My players want to play but I have little motivation? /u/Zestyclose-Sound9854 DnD: Roll for Initiative!

My players want to play but I have little motivation? /u/Zestyclose-Sound9854 DnD: Roll for Initiative!

I would normally call it quits but my players are really into it. They want to see where their characters arcs conclude.

They constantly show interest in their characters and the world, actively plan when the next session is for me and communicate well. We play weekly for two years now and all the players have never missed a session. They are good players and I also get to be a player in another game every other week myself – everything should be fine.

But for some reason, I feel like the flame has gone out and I am struggling to get the motivation to prep.

Part of the problem, I feel, is that one of the players never has anything good to say about the game. I don’t know how rational that feeling is; it might be that they (unlike my other players) are not as good at giving constructive feedback. It definitely is not malicious and I did ask my players to always come to me if there is an issue. Maybe I am partly bored with my setting and blaming the player unfairly. It is hard to tell.

Whatever the case, my players may have noticed and some of the quieter players have “randomly” reached out to let me know they think I am doing a good job. Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped. We took a break for Christmas but I am trying to decide whether or not I want to continue the sessions going forward.

What is a good way to deal with situations like this?

submitted by /u/Zestyclose-Sound9854
[link] [comments]

​r/DnD I would normally call it quits but my players are really into it. They want to see where their characters arcs conclude. They constantly show interest in their characters and the world, actively plan when the next session is for me and communicate well. We play weekly for two years now and all the players have never missed a session. They are good players and I also get to be a player in another game every other week myself – everything should be fine. But for some reason, I feel like the flame has gone out and I am struggling to get the motivation to prep. Part of the problem, I feel, is that one of the players never has anything good to say about the game. I don’t know how rational that feeling is; it might be that they (unlike my other players) are not as good at giving constructive feedback. It definitely is not malicious and I did ask my players to always come to me if there is an issue. Maybe I am partly bored with my setting and blaming the player unfairly. It is hard to tell. Whatever the case, my players may have noticed and some of the quieter players have “randomly” reached out to let me know they think I am doing a good job. Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped. We took a break for Christmas but I am trying to decide whether or not I want to continue the sessions going forward. What is a good way to deal with situations like this? submitted by /u/Zestyclose-Sound9854 [link] [comments] 

I would normally call it quits but my players are really into it. They want to see where their characters arcs conclude.

They constantly show interest in their characters and the world, actively plan when the next session is for me and communicate well. We play weekly for two years now and all the players have never missed a session. They are good players and I also get to be a player in another game every other week myself – everything should be fine.

But for some reason, I feel like the flame has gone out and I am struggling to get the motivation to prep.

Part of the problem, I feel, is that one of the players never has anything good to say about the game. I don’t know how rational that feeling is; it might be that they (unlike my other players) are not as good at giving constructive feedback. It definitely is not malicious and I did ask my players to always come to me if there is an issue. Maybe I am partly bored with my setting and blaming the player unfairly. It is hard to tell.

Whatever the case, my players may have noticed and some of the quieter players have “randomly” reached out to let me know they think I am doing a good job. Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped. We took a break for Christmas but I am trying to decide whether or not I want to continue the sessions going forward.

What is a good way to deal with situations like this?

submitted by /u/Zestyclose-Sound9854
[link] [comments]  I would normally call it quits but my players are really into it. They want to see where their characters arcs conclude. They constantly show interest in their characters and the world, actively plan when the next session is for me and communicate well. We play weekly for two years now and all the players have never missed a session. They are good players and I also get to be a player in another game every other week myself – everything should be fine. But for some reason, I feel like the flame has gone out and I am struggling to get the motivation to prep. Part of the problem, I feel, is that one of the players never has anything good to say about the game. I don’t know how rational that feeling is; it might be that they (unlike my other players) are not as good at giving constructive feedback. It definitely is not malicious and I did ask my players to always come to me if there is an issue. Maybe I am partly bored with my setting and blaming the player unfairly. It is hard to tell. Whatever the case, my players may have noticed and some of the quieter players have “randomly” reached out to let me know they think I am doing a good job. Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped. We took a break for Christmas but I am trying to decide whether or not I want to continue the sessions going forward. What is a good way to deal with situations like this? submitted by /u/Zestyclose-Sound9854 [link] [comments]

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What green flags do you have for DMs? /u/RiRong DnD: Roll for Initiative!

What green flags do you have for DMs? /u/RiRong DnD: Roll for Initiative!

I recently ran my first offline DnD session. I had experience running games before that, but it was all in Discord or Roll20. Online I was used to it by now and I was doing pretty well. Over the course of a few months, my master and a player on the team asked me to run a game for them. Eventually I agreed to do it.

I was very nervous and very lost, even though I was experienced.

I think this game went terribly, even though my players said otherwise.

So I would like to know what are your green flags in the DMs? Maybe knowing that would help me do better next time.

submitted by /u/RiRong
[link] [comments]

​r/DnD I recently ran my first offline DnD session. I had experience running games before that, but it was all in Discord or Roll20. Online I was used to it by now and I was doing pretty well. Over the course of a few months, my master and a player on the team asked me to run a game for them. Eventually I agreed to do it. I was very nervous and very lost, even though I was experienced. I think this game went terribly, even though my players said otherwise. So I would like to know what are your green flags in the DMs? Maybe knowing that would help me do better next time. submitted by /u/RiRong [link] [comments] 

I recently ran my first offline DnD session. I had experience running games before that, but it was all in Discord or Roll20. Online I was used to it by now and I was doing pretty well. Over the course of a few months, my master and a player on the team asked me to run a game for them. Eventually I agreed to do it.

I was very nervous and very lost, even though I was experienced.

I think this game went terribly, even though my players said otherwise.

