One of the suggestions in Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) is to inform your players of the style of game you will run before the game starts. This is suggested so that the players can are prepared for the world in which their PCs will be living, and I think it is very good advice when a new campaign is starting, especially for a new DM in a new group. One of the truest facts about DMing is that there is no one right way to do it. But how does a new DM know what style of game to run? What styles are available to a new DM? The answer is simple and complex at the same time. This is the question I will address today.
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On page 12 of the DMG, the designers place this helpful chart:
These choices are meant to be the extreme ends of a descriptive continuum. They tend to describe archetypal action and the implication is that they are mutually exclusive. In other words, you cannot run a campaign that fulfills the criteria of Gritty while at the same time meeting the definition of Cinematic. Is that the case? Let’s look at each of these terms, describe them, and talk about how you would make your game fit the description. Then you can decide for yourself if the terms are mutually exclusive.
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Gritty
Description: rough, abrasive, harsh, hard-hitting, unsentimental, unromantic
What might a Gritty 4e game look like? The world is a very dangerous place in which to live and every session is a triumph just for surviving. Small pockets of hope may be created when the PCs perform good deeds. The world is grimy and dirty and the people inhabiting it are not necessarily nice (more often they are rude, but mostly because they are scared). Those in power are corrupt and there is little hope in the world. In fact, the PCs may be the only people that can be trusted with the hope of the world and they may come to be relied upon for delivering that hope. In patriarchal societies, women are treated roughly (and the opposite would be true in matriarchal societies), and the poor are treated even more harshly. Combat is very dangerous and can result in permanent wounds. Monsters are tough and do lots of damage. The big bosses are especially ruthless and the PCs will find little mercy anywhere they tread. PCs will have a hard time dealing with the environment, finding that travel is exhausting and perhaps healing surges can be lost due to extreme fatigue. Much of the wilderness is untamed land. The rate of PC death is probably high, and few of them will be high enough level to be remembered in the legends of the world.
VS
Cinematic
Description: suggestive of a motion picture, grand in scope, scene-driven, capturing enduring images
What might a Cinematic 4e game look like? While the world is dangerous, the PCs are epic heroes in a struggle to survive. Every session is a legendary view of their lives. The world is bright and colorful and the people inhabiting it have expressive personalities. Those in power could have grand plans to shape their world, and may be corrupt, but are just as likely to believe that their grand vision is the just one. There are places with lots of hope because many people see the beauty of the world. The PC’s perform grand actions that are captured by all to see, in the name of truth and justice, they show the world righteousness. While inequality is a fact of life, the people are generally accepting of the intrinsic good possible in all people, especially when the PC’s journey brings them near. Combat is often over-the-top and illustrates the highly developed skills of the PCs. Monsters are tough, but are no match for the awesome power of the party. The big bosses are fought in elaborate scenes full of strange views and the use of impressive power, with the hope of making the bad guys “see the light” and reject their evil ways. PCs will have no trouble dealing with the environment, finding that travel is pleasant and non-dangerous, filled with visually arresting, awe-inspiring vistas. The ability of the PCs to find that one last reserve of energy to complete an epic quest is a tribute to their reputations. The rate of PC death is low, with a few instances of worry played out in grand detail and ending with the PC persevering. The party will be remembered in the legends of the world.
