Why So Serious?

During my last Adventure’s League session, we played through the manticore encounter in the Princes of the Apocalypse module. Our half-orc barbarian set himself up as the comic relief and hero member of the group, as he took one dare after the next, and succeeded in each one with authentic die rolls, astounding us and our DM equally. He pretty much won the encounter for us, and we players all had a couple hours of fun and laughs. D&D as it was meant to be.

But what if that player had been unable to attend that session? We have been playing for a few weeks now, and I have a good read on the personalities of the other characters, and can say that none of us are playing overtly humorous characters. Without our half-orc, I don’t think that evening would have been near as funny as it was.

Not only is it in the DM hands to set the facts and figures of each session, the DM should also be aware of the tone of the game, as well as the persona of the PCs. Every now and then, or as often as you and your players like, set them up with some humor on purpose. Don’t always count on a player to bring it to the table.

In my current video gaming craze is the game Dying Light. Right in the midst of a plague outbreak turning those infected into zombies, there’s a side mission which lightens up the mood of the game, and did much to draw me deeper into the game. It helped me realize I didn’t have to work so hard to save everyone, that there are some people who are dealing with the current atrocity in their own way, and may just make it through okay. Click the link to see the mission, A Baby is Born, in play.

Not every session has to be the PCs pitted against all the evils of their world. Don’t let your DM legacy be all doom and gloom. Give PCs a fun and funny break every once in awhile, and lead them into purely comedic adventures they may not encounter on their own. Role ‘em!