Comments on: Living Forgotten Realms: Too Much Roll-Playing

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Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:48:29 +0000

[...] Trask at Living Dice didn’t like the campaign [...]

By: mxyzplk

mxyzplk — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:14:47 +0000

Yeah, this is a common RPGA problem. I was a Living Greyhawk Triad, and the rules they put you under with the scenarios were onerous. In the interests of “fairness” and “balance” you had to have exactly X encounters of EL Y taking time Z and giving out only treasure of amount A… Innovating within the format was very, very difficult.

By: Christmas Weekly Link Adventure « Jonathan Drain’s D20 Source: Dungeons & Dragons Blog

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:54:47 +0000

[...] Living Dice: Living Forgotten Realms: Too Much Roll-Playing [...]

By: ScottM

ScottM — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:49:49 +0000

I had the same problem with Mark of Heroes and (particularly!) Living Greyhawk. RPGA games are… not the same as home games. I enjoy them, but put them in a different mental slot than home RPGs.

It does help keep me happy. Think of it as a Pen n Paper MMO– a little generic, a little bland– but a great substitute when regular play in an ongoing campaign’s not an option.

By: Niliin

Niliin — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:11:54 +0000

LFR is designed so anyone can sit down and play. The modules are designed around combat and skill challenges. However, that doesn’t mean that RP is completely out of the mix. It just means that for it you have to have the opportunity (not all modules do) and the want (not all players do) for it. When these are both there it can be one hell of a time.

For those times I want some RP in have a home game, group of friends for LFR, oh and my monthly LA game-day.

By: Dead Orcs

Dead Orcs — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:59:36 +0000

Trask, I can’t speak to the specific modules you’ve played (I haven’t played those), except to say that if the story is the most important factor in a Forgotten Realms campaign, then that’s a failure that has to be addressed.

However, generally speaking, it doesn’t really matter what game system you’re running, the ability to create and conduct a good story is the most important part of the game. I think if 4E has one flaw, it’s that it makes it too easy to forget about the role-playing (because combat encounters are much easier to construct and balance). My own experience (for what it’s worth), is that it is the game group that decides how worthwhile and involved the role-playing will be. Game mechanics shouldn’t be much of a factor.

By: Jeff Preston

Jeff Preston — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:11:27 +0000

That’s been my problem with 4E so far as well. Aside from the system mechanical parts that are sort of the Windows Vista of D&D…it really is a combat game with a dash of RP for “flavor”.

Honestly, I think combat should be garnish, not the entree…otherwise it becomes trite and meaningless.

I love Forgotten Realms and just started a new campaign set in Luskan…for D&D 3.5. Even framed (well, a cheapo poster frame) the big Faerun 3rd Ed map. Everyone’s excited about the game.

Now for 4E that would be pointless. Realistically almost any 4E adventure can be Forgotten Realms as really they are largely all combat encounters and the story elements are just window dressing. Just swap out a few names and voila!