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Medieval Fantasy
Description: based roughly on medieval times, though not necessarily depicting a true historical era, often includes elves, dwarves, and other fantasy races, along with kings, princes, princesses, knights, castles, dragons, ogres, unicorns, and magic
What might a Medieval Fantasy 4e game look like? The world may be dangerous, but it is also filled with fantastic creatures, both good and evil. Many legends abound that may be rooted in truth as much as they are rooted in myth. The PCs are regular people in a struggle to survive, making their way from non-skilled peasants up through high level nobles/knights. Every session is a view of their lives in a chronological procession of daily struggle and nightly triumph. The world is simple, with few technologies and a small amount of fine craft-work available. Those in power have most likely inherited that power and may be benevolent or malevolent, depending upon a variety of factors and political ideals. There are places with hope and places without, depending upon the aforementioned rulers. The PCs perform actions that are fantastical in nature, but that may not be of any consequence to the greater population (until they get up to much higher levels that is). Socioeconomic inequality is the greatest factor separating groups of people. Combat is relatively straight-forward, but the creatures fought can be fantastic in nature. High reputation is won by defeating the massive monsters of myths and legends (e.g. dragons, hydras, and giants). The big bosses are fought in heroic scenes with an audience that didn’t know it was going to see a show (traveling merchant caravans, traveling carnivals, and traveling circus/acting troupes are fairly common and often stumble upon scenes involving the PCs). PCs will have little trouble dealing with the environment, finding that travel may include brigands and small monsters that are easily dispatched, but add to their noble reputation. The ability of the PCs to travel and make a name for themselves is paramount in this world, where reputation is more powerful than money. The rate of PC death is average, with a few instances of worry turning into quests for special herbs and healing poultices. The party may be remembered in the legends of the world if they run into a gifted bard that chooses to write about their deeds.
VS
Anachronistic
Description: misplacement of events or persons relating to a specific chronology; this may also apply to items, languages, cultures, and geography
What might an Anachronistic 4e game look like? This one is a bit harder to describe because anachronism can be a small part of the world or a large part of the world. Let’s assume it’s the latter that I am describing… While the world is dangerous, the PCs have many new and interesting technologies to help them fight the evil that lives there. Sessions may be a legendary view of their lives or may just be a chronicle of their many quests. The world is much like the medieval fantasy one above, but the party often uses anachronistic items to complete their quests. For example, there may be a mass transit option that will take the party from one side of the continent to the other (a la Eberron’s lightening rail), or they may have huge airships that can travel very fast but only convey a few people at a time, or they may have a gunpowder type substance that can be used to create explosive items. Or perhaps the anachronistic variety in the world has to do with culture. For example, the population may dress and act like Victorian age individuals, or perhaps they all have the attitude of a wild west era sheriff or a 21st century gang member, all living within a medieval time period. Perhaps the PCs are living in the modern world, with modern construction and value systems, but no modern weaponry or travel. For example, the horse and cart remains the most common mode of transportation, but concrete and steel have been used to construct the major cities. The lack of gunpowder explains the lack of firearms, and there is no nuclear power or airplanes, but magic does exist and is used for various and sundry tasks. Combat may illustrate the PC’s highly developed skills within the constraints of the anachronistic world, or it may be a secondary focus, with exploration and innovation being key. Monsters are tough, but are no match for the ingenuity of the party. PCs may have trouble dealing with the environment if they are expected to travel from large city to large city but have no fast means with which to do so. The party may not be remembered in the legends of the world due to the sheer number of people alive, or they make names for themselves within the constraints of the society in which they live.
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Silly
Description: happy, innocent, foolish, lack of common sense, inability to be serious, implies inattentiveness to or lack of knowledge about things of import
What might a Silly 4e game look like? The world may be a very dangerous place in which to live, but the characters the party meets will be jolly and provide lots of entertainment. Often over-the-top caricatures of famous people or movie roles will be obvious to the players (but not the PCs) and will create an entertaining world. Every session is filled with pop-culture references and parodies, making it fun for the PCs to interact with others. The world may be grimy and dirty or bright and sunny, but it doesn’t matter because every session features the PCs in unbelievable situations that require a dose of humor to extract them. The PC’s may find that they are the only ones in the world that can be trusted because the rest of the world is filled with people doing incredibly spontaneous and unfortunate things (i.e. not well thought out). Combat can be a distinct contrast to the silliness displayed, or it could follow along the same pattern and feature wacky weapons and combat styles. PCs will have a hard time dealing with the environment only if they cannot roll with the amusing world in which they find themselves. The rate of PC death is probably very low and few battles will result in memorable harm coming to the them. The party may be remembered in the legends of the world for their good humor and willingness to spread joy, or they may be remembered as the ones who took things too seriously.
