Player Gets Bullied for Not Playing Stereotypical Rogue | Reading D&D Reddit Stories

[@OneShotQuesters]

>>> Don't forget to check out FlexiSpot Black Friday Sale on bit.ly/40PnU5k and use my code in the description for an extra discount

[@Williamkny]

One hundred and fifteenth view were

[@scornlok9321]

Will do sounds awesome but In the first story wife seemed to miss that she said she killed innocent people. so that's kind of evil I don't agree with the dm about instant death but I'd have had stuff happen for killing civilians.

[@benpepin7872]

They stereotyped the rogue, then when he wouldn't capitulate they stereotyped the priest in their antics. Clearly these two can't handle a world that doesn't conform to their expectations and should not be playing with others.

[@Glacial_floofs]

they probably think femboys and tomboys should transition too

[@thegameuser2616]

​@@Glacial_floofs bro did you have some entirely different conversation somewhere that you really wanna continue somewhere else

[@Glacial_floofs]

@@thegameuser2616 I was referring to how people don't like it when crossdressers don't conform to the norms and think they should be trans because "you wear the clothes. might as well go trans too"

[@armysunicorn9630]

​@@Glacial_floofsNobody does that, the opposite actually. A trans person would tell you how often they're told to just be a masculine woman or feminine man.

[@Glacial_floofs]

@@armysunicorn9630 it's close to nobody. but there was assholes that did harass them. this was kind of an issue on reddit, forget context. but I believe it was about a character from guilty gear. also some other things too like posting images of characters like astolfo (fate/grand order) in a trans subreddit. the femboy community took this the wrong way (in their defense, astolfo isn't trans). it's like a year or two old topic by now tho so hopefully it all got better

[@Leith_Crowther]

Man, the favorite character I ever wrote was a rogue who used the abilities he COULD use for thieving to instead be better at understanding, investigating, and preventing crime. Man was one of the most honest people in his world, and I’m not sorry. He even went his entire campaign without killing any people.

[@bloodoblivion787]

So you played batman lol nice.

[@ArariaKAgelessTraveller]

It's basically the Inquisitive subclass Literally

[@Leith_Crowther]

@@bloodoblivion787Nah, no secret identity… or edginess. It was really quite wholesome. Just an earnest fellow who wanted to break the perceive cycle of evil in the world.

[@Takisan111]

My current rogue is a freelance spy/investigator. He can and does do a lot of illegal stuff in his search for what he's hired to find but a lot of his paycheck goes towards giving back to the community so he feels it balances out a bit.

[@thespanishinquisition4078]

In pathfinder 2e one of the recommended clases for detective/investigator is rogue. Players who assume its thief by default are just dumb.

[@MyAramil]

For the smart barbarian idea. Take it as a dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde idea. at the start of the day with daily prep or nightly prep(what ever is preferable) the character concocts several potions of "rage" which is only useable to him(perhaps uses some of his blood in it) So when he uses the Barbarians "rage" ability he drinks one of the potions and then goes rage mode. When not under the effects of the draft he is a normal and pleasant individual

[@pallydan893]

Bruce Banner/Incredible Hulk

[@aisnota5192]

So Path of the Beast Barbarian with either Artificer or Wizard Levels. When the Doctor runs out of spell slots.... RAGE.

[@joshlewis8860]

Sounds like a subclass of Alchemist that the Dungeon Dudes made

[@aisnota5192]

@@joshlewis8860 Or Tulocks Eda build.

[@haybaleanimations2758]

How about Asterix/Obelix kind of strength boost? For those who don't know, "Asterix and Obelix" is a cartoon in which a small village defends itself from the Roman Empire's conquest with the help of their druid and their two brave warriors. The druid has created a potion which grants incredible strength temporarily to the one that drinks it. Obelix never gets any because he fell into the druid's cauldron as a baby and is blessed(cursed?) with inhuman strength. I am literally just promoting the cartoon. The really old one. It's a wonderful thing.

[@carniethedat7071]

I think the thing that bothers me most with TTRPGs is that the class stereotypes aren't the only things that have turned into an extreme parody over time. The standards of good and evil (and how alignment changes) have also been flanderized to hell and back. Morality and alignment is a sliding scale, and someone doing something that could be seen as evil once is suddenly treated as though they switch from Lawful Good all the way to Chaotic Evil. That's not how it works. If people start doing evil stuff for no reason on a consistent basis, that's when you start shifting alignments in an extreme way. If there's a legitimate explanation or a pragmatic justification for doing something, I always suggest that DMs take note, then tell the player that the public sees them as evil (if civilians and NPCs hear about their actions) rather than saying that the player character's morality outright shifts. It's sort of a way to show that your alignment is changing over time, and mostly in the eyes of others. When combined with a "direct consequences for actions" system, it creates more natural character shifts that aren't vulnerable to sudden DM whims and personal moralizing.

[@kamchatmonk]

- You're a rogue, steal it. - You're a fighter, fight it, duh.