So I would like to know what are your green flags in the DMs? Maybe knowing that would help me do better next time.

submitted by /u/RiRong
[link] [comments]  I recently ran my first offline DnD session. I had experience running games before that, but it was all in Discord or Roll20. Online I was used to it by now and I was doing pretty well. Over the course of a few months, my master and a player on the team asked me to run a game for them. Eventually I agreed to do it. I was very nervous and very lost, even though I was experienced. I think this game went terribly, even though my players said otherwise. So I would like to know what are your green flags in the DMs? Maybe knowing that would help me do better next time. submitted by /u/RiRong [link] [comments]

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Can You Suck Out Poison in DnD 5e? /u/Neh-Le DnD: Roll for Initiative!

Can You Suck Out Poison in DnD 5e? /u/Neh-Le DnD: Roll for Initiative!

One of my players wanted to suck out poison.

In our game, my player got poisoned after being bitten by an insect. They said they wanted to suck the poison out. I couldn’t remember if there’s a specific rule or mechanic for this in DnD 5e.

I told them they could try if they passed a DC 20 check using the Medicine skill. They succeeded, and I allowed it.

Is there any official rule or mechanic in DnD 5e for sucking out poison?

submitted by /u/Neh-Le
[link] [comments]

​r/DnD One of my players wanted to suck out poison. In our game, my player got poisoned after being bitten by an insect. They said they wanted to suck the poison out. I couldn’t remember if there’s a specific rule or mechanic for this in DnD 5e. I told them they could try if they passed a DC 20 check using the Medicine skill. They succeeded, and I allowed it. Is there any official rule or mechanic in DnD 5e for sucking out poison? submitted by /u/Neh-Le [link] [comments] 

One of my players wanted to suck out poison.

In our game, my player got poisoned after being bitten by an insect. They said they wanted to suck the poison out. I couldn’t remember if there’s a specific rule or mechanic for this in DnD 5e.

I told them they could try if they passed a DC 20 check using the Medicine skill. They succeeded, and I allowed it.

Is there any official rule or mechanic in DnD 5e for sucking out poison?

submitted by /u/Neh-Le
[link] [comments]  One of my players wanted to suck out poison. In our game, my player got poisoned after being bitten by an insect. They said they wanted to suck the poison out. I couldn’t remember if there’s a specific rule or mechanic for this in DnD 5e. I told them they could try if they passed a DC 20 check using the Medicine skill. They succeeded, and I allowed it. Is there any official rule or mechanic in DnD 5e for sucking out poison? submitted by /u/Neh-Le [link] [comments]

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What happens when a soul drinking sword “kills” someone with no soul? /u/Jeri_Shea DnD: Roll for Initiative!

What happens when a soul drinking sword “kills” someone with no soul? /u/Jeri_Shea DnD: Roll for Initiative!

Quick info, we have a homebrew pantheon.

So, for plot reasons, our Paladin has had their soul pulled out and was basically used as collateral by one god (Zeus+Ra – Lawful Good) to another god (Q from Star Trek: TNG – Chaotic Neutral) so that we will be sure to honor our promise to overthrow a nation over which neither of these Gods hold sway.

By the luck of the dice, we ran in to the BBEG much earlier than planned, and our Paladin is refusing to back down from the fight due to their vow to “Uproot, burn, and scatter to the wind, the ashes of all evil and corruption, wherever it may be found”.

We had to call the session because none of us know what might happen if a “Sentient Being Currently Not in Posession of their soul” were to hit the proper amount of negative hitpoints, LET ALONE what is supposed to happen if a Soul Drinking Sword were to kill a Being with no Soul.

Anyone have any experience with this? Is there any information in the Sacred Texts? (Compendiums, Manuals, ect…)

submitted by /u/Jeri_Shea
[link] [comments]

​r/DnD Quick info, we have a homebrew pantheon. So, for plot reasons, our Paladin has had their soul pulled out and was basically used as collateral by one god (Zeus+Ra – Lawful Good) to another god (Q from Star Trek: TNG – Chaotic Neutral) so that we will be sure to honor our promise to overthrow a nation over which neither of these Gods hold sway. By the luck of the dice, we ran in to the BBEG much earlier than planned, and our Paladin is refusing to back down from the fight due to their vow to “Uproot, burn, and scatter to the wind, the ashes of all evil and corruption, wherever it may be found”. We had to call the session because none of us know what might happen if a “Sentient Being Currently Not in Posession of their soul” were to hit the proper amount of negative hitpoints, LET ALONE what is supposed to happen if a Soul Drinking Sword were to kill a Being with no Soul. Anyone have any experience with this? Is there any information in the Sacred Texts? (Compendiums, Manuals, ect…) submitted by /u/Jeri_Shea [link] [comments] 

Quick info, we have a homebrew pantheon.

So, for plot reasons, our Paladin has had their soul pulled out and was basically used as collateral by one god (Zeus+Ra – Lawful Good) to another god (Q from Star Trek: TNG – Chaotic Neutral) so that we will be sure to honor our promise to overthrow a nation over which neither of these Gods hold sway.

By the luck of the dice, we ran in to the BBEG much earlier than planned, and our Paladin is refusing to back down from the fight due to their vow to “Uproot, burn, and scatter to the wind, the ashes of all evil and corruption, wherever it may be found”.

We had to call the session because none of us know what might happen if a “Sentient Being Currently Not in Posession of their soul” were to hit the proper amount of negative hitpoints, LET ALONE what is supposed to happen if a Soul Drinking Sword were to kill a Being with no Soul.

