intersting, well fleshed-out fantasy RPG setting. |
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The_Mirt
Acolyte
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2003 : 20:51:39
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| I would say the my campaign would be 'High' One of the people in my game came up with a Spell to actually clean their armor and reduce Grittyness. We do not say that we are taking baths or anything like that. When we camp we usually just camp, and I roll to see if there is a encounter during the night, but in my game, we usually never sleep in the open anymore, we sleep in inns (usually very expensive ones) and the like. We never travel bye horse because we just Teleport. ~Mirt |
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zemd
Master of Realmslore
France
1103 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2003 : 23:19:13
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Since the beginning it was between gritty and moderate, but now comes the ToT!!! It'll be gritty. No more cleric spells, wild magic,... |
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Yasraena
Senior Scribe
USA
388 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2003 : 05:57:50
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| I'd have to say that my campaign is a mix of all three, with the percentages probably around 40/40/20. I find that my players are into the realism part, just so long as it's not too much. |
"Nindyn vel'uss malar verin z'klaen tlu kyone ulu naut doera nindel vel'bolen nind malar."
Yasraena T'Sarran
Harper of Silverymoon |
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Lazerrus
Acolyte
18 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2003 : 02:08:35
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| I would have to say Moderate to Gritty. I put a lot of work into my game, physical and mental. I usually have to paint in upwards of 10 -20 new figures and create an entire 3d terrain table that is on average 8ft per game. Given we only play twice a year but we play 3-4 days nonstop. This is a nice mix because it allows me the time to get GRITTY |
If it be the will of Corellon, It shall be done! |
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Elrond Half Elven
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
322 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2003 : 13:42:48
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| Lazerrus that game of yours sounds a really intresting idea! I will need to remember that and discuse it with the rest of my group! What is you current adventure, oh and also can i see some of that scenery you are talking about please! |
Once upon a midnight dreary, while i pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
While i nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
-The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe |
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Mournblade
Master of Realmslore
USA
1287 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2003 : 03:27:27
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I mix all three as well. I really depends WHERE They are adventuring too. I remember an encounter I ran with Meazels, and it horrified the players for days. I am not a horror gamer, but aparently I do something right when generating fear factors.
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A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to... |
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