[@SwedishKuriboh]

The rogue story actually kinda resonated with me. I'm in a campaign now (we're 40+ sessions in) where I play a rogue. I like going against stereotypes, so she's super friendly, kind to everyone and hates being alone. She's very good at sneaking, she's been known to pick locks when needed, but stealing or pick-pocketing? Nah, that has not yet happened in game, and it'd have to be under VERY particular circumstances she'd even consider doing something like that. Luckily, none of my other players have ever said anything about it, and they all seem fine with it. It seems that everyone would say "Lyra the sweetheart" before saying "Lyra the rogue", and... yeah, I do prefer that. Characters are a lot more than just their class =3

[@thezeevy]

My last rogue was a Goblin Lawyer...

[@GwenRiver]

I’m the same. I love playing against stereotype. I generally pick a race known for being outcast or not for the class I’m playing and go for it. It’s fun and I like playing against type.

[@brandonchildress4031]

Thankfully the groups I've played in have always been good about counter-stereotypes and weird builds. Or going all-in and overhyping the stereotype. As long as we were all having fun, that's what mattered.

[@mallarieluvsgirls]

yes i love this stuff! not a d and d player, just love this you tubers personality! i believe this stuff actually influences the real world too :). to fight real stereotypes. i’m always stereotyped as a native canadian individual and these characters have a very special place in my heart, and those who write them 🎉❤

[@crypticcryptid4702]

Oh hey! I'm playing an ace Bard called Lyra rn! She travels to collect and share stories of different cultures, as well as to share her love of music

[@ver87ona]

I while I enjoy SOME stereotypes of DnD classes, I also know they aren’t set in stone and enjoy diverging from the stereotypes almost as much as I embrace them at times. One of my most recent characters was that I played a Rogue in Witchlight who had stolen from Titania for the fun of it and fled, accidentally ending up in the material plane where he spent a LONG time before he returned to the Feywild. Having been gone for many years and lost a lot in his absence, he became a much different person. I think he only stole on one occasion after that and became a much different person over the course of the campaign, becoming a much more good person and eventually returning what he stole from Titania before he ended up living a fairly happy life afterwards with the party sorceress. So while I enjoy making the occasional gruff Fighter or alcoholic Dwarf, I have a great deal of fun playing some characters different from the tropes they’re inspired by.

[@hfar_in_the_sky]

Indeed. One of the ways I like to play rogues is like the “cheeky London tramp” where they smile and crack jokes with people while simultaneously picking their pocket. But one time I had a fellow player kind of grinch that I wasn’t playing my rogue “properly,” which to their mind was the stereotypical edge rogue

[@ver87ona]

@@hfar_in_the_sky I don’t see rogues as stereotypically edgy. Hell, the inspiration behind the Thief was The Gray Mouser, a VERY charismatic rogue who was plenty social and charming. Not some loser skulking in a corner away from everyone.

[@alexi4829]

about Duke's smart Barbarian; I always wanted to play a smart Barbarian myself, where basically Rage is reflavoured as getting into the flow of battle or some form of battle meditation. Like it's not some wild rage-fueled frenzy, it's cold and calculated and intimidating in its precision, this is a person who not only knows 12,000,000,000 ways to skin you, but also has the means.

[@MyAramil]

Yep, the tunnel visioned focus,

[@Gokkee]

Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes is an awesome calculated but also hard-hitting fighter when he goes full focus mode 😊

[@wingidon]

​@@Gokkee In summary, discombobulate.

[@magnusprime962]

So like the book version of Conan the Barbarian?

[@JnEricsonx]

Also known as the Tranquil Fury trope, If I'd made a barb for my first session, that was my idea.

[@hannahevertson8306]

Love the time a kid who inserted himself into our table cause we played in public at the time got mad at me for not sneaking around as the party Rogue when my character was distracted by the orphan in the room because he grew up as an orphan and that tied directly into his main motivation. Yes, he sneaks around a lot, but sometimes he needs to have a moment where he shows his caring side.

[@morrigankasa570]

Yes Pikachu is very Cute! The 1st Story: The GM was a j**k, also it's reasonable to punish/eliminate Cheaters & Murder Hobos. But not in that situation. The 2nd Story: That was kinda funny. The 3rd Story: THERE IS NO NEED TO PLAY STEREOTYPES!!! The 4th Story: That was awesome! Finally, I unfortunately don't have a group to play with:( But I have created 6 different lvl 1 characters in case I found a group. NONE OF WHICH ARE STEREOTYPES!!! NONE OF THEM HAVE TRAGIC BACKSTORIES!!! MY BARBARIAN ISN'T COMPLETELY DUM!!! MY DROW CLERIC ISN'T VICIOUS OR CRUEL!!! MY WIZARD IS A MOUNTAIN DWARF WITH DECENT CONSTITUTION & AC!!! MY RANGER IS A NERD!!! MY DRUID ISN'T A HIPPIE!!! MY ASTRAL ELF PALADIN ISN'T LAWFUL GOOD AND IS HARSHER THEN ALL MY OTHER CHARACTERS!!!

[@wingidon]

I never really understood tragic backstories. Like, your character's an orphan, big deal, join the club. That's not going to be relevant throughout the plot or anything. I prefer simplistic, not-so-tragic backstories. Like, I don't have a party to play with either, but I've got a Ranger, black Dragonborn, who... the basic gist of their story is, they grew up on the countryside and gained knowledge of various parts of nature due to this; how creatures tend to act and how to track them down and kill them, good methods of going through certain terrain quickly, etc. When they grew up, they decided they had the skills and that they wanted to make a difference in the world, so they picked up their equipment and set off. No dead family members, no tragic haunting ancestors, just a semi-realistic backstory.

