Do Not Hide Bad Behavior Behind The Game's Meta

In the event that you're living under a rock these days, you probably haven't heard all the discussions about the triumphant return of the kender and the gully dwarves. If you're even marginally plugged-in to the happenings in gaming circles, though, you have likely seen three hundred or more discussions of these, along with a lot of other aspects of the Dragonlance setting the World of Krynn, since it was announced it was going to get a re-release recently.

However, while this has sparked its share of flame wars, I wanted to focus on a specific aspect of the conversation going on right now. Because this is bringing to light how a lot of players will use the meta of a game or setting to cover up their own bad behavior... and that's something we all need to learn to recognize, and put a stop to before it ruins the game for everyone.

Because the problem isn't the kender... most of the time.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

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Thieving, Practical Jokes, and Responsibility

For those who aren't familiar with Dragonlance, this setting goes all the way back to the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons. Last I saw any content for it was in the 3.5 edition, and it seems to have skipped over the 4th edition entirely. But now it's coming out for 5th edition, and a whole new crop of gamers who've never heard of it are dealing with a lot of old gripes and even older horror stories from the so-called old guard.

Sitting at the top of that list is the kender.

If you have not encountered a kender before, picture a halfling. Now add an unquenchable wanderlust, an utter lack of understanding of the concept of personal property, a cultural emphasis on cutting insults as a form of entertainment, and curiosity that borders on a death wish. For the book series, where a single author was in charge of how scenes went and how characters acted, kender were amusing creatures that we often found entertaining or endearing. However, if you handed that to the wrong player (and most people who ask to have it will reveal if they were the wrong player soon enough) that is a recipe for frustration, irritation, and a lot of player-v-player combat.

Do not anger the barbarian. They don't take jokes well.

A lot of folks will say the problem is the kender for the way they're written. Or the gulley dwarves, which are, at best, a silly take on gnomes attempting to be dwarves in the most absurd way possible (and at worst they're a way to punch down at people who live with mental disorders). Or how many settings describe gnomes specifically as, "playing practical jokes on people," as part of their write up. The list goes on.

Honestly, at the end of the day, this is just another version of someone saying, "But it's what my character would do!" as a way to duck responsibility for stirring the pot, and being a pain in the rest of the table's collective backside.

You Can Play Any of These (Without Irritating Everyone Else)

All of the characters mentioned above are completely playable concepts. Just like how you can play an evil character in a non-evil party (as I mentioned in Making The Lone Evil Character in a Good Party Work), if you really want to. The key to it is to look at the character you're playing, at the table you're playing with, and to ask yourself, "How do I have fun with this concept in a way that won't piss everyone else off?"

Some concepts are, admittedly, tougher than others.

I covered this in Make Sure Your Character is as Much Fun To Play With as They Are To Play, and all those lessons stand. Everyone else at the table is spending hours of their time in-game with this character; at least do them the courtesy of making the experience as positive as you can.

That doesn't mean you need to utterly ignore the meta, either... you simply need to adjust the dial to fit the table you're at.

For example, if you're playing a kender, you may still randomly pocket stuff on your day-to-day... but make sure you aren't pocketing the rest of the party's stuff. Hell, you can't carry the fighter's great sword, and the barbarian's shield is bigger than you are, so what would even be the point? Instead, swipe some apples from a cart as you walk by, and toss one to the sorcerer because they didn't have an apple and they looked hungry. Take the jailer's keys when they walk past, and then just hand them over to the rogue who is now in on the joke with you. And if you really want to go whole hog with it, walk away from any kind of treasure that's heavy or pointless, because if you don't acknowledge personal ownership chances are good economics is far beyond you, and someone else in the party tracks your share and covers your bills.

That kind of stuff might be amusing, and while it could generate some negative situations between you and NPCs, it isn't putting you directly at-odds with the rest of the party. And as long as you're contributing to the group's efforts you're more likely to be seen as a scamp or a minor troublemaker than a nuisance that has to be dealt with.

Long story short, don't be a jerk. Have fun with your character, and mold them to fit in with everyone else. This is a team sport, and everyone needs to be having fun if you expect the group to get back together next week.

