tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post6441545763660655969..comments2023-10-14T03:58:59.333-06:00Comments on The Tao of D&D: EvilAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-22208165667540076782014-10-06T04:36:49.507-06:002014-10-06T04:36:49.507-06:00I'm disgusted. And piqued. And wanting to burn...I'm disgusted. And piqued. And wanting to burn that goblin village to the ground. And I'm not even there on character. I've had character got into berserker mode for less than that. <br /><br />I hope some day I'll be able to be as tough as you, Alexis. Because for the time being, I confess I have not the stomach to face true evil on the privacy of my own imagination. And clearly part of the failure of my hooks lies there. This is some more of your very well received advice on "improve yourself to improve your game". Keep it on, please. I know I'll have to review this in a few months, if not years. But review it, I will. Scarbrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14354844943665937610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-6581131186680927152014-10-03T12:03:12.898-06:002014-10-03T12:03:12.898-06:00Yes, after all Mujadaddy; people want to punch me ...Yes, after all Mujadaddy; people want to punch me in the face all the time and I'm completely ordinary.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-18632904844879708832014-10-03T12:00:57.086-06:002014-10-03T12:00:57.086-06:00Disney Evil is the suggestion of Evil. Regular Evi...Disney Evil is the suggestion of Evil. Regular Evil is the evidence of Evil.<br /><br />Especially in the case where a party may be accustomed to Regular Evil, I would suggest that Disney Evil is great for civilized villains: the villain isolates himself from the horrors of his rule; those on the gilded side of the curtain are able to carry on with their lives without having to deal with the direct consequences of all those princesses locked up in the tower; just a bit of screaming in certain areas of the castle at certain times of night, if the PCs happen to be in the right place at the right time. <br /><br />The party can of course choose to pierce the veil of Disney Evil to confirm their suspicions, finding the Regular Evil, if they wish, if they lack motivation to quash the Disney Evil. <br /><br />But the best Disney Evil villains will generate that burning animosity and a desire to at least punch them in the face, regardless of whether the players have been presented with a detailed indictment of their acts. <br /><br />I do agree that a non-civilized evil should be a depressing regularity, though.Mujadaddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07698839746240695386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-23088291013438866352014-10-03T02:31:16.689-06:002014-10-03T02:31:16.689-06:00I haven't roleplayed in 20 years for all the r...I haven't roleplayed in 20 years for all the reasons you give for campaigns and DM techniques being rubbish. This article struck me very strongly, and made me realise that the reason I don't play is almost nothing most people do can motivate me in the game - but this would. I would actually feel strongly that I didn't have a moral choice about helping those women. And I'd feel that if I moved along, those women would continue suffering in the background in your world. I'd probably go mental and burn the goblin village to the ground to be honest! I'll add a vote for a book on this subject!Jason Jutahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07109751465009519029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-23728417744097129552014-10-02T19:47:50.772-06:002014-10-02T19:47:50.772-06:00Alexis, i just want throw in that i am LOVING this...Alexis, i just want throw in that i am LOVING this series of posts, and i'm glad they're enjoyable for you as well. The depth of explanation that you're able to explore with the use a single example has been immensely enlightening, and has given me so much food for thought to chew on. I wanted to give a quick "thank you", as this has been my favorite post series in a while.Giordanistihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18375496443176258588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-35531464317517511102014-10-02T18:43:52.988-06:002014-10-02T18:43:52.988-06:00Good point, thank you. I will take your advice. I ...Good point, thank you. I will take your advice. I felt a vague resentment at the way he was trying to manipulate me, but you've laid it out and made it perfectly clear. I'll let you know how it goes.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11448562408805027225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-86036952962878528032014-10-02T18:33:58.662-06:002014-10-02T18:33:58.662-06:00When I hear your story, Jeremiah, all sorts of ala...When I hear your story, Jeremiah, all sorts of alarms go off in my head. First of all, he is attempting to censor your imagination; he is doing so without making his opinion clear to the party as well as to you - a sure sign that he feels he can browbeat you so long as you're one-on-one. Finally, his use of 'children' to back his point indicates he's prepared to make any argument, even an irrational one, so long as he ultimately gets his way.<br /><br />I seriously suggest you take up the matter with your other players; that you show them the email and express your feelings about it as you have done here. I know that you will probably feel that the email ought to be kept private, but it is evidence in a 'case' - that case being, does this player contribute to your campaign sufficiently that his continued participation is universally desired.<br /><br />You may find you're not alone in your opinions about this one player. Or you may find the other players agree that you're over the top. Either way, you will KNOW. You need more information about the party's opinion before making any changes to your campaign!Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-58657323121678598892014-10-02T18:04:03.592-06:002014-10-02T18:04:03.592-06:00The horror in my world falls closely inline with w...The horror in my world falls closely inline with what you espouse here--it is dark, disgusting, and realistic. And I like it for all the reasons you give. It is logical and it is a great source of tension.<br /><br />But I have struggled lately with one player in particular who rejects that kind of violence. Recently, for example, the party investigated the disappearance of a local girl. When they got to the bottom of it, they found that she had been kidnapped, raped, murdered, then dissolved in a vat of acid (my world is industrial fantasy). I didn't provide these details to be specifically gratuitous, but to create tension and to teach the characters about the darkness of the plight of the common folk. The next day, I got an email from this one player asking that I refrain from such brutality in the future because "anyone who cares about kids" just can't stomach it (he has no children, which struck me as humorous, and I have little respect for any argument that invokes "the children"). He said that, as fantasy, the game should seek to escape the horrors of the real world. Obviously he and I are at loggerheads over what the "point" of role playing is. My problem is, due to the social structure of the group, I can't easily just ask him to leave if he doesn't like the flavor of the game.<br /><br />Can you recommend other ways to generate the tension of real-world evil without causing these kinds of uproars? Do you think it would be enough simply to keep the description a little tighter? This player (and perhaps the others) would really be happier with a Disney-style adventure (barf!) with all that entails. But I can't stomach it and no one wants to run in anyone else's world. I am stuck to navigate this contradiction. I want to slowly draw them more into my type of world without causing them to revolt. Suggestions?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11448562408805027225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-77796155954076547532014-10-02T11:52:16.623-06:002014-10-02T11:52:16.623-06:00Yes, it has occurred to me.Yes, it has occurred to me.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-85073380232379199732014-10-02T11:40:22.509-06:002014-10-02T11:40:22.509-06:00Alexis-
I am struck by the idea that you have stu...Alexis-<br /><br />I am struck by the idea that you have stumbled here upon yet another book that needs to be written: "How to Write an Adventure Hook." I definitely feel that a book full of ideas like the one that has spanned these last four posts on the subject, along with your commentary on why it works, would be a welcomed addition to any DM's library. Surely you realize how near-impossible it is for the majority of us to come up with stuff that matches this in depth; it's not for lack of want or trying, though.VeronaKidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15468008554680895487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-14375184219062527982014-10-02T10:51:29.713-06:002014-10-02T10:51:29.713-06:00As I read the article, at first I said to myself, ...As I read the article, at first I said to myself, "Thank goodness I decided my goblins are at Zulu warrior level of civilization instead of these feral woodland monsters."<br /><br />And then I realized I had just erected a completely artificial barrier separating real people from monsters. When in reality, the best monsters are real people.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03496502173819113887noreply@blogger.com