[@morrigankasa570]

@@wingidon That's fair, my backstories aren't tragic but are a bit more in-depth then yours. But each their own as long as they aren't Tragic/Dark/Edgelord! I also created 6 more characters recently but still not Tragic or Dark. Still no group either:(

[@jakisz]

Yea, I can relate to the rouge story. I once had a Goliath Barbarain. Using rolling for stats I gave him a 14 in intelligence and had him being a successful blacksmith. Everyone just said I was doing a bad portrait of Grog. Left after session 1.

[@matthewdarkhaven1078]

😔 that sucks. Your character sounds really neat!

[@jakisz]

@@matthewdarkhaven1078 Yea, I kept telling them that it made no sense that a blacksmith wouldn't be able to do business without understanding accounting and read orders for people.

[@GwenRiver]

How is that a bad portrait of Grog?? Grog had an 8 intelligence, and wouldn’t know what to do with a hammer, except throw it at someone. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing…but it was his thing. That sounds NOTHING like your character. I’m glad you left.

[@LunarOverdrive]

@@GwenRiver a lot of people see "goliath barbarian" and immediately assume it's grog

[@JnEricsonx]

@@GwenRiver"I have a intelligence of 6, I know what Im doing." Actual quote from Travis-happy I met him. :)

[@maskedrecruit4571]

Regarding the first story, the DM is also the person who even gave his player the chance to do what they cobsider evil. If you don't allow evil characters, then don't ask your players if they do something explicitly evil

[@Thrythlind]

City of Mist Level 6 is permanently changed or destroyed. I played a character with a tag of "Rise from her Grave" and the GM took that to mean she literally couldn't die... like the team was haunted by an incarnation of death and everybody else saw personalized images of what death was to them. And my character saw a blank grey something following her in a train because the entity couldn't figure her out. It did mean my risk of terrible things went straight to "worse than death" categories such as the fact she let on my character's identity was being eroded.

[@flithbrin]

My favorite moment was me as a wizard and getting caught out of position and completely surrounded by undead, I knew I only had one turn, so I casted fireball on the ground at my feet, that didn't down me, but it did make all the undead go to 1 hp, I fully expected to die, then our cleric/paladin had other plans, jumped right on top of me, and cast turn undead, was one of those moments where I was ready to die and a party member had other plans

[@MyAramil]

its moments like that, that make TTRPG just the best form of story telling.

[@killer_rabbit42]

I think it's a lot of fun having races & classes not act how they are stereotypically portrayed. I had a halfling barbarian years ago who was raised by wolves & took trophies from her kills (usually teeth). I had a chaotic good drow rogue who's backstory was that they worked for a recovery agency that found & stole back items taken from whoever hired them. I prefer the storybuilding & roleplaying aspect of the game & try to make characters who are fun to play. Intelligent fighters/barbarians, celibate bards, promiscuous paladins, all of these are valid characters to create.

[@mookplayzthegamez4929]

I am THE player oh and everyone else is. We are all cool like that.

[@incineratorx]

I worked with my dm to make a dex based barbarian subclass which was so much fun to play until I died in an explosion

[@theothernatfife5004]

The game mechanics sometimes force stereotypes, but if you have a DM who is open to home brewing, you can get around most of that. In my 40 years of playing however, I’ve found very few DMs willing to change core rules or home brew so that I can play non stereotyped characters. They think I’m trying to get one over on them. And I understand it. Most of the “creative” players I’ve played with just want to circumvent RAW to make their characters OP.

[@MyAramil]

I always say " present it to me, and at best ill allow it if its is not to bad, or can suggest ways to make it work, otherwise after hearing it, can say no" Because lets face it. Sometimes you just have to say no. Like I don't care how strong or dexterous the dwarf fighter is, if they intentionally leap off of the ledge, no amount of flapping their arms will get them to the top

[@Naxal710]

Playing against Stereotypes is honestly some of the most fun in ttrpgs! I once played a high intelligence half-elf Barbarian and had a blast! I made charisma my dump stat, so he turned out to be this socially akward, absolutely JACKED bookworm! So during down time he'd do push-ups while reading books or playing other party members in chess. Freaking loved him!

[@tennysondiaz-campbell8155]

Yeah I played an inquisitive rogue/horizon walker ranger who was basically an inter-planar detective. Some of the most fun I've ever had with a character and everyone else at the was dumbfounded that I didn't pick one lock for over 3 sessions. Just talked noted and used abilities to track and investigate a group of quasits and told the city guard where they were hiding. Fortunately my group is dope and really liked the idea of a rogue face that was stronger in role-playing than actual combat or infiltration.

[@SkipperdeesArt]

My current character is a rogue. I'm playing her as a private investigator though, so she doesn't typically try to steal things. It's actually really interesting to play her and try to solve all the little mysteries and plot hooks!

