#25: Crisis of \"Faith\"

[RPGnet Columns]

http://www.rpg.net/columns/brave/brave25.phtml

Summary:

D&D3.5 goes off the tracks

Go to the column (http://www.rpg.net/columns/brave/brave25.phtml) for more information.

[Troy_Costisick]

Heya,

My Crisis of Faith in DnD3.5 came when I bought the Ghostwalk Campaign Option. I love Monte Cook. He's my favorite DnD author. But as I read through that thing, I kept going, "Isn't this getting a little rediculous at this point?" For me, it's getting to the point where the game doesn't seem coherant to itself anymore.

I'm all for them exploring new avenues of play and options. But now it seems all so disconnected from itself that it becomes very tempting to just strip the game to its core 3 books and leave it at that.

Oh, btw, I totally dig your Crossroads Campaign Setting. Can't wait to see the next column.

Peace,

-Troy

[Kravell]

Troy,

I agree that the game has many, many different pieces and none of them fit perfectly with each other. I found this point driven home when I read an Eberron novel and it had vampires, warforged, flying ships, dragonmarks, dragons etc. It was too much stuff that didn't seem to really all have a lot in common beyond the fact that it was in the D&D rules.

I have played two adventures so far in Crossroads and to me they have been the best adventures I've run since 3rd edition came out. One was 1st level and one was 2nd and I never thought I'd be able to come up with anything new or exciting at those levels. By going back to the core rules and looking around (along with some ideas from the Dungeonmaster's Guide II) I came up with some new ideas beyond fighting goblins or kobolds (again). I'll detail those adventures more in the next couple of months.

The approach I'm taking to rules now is a little at a time only as needed. I've added a handful of feats to the game, including a reserve feat from Complete Mage. However, I stripped out the crazy powerful caster level boost each reserve feat was giving. On paper, the feat looks great even without that crazy boost.

I've noticed that my players have come up with characters with more story and less meta-game as well. When I turned my focus away from the rules it seemed to also turn their attention to roleplaying and story as well. Don't get me wrong, we run some spectacular combats, but the reason for fighting is much clearer now.

I'm glad you're enjoying Crossroads. I have a lot more work to do on the world not to mention all the adventures I'm going to be running. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Charlie

[Troy_Costisick]

Heya,

One thing I really like about Crossroads is how logically you have it layed out and how precisely you know what you want. I think your organization is great. I don't doubt you've had some great adventures using it. It looks exactly like something a "Wizards fanboy" as you put it would make. And that's totally not a put down! That's a compliment. I think your idea for the game nails what D20 playing should be about, especially for you and your group.

One thing I want to ask, aside from changing the way you generate stats, what other changes are you making to the character creation process? I like the chapter heading, "Your story begins" and also "Making your Hero." I'd just like to know how you incorperate "story" and "hero" into facets of the character creation process.

As for the Setting, I might have a suggestion for ya. I hate pimping myself. I really do. So for what I have to say next, please feel free to smack me down as a self-absorbed bastard for doing it. But recently I wrote a design tool secifically for Setting Design. I have no idea if you will find it useful or not, but click HERE (http://socratesrpg.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-is-setting-part-3.html) if you are interested. If you find it useful, I'd love to hear some feedback from you on it. If you find it a piece of crap, I'd love to hear some feedback even more. I wish you awesome luck on your game, man!

Peace,

-Troy

[Kravell]

One thing I want to ask, aside from changing the way you generate stats, what other changes are you making to the character creation process? I like the chapter heading, "Your story begins" and also "Making your Hero." I'd just like to know how you incorperate "story" and "hero" into facets of the character creation process.

I'll cover your question about character creation first, then tackle setting building tomorrow. I will quickly note that I found your first three blogs on setting building useful and well thought out. Like you, I believe including the PCs into the setting from the start is crucial. More tomorrow. Need sleep soon.

Everything in the table of contents gets detailed in my next column due out in a couple of weeks. My approach to story (as pertains to the PCs) and being heroes is fairly basic.

For background, I told the players that their characters start out in the city of Anbegriffon, on the continent of Kreados. Kreados is surrounded by four other continents and is the crossroads where all those other cultures meet. Their story begins when they get to the city and only really takes off when they, the players, start making decisions, and I, the DM, start incorporating both their backstory and their current adventuring into the evolving setting.

Incorporating the concept of hero is going like this. I have eight players. After a couple of start up adventures I plan to make eight adventures, each focusing strongly on the background or abilities of one PC. Even if that player doesn't make that game night, the adventure will still work for everyone. But that one player would really get a chance to shine.

Again, whether the players actually make their characters into heroes is up to them. I didn't know what path they each would take, invidually or as a team.

And I address that idea, the evolving setting, to my players in this way: "In a nutshell, my goal is to give life to Crossroads and then let our creation live its own life. No one person on the team, me included, will be in total control of our creation."

And two adventures in, Crossroads is starting to become a living, breathing creation. I hope it will become more than the sum of its parts, even though I think all those parts are pretty great so far. I'll try to get more into this synergy in future columns as it evolves.