Anyone have any experience with this? Is there any information in the Sacred Texts? (Compendiums, Manuals, ect…)

submitted by /u/Jeri_Shea
[link] [comments]  Quick info, we have a homebrew pantheon. So, for plot reasons, our Paladin has had their soul pulled out and was basically used as collateral by one god (Zeus+Ra – Lawful Good) to another god (Q from Star Trek: TNG – Chaotic Neutral) so that we will be sure to honor our promise to overthrow a nation over which neither of these Gods hold sway. By the luck of the dice, we ran in to the BBEG much earlier than planned, and our Paladin is refusing to back down from the fight due to their vow to “Uproot, burn, and scatter to the wind, the ashes of all evil and corruption, wherever it may be found”. We had to call the session because none of us know what might happen if a “Sentient Being Currently Not in Posession of their soul” were to hit the proper amount of negative hitpoints, LET ALONE what is supposed to happen if a Soul Drinking Sword were to kill a Being with no Soul. Anyone have any experience with this? Is there any information in the Sacred Texts? (Compendiums, Manuals, ect…) submitted by /u/Jeri_Shea [link] [comments]

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Encouter creation /u/kill_dc DnD: Roll for Initiative!

Encouter creation /u/kill_dc DnD: Roll for Initiative!

How meny owl bear do you need to challenge a 5th lvl party consisting of a wizard, fighter And a ranger

And how strong are 2 wyverns?

submitted by /u/kill_dc
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​r/DnD How meny owl bear do you need to challenge a 5th lvl party consisting of a wizard, fighter And a ranger And how strong are 2 wyverns? submitted by /u/kill_dc [link] [comments] 

How meny owl bear do you need to challenge a 5th lvl party consisting of a wizard, fighter And a ranger

And how strong are 2 wyverns?

submitted by /u/kill_dc
[link] [comments]  How meny owl bear do you need to challenge a 5th lvl party consisting of a wizard, fighter And a ranger And how strong are 2 wyverns? submitted by /u/kill_dc [link] [comments]

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Real-life mythological pantheons VS. (stereo-)typical campaign setting pantheons. /u/Zestyclose-Advisor71 DnD: Roll for Initiative!

Real-life mythological pantheons VS. (stereo-)typical campaign setting pantheons. /u/Zestyclose-Advisor71 DnD: Roll for Initiative!

Hello everyone,

I was trying to figure out the most common, stereotypical types of deities one can find within the stereotypical fantasy tabletop setting.

To do this, I was researching various types of deities one often finds in a lot of different mythologies. Some archetypes of deities that often appear include:

– Sky father, often a “high god” or deus otiosus

– Storm and wind god, a slayer of chaos monsters.

– Stars and planets, and the night sky

– Sun god

– Moon

– Earth mother

– Water

– Fire (sacrifical fire).

– Mountain

– Animals (often those associated with power, and/or of vital importance to a community)

– Vegetation

– Ruler of the Dead

(Ludwig 2006, 3618-23)

Some common evil, or antagonistic deities I have found include:

– Dark mother

– Water serpents / dragons of chaos

– Destructive Monsters confined to the underworld

– Sickness, plague and death.

(Ludwig 2006, 3618-23)

As we can see, in a lot of mythology, deities are associated with physical, tangible spheres. Those spheres that are considered beneficial or mandatory of mortal survival or prosperity are often portrayed as positive deities. They are located in the heart of communities, and prayed to, or appealed to for aid. By contrast, those spheres that are seen as dangerous or detrimental to mortal survival are often located in peripheral, dangerous environments, and are often prayed against, or warded off. No sane, healthy person actively seeks out the aid of the evil deities.

However, when I examine D&D campaigns, I have found that rarely do campaign settings conform to these patterns. There are exceptions like unique settings like Glorantha in Runquest.

However, in D&D settings, deities are often divided into moral groups or alignments, similar to a “Cold War” scenario, where there “a state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action but is pursued primarily through economic and political actions, propaganda, acts of espionage or proxy wars waged by surrogates.” (Wikipedia 2024, “Cold war (term).”)

For example, according to Wikipedia, when Gary Gygax first published a somewhat complete pantheon for Greyhawk, the deities seem to be defined not by physical attributes, but rather by virtues and ideals.

– Good: St. Cuthbert (forthrightness); Pholtus (resolution); Heironeous (chivalry); Ehlonna (forest); Trithereon (liberty); Zagyg (humour)

– Neutral: Celestian (stars); Fharlanghn (travel); Istus (fate); Obad-hai (nature); Boccob (magic); Olidammara (music)

– Evil: Hextor (war); Iuz (oppression); Erythnul (slaughter); Incabulos (plague); Nerull (death); Ralishaz (madness); Wastri (bigotry)

(taken from Wikipedia 2024, “Greyhawk deities.”)

We see something similar in settings like

– Blackmoor: Great Gods of Neutrality and Law VS. Gods of Chaos (Arneson 1975 [2004], 21)

– Tékumel from Empire of the Petal Throne: Tlomítlanyal VS. Tlikiriqáluyal (Barker 1983 [1987], 90)

– Krynn from Dragonlance: Gods of Good VS. Gods of Neutrality VS. Gods of Evil(Weis et al. 2005, 121-135*)*,

– Exandria from Critical Role: The Prime Deities VS. the Betrayer Gods (Mercer et al. 2021, 27-39),

– the rpg The Dark Eye: The Twelve gods VS. the Nameless & the Archdemons (Spohr and Ulrich 2016; LiquidChicagoTed 2018, post to “Gods and Demons of the Dark Eye.”)

This has led me to conclude that there are some common traits in the stereotypical “fantasy tabletop campaign setting”:

– Deities are divided into ideologies, typically labelled “Good” or “Law”, and “Evil” or “, with sometimes a “Neutral” or “Ambigious Faction in between.

– Each different faction has roughly the same number of deities.

– All the factions seem obsessed with trying to spread their ideologies.