[@BlueEyes7824]

I had a shifter barbarian based on Lizzie Borden in a steampunk 5E homebrew. (We had to build our characters from American folklore and worked for the Pinkerton Detective Agency.) She was a prim and proper lady until she lost her temper and her dark side emerged, beating foes with her umbrella until they stopped moving. I added a bit of a Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde where she would black out during her rages, then have to come to terms with her brutality once she calmed down. I loved playing this character :)

[@infernalweasal5670]

Smart Barbarian: a librarian that gets really mad when people disrespect books

[@taranverm2467]

Forever DM here😢. I've actually tried making DND 5e antihesis subclasses that break "unspoken rules" of classes. None of them are playtested mind, but I've tried making things like Path of the Strategist barbarian. It honestly really fun. Also, city of mist is an absolutely great system. It is one of my favorites.

[@SAFBLight]

bro i need that path of the strategist barb. Sounds fun

[@majinsole8554]

I can see a a lawful good rogue, but that backstory is everything in making them believable. ~_~

[@thomasquesada7248]

Just have a redemption at some point in their backstory

[@quincyking010]

a good rouge would be robin hood. he literally only stole from the evil. if you aint evil he will never steal from you. and the stereotypes are kinda fake for most of them because a barbarian can absolutely be intelligent. there is a reason their skill is called RAGE. it is a mental state that overrides some more intelligent things and makes you more violent. and bards dont have to be horn dogs either. hell to be honest most bards arent horn dogs as they are an actual historical identity and their only job was to ensure the past is not forgotten. they are literally historians

[@LightHelco]

I hate the Rogue = Thief thing people go. You can be roguish in so many ways, that's why we have subclasses like Scout, Inquisitive and Mastermind, none of them focused on being burglars, the Inquisitive is totally planned to be Sherlock Holmes kind detective. My actual Rogue had gained his abilities from busting criminal gangs and outing them to the local guards. He has learned to blend inside their groups and cheat at different types of games, but in general, is a charismatic dude whose main job is to perform in front of people and see them smile.

[@fantide8600]

So about the whole "Intelligence based fighter and Strength based wizard" thing. I have not encountered this as an issue, but maybe that's just my group being super cool. A lot of times I'll just ask my DM "Hey, can I make this change to this class because I want to do this thing." I almost always get a yes and when it's not it's the DM saying "Cool idea, let's work together to balance it and make it work." The most recent example of this I can think of, is a character I'm currently playing. He's an intelligence based "Monk," but I've yet to throw a punch. I play him like an artificer, using Ki to manipulate magical energy to power my inventions (since I don't have magic myself). TLDR: A good group knows that D&D is just about having fun and a good DM will make that the priority. Anything is possible.

[@Alexandra-vl1us]

My party accidentally created our own stereotype: most druids are very low INT, chaotic, and super immature, but easy to domesticate and manipulate into doing good (or evil), so they're also sort of pushovers. And somehow they end up super likable.

[@realsupergonks]

not 2 minutes and i can watch more d&d stories? awesome!

[@NightStarGamer]

I tend to be one of those players who tends to play sort of against stereotype. I had a rogue character who was lawful good, but he was a treasure hunter, he would sneak into tombs, crypts, etc to look for artifacts. One integration of him, he was an assimar who would hunt down dangerous artifacts for serephine the angel in contact with him. I also play a Bard who's not seeking action from everything that moves. He's a cargo ship captain, his Bard abilities come from his ability to encourage his crew. It bothered me a few time when in sessions the "horny Bard" stereotype got showhorned in. There was a moment where the inn's desk clerk looked sad so to cheer her up my Bard regaled her with songs and stories. No interest to "hook up" but everyone tried to imply it.

[@Jerricola2]

Got a minor fun story: My friends and I were playing Wild Beyond the Witchlight, and we were fighting Skabatha Nighshade after having previously escaped from the party. In what would normally be an epic showdown one of my friend's characters called for us to valiantly strike at her together to take her down, only problem was my peace cleric rolled a nat 1 and whiffed. But even worse on my next turn wouldn't you know it? I roll another Nat 1 and my character pulls his back muscle. Already pretty incredible but by the third roll? Another Nat 1. My cleric's weapon broke in half and he took it as a sign to give up on weapons entirely (being a cleric of peace and all it fit kinda well I think).

[@kinagrill]

A Lawful Good Rogue could work very well... like a Bodyguard of a hidden-protector variety. Or using the skills Robin Hood Style, just less Chaotic and more Lawful.

[@nephicus339]

People incapable of accepting anything but stereotypes is why I've never gotten to play a Paladin. 😞 On a similar note; my group was playing Mad Mage; I made a bard/rogue. It's a running joke that whenever conversation happens, the party says, "Seduce them!" and my bard retorts, "I'm not that kind of bard!"

[@phoenixjklin]

Honestly the main force driving me wanting to start DM'ing without ever having played a game of DnD before is pretty much just me wanting to make sure that I'm the one in control of creating an open and accepting environment for any players I might DM for. So hearing these stories and hearing your takes on it significantly helps me make sure that I'm considering a whole lot of different angles and views that I otherwise maybe would be ill-prepared for (if at all) and allows me to check myself before making any judgements. So far I'm glad that my gut reactions seem to be "right", according to you guys' reactions, as well as the comments and the general opinions of the community, which does calm me down a bit if I were to ever have to make any decision about a problem player or if I were to ever do something wrong as a DM, I'm hoping I'll correct those mistakes swiftly. I love these videos, they're fun and entertaining to watch while they also feel like a casual, friendly learning experience. They are my favourite short(-er)form of DnD content lately. Love the chill and supportive vibes. Love you guys, hope you're well!