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Serious
Description: thoughtful, subdued, sober, pious, not in a joking manner, not light or frivolous, implies attention to things of import
What might a Serious 4e game look like? This world is no joke. Danger may not lurk in every corner, but the job of the PCs is to discover and destroy things that are too serious not to address. The non-player characters (NPCs) the PCs will interact with are straight-talking get-down-to-business types that have no room for sloppiness or laziness. There are mysteries to be solved and criminals to bring to justice. The players can check their senses of humor at the door because these sessions are full of thing that aren’t to be laughed about. Often horrendous murders or terrible crimes are waiting for the PCs to solve them. The world may seem bright and sunny, but the PCs spend most of their time looking for the dark underbelly. The PCs may find that they are expected to handle sensitive matters with sober righteousness, clearing the innocent and spilling the blood of the guilty, all with an appropriate sense of import. Combat tends to be on the gritty side and may be very dangerous, filled with descriptions of torture and maiming. The PCs may find themselves in a privileged position in the world, but will be expected to uphold the serious standards of their benefactors. The rate of PC death is probably low, but when it happens it is in the most extreme grotesque way imaginable. The party will probably not be remembered in the legends of the world because their deaths will be accompanied by a cover up.
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Lighthearted
Description: free from anxiety, free from care, hopeful and optimistic
What might a Lighthearted 4e game look like? Rather than describe the world in which the PCs will be traveling, lighthearted describes the tone of the game that the DM wishes to run. A lighthearted game can have serious elements, but much of the interactions will be cheerful and easy-going, relying upon the good nature of the players to get the PCs through the rough patches. Even the most serious items here can be followed with an NPC that has a funny habit or strange personality that keeps the game bright and animated.
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Intense
Description: expression of great zeal or energy, extreme characterizations
What might an Intense 4e game look like? Intense also describes the tone of the game that a DM might wish to run. A game of this tone will have heart pounding action sequences (chase scenes and high stress confrontations). This game can have some light moments, but those only serve to highlight the heavy elements, made even more burdensome by the impending conflict that the PCs know is coming their way. Much of the interactions will be normal and relatively easy-going, but the most important communications are a test of resolve for the players and their PCs. Even some seemingly insignificant situations can turn into extreme, tension-filled moments where willpower and reputation are put on the line.
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Bold
Description: fearless, daring, outstanding, adventurous, confident
What might a Bold 4e game look like? Rather than describe the world in which the PCs will be traveling or the tone of that world, this term describes the DM’s expectations of party behavior. If a DM wants the party to play boldly, that means the players should expect their PCs to do things such as storm the orc army head-on, negotiate using diplomacy and intimidate, look in the ares where there normally wouldn’t be anything to see, and try things that may seem off-the-wall and/or unexpected. Most of the time, the DM that wants the players to play this way will also play the NPCs and other occupants of the world in the same way (or they may not, if they want the boldness to be one of the things that makes the party stand out from the “normal” citizen).
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Cautious
Description: prudent, watchful, discreet, circumspect, wary
What might a Cautious 4e game look like? This would seem the opposite of bold, but doesn’t have to be. If a DM wants the party to play Cautiously, that means the players should expect their PCs to do things such as use smart tactics to take out the head of the orc army, negotiate using diplomacy and trickery, discreetly investigate the areas where there doesn’t seem to be anything to see (taking all precautions necessary to the task), and try things that are new and innovative but not rash or showing lack of thought. Most of the time, the DM that wants the players to play this way will play the important big bosses the opposite way, highlighting the value of being cautious and prepared as compared to the impatient and arrogant big bad guy. The PCs will be seen as smart and prepared, intelligent enough to look beyond the obvious and utilize their skills prudently.