– On the side of “good” or “law“, there is :

— a god of Light and/or the Sun

— a god of Just War and Honorable Combat

— a god of Wisdom

— a god of Life and Healing

— and finally, all the gods embody a kind of virtue.

– On the side of “evil” or “chaos“, specific :

— a god of the Dead, the Underworld, and Undeath, who is often God of Darkness

— a god of Slaughter, Carnage, and Unjust War.

— a god of Being Evil, Oppression, and Tyranny

— a god of Sickness and Dying.

— at least one (and maybe more) World-Ender(s), that wants to destroy all the universe (or worse), and which the other evil deities are willing to stop.

— and finally, all the gods embody a kind of vice.

All of the above seems to fit very well within the mold of a “divine cold war.” This makes sense within the context of a Tabletop RPG.

“Religion” in Tabletop RPGs are not meant to reflect real-life belief systems.

Rather, it is essentially the Cold War, magnified to the level of the cosmos.

The good guys represent a kind of “Liberal Democratic West.”

The bad guys represent a kind of “Authoritarian Communist East.”

Finally, if there is a neutral group, it is the “Third World” caught in the middle.

The various deities are more-or-less “Kings and Queens ruling over empires from extraplanar fortresses” allied in ideological coalitions, trying to recruit more followers and expand their sphere of influence. (Drewfro666 2016, post to “Why The Gods Don’t Need Your Worship”)

What do you think? Am I wrong? Love to see your discussion.

Works Cited

Arneson, Dave. 1975 [2004]. Dungeons & Dragons: Additional Rules for Fantastic medieval Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures: Supplement II: Blackmoor. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Rules.

Barker, M.A.R. 1983 [1987]. Swords & Glory, vol. 1: Tekumel Source Book: The World of the Petal Throne. Self-published.

Drewfro666. 2016. Post to “Why The Gods Don’t Need Your Worship.” Reddit. Accessed January 28, 2019. https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/4rh5lw/why_the_gods_dont_need_your_worship/.

LiquidChicagoTed. 2018, November 19. Post to “Gods and Demons of the Dark Eye.” Creator’s Haven. Accessed January 4, 2024. https://creators-haven.boards.net/thread/48/gods-demons-dark-eye.

Ludwig, Theodore M. 2005. “Gods and Goddesses.” In Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd ed., edited by Lindsay Jones, 3616-3624. Vol. 6. Detroit, MI: Macmillan.

Mercer, Matthew, Hannah Rose, and James J. Kaeck. 2021. Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn. Darrington Press.

Spohr, Alex and Jens Ulrich. 2016. The Dark Eye, 5th Edition: Core Rules, edited by Eevie Demirtel, Daniel Simon Richter, Alex Spohr, translated by Daniel Mayer, Walter milani-Müller, and Kevin MacGregor. Waldems, Germany: Ulisses Spiele GmbH.

Weis, Margaret, Don Perrin, Jame Chambers, and Christopher Coyle. 2005. Dragonlance Campaign Setting. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast.

Wikipedia. 2024. “Cold war (term).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last updated December 31, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_war_(term).

Wikipedia. 2024. “Greyhawk deities.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last updated December 14, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhawk_deities

submitted by /u/Zestyclose-Advisor71
[link] [comments]