[@ByrdieFae]

"Strength-based wizard"...that's anime as hell. 😂

[@huggelion]

A det based wizard in constant melee having access to their own armor and weapons conjured out of nowhere is really fun

[@weezact7]

That rogue should have immediately started robbing the Fighter and the Barbarian. If they complained he just goes "I'm a rogue. I steal stuff. Besides, you're a fighter and a barbarian. You're too dumb to count all the gold pieces you have, so you shouldn't even know any are missing."

[@franciscurrancurran9040]

i think the first character in the time loop was an anti hero which is - someone who has good intentions but completes them no matter the cost, like example, killing civilians if they are defending their opponent might be wrong

[@testerwulf3357]

You’re correct.

[@jondw]

For a intelligent barbarian, perhaps a strategist or commander who leads from the front and when in the middle of battle enters a sorta battle trance that makes them better in combat(the rage mechanic). Not that hard to picture, harder is a barbarian with low strength or con

[@adamxei9073]

Yeah it’s not 3rd edition. Rogue isn’t rules as written to be evil anymore.

[@atsukikuroe2613]

"I can’t think of a smart barbarian." For a start, there’s Hulk. Bruce unless he has shifted into Hulk mode, he is pretty smart, and around endgame and stuff when is alter ego Hulk is gone for a while he is basically just that; a smart barbarian. Imo, as much as stereotyped class can be fun, its even more fun to be creative and thinking how can we break from a stereotype or challenging ourselves thinking how X class could just behave differently?

[@Weatherman4Eva]

Wait strength wizard that doesnt realize he knows magic (high int low wis?) Sounds really entertaining. I can imagine him punching the air and explaining how (he thinks) his punch is so fast that the friction of the air molecules against his fist is such that it causes a localized combustion of the oxygen in the air. Maybe he thinks haste spell is actually just that his cardio regiment is so great that he can temporarily shift into maximum overdrive, but he gets tired at the end. Hold person/monster is just him thinking he's really intimidating when he glares at someone and they freeze in place

[@sarsapong]

Time loop one feels like DM just don't want the "cool yakusa gang" to stay in the story

[@RiveroftheWither]

I can definitely see where op made a minor mistake in the first story with not being clear enough but definitely 90% of the fault is with dm. Op could and should have been far more clear on what her character was doing. Example, when dm asked if she was taking car to avoid civilians, instead of saying "No, if they're in the way she'd kill them", she should have said "Yes, she would only kill them if they try to protect the Mafia". What she said sounded far less like how she described her character at the end and far more like "Anyone who stands too close will be cut down!" That said the dm was also not clear at all, didn't talk things out, labeled neutral actions as evil actions because he didn't like them, relied on instadeath in game punishment, didn't even make it clear he doesn't like evil characters to begin with (even though again, this isn't evil but a pretty typical amoral anti-hero). The only way the blame is not on the dm is if op is an unreliable narrator and was actually a murder hobo problem player and bsing things to make dm look bad.

[@Titanulas]

First dm sounds like a newer dm. One who has recently had his first traumatizing experience and was now turbo strict. I've been there. Hope he works to improve

[@IgnatiusWillGrimm]

Strength Based Wizard is just either Asta from Black Clover or Mash from Mashle.

[@somebody9371]

“shoots a fireball with his fist” strength based zuko wizard I love it

[@Wolvesofthenight]

Appreciate the shout out to DC20. Love ya Duke!

[@m0nkEz]

"I'm not stealing anything from people who don't deserve it" Umm ackchually, that's more chaotic good than lawful good.

[@emperortime4380]

You could argue Indiana Jones is a Lawful Good rogue, since he steals from evil organizations and says things like “It belongs in a museum!”

[@Theadamhayes]

Omg I have the same Pikachu that Amy has

[@Faier117]

Find someone that looks at you like 0:36

[@tntori5079]

Side Note from 6 months later: You can ALSO play a MIGHT based barb in DC20. . .just saying. Having options doesn't mean NOT following the stereotypes. Sometimes cliches are fun. An open system allows you to play in or out of stereotypes. A closed system does not.

[@gaelofariandel6747]

If someone forces your character to do something throughout the entire campaign then leave. Do NOT waste your time & energy with toxic people if you can help it--D&D or not. I built an Inquisitive rogue who was a Private Investigator in Ravnica & an Arcane Trickster who was a servant/scout for an arch wizard that taught the rogue his magical spells & tricks as thanks beyond just payment. Both of these characters were very serious but also very happy & well mannered people.

