Players have a lot of fun

[never_shades]

This is something I've run into quite a bit. I'll plan epic and interesting plot lines, but then all my players want to do is start drunken brawls and knock important people out of windows. I've tried to style my more recent campaigns to play to this, making them funny, etc.

So what is some advice for pandering to players who just want to laugh while playing D&D?

[WickerNipple]

As someone who largely runs sandbox games, I've come to the conclusion that you have to write/conceive background for the joy of writing, build encounters for the joy of building them, and then play for the joy of playing -- all the while expecting none of those things to necessarily come together.

I find my players tend to see or engage maybe 1/3rd of what I plan for them. But I find the planning itself enjoyable, and can always recycle unused material later.

As far as humor goes: they're usually more than capable of providing that themselves, and I try not to interfere. Make your plans true to your world, and roll with it if they want to turn it into slapstick. I've seen DMs successfully do highly serious campaigns, but only if the party is into the same thing. I find it's better as a DM to plan it out with a straight face, but be ready to laugh along with them if they want to turn it into a farce.

My groups generally want to. Probably because shenanigans and laughter are synonymous with Fun for most folks. That and the ridiculous quantity of alcohol consumed.

So yeah: I don't plan for comedy, and wouldn't really recommend you do either unless you're a comedian. But I embrace it if that's where they go.

[Oracle_Hunter]

So what is some advice for pandering to players who just want to laugh while playing D&D?
Rule of Cool.

Design situations where the PCs are the toughest guys around and can get away with murder. Then make sure the ends of those situations are vaguely heroic.

For example, the Party is invited to a prenuptial feast between a Lady Fair and a Villainous Blackheart. Give them some flunkies of the Villain being rude jerks towards whatever sort of entity your Party feels to be sympathetic. A brawl or prank-off takes place and the Villain's allies break it up. Perhaps the PCs get challenged to a grand melee lead by the Villain's Captain of the Guards or whatnot. Then have friends of the Lady Fair offer to help the PCs cheat/make fools of the Villains because their Lady is being forced into marriage for some reason. And go from there.

In short:
- Make sure the PCs can goof off and survive
- Have Encounters that permit plenty of tom-foolery and situations that reward it

[Shatteredtower]

- Make sure the PCs can goof off and survive
- Have Encounters that permit plenty of tom-foolery and situations that reward it

For full benefit, let them know both of these things are true. Players tend to be more adventurous when they know the DM isn't out to kill them for "doing things wrong".

[prufock]

This is something I've run into quite a bit. I'll plan epic and interesting plot lines, but then all my players want to do is start drunken brawls and knock important people out of windows. I've tried to style my more recent campaigns to play to this, making them funny, etc.

So what is some advice for pandering to players who just want to laugh while playing D&D?

If all your players are on board with a "low-brow" sort of game, is that really a problem? Play lower level games, build adventures based on a local scale within a single town or whatever, play dungeon crawls, introduce a different style of antagonist - not maniacal take-over-the-world types, just thieves, hard-nosed city guards, town mayor abusing his power, a women's circle manipulating the PCs, etc.

Are they spoiling YOUR fun by playing this way? It is important that the DM enjoy the game too, after all.

[Whybird]

This is something I've run into quite a bit. I'll plan epic and interesting plot lines, but then all my players want to do is start drunken brawls and knock important people out of windows. I've tried to style my more recent campaigns to play to this, making them funny, etc.

So what is some advice for pandering to players who just want to laugh while playing D&D?

Don't plan epic and interesting plot lines: plotlines can be derailed by drunken brawling. Plan a number of NPC groups who are at odds with each other and have them respond to your players. That way, when your PCs get into a drunken brawl, have the guy in the corner be the favoured son of the leader of one NPC group, and all of a sudden the drunken brawl is the plot.