​r/DnD Hello everyone, I was trying to figure out the most common, stereotypical types of deities one can find within the stereotypical fantasy tabletop setting. To do this, I was researching various types of deities one often finds in a lot of different mythologies. Some archetypes of deities that often appear include: – Sky father, often a “high god” or deus otiosus – Storm and wind god, a slayer of chaos monsters. – Stars and planets, and the night sky – Sun god – Moon – Earth mother – Water – Fire (sacrifical fire). – Mountain – Animals (often those associated with power, and/or of vital importance to a community) – Vegetation – Ruler of the Dead (Ludwig 2006, 3618-23) Some common evil, or antagonistic deities I have found include: – Dark mother – Water serpents / dragons of chaos – Destructive Monsters confined to the underworld – Sickness, plague and death. (Ludwig 2006, 3618-23) As we can see, in a lot of mythology, deities are associated with physical, tangible spheres. Those spheres that are considered beneficial or mandatory of mortal survival or prosperity are often portrayed as positive deities. They are located in the heart of communities, and prayed to, or appealed to for aid. By contrast, those spheres that are seen as dangerous or detrimental to mortal survival are often located in peripheral, dangerous environments, and are often prayed against, or warded off. No sane, healthy person actively seeks out the aid of the evil deities. However, when I examine D&D campaigns, I have found that rarely do campaign settings conform to these patterns. There are exceptions like unique settings like Glorantha in Runquest. However, in D&D settings, deities are often divided into moral groups or alignments, similar to a “Cold War” scenario, where there “a state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action but is pursued primarily through economic and political actions, propaganda, acts of espionage or proxy wars waged by surrogates.” (Wikipedia 2024, “Cold war (term).”) For example, according to Wikipedia, when Gary Gygax first published a somewhat complete pantheon for Greyhawk, the deities seem to be defined not by physical attributes, but rather by virtues and ideals. – Good: St. Cuthbert (forthrightness); Pholtus (resolution); Heironeous (chivalry); Ehlonna (forest); Trithereon (liberty); Zagyg (humour) – Neutral: Celestian (stars); Fharlanghn (travel); Istus (fate); Obad-hai (nature); Boccob (magic); Olidammara (music) – Evil: Hextor (war); Iuz (oppression); Erythnul (slaughter); Incabulos (plague); Nerull (death); Ralishaz (madness); Wastri (bigotry) (taken from Wikipedia 2024, “Greyhawk deities.”) We see something similar in settings like – Blackmoor: Great Gods of Neutrality and Law VS. Gods of Chaos (Arneson 1975 [2004], 21) – Tékumel from Empire of the Petal Throne: Tlomítlanyal VS. Tlikiriqáluyal (Barker 1983 [1987], 90) – Krynn from Dragonlance: Gods of Good VS. Gods of Neutrality VS. Gods of Evil(Weis et al. 2005, 121-135*)*, – Exandria from Critical Role: The Prime Deities VS. the Betrayer Gods (Mercer et al. 2021, 27-39), – the rpg The Dark Eye: The Twelve gods VS. the Nameless & the Archdemons (Spohr and Ulrich 2016; LiquidChicagoTed 2018, post to “Gods and Demons of the Dark Eye.”) This has led me to conclude that there are some common traits in the stereotypical “fantasy tabletop campaign setting”: – Deities are divided into ideologies, typically labelled “Good” or “Law”, and “Evil” or “, with sometimes a “Neutral” or “Ambigious Faction in between. – Each different faction has roughly the same number of deities. – All the factions seem obsessed with trying to spread their ideologies. – On the side of “good” or “law”, there is : — a god of Light and/or the Sun — a god of Just War and Honorable Combat — a god of Wisdom — a god of Life and Healing — and finally, all the gods embody a kind of virtue. – On the side of “evil” or “chaos”, specific : — a god of the Dead, the Underworld, and Undeath, who is often God of Darkness — a god of Slaughter, Carnage, and Unjust War. — a god of Being Evil, Oppression, and Tyranny — a god of Sickness and Dying. — at least one (and maybe more) World-Ender(s), that wants to destroy all the universe (or worse), and which the other evil deities are willing to stop. — and finally, all the gods embody a kind of vice. All of the above seems to fit very well within the mold of a “divine cold war.” This makes sense within the context of a Tabletop RPG. “Religion” in Tabletop RPGs are not meant to reflect real-life belief systems. Rather, it is essentially the Cold War, magnified to the level of the cosmos. The good guys represent a kind of “Liberal Democratic West.” The bad guys represent a kind of “Authoritarian Communist East.” Finally, if there is a neutral group, it is the “Third World” caught in the middle. The various deities are more-or-less “Kings and Queens ruling over empires from extraplanar fortresses” allied in ideological coalitions, trying to recruit more followers and expand their sphere of influence. (Drewfro666 2016, post to “Why The Gods Don’t Need Your Worship”) What do you think? Am I wrong? Love to see your discussion. Works Cited Arneson, Dave. 1975 [2004]. Dungeons & Dragons: Additional Rules for Fantastic medieval Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures: Supplement II: Blackmoor. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Rules. Barker, M.A.R. 1983 [1987]. Swords & Glory, vol. 1: Tekumel Source Book: The World of the Petal Throne. Self-published. Drewfro666. 2016. Post to “Why The Gods Don’t Need Your Worship.” Reddit. Accessed January 28, 2019. https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/4rh5lw/why_the_gods_dont_need_your_worship/. LiquidChicagoTed. 2018, November 19. Post to “Gods and Demons of the Dark Eye.” Creator’s Haven. Accessed January 4, 2024. https://creators-haven.boards.net/thread/48/gods-demons-dark-eye. Ludwig, Theodore M. 2005. “Gods and Goddesses.” In Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd ed., edited by Lindsay Jones, 3616-3624. Vol. 6. Detroit, MI: Macmillan. Mercer, Matthew, Hannah Rose, and James J. Kaeck. 2021. Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn. Darrington Press. Spohr, Alex and Jens Ulrich. 2016. The Dark Eye, 5th Edition: Core Rules, edited by Eevie Demirtel, Daniel Simon Richter, Alex Spohr, translated by Daniel Mayer, Walter milani-Müller, and Kevin MacGregor. Waldems, Germany: Ulisses Spiele GmbH. Weis, Margaret, Don Perrin, Jame Chambers, and Christopher Coyle. 2005. Dragonlance Campaign Setting. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. Wikipedia. 2024. “Cold war (term).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last updated December 31, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_war_(term). Wikipedia. 2024. “Greyhawk deities.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last updated December 14, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhawk_deities submitted by /u/Zestyclose-Advisor71 [link] [comments] 

Hello everyone,

I was trying to figure out the most common, stereotypical types of deities one can find within the stereotypical fantasy tabletop setting.

To do this, I was researching various types of deities one often finds in a lot of different mythologies. Some archetypes of deities that often appear include:

– Sky father, often a “high god” or deus otiosus

– Storm and wind god, a slayer of chaos monsters.

– Stars and planets, and the night sky

– Sun god

– Moon

– Earth mother

– Water

– Fire (sacrifical fire).

– Mountain

– Animals (often those associated with power, and/or of vital importance to a community)

– Vegetation

– Ruler of the Dead

(Ludwig 2006, 3618-23)

Some common evil, or antagonistic deities I have found include:

– Dark mother

– Water serpents / dragons of chaos

– Destructive Monsters confined to the underworld

– Sickness, plague and death.

(Ludwig 2006, 3618-23)

As we can see, in a lot of mythology, deities are associated with physical, tangible spheres. Those spheres that are considered beneficial or mandatory of mortal survival or prosperity are often portrayed as positive deities. They are located in the heart of communities, and prayed to, or appealed to for aid. By contrast, those spheres that are seen as dangerous or detrimental to mortal survival are often located in peripheral, dangerous environments, and are often prayed against, or warded off. No sane, healthy person actively seeks out the aid of the evil deities.

However, when I examine D&D campaigns, I have found that rarely do campaign settings conform to these patterns. There are exceptions like unique settings like Glorantha in Runquest.