[@SilverGreyscale]

Yeah, I sadly feel that 5e as a system kiiinda forces people to be stereotypes if they wanna have the character be effective. I've always had two tips I mash into one from two dnd figures, these two meshed together tips I tell new players and ALL people I play with and try to follow is when I make characters is "Make interesting characters, not the best ones, don't be afraid to go against the meta" and while It could be nice to have a little meta in your backpocket like high dex, high con etc.. or a certain cantrip like Eldritch Blast, You don't have to, as for example a sorcerer, pick twinned spell, quicken spell or subtle spell for your meta magic and fireball at 5th level. I honestly cringed hearing the fuckin' Rogue story, yes, we rogue players tend to be the sneaky one who steals and lockpicks doors but not all of us have to without a good reason, Like my go to character, an elf hellspawn (in PF, tiefling in 5e) she is a thief by circumstance and basically got good at what she did because it was that or starve. And she's more of like... a treasure hunter and freedom fighter than your typical yoink everything not nailed down. I always have her on the look out for traps and to do everything she can that the less lightfooted party members doesn't get hurt. But yeah, folks, DMs and Players, new and veteran, try to push for less Stereotypes please!

[@EvilLifeTime]

My Fave build was Wild Magic Barbarian/ Wild Magic Sorcerer, I had so much fun with it, and my teammates were always scared i screw things up XD

[@thewolfstu]

15:11 I remember playing a barbarian who I wanted to try and portray her as not, like, typical numskull barbarian. but that game unfortunately didn't really work out.

[@noahmorgan13]

I had a DM kill off my character. We were playing Curse of Strahd. My character was a tiefling assassin. He was sassy and sarcastic, flamboyant and suave. A seducer, that was his whole thing. I loved that character so much. We were like, I wanna say half way through the campaign? I have no idea. Anyway. Pretty much we killed a group of enemies, and we're basking in our win. I explained how my character was bragging lavishly, pouring himself a goblet of wine and taking a sip. DM cuts me off mid sentence and says "you start to feel a sudden, sharp pain pulsating in your stomach. It's burning its way upward, through your throat." I'm like "what?" He keeps going, just explaining my character suffering agonising pain and foaming at the mouth from poison. And I kept demanding a constitution saving throw or something, and he just ignored me. Other people in the party are freaking out. And then my character dies, AND HE REFUSES TO LET ME BE HEALED. He finally tells me it's because he just, hated my character? Like, he found the character annoying and didn't like him. So...he killed him without speaking to me. Our party literally split up over this.

[@ScribeDragon680]

I have been told by some of my friends that in DnD, you don’t have to play to your stats. I have a multiclass Rogue/Warlock who, despite his high Charisma, is extremely socially awkward and fumbles over his words a lot. I like to think this kind of thing is a good middle ground between being creative and playing optimally.

[@magnusprime962]

I do that too. I have a Wizard with a good Wisdom score, but he certainly doesn’t act like it.

[@Thrythlind]

Rogues are skill types. So Sherlock Holmes would be a rogue. James Bond would be a rogue.

[@SillySyrup]

I don't think it's bad, however, to sometimes go with a stereotype as long as your character isn't intentionally boring. It is fine if you want to play a dumb and brutal barbarian once in a while.

[@saraphys5555]

First story is stupid... Now, Im not a fan of PbtA or FitD or any of that... but City of Mist was built on the creator's story of a mdern retelling of the Celtic character Cu Chulain... a boy destined for a short, glorious life; who also had the side-effect of "warp-spam"ing out (aka, Hulking Out) and killing everything in his path...a cold bath, and a row of boobs, were both ways his warp-spasm was subsided. ...the idea that the DM would do this to OP's character... im sorry, but thats BS. That's a clear indication that the GM doesn't understand the source material... much in the same way as alot of people running 5E who are new to the hobby, don't understand why modern D&D is creatively bad for you; or understand the finer details of what makes a good game! You need experiance, and I dont think (by the sounds of it) these people had it. A problem too often with newer people to the hobby... Also, Duke... Dont wanna sound like im blaming you here...but your stereotype shorts (while funny) probably contribute alot to new people's perception of how classes and alignments should be run.

[@MünWeeew]

Me: Thinks about making a stealth+distraction based bard Everyone Else: nO yOU cANt dO tHaT!1! yyOu hAve tO mAKE thE bARD hORNy!!11!

[@CmacDaMan09]

A better way for the first DM to handle it would be to allow them to do it, but also make VERY clear that since, by their own admission, the PC is acting with diminished regard to innocents caught in the crossfire, that there would be some narrative consequences for it. I.E. someone is gonna come after you (possibly with the law) and you are gonna be HARD PRESSED to convince them to leave you alone. Now do I agree with what the PC did? No, it’s all a little too edgelord antihero OC for me. (Plus their ending edit felt a BIT like a backpedal claiming that their hero was actually NOT a civilian killer) However, there are ways to provide consequences that aren’t putting a hard stop to the character’s existence.

[@darksider111]

Can not think of intelligent Barbarian - Conan; he's Intelligent, stealthy, and can be rather charismatic i like to subvert the idea of the stereotype ; the lawful good Rouge (done it and fun) Played Horny Paladin (worshiped a goddess of (basically) sex, drugs and rock & roll. Played Upright (uptight) bard who's music was designed to promote a goody to shoes life (a sort of Evangelical/Mormon) no drinking, no Drugs, no sex And may be Asexual - but i drove him through and although a little (more like a lot) annoying, was a great hit Played a Pacifistic type monk , absolutely against killing people played a peace loving intelligent Barbarian who who liked to talk things out And a lot more in over 20 years of role playing - played guys and girls (and some in between stuff) it called role playing - Play any roll you like

[@jatsantsa]

Is wife NPC? Even non essential as she does not have name, so another random NPC could take her place? How it works? PS also as I love rouges in general, I do not play stereotypes and that guy just felt on my dagger. Yes it was accident. Ofcourse he stabbed himself 20+ times, he did it on purpose to make me look bad. O:-)

[@franceskoz]

That first DM really should have just had a conversation with the player after the session (after not killing them) to just make sure they aren't becoming evil and explain their boundary then and what that means - but just killing the character like that was unkind, bad communication skills, a problematic power move, and bad DMing.

