Roleplaying and punnery

[Calthropstu]

TTRPG and puns seem to go hand in hand in every group I game with (though to be fair, I am a huge offender) Is this a universal trait? I have been in many gaming groups across the US.
Asking just out of curiosity as it is something I noticed.

[Slipperychicken]

I think it's just a natural result of having fun casually with friends.

You'd have to be pretty stuck-up to take a roleplaying game so seriously that you don't make some kind of humor out of it.

[mikeejimbo]

Me (GMing): The window is - shoot what's the word where it's translucent but not transparent?
Player B: Obscured?
Player A: Frosted?
Me: Frosted! That's the word I was looking for
Player B (who works in contracting): But is it obscured or acid-etched?
Me: I think since it's my world, I mean it's literally covered in frosting.
Player B: ... I taste the frosting
Me: It's kinda stale.

[JAL_1138]

I know an Adventurers' League DM who gives Inspiration for terrible puns that are appropriate/relevant to in-game events--the more groan-worthy the pun, the better. (Especially if another one of the regular DMs who despises bad puns overhears it, because his annoyed reactions are funny).

[Darth Ultron]

It is not universal.

I'm going to say a good half of DMs and players would not know ''fun'' no matter what.

Tons of hard core optimizing roll players are trying to ''win'' the game by ''getting just one more +1'' and are no fun.

Plenty of players are trying some trickery and are trying to fool a DM in to ''interpreting a rule'' in their favor and are no fun.

A couple DM's are so obsessed with ''their story'' that they are no fun.

And some people are just so shy/depressed/anti-social that it is a wonder they even show up for the game.

[SirBellias]

There was a character in one of my games for a while called "Pun-Pun." (No relation)

The player had a list of general purpose puns that would be able to be used in common situations.

There weren't many common situations, alas. I think he actually made more spontaneous puns with a different character (because gnomes).

Puns have their place, but they shouldn't be forced. I think I encounter more puns outside of RPGs than inside them, actually, but that may just be because my roommate is a wizard when it comes to that stuff.

[Lord Raziere]

In the DBZ roleplay I'm in, the phrase "Just Saiyan" comes up with odd regularity despite no attempts on anyone's part to make it a running gag. It just.....happens.

[Coretron03]

It is not universal.

I'm going to say a good half of DMs and players would not know ''fun'' no matter what.

Tons of hard core optimizing roll players are trying to ''win'' the game by ''getting just one more +1'' and are no fun.

Plenty of players are trying some trickery and are trying to fool a DM in to ''interpreting a rule'' in their favor and are no fun.

A couple DM's are so obsessed with ''their story'' that they are no fun.

And some people are just so shy/depressed/anti-social that it is a wonder they even show up for the game.

Kinda high and mighty for you to declare half of roleplaying game players don't understand fun. Then again, you have been proven to be incapable of understanding that people find optimisation fun because its not your kind of fun. Just because a dm doesn't adhere to your fun doesn't mean they aren't having fun, it just means you not having fun.

On topic, I enjoy puns in general, I enjoy making puns so I enjoy puns in roleplaying games(as long as i'm playing a suitable character). Heck, I once made a witch focused on using cackle and made puns/jokes to justify why he was laughing so often (however, it was a bit of a silly game and the dm let somewhat mild laughter count as wild cackling but thats niether here nor there).

[Dimers]

Why is the Mustelidae Fairy the most terrifying creature in existence?

Spoiler: I don't know, why?

Show

Because you have nothing to fear but Ferrets Elf.

I'm the primary perpetrator in all of my RP and boardgame groups. I run with kinda an intellectual and relaxed crowd, and it generally proves infectious, though the speed of contagion differs depending on the group.

[Tanarii]

Puns are the lowest kind of humor, just as poetry is the basest form of art.

So yes, of course it goes hand in hand with TRPG players.

[Anonymouswizard]

I'm going to go along with 'it's not universal, but it is common', because most groups tend to be friends and gamers tend to be the type to make bad puns.

Plus pins are just fun.

[ross]

Kinda high and mighty for you to declare half of roleplaying game players don't understand fun. Then again, you have been proven to be incapable of understanding that people find optimisation fun because its not your kind of fun. Just because a dm doesn't adhere to your fun doesn't mean they aren't having fun, it just means you not having fun.

On topic, I enjoy puns in general, I enjoy making puns so I enjoy puns in roleplaying games(as long as i'm playing a suitable character). Heck, I once made a witch focused on using cackle and made puns/jokes to justify why he was laughing so often (however, it was a bit of a silly game and the dm let somewhat mild laughter count as wild cackling but thats niether here nor there).

It is possible to believe you're having fun while not actually having fun. When you understand this, you will achieve enlightenment.

[Dr_Dinosaur]

It is possible to believe you're having fun while not actually having fun. When you understand this, you will achieve enlightenment.

Ah, the first step on the Path of Rudisplork

[RazorChain]

In my game one PC's has found a magical rod that gives him very vivid dreams of a past life (the rod once belonged to him in another life).

He usually wakes up sweating and clutching his rod....you can imagine the puns that have resulted.

[CharonsHelper]

I tend to be very punny in general - but especially in-game.

As a joke - my GM has limited me to three puns per session. But if it's not too cheesy he doesn't count it, and if it makes him laugh he gives me +1 puns.

[Slipperychicken]

In my game one PC's has found a magical rod that gives him very vivid dreams of a past life (the rod once belonged to him in another life).

He usually wakes up sweating and clutching his rod....you can imagine the puns that have resulted.

My group still makes jokes about some of my characters' apparent obsession with 10-foot poles.

[RazorChain]

Of course your character should know better! 10' poles are in stock at every proper general store and every trap maker worth his salt knows about them.

Make a 11' pole to thwart them!

And then comment on how your character strokes it fondly. It will save your skin after all.

[Technaton]

Puns happen all the time when my group plays. As a GM, I usually try to avoid making them, because it sidetracks the story very quickly. The players — including me, when I'm not GMing — typically come up with more than one pun during a session. Usually, though, they are very in-character and help building the group as a group of characters (in contrast to 'a group of problem solvers who happen to be RPG characters').

[souridealist]

I once played a one-shot built entirely around cheese puns. I did not know that this was the premise of the one-shot when we started it.

We ran into some NPCs who spent a lot of time ominously discussing how they found the Way. When - after far too long - I realized that that would in fact be the Whey, I was out of commission for about two minutes, spent alternately with my head in my hands and banging my head against the wall.

The GM seemed pleased with his work.