However, in D&D settings, deities are often divided into moral groups or alignments, similar to a “Cold War” scenario, where there “a state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action but is pursued primarily through economic and political actions, propaganda, acts of espionage or proxy wars waged by surrogates.” (Wikipedia 2024, “Cold war (term).”)

For example, according to Wikipedia, when Gary Gygax first published a somewhat complete pantheon for Greyhawk, the deities seem to be defined not by physical attributes, but rather by virtues and ideals.

– Good: St. Cuthbert (forthrightness); Pholtus (resolution); Heironeous (chivalry); Ehlonna (forest); Trithereon (liberty); Zagyg (humour)

– Neutral: Celestian (stars); Fharlanghn (travel); Istus (fate); Obad-hai (nature); Boccob (magic); Olidammara (music)

– Evil: Hextor (war); Iuz (oppression); Erythnul (slaughter); Incabulos (plague); Nerull (death); Ralishaz (madness); Wastri (bigotry)

(taken from Wikipedia 2024, “Greyhawk deities.”)

We see something similar in settings like

– Blackmoor: Great Gods of Neutrality and Law VS. Gods of Chaos (Arneson 1975 [2004], 21)

– Tékumel from Empire of the Petal Throne: Tlomítlanyal VS. Tlikiriqáluyal (Barker 1983 [1987], 90)

– Krynn from Dragonlance: Gods of Good VS. Gods of Neutrality VS. Gods of Evil(Weis et al. 2005, 121-135*)*,

– Exandria from Critical Role: The Prime Deities VS. the Betrayer Gods (Mercer et al. 2021, 27-39),

– the rpg The Dark Eye: The Twelve gods VS. the Nameless & the Archdemons (Spohr and Ulrich 2016; LiquidChicagoTed 2018, post to “Gods and Demons of the Dark Eye.”)

This has led me to conclude that there are some common traits in the stereotypical “fantasy tabletop campaign setting”:

– Deities are divided into ideologies, typically labelled “Good” or “Law”, and “Evil” or “, with sometimes a “Neutral” or “Ambigious Faction in between.

– Each different faction has roughly the same number of deities.

– All the factions seem obsessed with trying to spread their ideologies.

– On the side of “good” or “law“, there is :

— a god of Light and/or the Sun

— a god of Just War and Honorable Combat

— a god of Wisdom

— a god of Life and Healing

— and finally, all the gods embody a kind of virtue.

– On the side of “evil” or “chaos“, specific :

— a god of the Dead, the Underworld, and Undeath, who is often God of Darkness

— a god of Slaughter, Carnage, and Unjust War.

— a god of Being Evil, Oppression, and Tyranny

— a god of Sickness and Dying.

— at least one (and maybe more) World-Ender(s), that wants to destroy all the universe (or worse), and which the other evil deities are willing to stop.

— and finally, all the gods embody a kind of vice.

All of the above seems to fit very well within the mold of a “divine cold war.” This makes sense within the context of a Tabletop RPG.

“Religion” in Tabletop RPGs are not meant to reflect real-life belief systems.

Rather, it is essentially the Cold War, magnified to the level of the cosmos.

The good guys represent a kind of “Liberal Democratic West.”

The bad guys represent a kind of “Authoritarian Communist East.”

Finally, if there is a neutral group, it is the “Third World” caught in the middle.

The various deities are more-or-less “Kings and Queens ruling over empires from extraplanar fortresses” allied in ideological coalitions, trying to recruit more followers and expand their sphere of influence. (Drewfro666 2016, post to “Why The Gods Don’t Need Your Worship”)

What do you think? Am I wrong? Love to see your discussion.

Works Cited

Arneson, Dave. 1975 [2004]. Dungeons & Dragons: Additional Rules for Fantastic medieval Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures: Supplement II: Blackmoor. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Rules.

Barker, M.A.R. 1983 [1987]. Swords & Glory, vol. 1: Tekumel Source Book: The World of the Petal Throne. Self-published.

Drewfro666. 2016. Post to “Why The Gods Don’t Need Your Worship.” Reddit. Accessed January 28, 2019. https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/4rh5lw/why_the_gods_dont_need_your_worship/.

LiquidChicagoTed. 2018, November 19. Post to “Gods and Demons of the Dark Eye.” Creator’s Haven. Accessed January 4, 2024. https://creators-haven.boards.net/thread/48/gods-demons-dark-eye.

Ludwig, Theodore M. 2005. “Gods and Goddesses.” In Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd ed., edited by Lindsay Jones, 3616-3624. Vol. 6. Detroit, MI: Macmillan.

Mercer, Matthew, Hannah Rose, and James J. Kaeck. 2021. Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn. Darrington Press.

Spohr, Alex and Jens Ulrich. 2016. The Dark Eye, 5th Edition: Core Rules, edited by Eevie Demirtel, Daniel Simon Richter, Alex Spohr, translated by Daniel Mayer, Walter milani-Müller, and Kevin MacGregor. Waldems, Germany: Ulisses Spiele GmbH.

Weis, Margaret, Don Perrin, Jame Chambers, and Christopher Coyle. 2005. Dragonlance Campaign Setting. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast.

Wikipedia. 2024. “Cold war (term).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last updated December 31, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_war_(term).