[@EelcoPeterzen]

A smart barbarian? My mind immediately wanders to Buliwyf from the 13th Warrior. Smart, eager to learn more, leader of his clan, respected for his wisdom, puts up one hell of a fight. A smart barbarian would also know that the word Barbarian originally only meant that that person was not a member of one of the "Great Nations", whatever they may be in your world. It came from the Greek word Barbaros, which they originally gave to people they could not understand. Their foreign language sounded like "bar bar bar bar" to the Greek ear. This also came to refer to Greeks with heavy dialects. The Romans began using the word for the tribes they encountered in Europe, when they were trying to conquer everything. A barbarian then became known as an uncultured savage. Because, you know, they were not as "refined" as the Romans, believing in "false gods" and what not. So a smart barbarian? Yeah, they just know that those "fancy big city kids" simply have no idea who they're dealing with and how much culture their "barbarian" society actually has. Perhaps for fun, the barbarian would start to overly annunciate their words when they speak with anyone who shows them some disdain for being different.

[@jasonhare8540]

Well having sat through about a dozen or so of these videos today. (Don't ask 🤣) I can't help but notice there seems to be a common theme. Emotionally immature DMs. This one for example with his or her I just don't tolerate evil characters. If that wasn't specifically laid out before I feel like this DM is just one of those people who has to have everything their way and is just not flexible enough. Lack of emotional maturity. The inability to say I don't really care for it but you do and we're all having fun so let's just move forward because it's just a game. A lot of these people just sound like they need to grow up. Before they lose their entire table and no one else will play with them. We played a lot of dragon strike when I was young and we had a DM like that and to this day we don't play anymore. Not together

[@nikacomedawn]

I've got a shy bard with crippling stage fright. Also most of my characters are bards and even the most bombastic outgoing one isn't even slightly flirty. She's probably ace. (Especially because she's a pirate, and there are a lot of problematic tropes around female pirates that I would like to side step. Most of my characters aren't ace even though I am because my characters aren't me but with magic powers, but for the pirate I just wanted to dodge all the tropes and connotations. They're probably still there because she's charismatic and charming and she manipulates people all the time, heck, her name is Siren, but she isn't seducing everyone, just tricking and misleading them until they don't realize they've walked the plank and are now drowning.)

[@josiaht9227]

I enjoy playing rogue, but they are always thematically differently and stolen from pop culture. A changeling serial killer. An elven inquisitor. A shredded 8ft dhampir noble. A yuan ti femme fatale teamed with a classic lovable halfling thief.

[@infern0711]

I once played a lawful good Mastermind Rogue/Monk that was based on Sherlock Holmes. It was a fun character, but he didn’t quite fit into the campaign setting.

[@PlayPodOG]

story 1. i would have not played with that dm ever again. that person would be dead to me. he just straight up doesn't know how to dm.

[@Nariasan]

First story: The DM in that story sounds no fun, but the player sounds like an awful, main character edgelord as well. It doesn't sound like anyone involved in the game had a chance to try and stop the character, or help them fight, or evacuate the civilians, or whatever... it sounds very much like the OP was insisting on playing out their story over playing out the game. The OP gives me worst anime-weeb edgelord vibes. It actually set all my hackles up. I think both the DM and the player are people I would never want to play with.

[@markusnavergard2387]

Elfbarbarian that is fast and nimble, replace STR with DEX as you jump around throwing javelins

[@spartan9458]

Oh man that first story with the DM saying "Evil" that isn't an evil character, that is Chaotic Neutral at worst. They just don't care about people who aren't close to them and will do anything to destroy a nemesis. that's not evil. It's just not good either. it's Neutral. I personally love playing C/N characters because they aren't bad, but just don't care most of the time, but will turn the world upside-down to save those they care about. I think that DM has issues with gray areas or neutrality in general, but also that excuse is really lame. That is something you should tell your players before they make characters, and you should also as a DM make sure you understand what a Neutral character is as they will do things that are good, as well as bad. it's why they are neutral. it really depends on the context. That backstory provided excellent context for essentially a PTSD infused revenge/rage with little regard for casualties. Again not evil, that's a mental issue mixed with neutrality towards those involved or not so involved. Thanks for the stories and I love the content. Keep it up!

[@AdorkableDaughterofNyx]

Intelligence or Charisma based Rogue here. or Strength or Wisdom based Archer

[@nicolettejenkins6784]

I played a halfling barbarian witn an intelligence of 14 (I rolled everything pretty high). She was raised by halflings and married into a dwarf barbarian tribe. I never saw ANY reason a barbarian has to be dumb. She was an angry little fire cracker, but that doesn't make her stupid.

