The 3rd Podcast from my daughter and me is posted on Soundcloud:
It's a little silly at the beginning, I think; my daughter and I cut up a little and chortle at each other's words. There's a lot of hand gestures going on that the mic doesn't catch and obviously we have known each other a really long time. But I think it is terrifically sincere, so if you're tired of people trying to read content and interview like professional journalists and news journalists, this will be refreshing. Have a listen when you can and then have a look at the other two posts I put up today.
I will be posting another podcast no later than April 24; I am thinking of trying my hand at this without my daughter (who is a busy youngster) so that it isn't quite so long a wait between podcast content.
A wonderful conversation. Thank you for sharing. My character generation process has changed significantly over the past year and you and your daughter brought up some really good points that will impact that process even more.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your conversation about players buying into their characters, and I am excited to begin working on my own character background system (once I have more of the trade system implemented).
Might you and your daughter might talk about players choosing to abandon quests in your next post?
@ Tao:
ReplyDeleteYes, good stuff.
Subjects for future podcasts:
- While we (your readers) know about the world you've been running for decades, what is your daughter's campaign world like (or, if she hasn't DM'd in a while, what WAS it like). Did she use your world/maps/systems/etc.? Did she create something similar? Was she using pre-packaged settings like Forgotten Realms? Depending on the answer, you two can discuss the differences between world building and world...um...synthesizing/running, which I think would be an interesting topic.
- In the Dungeon's Front Door, you write about the dungeon as a "vacation" from the messiness of the outside (wilderness/campaign) world. One of the neat things about hearing from your daughter is her perspective as a player in your campaign. How does she approach the "mess" of your sandbox? What are some of the challenges compared to other campaigns in which she's played, especially when beginning (with a 1st level character)?
Good luck with Edmonton, man...and with the new gig.
: )
I've encountered the problem of there being too much damn stuff for a completely new player to learn the first day. I think there's merit to saying "you're playing a fighter, roll the dice like this for your scores, here's some basic equipment and some gold if you want more, now play the game and if you enjoy it you can continue with this guy and/or make one of a new class".
ReplyDeleteAnd if they chose to make a new class character, that would be the one and only time I'd ever allow a person to transfer XP character-to-character -- then there's no incentive to stick with the fighter even if they don't want it. (not that there's much XP from a session or two, but new players in particular might get attached to even a small sum as being theirs.)
There's more than merit. I ought to be doing that. No beating around the bush -- I'm sure I've turned people off by turning char gen into a bunch of "now this, now that, now this" and that's my fault.
Typically the sticking points when I introduce newbies are 1) saving throws (since they're mostly "write-down-the-correct-target for your class/level" and thus just boring copybook work, and also because they just seem like EXTRA FIDDLY DETAILS to the uninitiaited) and 2) equipment which always takes forever. I know you are in favor of the "high detail introduction" where you throw the background info and the equipment table at newbies in rapid succession -- perhaps you could talk about why that works, since I can't imagine it being effective.
Part of the problem, I think, is that you're having the character write up content in their character that does not directly apply to their character!
ReplyDeleteYou mention writing saving throws into the character sheet. This baffles me. It is obviously there to save the DM time to looking up the actual number needed at the moment of the saving throw - exactly when time should be spent, since WAITING for the DM to look it up is part of the crisis drama moment. When the number is right there on the sheet, where the player can look at it before rolling the die, well shit. So much for drama.
Look at the character sheet you've designed and DESTROY everything right off that doesn't directly apply to the CHARACTER. Stats? Sure. Armor Class? Yep. Height, weight, equipment, descriptions of the character, the character past life? Right, need that, they build character.
Technical number describing exactly what the character needs to turn a wraith at this level? Fuck that shit. Burn it. The character technically shouldn't have any idea of what it takes to turn a wraith! Anything that is there that is based on a random number that the character has to roll against the outside world should absolutely be stripped from that character sheet.
Lazy fucking DMs.
I feel so strongly about this answer I'm posting it as a post.