Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Thought For the Day

Monday, November 8, 2010

Thought For the Day

I don't want my 4 hours of play to have "a balance between combat and role-playing", I want to have no idea what they'll be like and have no walls between them and nine other things thrown in there too.

18 comments:

mordicai said...: What is the sound of one hand flurrying blows, grasshopper?; November 8, 2010 at 3:57 PM
koboldstyle said...: Love it.; November 8, 2010 at 3:59 PM
Adam Dickstein said...: Agreed!

Wait...4 hours? Who the hell runs a game for only 4 hours?; November 8, 2010 at 5:07 PM
Welcome to Dungeon! said...: That's pretty much how I look at it, Zak.

@ Barking Alien - That's about the amount of time I usually want to play - 4 or 5 hours. In my experience past that amount then the dicking around : gaming ratio skyrockets. If the players PLAN to play more than 5 hours, the ratio is lousy across the whole session.

Others' experience may vary, of course.; November 8, 2010 at 5:43 PM
John Matthew Stater said...: We usually did about 4 hours, maybe a little more.; November 8, 2010 at 6:31 PM
Adam Dickstein said...: Wow. I've never run a single session for less than 6. My average is about 8. We don't 'dick' around 'cause, well, we like to game. If I can't be sure to get a least 6 hours in I wouldn't game that day.; November 8, 2010 at 6:35 PM
Unknown said...: When I picked up the hobby in high school, we'd do 9 to 13 hour stints. Fast forward some years, and everyone works different days of the week.

Saturdays, around 8pm to 12am. I have to cut it off because I want to do stuff on Sunday, aside from attempting to recuperate from an all-nighter.; November 8, 2010 at 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...: Hear, hear.
I will throw a wandering monster at the party if they are completely bogged down but I think it's more fun for me as DM if I have no preconceptions about what they'll do next.

Four hours is plenty of time, now that we are all adults with jobs, kids, or both. Plus, leave them wanting more, not exhausted from a marathon slog.; November 9, 2010 at 3:29 AM
Zak Sabbath said...: 4 hours sucks, but I was just trying to relate to all my peeps with day jobs.; November 9, 2010 at 3:31 AM
Unknown said...: Luckily I have never played with a group dull enough to be predictable. I always assumed that was the norm, however. Throw a bunch of people into a situation where they control the lives of virtual people with no real life consequences from their decisions, and the utterly unexpected normally ensues.; November 9, 2010 at 4:06 AM
Daniel Dean said...: Related to me, certainly. Getting everybody available when we all have different work schedules is a bitch, and we're thankful for four hours like the geezer who walked to school both ways in the snow.; November 9, 2010 at 4:50 AM
Adam Dickstein said...: Well, I generally play on Saturdays and only have occasional Sunday work. At least that's how its been for a while now. Also, I have pretty bad insomnia so its not I'm going to get much sleep anyway.

Wait. I can say that cooler. Ok...

Sleep is for the weak. I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Yeah. Wicked badass.; November 9, 2010 at 5:51 AM
Chris Lowrance said...: I just don't want to give it much more than 4 hours a week. I'm not sure where I'm finding even that amount of time.

But if I had a group over on a Saturday that was really into it, sure, I can see getting all hopped up on Pepsi and pixie sticks and rolling the night away.; November 9, 2010 at 7:23 AM
Feystar said...: Screw balance, I believe in going at the speed of the plot, if my players are in a town and want to spend 4 hours buying shoes then that's what they'll get, if they're in front of the halfing queen and call her a short arse they'll get a 4 hour fight as they escape out of the castle.

Sure I can write up plans and lead them in a particular direction, but ultimately they have free reign to go where they want and do what they feel like which may or may not involve combat.

Oh and on the 4 hour session thing, I'd love to run a longer game and used to enjoy the all night sessions in uni, but that's about all the time my players can manage these days.; November 9, 2010 at 10:48 AM
Chault said...: I wonder if you talking about general sessions, or adventures set for "Living" campaigns, like Living Forgotten Realms (RIP) and Paizo's Pathfinder Society.

Regardless, I agree with your sentiments. The unknown is what is attractive, and real role-players should be open and willing to take what comes at them. 4 hours of talking with NPCs in a tavern? Awesome! Think of how much name-dropping you can do. Or the long-term plans that will create. Or the deeper connection you'll make with your character as you discover, "Hey, he really is a dick to commoners." 4 hours of hack and slash? Awesome! The adrenaline won't go down until your character does. Win, win.; November 9, 2010 at 12:06 PM
Zak Sabbath said...: @chault

i'm talking about every game.; November 9, 2010 at 12:22 PM
Menace 3 Society said...: I reject notion that there's even supposed to be a difference between combat and role-playing. Combat is not the opposite of role-playing, it's a part of role-playing. This notion that fluff is somehow separate from crunch is absurd. If you get worried or angry or an adrenaline pump at the table, that should translate to your character's actions. YOU should translate it to your character's actions. My warrior does not Cleave when presented with Attack of Opportunity by an orc; he clobbers a careless orc so hard the blow hits the orc next to him as well.

Otherwise you might as well play poker (there's more money in it).; November 9, 2010 at 12:24 PM
mordicai said...: I used to play 8 hour games; now I play 4 hour games. It depends on the tempo of the group. & factors like "are they drinking?"; November 9, 2010 at 3:32 PM

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