[@kingtickeler]

A smart Barbarian can be viewed as a player experiencing "Nerd Rage" but from a fantasy perspective. If Dukes friend would have ever been around a gamer than a smart barbarian shouldn't be that farfetched when viewed with that type of lens. Attribute points and background features as well as race options are all the spices that can be used to paint the total "Picture" of what your character actually "Is". One should never let stereotypes limit their thinking in a medium that allows infinite options.

[@FlyJonat]

A rogue player not being a chaotic a**hole? I wish he would have been in my game instead.

[@DEMONITION1723]

Remember getting end of one shot praise for being a rogue that wasn't a steal everything murderhobo. Like i was a flying pig or something. They were pointing out a point in game where i had a plan to use my abilities and asked to borrow a portable hole instead of just stealing it. I was like lawful neutral. I was playing a Topaz dragonborn. A menacing death like character who wasn't malicious but respectful and liked to vibe.

[@ferretwithastick800]

I play a Half Orc barbarian. The only stereotype my character follows is that they can’t read but they are still competent in the thinking department. Edit because I forgot to add: I love the smart barbarians but I love playing dumb characters so much

[@somebodywhoexists1951]

Mannnnnn as someone who primarily runs city of mist games, that first one really agitates me because it should've never happened if played properly. Assuming what the author of that post said is true, the mc should've given them a chance to react. City of mist combat is primarily defined by being reactive, meaning the mc provides warning for something, and then the players get to have a chance to act to either counter it, or ignore it if they should choose so. Only after that point do they get to provide consequences usually. So it should've gone like "he's pulling out his gun to shoot you" then pause in action so the player can decide what they want to do (dodge, counterattack, etc) and then continue from there.

[@flyingace1234]

That first story was so frustrating to listen to. It took what was a great climax of the character's story and completely invalidated it. If the DM had an issue with collateral damage... then dont put the civilians in their way. Or just take the minute to pull the player aside before the fight and talk it out. Or why didn't the willingness to kill come up during the first loop? I would've left the game after that, even if it was reconned. Clearly a mis-alignment of what the player and the dm meant.

[@csheese]

One of my earlier games I played an inquisitive rogue and I didn't really know stealing was a staple of rogues? I remember hearing it was kind of a stealthy fast class so I played it. But holy how are people judging that when someone walks in with the bread carried by mage hand?

[@BlackHoleForge]

16:18 how about professor hulk? The intelligence of Bruce banner and all of the strength of the hulk.

[@timothyfrasier8218]

I recently found this anime that has the gang actually being the good guys protecting the town the name of it is on comment section. So maybe that's why kill the character because maybe the gang was the good guys. After all the gang was helping the characters.

[@jankarieben1071]

Rogues don’t equal thieves, that’s literally the reason they changed the class name from thief to rogue, I always play rogues as treasure hunters myself bc I hate that bs “it’s what my character would do” argument when jerk players steal from the team, now that’s just me, but ttrpgs are team based in general, so why alienate your teammates?

[@EliCasteel-nw5vz]

I don’t think I would continue with playing with the group in the first story cause killing a character for there alignment isn’t the greatest dm behavior

[@KatieGimple]

My issue with DC20 isn't that you can be an intelligent barbarian, but rather that there isn't really anything that encourages you to be a strength barbarian instead of an intelligence barbarian. Since all the important things currently just key off your highest stat, it, to me, makes everything feel vary samey and I personally think there needs to be more stat differentiation.

[@emperortime4380]

I think your highest stat also has a big impact on the types of things you’re good at. The liveplay Duke was in was my first time watching the system in action. My assumption is that if a smart-barian dumped strength, they’d be bad at athletics and moreso good at intelligence checks. So, while in combat, it might feel samey it probably affects the other pillars of play a lot. In 5e, I often felt like playing a barbarian made me bad at the social pillar of the game. I had a good wisdom so I was fairly good at exploration. Strength itself doesn’t do much outside of athletics in 5e.

[@goldosprey]

I play a rogue and quite honestly, im the more personable of the entire group. I actually befriended the Barbarian who has destroyed a cult headquarters by powerbombing a cultist because im polite and treat him like a normal person instead of an idiot

[@GoblinTavernProductions]

i feel like i don't really understand that first story, like... I feel like one evil action shouldn't define someone as an "evil" character

[@christineherrmann205]

I hate deus ex machina by a DM _as_ a DM and as a player. To kill a player off without horrible rolls and with a lack of chances to Save feels cheap.

[@KnicKnac]

Hello and Greetings. I am the Toast and player in that story. Thanks for reading my wacky story about stealthy roast stealing

[@BlackHoleForge]

14:59 I know you may not believe me, but I am very smart. And trust me when I say I know you won't like me when I'm angry. 😂

[@neildamonjones2956]

Doesn't He-Man count as a smart barbarian? I know that he's a prince and the barbarian part is an act to hide his secret identity, but it still counts, imo...

[@Thurmanation2011s]

Also be open to the idea that stereotypes exist for a reason. Don't judge others based on their Barbarian views. Embrace that stereotype and experience another role.

[@jeremyf6821]

It is amusing to me that the things you like about D20 and the reasons I’ll never play it 😂

[@rinmorinai]

My younger brother has a goliath cleric that speaks in third person on occasion and just does shit that many people would facepalm and its funny as hell.