I enjoy just sitting back and watching the others play. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy adding my characters little twist every now and then, but i feel that my intentions of the campaigns may ruin the DM's plan for the night. I don't want to de-rail the campaign, but sometimes my character wants to go left when everyone goes right. I usually follow the group based on the fear of either getting the party killed or my character killed. I don't want to steal the spotlight of the others by just following a different thread, but i also don't just want to be "hit points with skills and sometimes spells.
Any advice on how to be creative with my characters, but also follow a railed setting? thanks in advance.
Perhaps you could give us a couple of examples of scenarios where you felt this way in your campaign. While it's an understandable statement and feeling, it's difficult to give any sort of recommendation without some specifics.
As a DM myself, it is very considerate of you to not want to "ruin the DM plan for the night." However, I wager that all of the other players do that on a regular basis, without them realizing it and the DM not expecting it and having to adapt on the fly. DM plans, encounters, story plots, etc., rarely survive first contact with the players. But, that's what makes it fun, for DM and player alike, the sense of huh-oh what's going to happen next?
My recommendation is to go ahead and take the left fork even if everyone wants to go right. Maybe not 100% of the time, but it is your character choices that weave into the greater fabric of the co-story being written by everyone at the table.
Even if it’s a module out the books? I feel like it may be a bit more rail road with those and some are time sensitive. Me, idly gathering info from everyone of any help while BBEG gains more and more power. Or an army marches closer to siege the town. Or our wanted characters get closer to capture.
Your DM will most likely relish a player actually trying to gather more information than normal. Usually the DM have a lot of information distributed throughout the NPC's of a town that would lead you in the right direction, specifically a direction he has more planned out for.
You might be surprised how open some of the published adventures are. And regardless of which direction you go, the DM should steer you toward the plot. Have your character do what you think they would do, as long as it doesn't subtract from the other's fun.
Smart you raise a good question. I didn't immediately think of any module during my earlier response. I've never run a module, particularly for the reasons I described above (I enjoy my own creativity more). I have read through all of the ones available on DnDB, and typically they do have various "paths" a module will outline based on character choices, and typically have module recommended methods to resolve parties or players sidetracking the story momentarily for a session. So, I wouldn't generally be overly concerned in that regard. Typically if several options are presented from the module itself (and not options or variations inserted by the DM himself/herself), the DM running the module ought to be able to faithfully follow those courses of actions per the module without any worry. All the paths do converge back to main story, as how modules are generally designed to give what I call the appearance of freedom of choice. But it's the overall specifics of the story, as dictated by the players/characters, which makes each running of a module unique to that story. All in all, everyone who has run through Tomb of Annihilation, for example, retained the same overall story but every table would have followed their own story variations through their respective campaigns.
I hope that provides a better explanation of my perspective, in regard to your follow up question.
Hopefully a DM who regularly runs modules will be able to chime in with other perspectives and advice.
If you can have an out of game chat with your DM about this. They will likely appreciate that you don't want to derail their plans but may also be able to suggest ways and times when you can take the left fork. I think it is possible at many points in an adventure to take a different approach but still come to the same end. Especially so if you are not trying to be a contrarian and just go left because everyone else is going right.
If you wish to be more aggressive, then consider the following:
1. Stop seeing things of other people's property, and see them as property that isn't yours... yet.
2. Think about every possible way to exploit people for personal gain.
3. Stir up people against their superiors, and incite riots whenever possible.
4. If you see a crime taking place, chase down the criminal and defeat them so you can take the stolen goods for yourself.
5. Disregard morals.
6. Hold total freedom over all else, but consider that if there is no one left alive due to anarchy, that means there is no one left for you to terrorize.
And your on your way to becoming a successful villain! Good luck!
If you wish to be more aggressive, then consider the following:
1. Stop seeing things of other people's property, and see them as property that isn't yours... yet.
2. Think about every possible way to exploit people for personal gain.
3. Stir up people against their superiors, and incite riots whenever possible.
4. If you see a crime taking place, chase down the criminal and defeat them so you can take the stolen goods for yourself.
5. Disregard morals.
6. Hold total freedom over all else, but consider that if there is no one left alive due to anarchy, that means there is no one left for you to terrorize.
And your on your way to becoming a successful villain! Good luck!
haha this is awesome...but also i don't know if i'd like playing with you. lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If you wish to be more aggressive, then consider the following:
1. Stop seeing things of other people's property, and see them as property that isn't yours... yet.
2. Think about every possible way to exploit people for personal gain.
3. Stir up people against their superiors, and incite riots whenever possible.
4. If you see a crime taking place, chase down the criminal and defeat them so you can take the stolen goods for yourself.
5. Disregard morals.
6. Hold total freedom over all else, but consider that if there is no one left alive due to anarchy, that means there is no one left for you to terrorize.