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Preplanned
Description: designed and arranged beforehand, specific intentions laid out
What might a Preplanned 4e game look like? This item has more to do with DM activities than anything else, but it does involve the players a great deal more than you might first suspect. Being a DM that pre-plans games means a lot of work is done on the front end of the story before the game has begun. Much of the quest has been thought out and the DM has an idea of the direction the game will go and how important events will play out. The main NPCs and encounters are laid out and have a connecting thread that the PCs must unravel. Usually an end point is determined and the DM knows how the story will end. Does that mean that the DM is running the party on rails? No, not necessarily. All it means is that the DM has a (sometimes detailed) outline of the story that is to be told. How does this involve players? Well, the players have to agree to help tell the story the DM wants to tell, so the players have to be willing to stay within the boundaries set by the DM’s vision (for the most part).
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Improvised
Description: invented and arranged on the spot, unforeseen, unplanned
What might an Improvised 4e game look like? This item also has to do with DM activities, but involves the players in a more explicit way than the pre-planned game style. Being a DM that improvises means a lot of work is done at the game table during the game. The main thrust of the quest has been thought out, but the DM’s idea of the direction the game will go and how important events will play out is largely determined by player participation. The main NPCs and encounters are roughly drafted, but the connecting threads may not have been strung yet. Usually an end point is determined mid-way through the game, and the DM and players figure it out at the same time. Does that mean that the DM is lazy and not doing the job right? No, not necessarily. It means that the DM has a story idea but doesn’t yet know how it will end. Usually this is because the DM wants to give leeway to the players and allow the PCs to affect the world in different ways than those immediately thought about by the DM. How does this involve players? Well, the players have to agree to help finish the story for which the DM lays the foundation. This is a more cooperative way to play the game, and the players have to be willing to contribute as much as the DM.
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General
Description: no over-arching main idea, each scene may have it’s own message
What might a General 4e game look like? This characteristic is more about the feel of individual sessions than a descriptor of a game in its entirety. A generalized game doesn’t have a consistent theme from session to session or episode to episode. Each session may seem like a standalone snapshot of the PCs lives. One session they may rescue a child from a cult, the next they may hunt down and kill some werewolves, and the next they may accompany the king’s caravan to a nearby town. Each of these can be very enjoyable and can offer different ways to highlight the varied skills of the PCs, but each situation is completely different than the one before.
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Thematic
Description: following a specific message or main idea, every scene follows a similar motif, universal feel is retained in each scene
What might a Thematic 4e game look like? A thematic game consists of several episodes, stretching across many sessions, each with a tie in to a major plot theme. Each session may have side-quests or standalone tasks that must be completed, but there is an over-arching thematic thread that weaves its way through every session. For example, the theme of a particular adventure arc may be the powerlessness of the poor in the world. One session the party may discover a powerful merchant family is putting smaller merchants out of business. They may discover this by finding that their favorite general store has gone out of business. Upon investigation they may find that the proprietor of the store refused to pay dues to the merchant family and, as a result, the merchant caused his suppliers to no longer deliver goods to the general store. In another town, the resident farmers have found that all of their land has been claimed in the name of the Duke. The powerless farmers are forced to keep working the land just to survive, but their joy and livelihood has turned into indentured servitude. In yet another scenario, a popular noble may invite the party to dine at his castle, complete with entertainment and all manner of rich food and drink. While there, the party may find that the noble abuses the staff of the castle, raping the women and beating the young men. The peasants are powerless to stop the cruel actions of the nobleman. Unlike the general episodes, each of these has a similar thread running through it, and even though the situations are different they have several things in common (this makes up the common theme).