More tomorrow. Must sleep now.

Charlie

[Troy_Costisick]

Good! I can't wait to read it. I am especially interested in the Hero bit. In DnD, I feel that they has the players create "characters" not "heroes". A hero is a person who accomplished a great feat for the benefit of someone else. The way I read DnD, it's pretty clear that the mechanics mainly support characters who are out to benefit just themselves pretty much. I'm really interested to see how you take a different tack on that.

Peace,

-Troy

[Kravell]

Troy,

One major component I am now using in setting building is location. I think it is similar to geography as you describe it, but to me is crucial to the game.

For instance, my first adventure revolved around a halfling necromancer who lost his family to a fire. The first location was the halfling boat encampment in the harbor, which the necromancer set on fire.

This location, the burning boats, was a critical part of the adventure, as much as the necromancer was. It introduced part of the city to the adventurers in a why that would make sure they wouldn't forget. The slum-like burning boats. The injured halflings that no one else was helping.

I can't think of a setting that key locations like this would not play a key part in. More important to the players than who runs the city or who founded it, locations like these make the setting seem truly real to them.

Charlie

[Kravell]

Good! I can't wait to read it. I am especially interested in the Hero bit. In DnD, I feel that they has the players create "characters" not "heroes". A hero is a person who accomplished a great feat for the benefit of someone else. The way I read DnD, it's pretty clear that the mechanics mainly support characters who are out to benefit just themselves pretty much. I'm really interested to see how you take a different tack on that.

Peace,

-Troy

I don’t force my players to play heroes. However, dynamic forces in the game definitely steer them in that direction.

In the first adventure, as they sailed into the city of Anbegriffon’s harbor, they saw the boats that made up the halfling slums on fire and halflings down. No one else was helping fight the fire or rescue the wounded.

First encounter, first location, first conflict they had to decide. Do we help poor people we don’t know for no reward?

I’m proud to say that seven of the eight players sent their characters into the fire and water. The eighth was my newest player and he hung back for “roleplaying” reasons (i.e. his character wouldn’t benefit).

In game, the other characters chastised him for his greed and indifference. Different in a variety of backgrounds though they were, none of the other characters were willing to let innocents die. The new player, in character, came around to their way of thinking and pitched in later to help slay the necromancer behind the fire.

In metagame, the player’s wizard lost out on XP he could have earned for helping the halflings. Everyone else went to 2nd level while he stayed at 1st. Again, the player accepted the result, learned from it, and used the metagame result to set his character to soul searching. His PC considered becoming a cleric of Elishar, asked in character questions about the religion, and ultimately grew from the experience.

As the DM, I was able to watch and play some roles, but I didn’t have to force any of this interaction and roleplaying to happen. It came naturally from the shared story telling. And it was a wonderful experience.

Charlie

[Troy_Costisick]

Heya,

I don’t force my players to play heroes. However, dynamic forces in the game definitely steer them in that direction.

Awesome! And your players made great choices there. It's perfect how you presented them a situation, and then let the decide how to deal with it. You are absolutely right that heroism shouldn't be forced on the players. But it sure is fun to present those kinds of opportunities to them, huh? :)

One major component I am now using in setting building is location. I think it is similar to geography as you describe it, but to me is crucial to the game.

I certainly agree. In a game like this, location/geography will be key. I'll be interested to read in your next article about how locations tie into other parts of your setting and how the players interact with them all. By the way, how did the city's authorities react to the boat burning? Or have they had a chance yet? Or do they not care? :)

Peace,

-Troy

[Kravell]

By the way, how did the city's authorities react to the boat burning? Or have they had a chance yet? Or do they not care? :)

Politics in Anbegriffon are more complicated than what I've done before. Basically, the city is run by a lord mayor and a council with laws enforced by the watch. The Shining Crusade, the military arm of the Great Kingdom, fights monsters or powerful adventurers who the watch can't handle and they patrol outside the city. The Shining Church handles religious matters.

The Halfling Harbor Encampment falls through all the cracks. No one really watches out for the halflings, either claiming it is someone else's job or not really caring at all.

Belamere is a paladin of Elishar but not a member of the Shining Crusade or the Shining Church. Because he's a beholder. He's not allowed in the city except for the halfling encampment and he watches over them. Duty to Elishar, though, frequently calls him away and he was absent during the fire.

This long winded answer boils down to nobody in authority cares and the halflings take care of their own with Belamere's help. Now, though, the heroes have showed up, one of whom is out of favor with the Great Kingdom and has been made a diplomat to the Halfling Harbor Encampment. They saved the halflings and they took out the necromancer. They never reported in to the local authorties, which might lead to problems for them later.

Perhaps the PCs will step forward to take a more active role in city governing and politcs and provide justice for everyone. We'll just have to wait to see how things develop.

And very soon, they may catch the High Lightbringer, head of the Shining Church in Anbegriffon, in a compromising position. I'll be interested to see how they handle that situation.

Charlie