And your on your way to becoming a successful villain! Good luck!
haha this is awesome...but also i don't know if i'd like playing with you. lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And when you get to the big bad guy, offer him a job
If you wish to be more aggressive, then consider the following:
1. Stop seeing things of other people's property, and see them as property that isn't yours... yet.
2. Think about every possible way to exploit people for personal gain.
3. Stir up people against their superiors, and incite riots whenever possible.
4. If you see a crime taking place, chase down the criminal and defeat them so you can take the stolen goods for yourself.
5. Disregard morals.
6. Hold total freedom over all else, but consider that if there is no one left alive due to anarchy, that means there is no one left for you to terrorize.
And your on your way to becoming a successful villain! Good luck!
haha this is awesome...but also i don't know if i'd like playing with you. lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And when you get to the big bad guy, offer him a job
No, that is not the way to do things, Jacqsynn. Just beat the big bad guy until he works for you, then murder him in front of a crowd to set a example.
It sounds like you are already willing and doing a lot of compromise to work with your party, which is excellent! But being willing to compromise shouldn't make you feel like you need to be subservient to others ideas all the time. This includes the DM. Your social contract with the DM should include being mindful of the adventure you are on, but it's still YOUR heroic adventure. How you solve the problems should completely be up to you.
My suggestion is to focus on what your character thinks makes sense. If you want to go right when everyone goes left, you probably have a reason to do so. If you explain why, there's a good chance some other characters will agree as well. My guess is that you've already got enough respect from your fellow party members, as you've been going along with their ideas, that they'll be willing to listen to yours. And you can take small steps in a more active role, things that just involve a quick interaction that doesn't split the party. You mentioned wanting to get more information about the BBEG, that doesn't have to be you wandering off to search for people...instead of asking your party if they want to go asking for information, just ask your DM if you can wave someone down right there to ask them questions.
The best surprises for me as a DM are the ones that are character consistent but unexpected. I have a player who doesn't have much of a backstory other than that he grew up an orphan worshiping Chislev and operates entirely on instinct which, as a monk, is a form of Wisdom. I guess.
Anyway, he does a LOT of random and often, while not malicious, unhelpful things. No one at the table, myself included, seems to mind though since he made it a point to declare that ahead of time. As a DM, I am keeping track of his actions in game such that his impulsiveness will have karmic consequences which I'm designing as a part of his character arc.
Maybe try sowing the seeds of your bold actions now. Or take a look at your backstory and choices that your character has made that would better justify when you go left while everyone looks right. This assumes that your table prioritizes fun and a good story instead of fulfilling one or more of the tables power fantasies, which it sounds like you have. (Lucky you!)
If you wish to be more aggressive, then consider the following:
1. Stop seeing things of other people's property, and see them as property that isn't yours... yet.
2. Think about every possible way to exploit people for personal gain.
3. Stir up people against their superiors, and incite riots whenever possible.
4. If you see a crime taking place, chase down the criminal and defeat them so you can take the stolen goods for yourself.
5. Disregard morals.
6. Hold total freedom over all else, but consider that if there is no one left alive due to anarchy, that means there is no one left for you to terrorize.
And your on your way to becoming a successful villain! Good luck!
haha this is awesome...but also i don't know if i'd like playing with you. lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And when you get to the big bad guy, offer him a job
No, that is not the way to do things, Jacqsynn. Just beat the big bad guy until he works for you, then murder him in front of a crowd to set a example.
But you offer him the job so you can take out the rest of the party then when he is weak you kill him, that way you get all the loot, including what the party had and whatever reward the party was working toward as well.
I enjoy just sitting back and watching the others play. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy adding my characters little twist every now and then, but i feel that my intentions of the campaigns may ruin the DM's plan for the night. I don't want to de-rail the campaign, but sometimes my character wants to go left when everyone goes right. I usually follow the group based on the fear of either getting the party killed or my character killed. I don't want to steal the spotlight of the others by just following a different thread, but i also don't just want to be "hit points with skills and sometimes spells.
Any advice on how to be creative with my characters, but also follow a railed setting? thanks in advance.
Keeping it real for as long as i can remember.
Perhaps you could give us a couple of examples of scenarios where you felt this way in your campaign. While it's an understandable statement and feeling, it's difficult to give any sort of recommendation without some specifics.
As a DM myself, it is very considerate of you to not want to "ruin the DM plan for the night." However, I wager that all of the other players do that on a regular basis, without them realizing it and the DM not expecting it and having to adapt on the fly. DM plans, encounters, story plots, etc., rarely survive first contact with the players. But, that's what makes it fun, for DM and player alike, the sense of huh-oh what's going to happen next?
My recommendation is to go ahead and take the left fork even if everyone wants to go right. Maybe not 100% of the time, but it is your character choices that weave into the greater fabric of the co-story being written by everyone at the table.
Boldly go
Even if it’s a module out the books? I feel like it may be a bit more rail road with those and some are time sensitive. Me, idly gathering info from everyone of any help while BBEG gains more and more power. Or an army marches closer to siege the town. Or our wanted characters get closer to capture.
