@dapperbear ah yes, I didn't mention characters that are actively trying to be heroes from the start, because I genuinely do love playing them, because doing the right thing is so HARD. I admittedly don't play them as much, but I do have a real soft spot for them
Oh, one last D&D opinion - characters that don't want to be heroes but are forced to be the chosen one? It's played out. It's boring. Characters choosing to be heroes because they've been in the mud and they've finally figured out what is RIGHT? That's interesting. I mean, play whatever you want to play, god knows I've played tons of reluctant heroes, but if that's not the story your player wants to tell, don't make them do it anyway.
Also, DMs, let yourself off the hook. Set up the story and let it happen. I'm not exploring these character threads so that you have another problem to solve, I'm doing it because I want to play around, and your narrative has created an internal conflict! Good for you! That's good storytelling! Now let me do my part and work with it! Like, god, I appreciate DMs so much, it's so hard. But like, I'm not playing this game so you can fix me.
Another DM once gave us a "Zone of Truth candle" because in the middle of party conflict, my low WIS (i dumpstat WIS a lot, sue me) fighter expressed that she couldn't trust our high charisma bard because I could never tell if she was lying.
To me, all of this is such bad faith DMing. It shows a lack of trust in me to solve my own problems, and it shows a lack of trust in both of our narrative abilities. Let problems be problems!!! You don't NEED to fix it!
Another DM has talked to me repeatedly about "whether I want to change the direction my character's going" because I talked about how she's stuck in a stasis of trauma. He gave my warlock a vision of my patron, Cthulhu (who I specified was indifferent to me!!!) to encourage my character to do the right thing. My CN pickpocket Warlock. This is very early in the campaign, we're maybe two weeks into the party knowing each other.
I have a paladin with a crisis of faith b/c she made an 8 WIS move and nearly got killed. My DM gave me a vision from my god and a "blessing" - a boost to 12 WIS. I PURPOSEFULLY dumped WIS because I think having a neg ability score is fun and interesting to play. I was toying with letting this character walk away from the party for a bit, or even going Oathbreaker, which the DM knew. But instead - voila, very next session, a fix for all my problems!
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, since I'm very lucky to be playing a TON of games with different DMs and I'm coming up on DMing my first game next week (very excited, absolutely terrified).
My big problem with a lot of DMs (especially male DMs, I'll say it), is that they really want to solve your characters problems/flaws for you.
A PUMPKIN MAN SITS INSIDE A PUMPKIN HOUSE
IS THE HOUSE MADE OF FLESH
OR IS HE MADE OF HOUSE?
HE SCREAMS, FOR HE DOES NOT KNOW
After not having played any of my FOUR WEEKLY CAMPAIGNS for three weeks, I rolled 53 damage on an 8d8 blight spell and I've never felt SO ALIVE
I haven't played any of my dnd games in three weeks and I'm like, hangry but for cooperative story telling
ebel aurora