Wikipedia. 2024. “Greyhawk deities.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last updated December 14, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhawk_deities

submitted by /u/Zestyclose-Advisor71
[link] [comments]  Hello everyone, I was trying to figure out the most common, stereotypical types of deities one can find within the stereotypical fantasy tabletop setting. To do this, I was researching various types of deities one often finds in a lot of different mythologies. Some archetypes of deities that often appear include: – Sky father, often a “high god” or deus otiosus – Storm and wind god, a slayer of chaos monsters. – Stars and planets, and the night sky – Sun god – Moon – Earth mother – Water – Fire (sacrifical fire). – Mountain – Animals (often those associated with power, and/or of vital importance to a community) – Vegetation – Ruler of the Dead (Ludwig 2006, 3618-23) Some common evil, or antagonistic deities I have found include: – Dark mother – Water serpents / dragons of chaos – Destructive Monsters confined to the underworld – Sickness, plague and death. (Ludwig 2006, 3618-23) As we can see, in a lot of mythology, deities are associated with physical, tangible spheres. Those spheres that are considered beneficial or mandatory of mortal survival or prosperity are often portrayed as positive deities. They are located in the heart of communities, and prayed to, or appealed to for aid. By contrast, those spheres that are seen as dangerous or detrimental to mortal survival are often located in peripheral, dangerous environments, and are often prayed against, or warded off. No sane, healthy person actively seeks out the aid of the evil deities. However, when I examine D&D campaigns, I have found that rarely do campaign settings conform to these patterns. There are exceptions like unique settings like Glorantha in Runquest. However, in D&D settings, deities are often divided into moral groups or alignments, similar to a “Cold War” scenario, where there “a state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action but is pursued primarily through economic and political actions, propaganda, acts of espionage or proxy wars waged by surrogates.” (Wikipedia 2024, “Cold war (term).”) For example, according to Wikipedia, when Gary Gygax first published a somewhat complete pantheon for Greyhawk, the deities seem to be defined not by physical attributes, but rather by virtues and ideals. – Good: St. Cuthbert (forthrightness); Pholtus (resolution); Heironeous (chivalry); Ehlonna (forest); Trithereon (liberty); Zagyg (humour) – Neutral: Celestian (stars); Fharlanghn (travel); Istus (fate); Obad-hai (nature); Boccob (magic); Olidammara (music) – Evil: Hextor (war); Iuz (oppression); Erythnul (slaughter); Incabulos (plague); Nerull (death); Ralishaz (madness); Wastri (bigotry) (taken from Wikipedia 2024, “Greyhawk deities.”) We see something similar in settings like – Blackmoor: Great Gods of Neutrality and Law VS. Gods of Chaos (Arneson 1975 [2004], 21) – Tékumel from Empire of the Petal Throne: Tlomítlanyal VS. Tlikiriqáluyal (Barker 1983 [1987], 90) – Krynn from Dragonlance: Gods of Good VS. Gods of Neutrality VS. Gods of Evil(Weis et al. 2005, 121-135*)*, – Exandria from Critical Role: The Prime Deities VS. the Betrayer Gods (Mercer et al. 2021, 27-39), – the rpg The Dark Eye: The Twelve gods VS. the Nameless & the Archdemons (Spohr and Ulrich 2016; LiquidChicagoTed 2018, post to “Gods and Demons of the Dark Eye.”) This has led me to conclude that there are some common traits in the stereotypical “fantasy tabletop campaign setting”: – Deities are divided into ideologies, typically labelled “Good” or “Law”, and “Evil” or “, with sometimes a “Neutral” or “Ambigious Faction in between. – Each different faction has roughly the same number of deities. – All the factions seem obsessed with trying to spread their ideologies. – On the side of “good” or “law”, there is : — a god of Light and/or the Sun — a god of Just War and Honorable Combat — a god of Wisdom — a god of Life and Healing — and finally, all the gods embody a kind of virtue. – On the side of “evil” or “chaos”, specific : — a god of the Dead, the Underworld, and Undeath, who is often God of Darkness — a god of Slaughter, Carnage, and Unjust War. — a god of Being Evil, Oppression, and Tyranny — a god of Sickness and Dying. — at least one (and maybe more) World-Ender(s), that wants to destroy all the universe (or worse), and which the other evil deities are willing to stop. — and finally, all the gods embody a kind of vice. All of the above seems to fit very well within the mold of a “divine cold war.” This makes sense within the context of a Tabletop RPG. “Religion” in Tabletop RPGs are not meant to reflect real-life belief systems. Rather, it is essentially the Cold War, magnified to the level of the cosmos. The good guys represent a kind of “Liberal Democratic West.” The bad guys represent a kind of “Authoritarian Communist East.” Finally, if there is a neutral group, it is the “Third World” caught in the middle. The various deities are more-or-less “Kings and Queens ruling over empires from extraplanar fortresses” allied in ideological coalitions, trying to recruit more followers and expand their sphere of influence. (Drewfro666 2016, post to “Why The Gods Don’t Need Your Worship”) What do you think? Am I wrong? Love to see your discussion. Works Cited Arneson, Dave. 1975 [2004]. Dungeons & Dragons: Additional Rules for Fantastic medieval Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures: Supplement II: Blackmoor. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Rules. Barker, M.A.R. 1983 [1987]. Swords & Glory, vol. 1: Tekumel Source Book: The World of the Petal Throne. Self-published. Drewfro666. 2016. Post to “Why The Gods Don’t Need Your Worship.” Reddit. Accessed January 28, 2019. https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/4rh5lw/why_the_gods_dont_need_your_worship/. LiquidChicagoTed. 2018, November 19. Post to “Gods and Demons of the Dark Eye.” Creator’s Haven. Accessed January 4, 2024. https://creators-haven.boards.net/thread/48/gods-demons-dark-eye. Ludwig, Theodore M. 2005. “Gods and Goddesses.” In Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd ed., edited by Lindsay Jones, 3616-3624. Vol. 6. Detroit, MI: Macmillan. Mercer, Matthew, Hannah Rose, and James J. Kaeck. 2021. Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn. Darrington Press. Spohr, Alex and Jens Ulrich. 2016. The Dark Eye, 5th Edition: Core Rules, edited by Eevie Demirtel, Daniel Simon Richter, Alex Spohr, translated by Daniel Mayer, Walter milani-Müller, and Kevin MacGregor. Waldems, Germany: Ulisses Spiele GmbH. Weis, Margaret, Don Perrin, Jame Chambers, and Christopher Coyle. 2005. Dragonlance Campaign Setting. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. Wikipedia. 2024. “Cold war (term).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last updated December 31, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_war_(term). Wikipedia. 2024. “Greyhawk deities.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last updated December 14, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhawk_deities submitted by /u/Zestyclose-Advisor71 [link] [comments]

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Railroading vs Derailing? /u/IncredulousBob DnD: Roll for Initiative!

