You can have a character who wants to be a Lone Wolf, but you need a reason why he sticks around anyway. I'm sure Aragorn was not thrilled about babysitting a bunch of Hobbits, but he knew it had to be done. A lot of times "Lone Wolf Syndrome" is just "Main Character Syndrome" in disguise. i.e., someone doesn't want to share the spotlight, so they run off by themselves and try to turn the game into their solo adventure.
3 weeks ago (edited) | 52
Aragorn is a great example because while he is a lone wolf he still interacts and cooperates with his team. His lone wolfness comes out in his unwillingness to commit to take command and stuff like that rather than not participating
3 weeks ago | 19
agree with everyone differentiating between introvert and anti-social. Wolverine lives on the line between hard and cringe, but he's also the realest. he's introverted BECAUSE he's loyal. he's the ACTUAL ride or die in a world of fair weather friends.
3 weeks ago | 5
Aragorn is the perfect photo for this question. It's a bad trope that is inspired by an amazing character. It can be done well but we see it so rarely done
3 weeks ago | 6
Lone wolves are hard. Aragorn was given a commission by an immortal deific wizard to prevent an apocalyptically powerful artifact from being delivered to the second-evilest entity in creation. That's pretty strong material to work from. Most players are lucky to get a decent reason to have beer together after their first rat-catching expedition. Some people may not be experienced enough players or actors (because let's be clear here: making interesting character-motivated choices IS performance, whether we use dice or not) to thread that needle. But it's a problem that can easily be solved with a bit of creativity on the part of the DM. e.g. Have the lone wolf get framed for a murder, the victim of which was meant to be carrying an object of importance to another character, the guards implicate everybody and give them one week to clear the lone wolf's name. Bing, bang, boom, one 1st-level adventure, a whole heap of group bonding, and a few favors later, now your wolf has a pack. Now we can have the tough guy aesthetics of lone wolf without the awkward "I, a player, know that I must cooperate for there to be a game, so I'll grunt and stick around... for now (forever)."
3 weeks ago | 5
I have a player who tends towards loner characters who are slow to trust. The issues tend to pop up when they expect the other players to give them a reason to stick around and engage with the adventure (and usually give very little info to hint at what a good reason would be). Its more work to have a loner in the party and the person playing the loner should be the person putting in that effort. I also think people tend to forget you can reveal a characters feelings or secrets without them opening up. A solo scene of them having a panic attack or being kind to their familiar, or having a tell the high wis pcs can pick up on. I played a rogue who I knew would not willingly show his face so I just described his hood falling down during a fight. I get my reveal, and the character can still be be edgy for a bit longer (he was a big softie on the inside I can't commit to the edge lol)
3 weeks ago | 5
I played the "lone wolf" the only reason he joined the party was he had more enemies than friends at that point and needed the party as much for a job as they needed his skill set and then we went on so many quests and fought a dragon.
3 weeks ago | 3
Yes they are always a problem. Annoying trope used by annoying players.
3 weeks ago | 1
I love this type of character in-concept, but I always take great pains as a player or a GM to tie them into the party with a deep motivation. I have a Beam Saber character right now where I wanted to do something like this, but to keep him invested and interacting with the party, he's basically another player character's grumpy adoptive father figure (like Joel from last of us or the Mandalorian, or The Witcher, or like every other property with that played-out trope) So while I get to play a grumpy, brooding, strong-silent type, whenever I get into a scenario where I have to think about my character's motivation or what will push him to interact with the party, I know I have to keep an eye on the kid, who keeps roping me into these big adventures.
3 weeks ago | 4
Lone Wolves, Edge Lords, Lone Wolf Edge Lords... Sounds like a player who likes to go off on their own and push the boundaries of the group's patience.
3 weeks ago | 1
i love playing characters that want to be the lone wolf soooooo bad but cannot make decisions or be selfsustainable in any way, shape or form
2 weeks ago | 0
I think the best way you could play one is already have it in mind that you want them to break out of it for something really special. Appreciate that it's a flaw and make it a part of character growth/development 😊
3 weeks ago | 0
Edgelord characters? No. Edgelord players? Yes. No one needs some incel trying to turn The Table into some kind of Gorean get-together.
3 weeks ago (edited) | 14
It depends on how they play the character. If they are always wanting to perform solo adventures or wander off it defeats the purpose of playing with friends. I have a "no lone wolf" rule
3 weeks ago | 0
I just let them act like lone wolves. I only seems to be an issue when we force the party dynamic on them. Kind of like Batman with the Justice League they usually decide that teamwork has its benefits.
2 weeks ago | 1
I want to play someone who leans into edgelord aesthetic, but they always include the party. Like a heavy metal bard
3 weeks ago | 3
The best advice I have for Lone Wolf characters is to have one PC be your confidant through and through. Also be willing to split the party sometimes, to give the lone wolf a chance to shine. I know people always say "Never Split the Party" but that's really mediocre advice, as splitting up allows for different synergies of mechanics to shine and as well makes for iconic moments
3 weeks ago (edited) | 0
One of my first characters was an edgelord warlock. The group actually loved that character, so I guess I did it right.
2 weeks ago | 0
I just finished up a session with a solo player dungeon session as a dunder Master. been going for many years. his character is pretty edge lord murder hobo at start, but is the leader of a pro goblin guild in waterdeep. he is a bugbear and started the guild with his brother who died in the journeys they shared. He just found his dad is actually a barghest lord on the plane of Gehenna only after stumbling into his lair. they hugged.
3 weeks ago | 0
Bob World Builder
Are "Lone Wolf" edgelord characters always as bad as everyone says?? This week we're talking about about the fascinating origins of a few D&D tropes, and how to keep these cliches fun! Check it out Sept 16!
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 461