Also, even though I couldn't find a convenient place to fit it in here, don't forget to check out my 5 Tips For Playing Better Evil Characters along with 5 Tips For Playing Better Noble Characters. They tend to generate a lot of friction as well, so I wanted to toss them here at the end.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Nymphs, Gnomes, and Species of Sundara

For those who've been keeping up with all my Species of Sundara releases, you've no doubt picked up on my theme of keeping the same fantasy creatures we know from older games, but trying to show them in a different light by making them unique to this setting in some way, shape, or form. We started with elves, turning them into creatures who fluidly adapted, becoming wildly varied based on their philosophy or environment. The dwarves were the children of the ancient giants, meant to finish the details of the world whose foundation they had laid. Orcs were the results of elves experimenting and changing too much, until they became something entirely new, and halflings were the little cousins of the dwarves, made almost by accident.

It was only a matter of time till I reached the last of the first run, and I wanted to talk about them this week... gnomes.

Seriously, get your copy today if you haven't!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Gnomes and Nymphs, Oh My!

The traditional role of gnomes in fantasy RPGs is (or at least has become) the manic pixie party member. Gnomes are often cast as creatures whose minds move so quickly, or in such unusual ways, that they often focus more on whether they can do something rather than if they should do something. Practical jokers, inventors, tinkerers, and more, in some games their ancestry is left vague, while in settings like Golarion they're full-on fey creatures who return to the First World upon their deaths.

The queen waits for me... but time moves differently there than here.

I wanted gnomes in Sundara to feel unique and different, rather than just being a zanier halfling option. Something inherently magical and unusual, but which was still different from the options I'd seen in other settings which offered its own odd history and unusual background flavor.

And in the event you haven't grabbed your copy of Species of Sundara: Gnomes (available for either Pathfinder or DND 5E), the ancestry of gnomes is that they are the children of nymphs. Representations of nature in its most potent forms, nymphs have been rightly feared and revered across Sundara for generations. Gnomes were, in many cases, meant to take over the lesser responsibilities of these nymphs so they could conserve their strength and rest. In other cases they became agents who delivered the nymph's will and messages beyond the bounds of their own domains.

And when many of the nymphs vanished, it was the gnomes who remembered. Who honored their departed mothers, and who minded the land they'd left behind.

As Varied As The Land Itself

Of all the species of Sundara that have been released thus far, the gnomes are probably the ones that have the most possibility... and that's including the elves! For every kind of nymph out there, from black water swamps to rushing rivers, to mountain ponds and deep forests, there's a type of gnome. Not only that, but gnomes have the potential to shift and change, altering their traits as they take on new, unique aspects.

How and why this happens can seem arbitrary. A gnome may have been born in a swamp, only to find the dark shadows disappearing from their hair and their eyes growing bright when they make their new home on a white water rapid. A gnome from a deep, clear stream might find their nails growing thick and their skin sallow as their old home stagnates, dammed up until it becomes little more than a bog. Some gnomes will change based on the people they meet, and the entities who bless them, but others may remain unchanged their whole lives through, stoically maintaining themselves despite all the currents that surround them.

And while there are only 5 variations in this first splat book, there's potential for more going forward should the audience make their desire for more content like that known!

Remember To Check Out The Other Species of Sundara!

If you enjoy my take on gnomes, and you want to see what other changes I've made to the core species we're all so used to, make sure you take a moment to check out the rest of the Species of Sundara series that's been coming out the past few months! And if you like them, don't forget to check out the rest of my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting as well!

- Elves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Elves are one of the most quintessential fantasy creatures... but if you want to see more than just high elves, wood elves, and elves of the sun and moon, then this supplement has you covered!

- Dwarves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): The children of the primordial giants who were meant to fill in the details of the world they'd made (or so the myths say) there are as many kinds of dwarves as their are kinds of giants... and possibly more, depending on who is keeping count.

- Orcs of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Supposedly a creation of the elves, none can say for certain exactly how or why orcs have been made. What most agree on is that these creatures are far more than most may think at first glance.

- Halflings of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Little cousins to the dwarves, halflings are tough, clever, and not to be underestimated. From living beneath the hills, to taking up residence in the deep forests, halflings in Sundara come in quite a variety!

- The Blooded (Half-Elves and Half-Orcs) [Pathfinder and DND 5E]: When orcs and elves mix their bloodlines with other creatures, the result is one of the Blooded. This inheritance takes many forms, and it can even wait generations before manifesting when the right combination of individuals come together to have a child.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!