Café de Nuit

I was trying to get together new players for a Ravenloft game to replace my old group which disintegrated. But every time I bring it up to a local DnD player I get this exchange:
Me: So you interested in joining the game?
Them: Is the whole game going to be in Ravenloft or just a weekend in hell thing?
Me: The whole campaign will be there probably.
Them: Oh. Then no thanks.

Ever happen to anyone else?

It happened twice to me. These players can't seem to get the idea that Ravenloft is more than just evil and blood and gore, so they usually decide to opt out.

Only once but I convinced them to give it a try once or twice and if they didn't like it after that they could bow out and suprisingly that player is now one of my core group. When a player has that opinion I always try to rectify the understanding of RL. I can't remember the exact quote but its from Arcana Unearthed... Alignment is a personnal thing, nobody believes themself truely evil...

Hope that helps

Those arrogant REALMERS just don't know what they miss...

Ooo - hooo, I said the R-word again...

#_# Don't worry, my friend; after all, you're Scipio(!) and for sure on these boards would be dozens of players that really would bash each other to get a a place in your group just for a day!

Desdichado wrote:#_# Don't worry, my friend; after all, you're Scipio(!) and for sure on these boards would be dozens of players that really would bash each other to get a a place in your group just for a day!

I'm nothin special, but thanks D.

Hasn't happened to me, but try this, in repsonse to their last answer:

"Wait, wait, wait... why not? What is it you don't like about a campaign entirely in Ravenloft?"

Then, if their reason is based on a misunstanding of the setting like: "It's all gore and blood," or "it's a PC meat-grinder where the DM gets a power-trip," or "it's all just vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, and that's boring," or something like that, then educate them otherwise and see what happens.

Yeah, tell them that you are a member of a secret society called *The Fraternity of Shadows* that plots secret projects world-wide... You may exaggerate a bit like *we believe that Ravenloft is actually real* or bear a *paintbrush* tattoo of the *Eternal Order* logo or tell them something more like *I once had a girlfriend that was a wolfwere*...

You don't know how fast you'll dozens and dozens of players!



BTW, as long as there are people out there who read YOUR articles and browse YOUR boards, you can consider yourself something special!

I got that once because the players thought that everyone who actually lived in Ravenloft was evil, and they weren't interested in a villain campaign. Could that be at work here?

Don't get upset, i get that reaction all the time...

The ignorance of players in Greece (strangely, regardless of age) is so high you can't see the summit!! From either 15year olds or 25year olds, all that I hear is what gonzoron said above. Stupid pigs!!

Don't let that get you down (mrs. Brown ). After all, YOU ARE THE GREAT SCIPIO!!!

If you have to beat players to accept your setting, it's always the wrong approach. You're not their clown!

I personally get nothing from DMing but a lot of additional work. I personally do it because there is noone in my environment who plays with the settings I like.

Besides, playing is overrated. I am happy if I can have a break from time to time and then start again with new inspiration.



Stand in line against the ignorance, men of the mists!

Well I managed to get one of the players to join the game. I had to cut a deal to do it. He agreed to join if I can show him a Ravenloft campaign that's not a PC meat-grinder. But in return, I have to join his World of Darkness game, to which i challenged him to find players here in Tulsa that won't turn it into Angst: the Roleplaying Game (an act that's akin to finding the holy grail inside the lost Ark of the Covenant, located in Brigadoon, in bigfoot's house.)

I get the response "Ravenloft? Better not" usually.

Why? Because let's face it, the setting isn't an actual PC-Grinder but it is hard. Many players I know just LOVE magic and magical items that can be used without PChecks/ curses.

To be frank, I probably wouldn't play in a traditional Ravenloft Campaign. A few sessions, yes, but not too many. Why not? Because I wouldn't like my character to be a tragic figure. However, I would like a campaign with a DM that would give some magical items (not too many, but half as much as in Traditional DMG) without curses and wouldn't push my character too hard emotionly (that is, my character wouldn't always find dead the people he loved, wouldn't constantly face horrific scenes etc).

Scipio wrote:Well I managed to get one of the players to join the game. I had to cut a deal to do it. He agreed to join if I can show him a Ravenloft campaign that's not a PC meat-grinder. But in return, I have to join his World of Darkness game, to which i challenged him to find players here in Tulsa that won't turn it into Angst: the Roleplaying Game (an act that's akin to finding the holy grail inside the lost Ark of the Covenant, located in Brigadoon, in bigfoot's house.)

Well, I'd imagine that it would depend on the setting. Are we talking Vampire: The Angsting, Mage: The Philosophical Bickering, or Werewolf: The Constant Combat Where Characters With Individual Personalities Need Not Apply?

Unfortunately, it's a weird mix of all of the above along with a bit of Demon: the Fallen, which I know nothing about.

Huh. That sounds . . . special.