Keeping it real for as long as i can remember.
Your DM will most likely relish a player actually trying to gather more information than normal. Usually the DM have a lot of information distributed throughout the NPC's of a town that would lead you in the right direction, specifically a direction he has more planned out for.
You might be surprised how open some of the published adventures are. And regardless of which direction you go, the DM should steer you toward the plot. Have your character do what you think they would do, as long as it doesn't subtract from the other's fun.
Smart you raise a good question. I didn't immediately think of any module during my earlier response. I've never run a module, particularly for the reasons I described above (I enjoy my own creativity more). I have read through all of the ones available on DnDB, and typically they do have various "paths" a module will outline based on character choices, and typically have module recommended methods to resolve parties or players sidetracking the story momentarily for a session. So, I wouldn't generally be overly concerned in that regard. Typically if several options are presented from the module itself (and not options or variations inserted by the DM himself/herself), the DM running the module ought to be able to faithfully follow those courses of actions per the module without any worry. All the paths do converge back to main story, as how modules are generally designed to give what I call the appearance of freedom of choice. But it's the overall specifics of the story, as dictated by the players/characters, which makes each running of a module unique to that story. All in all, everyone who has run through Tomb of Annihilation, for example, retained the same overall story but every table would have followed their own story variations through their respective campaigns.
I hope that provides a better explanation of my perspective, in regard to your follow up question.
Hopefully a DM who regularly runs modules will be able to chime in with other perspectives and advice.
Boldly go
If you can have an out of game chat with your DM about this. They will likely appreciate that you don't want to derail their plans but may also be able to suggest ways and times when you can take the left fork. I think it is possible at many points in an adventure to take a different approach but still come to the same end. Especially so if you are not trying to be a contrarian and just go left because everyone else is going right.
pretty sure even in modules there's some wiggle room. i'd say, do what you think your character would do and the DM will guide the story.
If you wish to be more aggressive, then consider the following:
1. Stop seeing things of other people's property, and see them as property that isn't yours... yet.
2. Think about every possible way to exploit people for personal gain.
3. Stir up people against their superiors, and incite riots whenever possible.
4. If you see a crime taking place, chase down the criminal and defeat them so you can take the stolen goods for yourself.
5. Disregard morals.
6. Hold total freedom over all else, but consider that if there is no one left alive due to anarchy, that means there is no one left for you to terrorize.
And your on your way to becoming a successful villain! Good luck!
haha this is awesome...but also i don't know if i'd like playing with you. lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And when you get to the big bad guy, offer him a job
No, that is not the way to do things, Jacqsynn. Just beat the big bad guy until he works for you, then murder him in front of a crowd to set a example.
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InsiderIt sounds like you are already willing and doing a lot of compromise to work with your party, which is excellent! But being willing to compromise shouldn't make you feel like you need to be subservient to others ideas all the time. This includes the DM. Your social contract with the DM should include being mindful of the adventure you are on, but it's still YOUR heroic adventure. How you solve the problems should completely be up to you.
My suggestion is to focus on what your character thinks makes sense. If you want to go right when everyone goes left, you probably have a reason to do so. If you explain why, there's a good chance some other characters will agree as well. My guess is that you've already got enough respect from your fellow party members, as you've been going along with their ideas, that they'll be willing to listen to yours. And you can take small steps in a more active role, things that just involve a quick interaction that doesn't split the party. You mentioned wanting to get more information about the BBEG, that doesn't have to be you wandering off to search for people...instead of asking your party if they want to go asking for information, just ask your DM if you can wave someone down right there to ask them questions.
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
The best surprises for me as a DM are the ones that are character consistent but unexpected. I have a player who doesn't have much of a backstory other than that he grew up an orphan worshiping Chislev and operates entirely on instinct which, as a monk, is a form of Wisdom. I guess.
Anyway, he does a LOT of random and often, while not malicious, unhelpful things. No one at the table, myself included, seems to mind though since he made it a point to declare that ahead of time. As a DM, I am keeping track of his actions in game such that his impulsiveness will have karmic consequences which I'm designing as a part of his character arc.
Maybe try sowing the seeds of your bold actions now. Or take a look at your backstory and choices that your character has made that would better justify when you go left while everyone looks right. This assumes that your table prioritizes fun and a good story instead of fulfilling one or more of the tables power fantasies, which it sounds like you have. (Lucky you!)
But you offer him the job so you can take out the rest of the party then when he is weak you kill him, that way you get all the loot, including what the party had and whatever reward the party was working toward as well.
Never be afraid to go a little Leroy Jenkins.
(I'm kidding, please don't go Leroy Jenkins.)
HAHAHA. No nothing that extreme.
Keeping it real for as long as i can remember.
Also don't just want to be "hit points with skills and sometimes spells.