Question of the Day, July 28, 2010

[BabySinclair]

I think it would be interesting to compare how a player first became involved with DnD with the type of player they are - my hypothesis is that (in general) if someone moves from fantasy literature to role-playing, they become storytellers or actors (maybe explorers); if they move from board/card/video games to PnP role-playing, they become power-gamers or slayers; if they are drafted into role-playing by friends, they become watchers or instigators.

A few friends of mine and I got bored on our long bus ride from middle school and one suggested we try a DnD game (we had already played a ton of MtG on the seats). Only played once on the bus but we've been pen-and-paper gamers since.

I'm a bit of a rules lawyer (burn the heretic I know) but that was because I never played spell casters in 3.X so I had to learn the various combat rules and in 4e I DM so I'm a bit of a headache to my second group's DM some days and a savior others since I know most rules off the top of my head. We do have some uses you know

 

[Plinglebob]

I'm a Slayer/Instigator/Watcher. I enjoy playing to relax and not have to think too much so I make characters that can best be described as "Built like a brick sh*t-house, and twice as thick" which leads me to sometimes being an instigator.

 

[Dobrev]

Winner. I like to finish the adventure with the best rewards and in most positive wway for my character. As such I tend to irritate the GM by acting out of what is expected, brake his game and try to wheel it in the direction I want. To do that you need a streetwise, down to earth character and hope there are no gods around.

 

[Sneaklemming]

I constantly try to push the limits of the game, by using the environment to kill/do stuff. My problem is that I discovered HL2 before DnD...

Needless to say, when I try to kill a DMs Uber Troll by attacking a chandelier, and setting fire to the curtains, and jumping out the window - they get pissed, and try to kill me off first.

=D

 

[Psydney]

There's a word that we use for what you call "power gamer"s in the RPG world, it's called munchkin. I find it sad when some one is trying to "win" a PnP RPG, totally missing the point.

Hmmm, I didn't take "power gamer" that way - I thought it just meant a focus on building the most effective character you can, the kind of person who pores over feats and mulls over interactions between powers before choosing them.

In contrast, for instance, I once played with a guy who entertained himself by concocting the most ridiculous multiclass combos because they'd be "fun" - like his barbarian/bard "bardbarian." Our cleric didn't find a cloth-wearing (because it was stylish), great-axe wielding heal sink very amusing, and the bardbarian enjoyed a fairly short life and excruciating death.

 

[Chipperz]

I'm 60% Storyteller, 30% Explorer and 10% Slayer. Because sometimes, just sometimes, you have to kill some bitches.

The storyline's the most important bit though. Without that, you're just rolling dice and saying "I hit the Orc. 12 damage, he's dead? Lockpicking check for the door?". Which is a lot less cool than the image of a city nymph blowing apart an Orc with dual magnums so she can break into a facility that's been releasing electricity-wielding zombies onto her turf.

Ahh, D20 modern was awesome.

 

[JaredXE]

BAMF.

I wish to do as much cool shit as is humanly(or Elfly, or Trolly) possible. That includes killing things, disarming(or outrunning) traps and making people think that I am breaking some sort of rule by the things that I do.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I've never really played a tabletop RPG, but if I were to play one I'd probably be combination of the Actor and the Storyteller.

 

[jp201]

Just slay stuff, eventually your problems will be solved that way

 

[LewsTherin]

Actor, for certs. The kind of actor that sometimes mis-aims fireballs when rules-lawyers and munchkins get in melee, or just aren't looking. I DM sometimes, so I take this kind of thing personal.

 

[itf cho]

Thinker. I'm a survivalist, and he who doesn't think, doesn't survive long. Our GM had no problem with killing you off for stupidity. Of course, it's been years since I've played...

 

[Echo136]

I like to act out my character, to an extent. Im not gonna break out a Shakespearean accent.

 

[Crops]

Instigator, but there's about 4 more in that list I could tick off.

Depending on the GM and party, I probably won't stick to just provoking npc's though.
To the joy of many, I've managed to get my entire party killed about 15 minutes after character creation. Honestly though, challenging that wizard even though he was obviously too much to handle for our measly group was totally in-character for me, so I totally blame the GM for even giving me the choice.

 

[Doc Cannon]

Slayer. I like to kill things, especially humanoids.
All my characters have one thing in common: they are very vindictive, thus when someone spills my drink I spill their organs.

Oh, I'm also kind of a number cruncher, which I don't think is exactly a power gamer (I don't play to be the best, I play to have fun). And speaking of DnD, rules lawyers are necessary and welcome. In other games (WoD or Paranoia) it's OK to bend the rules often. But DnD is a game that's all about the rules, if you break them there's surely someone you are being unfair to.

 

[ninja555]

While I don't play DnD but am eager learn, I think I probably would be an explorer.

 

[Amalith]

Watcher I guess. While I really would love to roleplay and do in play by post games on forums, it feels far to awkward for me to get into another role in person. And while I do powergame to an extent, that certainly isn't why I play D&D, nor is it my focus. In my D&D sessions, I just hang out with friends, and do whatever they want to do.

 

[SteinFaust]

i don't even play DnD but if it's anything like an open-world RPG, i would explore the hell out of it.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

I'm touting the Exploration aspect, alongside the Storytelling and Experience aspects.

 

[Naheal]

Storyteller/Actor. As a DM, I try to keep both of these going at once.