Railroading vs Derailing? /u/IncredulousBob DnD: Roll for Initiative!

I’ve recently joined a DND group for new players, and my goal is to eventually become a DM, but there’s one thing I’m worried about. Everyone knows it’s bad DMing to railroad your players through whatever story you’ve come up with, but is it also considered bad form for the players to go out of their way to derail the campaign? Obviously everything isn’t going to go completely the way I envision it because the players don’t know the ins and outs of the story like I do, and I’m fine with that. But there’s a difference between doing something that makes sense in-game that I wasn’t prepared for, and deliberately breaking away from the story to do something completely unrelated.

For example, if the campaign revolves around the party hunting down a dragon, it’s always a possibility that the players might decide to join up with the dragon instead of slay it, and I would roll with that even though it wasn’t the direction I expected the story to go. But if, instead of following the dragon questline, they said “Yeah, that’s cool. So anyway, I attack the king and claim his throne for myself. Now let’s go invade another kingdom!” is that going too far? At that point they’ve taken the campaign I already have planned and turned it into something I have no notes, questlines, character interactions, or anything else prepared. So am I able to tell him no, we’re sticking with the campaign I have planned, or do I just have to accept that we’re doing this now?

I know this probably isn’t going to happen often, but I still want to know what’ll be expected of me if and when it does.

submitted by /u/IncredulousBob
[link] [comments]

​r/DnD I’ve recently joined a DND group for new players, and my goal is to eventually become a DM, but there’s one thing I’m worried about. Everyone knows it’s bad DMing to railroad your players through whatever story you’ve come up with, but is it also considered bad form for the players to go out of their way to derail the campaign? Obviously everything isn’t going to go completely the way I envision it because the players don’t know the ins and outs of the story like I do, and I’m fine with that. But there’s a difference between doing something that makes sense in-game that I wasn’t prepared for, and deliberately breaking away from the story to do something completely unrelated. For example, if the campaign revolves around the party hunting down a dragon, it’s always a possibility that the players might decide to join up with the dragon instead of slay it, and I would roll with that even though it wasn’t the direction I expected the story to go. But if, instead of following the dragon questline, they said “Yeah, that’s cool. So anyway, I attack the king and claim his throne for myself. Now let’s go invade another kingdom!” is that going too far? At that point they’ve taken the campaign I already have planned and turned it into something I have no notes, questlines, character interactions, or anything else prepared. So am I able to tell him no, we’re sticking with the campaign I have planned, or do I just have to accept that we’re doing this now? I know this probably isn’t going to happen often, but I still want to know what’ll be expected of me if and when it does. submitted by /u/IncredulousBob [link] [comments] 

I’ve recently joined a DND group for new players, and my goal is to eventually become a DM, but there’s one thing I’m worried about. Everyone knows it’s bad DMing to railroad your players through whatever story you’ve come up with, but is it also considered bad form for the players to go out of their way to derail the campaign? Obviously everything isn’t going to go completely the way I envision it because the players don’t know the ins and outs of the story like I do, and I’m fine with that. But there’s a difference between doing something that makes sense in-game that I wasn’t prepared for, and deliberately breaking away from the story to do something completely unrelated.

For example, if the campaign revolves around the party hunting down a dragon, it’s always a possibility that the players might decide to join up with the dragon instead of slay it, and I would roll with that even though it wasn’t the direction I expected the story to go. But if, instead of following the dragon questline, they said “Yeah, that’s cool. So anyway, I attack the king and claim his throne for myself. Now let’s go invade another kingdom!” is that going too far? At that point they’ve taken the campaign I already have planned and turned it into something I have no notes, questlines, character interactions, or anything else prepared. So am I able to tell him no, we’re sticking with the campaign I have planned, or do I just have to accept that we’re doing this now?

I know this probably isn’t going to happen often, but I still want to know what’ll be expected of me if and when it does.

submitted by /u/IncredulousBob
[link] [comments]  I’ve recently joined a DND group for new players, and my goal is to eventually become a DM, but there’s one thing I’m worried about. Everyone knows it’s bad DMing to railroad your players through whatever story you’ve come up with, but is it also considered bad form for the players to go out of their way to derail the campaign? Obviously everything isn’t going to go completely the way I envision it because the players don’t know the ins and outs of the story like I do, and I’m fine with that. But there’s a difference between doing something that makes sense in-game that I wasn’t prepared for, and deliberately breaking away from the story to do something completely unrelated. For example, if the campaign revolves around the party hunting down a dragon, it’s always a possibility that the players might decide to join up with the dragon instead of slay it, and I would roll with that even though it wasn’t the direction I expected the story to go. But if, instead of following the dragon questline, they said “Yeah, that’s cool. So anyway, I attack the king and claim his throne for myself. Now let’s go invade another kingdom!” is that going too far? At that point they’ve taken the campaign I already have planned and turned it into something I have no notes, questlines, character interactions, or anything else prepared. So am I able to tell him no, we’re sticking with the campaign I have planned, or do I just have to accept that we’re doing this now? I know this probably isn’t going to happen often, but I still want to know what’ll be expected of me if and when it does. submitted by /u/IncredulousBob [link] [comments]

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