Do you ever get the feeling the sometimes, the players miss the point of the campaign? Not that they're playing badly or being murderhobos, but that what the DM and the PCs have in mind really isn't in the spirit of what was intended. I'll start by saying that I'm usually a forever DM, and I've finally had the chance to sit down as a player after someone else took over. But I just can't help but be a little off-balance by the way things are going.
We're playing the Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path, which I've read through, but which the DM has made a lot of changes to. I know, I know that I shouldn't have foreknowledge of the module, but I've actually run the AP two groups back, and I'm really just enjoying the ride. I'm still trying to frame my thoughts, but I guess I have to start from somewhere.
Okay, the first major change is that the very first module begins with the PCs waking up after a cave-in, with a trio of NPCs. The DM changed the NPCs significantly, especially the most notable one: There's this M-to-F transsexual (accomplished using a Belt of Gender Change) who - in the normal module - is in a relationship with a female half-orc Paladin. S/he's been replaced by a female Elven cleric with a broken leg, while the blind Wizard is the module is now a blinded would-be Crusader named Sir Edern. The last character (a cowardly merchant) still remained, but the party left him to die early on in the module.
Now, our party is as follows: Male Human Warpriest (me), Male Human Inquisitor, Female Elven Sorceress, Female Elven Ranger. I mention this because of the character dynamics that followed.
>>43589297
See, Irabeth, the Half-Orc paladin with the transgender wife, has been excised from the module, too. She's been replaced by Sir Edern's father, Lord Hulrun. Now, Sir Edern is a Lawful Good Templar who wants to be a Paladin. His father, a guy in his late 40s to early 50s, is a Chaotic Neutral Cavalier of the Order of the Cockatric, whose code is literally 'be a dick'. He is rough, merciless in combat, believes in 'kill 'em all and let God sort them out' and has a wandering eye. I bring this up because the female Sorceress initially started up a relationship with Sir Edern, and then started fucking his father behind his back.
I'll restate that she's fucking his dad while dating him, like something out of an NTR story.
Also, the group's Inquisitor has decided to start a pogrom (as you do) to hunt out suspected demon-worshippers and put them to the torch. He's not especially picky about this - thought he has snatched up a lot of cultists and suspected cultists - and has confiscated all their wealth in the name of the Church. Last of all, the Ranger?
Well, this is worth stating: The DM had a subplot where, in the middle of the night, a shadow-demon assassin snuck into our headquarters with mayhem on his mind. As a shadow demon, it vaguely resembles a serpent-bodied humanoid with collapsible arms, very skeletal, very bony. This is the closest image I could find, but I've spoilered it because it's only partially safe for work.
So the assassin snuck up on the Ranger first, but she woke up and armed herself before it could death attack her. Now, you'd expect her to sound the alarm...But instead, she talked to it.
And then she fucked it.
>>43589304
Yes, in a campaign that's all about being demon-slaying heroes, one of the party has a 'love interest' that is an unspeakably corrupt demon. She's taken it as her lover, and she regularly lets it slip away for the two of them to hook up as a kind of secret. The PC doesn't really have any intention of being corrupted, she's just enjoying the feeling of doing something illicit.
I don't know, /tg/. I like the game so far and all. But the campaign feels like it's going off-the-rails somewhat, and it's leaving sort of a bitter taste in my mouth. This doesn't feel very heroic, so to speak, you know? It's kind of tawdry and depressing, all things considered.
We're still progressing with the plot, but I don't feel that the other PCs are very heroic at all. My character's subplot is his romance with cover girl and redeemed succubus Arueshalae, but the others don't seem to be getting into the 'epic hero of light thing'.
Am I being too sensitive here? Is my foreknowledge of the early modules ruining things for me? Or am I right to say that the group shouldn't be behaving like this?
>>43589297
The point of this campaign, like any campaign, is for the people playing it to have fun. If they're having fun, they're not missing the point.
If you're not having fun, leave. Otherwise, lighten up and stop taking it so seriously. You can't force other people to play the game the way you want them to, you can only join in or go find a different game.
>>43589352
I'm having fun as a player, but I'll say that it's not what I expected, for real.
>>43589326
Honestly, the other players seem more interesting than you.
>>43589326
I think you accidentally into an ERP group.
>>43589444
There's no explicit sex. I pointed them out because the subplots are depressing and meanspirited as fuck.
You can't make other people play their characters in a way you want.
I really have no words except that everyone in your group needs to be shot, you included. And playing Wrath of the Righteous is one of the reasons why, but not all of them.
>>43589537
...why?
>>43589358
That's fine, then. As long as fun is being had, everything's going exactly as it should be. If you're still having fun, I guess I don't really understand what you're complaining about.
>>43589551
Because >>43589537 doesn't like it, and if they don't like it, nobody should. It's the law of the internet.
>>43589326
I think that your problem is that you intent your character to have a role that doesn't fit with how things are turning out. You have to remember this isn't the same story of epic heroics of light, you ran as a DM.
This is another story with completely different character (namely the other PC's) and with another living background (DM)
Maybe you are being a little too senssitive, but I can relate to you. The group definitley shouldn't act like this, if they would/would want to play the adventure you knew. But they don't play that one, and they do act like this.
I think you should change your approach, and stop trying to reach the very same climax your players did when they were playing the original.
You'll be less disappointed that way, and sessions might not become an elaborate form of torture to you later on.
>>43589444
>>43589460
Honestly, while ERP group typically refers to explicit stuff, there's definitely something to be said about people who mindlessly bring sex into the game for no purpose, which seems to be the case here. Like they're still getting the thrill off of it even if it's not going full descriptive.
>>43589297
this is why i stopped roleplaying.
better to just make webcomics....
I'm of two minds on this one. On one hand, as long as everyone else is fine with it, you should just go along and try to have fun. This sounds like one of those groups that plays D&D to roleplay transgressive behavior, and if everyone's on board then I guess that's fine?
On the other hand, I always assume that if you're bringing weird fetish stuff to the table you've probably got a lot of repression and frustration going on that you should be working out in healthier contexts. I think freaky sex with the entire party may be the only solution to your problem, OP.
>>43589444
He's already in a Pathfinder adventure path.
Those are basically Waifu dating sims anyway.
Honestly from your description this campaign sounds much better than the module.
Replacing token SJ mishmash NPCs with the more interesting Oedipal Knights is a huge improvement. Add in PCs who alternate between Getting Shit Done (abandon useless merchant, burn the witches) and fucking up in hilarious ways (yup screwing a demon assassin can't possibly backfire...) plus a flexible DM, and it sounds great.
If anything, the problem is that you're backseat DMing. Relax and enjoy the chaos.
>>43589326
>>43589304
>>43589297
For the most of it I don't think there's anything wrong with what they are doing. You aren't exactly playing the Vanilla AP and I don't think your GM intended for the game to be the Vanilla AP.
Despite that, when characters start having sex with things in pnp rpgs just cause they can, it's kinda pathetic. Or at least from my experience I have noticed it's often nerds who can't get pussy IRL who'll fuck things in settings just cuz they can. It's why I left this online free form Game of Thrones RPG my friend once ran. At first the sex had some context behind it. Eventually everyone just starting sexing each other just for the sake of it.
Idk I'll never get the point of pointless ERPing in pnp rpgs.
>>43590284
this
