Recent content by Dire Bare

  1. Dire Bare

    New "Stargate" series announced

    It was an interesting sci-fi idea to explore! It was icky, for the characters themselves as well as the audience, that was very much what they explored, the ethical problems in using this tech versus the necessity to maintain contact. Stargate Universe was definitely a darker show, and a huge...
  2. Dire Bare

    New "Stargate" series announced

    Anvar was so good as Alex, it was perfect casting . . . well, other than the landmine that he was a terrible person. I'm angry at him for harassing tons of women, but also for screwing up such a great show! But despite killing off Alex's character suddenly . . . I still enjoyed the heck out of...
  3. Dire Bare

    New "Stargate" series announced

    No Netflix? Disney+? Setting up Amazon Prime on your SmartTV isn't any different from the other streaming channels, it's pretty easy. And there is so much good genre TV waiting for you!
  4. Dire Bare

    New "Stargate" series announced

    It's a challenge, sure. But a good writing team can certainly rise to meet it!
  5. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    The "new" crowd coming into D&D over the past 10 years or so . . . are they more open to playing "oddball" characters? Or does the game facilitate playing the more non-traditional options easier than earlier editions? Or a mix of both? Which came first, the cockatrice or the egg?
  6. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    Exactly! Joining the circus doesn't make you a "freak", but if you are already a "freak", joining the circus is a natural choice!
  7. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    And yet, its a common trope both within and without fantasy fiction. How many ensemble groups of characters in movies, TV shows, novels and comics are an assembly of odd-balls and misfits?
  8. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    That's part of the disconnect too. The fellowship was a unique group for Middle-Earth . . . but the baseline for D&D adventuring parties!
  9. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    I think part of the challenge is feature creep. Over the past 50 years, options were introduced that became popular and were added to the core. The "core" options in 5E are quite a bit more than the "core" options in AD&D 2E. But features keep being added, and the game is overall much better...
  10. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    One method I employed years ago when I also wanted a more traditional adventuring party composition . . . . I wrote class and race/species names on slips of paper, threw them into a hat, and had the players draw. What they drew was their parameters for creating a character, but they were...
  11. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    I haven't really thought of adventuring party composition in this way before, but I think you nailed it! This is the perfect way to "justify" (not that it needs justification) a diverse, eclectic adventuring party. I've spent a lot of time in the theater community in my area, another community...
  12. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    Okay, but that doesn't really change any of what I said. You don't care for "eclectic" adventuring parties. Okay, shrug. What do your players want? If they are enjoying playing anything and everything, then lighten up and join the fun! Or find a new group. Have you talked to your players? Maybe...
  13. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    Eh. I think a better framing than having a "DM establishing setting expectations" is . . . having a session zero where campaign style and theme is discussed. If the play group decides on the circus troupe, great! If the play group decides on a mostly human-centered campaign, great! If they all...
  14. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    This isn't exactly new to 5th Edition. We started to see an increase in race/species types in both BECMI D&D and AD&D 2E back in the late 80s and 90s. Certainly it's increased since then, but that really got going with 3rd Edition and was carried through to both 4E and 5E.
  15. Dire Bare

    D&D General Wildly Diverse "Circus Troupe" Adventuring Parties

    It's a play style, or genre within fantasy. Nothing wrong with enjoying such a diverse adventuring party, but nothing wrong with preferring a human-centric campaign either. Only problem is when there is a disconnect between the players and the GM. Certainly, D&D has shifted from a more...
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