Nera Cross

My last one shot had four notes scribbled down: A place, a theme, an enemy, and a quest. They played for 5 hours and had a blast.

All I had pulled up was my stat blocks, a randomly generated map, and a list of random npc names. The players never knew I was winging it. That night, as our normal game fell through (two people didn't show) I didn't hesitate to lie and say, "I have something planned."

I understand. You have a particular part to play in the party and you owe it to everyone at the table to be as good in that role as possible. Right? Well, as someone who has been playing D&D for 20 years or so, let me explain why you should shrug off this mindset. I will even put it in an easily digestible (but horrible over-done) format: The list!

1. You are losing out on valuable RP experiences

For those who see tabletop games as a game to be won, this won’t apply to you. Disregard it if you will (I am not going to tell you how to enjoy the game you choose to play). For others, listen here.

No one is perfect. If you are playing an epic level campaign, you are probably the best of the best. If you are a level 1-4 PC, you are going to fail sometimes. Don’t worry about filling your position in the party at the cost of not feeling like your character is a real, breathing creature. Do your job but don’t minimize other aspects like professions, backgrounds, and flaws. Likewise, don’t simply focus on choosing the best race for the job based solely on how it interacts with the mechanics of your role. I’ve seen a thousand Halfling Rogues and I am not excited by them anymore (unless you really punch up that backstory!) You lose valuable chances to RP when you Min/Max.

2. The party needs overlap

We have all been there before. You are rolling a skill check for something specialized, let’s say lock picking, and the Halfling thief screws it up. Now, it would be poor DMing to have one way to open that important door, but never-the-less, the adventure comes to a halt as everyone thinks of ways to open the door. This can be fun... or you can all fail and the Halfling has to role again, which feels like a cheat, but you have to open that blasted door.... 

Or, your Cleric steps up and swiftly uses the thief’s Rogue’s lock picking tools (without proficiency) and possibly solves the problem. Why the Cleric? He was born in the slums of a city where he spent (or rather misspent) his youth having to steal to survive. Later, he vowed to never use his basic knowledge of lock picking for ill again. Now, the other player may feel less special for not picking the lock, but the good of the party has been served. You have now fulfilled the party’s needs better for not having been a one trick pony.

3. It can be selfish

That’s right Steve the Halfling Rogue, it can be selfish. Many times have I sat down at the gaming table and found myself silent or shushed by the “Face” of the party. Now, having someone who can be charismatic when need be is important. Hell, it is part of that ole roguish charm we know and love. However, not every npc interaction is a social encounter, not every fight the chance for only the fighter to shine. Playing this game we love, you should be mindful of others. 

The Bard should feel free to gather courage and jump into the fray of battle once in awhile. The Barbarian should feel at ease in their attempt to make conversation--to make a connection. In life, we sometimes step outside our comfort zones (whether out of necessity or on a whim) to learn and grow. Our characters crave an arc. They need to change. If the Bard feels like he can do more in battle, after a near TPK, good. If the Barbarian is tired of saying the wrong thing, being misunderstood, or simply acting only to kill something, let them attempt to better themselves. 

TTFN

I am sure there are more reasons, but these are my three. Until next time, may the luck of the dice gods be with you.

When I run a campaign, I want to play in a world of my creation. Not that the old standards aren't viable for the open-minded party, there is just a disconnect between the world of, let's say, Forgotten Realms (maybe it has been shoved down my throat too much) and the cd/tg/lgbt PC's. Instead I created my own world, that has a culture that exudes those many shades and celebrates them. Now the RPing feels natural and the exploration seems exotic.

Now, I personally don't want a campaign world where all cultures are like this; my game has many different countries and people, some are tyrants and bigots. I prefer this because a utopian fantasy setting can't tell every (or many) of the stories I want to tell. Likewise, just a world that's black and white wouldn't leave room for such beautiful shades of gray. After all, between happy and sad there lies many complex emotions felt by complex creatures.