Dungeons & Wrestling or WWE & Dragons?

Before I was ever a fan of geekdom I was a wrestling fan. Yes, I know it is not real, but neither are most Porn Stars' tits and you like them just the same I imagine as the pile of used tissues on your floor would have me believe.  For more on this I urge you to watch this video on YouTube. I mean the discussion on wrestling, not Porn Star tits, I am sure who have better suggestions then I could offer. No seriously, if you do please email me....

Now you would think a game about magic and dragons would have nothing to do with everyone's favorite sport involving big sweaty men. That is where you would be wrong. Watching Wrestling can make you a better roleplayer, heck even a DM. In this two part series I am going to look at wrestling's effect on players and in my next article I will focus on the DM.

1. Backstory, perhaps this is due to my Adventure League/PFS experiences, but most characters are a bundle of mechanics and not much more. Heck, they might not even have a name. You would think wrestling is just Big Sweaty Man #1 vs. Shorter Wider Big Sweaty Man #2.  Currently in wrestling we have a Cult Leader who seems to obtain his powers from the remains of his dead sister, another wrestler who receives a burst of power becoming the actual King of Demons, oh and there are two guys, one of whom is a dancer that both work as detectives dealing with issues of fashion! That sure sounds a great deal more interesting then saying "I'm a fighter." Just the few examples mentioned above all apply to guys who kick, punch, and essentially deal melee damage.

You can figure out who is who right?

2 .Gimic, this could also fall under backstory, but wrestlers have something they are known for. Style of dress, mannerisms, names of their moves, and even catch phases. These are all ways to dress up your play. Instead of saying I swing with my sword and crit, instead you used your patented overhead twisting slash that you call your sliced bread #4 (no shit, is  the name of an actual finishing move). Instead of saying "I hold my attack to wait for him to turn around", you could say :I swing my torso in 180 degrees and fall to the floor punching the ground and wait to strike." Perhaps your male wizard is known for being flamboyant and wearing a feathered gown.

Casting a Fireball...woo!

3. Define your stats/stlye of play. Do you want to know what St 18, Dex 14, Con 10 and Cha 6 look like?

See that little bastard behind him? That is what happens when you have the backing of a CHA 18 bard.

There are some wrestlers who can't work a mic to save their lives and others who can make reading the phone book be one of the most exciting experiences ever. Consider this when roleplaying your character. The mannerisms of these athletes can really help flesh out what the numbers mean. Next time you tell your DM you want to make an acrobatics check to avoid hitting the ground, use this example. Shoot ever wonder how a pyrotechnic spell, Darkness, and a Bard can support an intimidation check. Look up the Undead Wizard known as Undertaker for inspiration (I shit you not, there is an undead Wizard in wrestling.)

4.Put Over your party. The ending to wrestling matches are pre scripted, however the two athletes work off of one another. The guy who wins does so because the other guy allowed him to (as opposed to a real fight where the toughest guy wins) and this in the business is known as "putting someone over." In your group you as the player should be willing to put over the other players. Give the other guys time to shine and encourage them to utilize the skills they excel at. Imagine you are in a bar and pick a fight with an Orc as the wizard this would be a good time to encourage the party's barbarian to solve the situation you just started because unlike yourself...they can take a punch.

A move like this requires cooperation from both parties

5. Don't be John Cena!

Seriously, I know he gets to make the sexy time with her, but just don't.

For the last 10 years Cena has been a main eventer in the WWE and holding the championship on too many occasions often at the expense of other better wrestlers. Chances are your table has had a Cena at one time or another, the type of player that always has to be the center of attention, They have all the skills, all their stats are high, and they have the best magic items.  These type of players are the worst and automatically suck the fun out of the game. Don't be them!