Seriously, Now: Humor & Role-Playing Games

Dungeons & Dragons (and all other role-playing games) are in a league of their own. It’s a game that’s as much fun to play as it is difficult to describe to your non-initiated neighbors and coworkers. It’s a game that can potentially last for years, can be played entirely in your imagination, and most intriguingly of all, there’s no winning in the same way you would win at Monopoly or Risk. A common question I get from people who have never played before is “Did you win?” and the answer is…well, it’s not really applicable! It’s not a game you can win, but a story you experience, and sometimes that’s a story of high adventure, perilous quests, and terrible monsters. But role-playing games can be anything you want them to be.

But mostly, they’re pretty weird, and I’m here to suggest you embrace that weirdness. I’ll cover my generous use of the “Rule of Cool” in a future article, but I would argue that a humorous moment in a campaign can be one that the group remembers for years to come.

Some people take D&D very seriously, and I’m not here to knock that, as long as you’re not a jerk about it. If you are a jerk about it, just repeat to yourself, "It’s just a game”, and you should really just relax! Maintaining immersion is important, but I think that having fun is the most important part. You’re playing a game, it’s okay to have fun, and sometimes funny situations come up. While I understand that some groups really take D&D seriously, and there’s certainly a place for that, don’t get mad if your players crack the occasional joke, even if it’s during a tense moment.

Personally, I find this happens quite a lot in horror games, and it can be frustrating when you’re trying to ramp up the tension, and it gets popped like a balloon by a wisecracking comment. It’s alright! If your players are joking around, as long as it’s not at anyone’s expense, they’re having fun. In that particular case, I'd say it’s really hard to scare players, and many gamers are jaded horror movie fans (myself included). As long as they enjoy the story, regardless of their reaction to the scary elements, then you’ve done your job as a DM.

There are a plethora of excellent humorous D&D podcasts out there! My favorites are the ones that blend humor with a great story. Since meeting the cast at Gary Con last year, my favorite recently is Legends of Avantris. I’m only on the first season, Once Upon a Witchlight, but the cast does a great job with memorable characters, wild and strange NPCs, and of course, the ghost of Chuckles the Clown. My other favorites, to name a few, include Rude Tales of Magic, Not Another D&D Podcast, and The Adventure Zone, in particular, the season The Adventure Zone versus Dracula. These shows are great examples of humor (in the case of Rude Tales, extremely silly humor), great characters, and exciting stories, while maintaining a fun, adventurous mood throughout.

I’ll end this article with a quote from a BBC interview with Gary Gygax. “I think winning is less important than the overall experience. This is, after all, something that challenges the imagination and exercises the mind, and creativity, and problem solving.” At the end of the day, if your session ends with your players laughing, discussing their characters, and excited for the next session, then you’re doing it right.

An unrelated side-note: I just signed up for events at Gary Con, can’t wait to be there!

- Tanner Adams

Links:

• The Adventure Zone

• Not Another D&D Podcast

• Legends of Avantris

• Rude Tales of Magic