Re: Dungeon Tactics 101
Posted by BobbieTheDamned on Oct 27, 2010; 1:46pm
URL: http://the-lost-and-the-damned.71.s1.nabble.com/Dungeon-Tactics-101-tp5318183p5678622.html
I think Mortis has covered a lot of subjects already. I'll chip in with a few points, which will be part advice part rant, hope no one takes these personal they're just general observations.
And A Booming Voice Said
One major point I'd like to make though is to always pay attention, if the GM is doing a lot of description of something it wont be for his own amusement. Sometimes it will just be to embellish the setting but more often than not it'll be something important. Plus it always speeds up games if people pay attention, for me nothings worse than being sat there waiting for my go because other players don't know what's going on because they weren't listening. Paying attention is both courteous to the GM, who after all is the one putting in the effort to run the game, and considerate for the rest of the players who were paying attention.
Ooo Shiny Thing
Stopping to loot every room can make your character very rich, but most dungeons aren't as filled with treasure as you might think, hell why would these guys been living in a murky damp dungeon if they were fabulously rich? Seems like a lot of the time this will only trigger more wandering monsters and generally just slow the advance of the party down. Of course sometimes its necessary to find stuff to get through the dungeon, but how many quest vital items have turned up in empty hallways? Having said that I do realise some classes are pretty much relegated to this task if there's not a lot of traps or locked doors to deal with.
I'm Guybrush Threepwood Mighty Pirate
Mortis has covered picking roles by what miniatures you like, which is fair enough, but sometimes you have to pick roles to which you'll be able to roleplay, that is of course the point of playing the game. I know a lot of people use RPG games to bring out parts of their personality that aren't normally apparent, but quite a lot of people (myself included) tend to play exaggerated versions of themselves. So sometimes its best to ask yourself what sort of character you think you'd be in the setting you're playing.
There's A What Coming At Me?? Where's My Rulebook
AGH!!! METAGAMING!!! One of my greatest hates in all gaming is meta-gaming: using your own knowledge of the game system to advantage when your character doesn't have said knowledge. Its petty, against the spirit of role-playing and just wrong. Anyone caught doing it in any game I run will be sorely punished. I take this quite far, even if I work things out I always question if my character would have.
I'll be back with more later.