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Morally Ambiguous
Description: this could describe situations where the choice is unclear because the options are both distasteful, or when the options seem clear but choosing the right option may support the wrong person, or this could describe the characteristic of a person that changes their moral stance on an issue to suit their needs
What might a Morally Ambiguous 4e game look like? This maybe a game in which the DM places the PCs into situations in which they will have to make choices that put them in a bad light. Or, put another way, the choices the PCs must make are not made with certainty; they are unsure if their choice is the morally correct one. This means the PCs will have to make choices and they will have to take sides, sometimes choosing bad guys as their allies and good guys as their enemies based upon a single ambiguous issue. For example, the party of lawful good PCs are hired to find and bring to justice a suspected killer. In the course of their investigation, they find that the man who hired them is himself a criminal. When the PCs find the suspected killer, he admits his crime but explains why it had to be done and shows a great deal of remorse. It turns out that the man killed a very evil guy. The players are now faced with a morally ambiguous question: Do they arrest the man and surrender him to a criminal, or do they let him escape? A simpler example: A young woman is asked to go to the duke and lay with him for one night in return for the forgiveness of debts owed by the family. Morally Ambiguous may also describe a game in which the DM places the players in such precarious positions so as to force them to make bad decisions based upon (usually) incomplete or incorrect information. The PCs then (sometimes) get a chance to redeem themselves. This style of game usually adds a realistic and gritty feel to the world and often is described as serious and intense. Furthermore, these choices often lead to the concept of the anti-hero or flawed hero or tragic hero. In a game with a morally ambiguous premise the character is less-than-sure about the “rightness” or “goodness” of his/her actions.
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Heroic
Description: stories about larger-than-life characters performing grand feats in the name of goodness, willing to sacrifice and courageously face the trials and tribulations of the world’s great evils
What might an Heroic 4e game look like? The heroic meme we are talking about here is not the simple act of one PC doing one heroic thing, and it’s not the modern popular flawed hero. The heroic ideal requires that everything about the character be exceptional from the birth (or even conception) to the current age. The truly heroic character (in this particular meme) doesn’t question their own actions because they know them to be right, that is one of the exceptional things about the character (yes, I know it is rather circular). In the face of adversity and despite great danger to oneself, an heroic PC displays unwavering courage and moral excellence. This character will make decisions based on their strong heroic beliefs and will serve as a moral example for the rest of the world. A heroic game is filled with opportunities for the PCs to commit acts of great heroism and sacrifice, unfailingly protecting and defending the rights of the people against unjust corruption. The heroes fight fantastical forces and are always victorious, never questioning their choices.
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Now that I’ve described and given some examples of the gaming styles available to a DM, how does one decide what sort of game to run? To be honest, the best answer here is to run the game you want to run. Run the game that is able to tell your story the way you envision it. Run the game that you think would be the most interesting. Run the game that would bring you the most joy.
If you are a new DM, I recommend trying out a few of these different styles. Take a look at the world in which you want the PCs to travel and ask yourself which part of the continuum that world sits on. Because the truth is, none of the above things are truly mutually exclusive. Not even the Heroic vs Morally Ambiguous choice – some of your players will see the “ambiguous” choices and think they are no-brainers (i.e. they fail the ambiguous test), and in that case the PC being played may be on the heroic end of the spectrum in that game.
Because role-playing is, at heart, a cooperative game that involves multiple people, you can have a mix of ideas, themes, and tones in your game. You actually can have a gritty world that contains some cinematic scenes. You can describe a world where serious things happen, but some silly people inhabit the world as well. You can plan your game with a bit of improv built in, and you can expect most players to play bold, but ask that they be cautious in intense situations.
These descriptions and examples are meant to give you an idea about the choices available to you as you are thinking about your game. In the end, though, the answer is still the same: Run the game that you want to play.
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Until next time, I wish you good gaming!
~DM Samuel
Email me: DMSamuel AT Iron Neuron Enterprises DOT com
Follow me on twitter: @DMSamuel
I just finished running a game that was both gritty and cinematic. So
while I think these descriptors are helpful options, there should probably
be a warning about taking them at face value.
Thanks for the comment! I tried to make it clear that I was giving the extreme examples of how these would look in play, but I probably didn’t do a very good job of that.
I also tried to address the issue at the end when I mentioned that these are not mutually exclusive items. I believe that it is clearly possible, and should be encouraged, to mix these different styles of game. The fact that D&D is a cooperative endeavor and that players will have different needs and possess a large variation of preferences and abilities leads me to believe that a good mix of each of these could be a very enjoyable game.
Cheers,
DM Samuel