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View Full Version : I need some help with a DM



Anderlith
2012-05-01, 04:53 PM
So in a Pathfinder game I'm playing a human Magus based on a high Strength. I wield a bastard sword & use spell combat to channel Arcane Marks. I wanted a build that was solid but wasn't munchkin (Like the Dervish Build). The problem is that I consistently out perform the other party members. I roll well & do a lot of burst, I carry (my trusty mule actually) almost all the gear one would need in a dungeon with extra rope & such that the party doesn't seem to ever get. When ever we are tasked with doing something I always seem to have an item or plan to get around it. Seeing this the DM has seemed to target me in battle & with treasure (I found a cursed belt of Opposite Gender that did not show up as evil & was not able to be Identified as anything but a belt of Str, when I put it on it activated out of the blue) Enemies seem to go for me when presented with a choice & I don't have that great of saves or AC. I don't want to call him out on it, it maybe unintentional, I'd just like to be able to fly under the radar without giving up my character's usefulness.

Grinner
2012-05-01, 05:27 PM
Well, the obvious suggestion is to stop participating for a while, but that's just counterproductive.

Your particular build seems optimized for frontline-combat, but maybe you could switch to a support role for a while? What's the party composition like?

Jay R
2012-05-01, 05:43 PM
You can fly under the radar, or you can lead the party by always coming up with the plan. You can't do both.

Anderlith
2012-05-01, 07:49 PM
Well, the obvious suggestion is to stop participating for a while, but that's just counterproductive.

Your particular build seems optimized for frontline-combat, but maybe you could switch to a support role for a while? What's the party composition like?

A half elf fighter (uses a vicious weapon)
A gnome ranger (the DM's girlfriend)
A human wizard (blaster, so useless outside melee)
A halforc paladin (defender type)
A human cleric that is a bit flaky (healing/turning spec)
A human gunslinger

we typically fight one or two heavy hitting enemies



You can fly under the radar, or you can lead the party by always coming up with the plan. You can't do both.

We don't have a leader, "technically". Half of us view ourselves as the leader, but I'm usually the one to come up with ideas. Also my character is part of the Pathfinders so I have easy plot hooks. Kind of forces me to be in the middle stuff

Grinner
2012-05-01, 08:01 PM
A half elf fighter (uses a vicious weapon)
A gnome ranger (the DM's girlfriend)
A human wizard (blaster, so useless outside melee)
A halforc paladin (defender type)
A human cleric that is a bit flaky (healing/turning spec)
A human gunslinger

we typically fight one or two heavy hitting enemies

As far as combat is concerned, you might be able to pick up a couple of ranged spells from the wizard and stay out the way for a while. Buffs and debuffs, perhaps?

Roguenewb
2012-05-01, 08:35 PM
A classic problem. You need to ask him, either during session, or outside of it, why the monsters seem to be coming for you. If he says some supposed in-game reason like "your huge sword", hide that fact. You can hide almost anything, so just remove it as a reason to be attacked. If it keeps going and he keeps giving you more and more reasons, just keep dealing with them. If, in the end, he's still doing it to you, you have a really strong case to call him out on it with. At this point he either has to admit to punish you for doing well (which should make any good DM's skin itch), or let the monster's interest wander.

NikitaDarkstar
2012-05-01, 08:47 PM
First, talk to your DM about your concerns. Preferably in private as you'll can come off as calling him out on it in front of the group otherwise, and like you're bragging. Tell him what you just told us and tell him you don't want to hog the spotlight all the time and that it's not your intention to out-perform everyone else, it's sort of just happened. See if he can find some various loot and such that will be useful for the others in the group for a while (both directly and constantly useful and situational or think outside the box items) and make sure the others get them, while you only get moderately useful, generic items (healing potions? :p).

Also, and this is very, very dependent on the other players and their personalities, see if you can gently suggest things that they could use. Maybe not build wise (unless they ask for it) but gear wise. If someone has UMD and a wand come up, comment on how it could be useful for that character, things like that.

And when you think of ideas of how to solve a problem, try to do it in a way that incorporates the others and their abilities, that way it might have been your idea, but it wouldn't have been possible to do without the others.

PS: I don't think the cursed belt of opposite gender would have showed up with a detect evil (more likely with a detect magic and focusing on what auras it gives off) and if you didn't roll well enough on the check to identify it it is possible for it to go undetected, but the fact that you even found one suggests, well perhaps not DM vengeance, but at least DM annoyance in a sort of passive-aggressive way, but unless it's messing with your gameplay right now I'd just let it go for now, if you can sort out the root problem you'll most likely find some way of sorting that problem out soon enough, but I truly believe communication is key here, otherwise you're just assuming that he's assuming, and he's assuming that you're assuming, and that's way to many assumptions based on way to little facts to end well.

QuidEst
2012-05-01, 08:52 PM
Rush forward in a brave-but-foolhardy attempt to defeat something designed to counter your character and get yourself killed. Roll up a Bard, kick back, and enjoy life.

Okay, not very helpful. It's what I'd do. XP

I don't know how feasible a more defensive build is for a Magus, but you could talk to your DM about shifting some numbers and spells around. Magus is designed to be pretty darn showy- some of the highest single attack damage possible. I'm not too surprised that you've got things targeting you. Glass cannons and casters are the first to go, and you fit into both.

Minor options
•See if you can let somebody else handle the stuff. In general, reduce involvement in stuff that isn't as important to you.
•Cut back on suggestions. It hurts, but you can play low-op in character actions as well as build. (I know I'm the sort who'll try and solve everything, even if I've got a 9-INT Paladin.)
•Just a general suggestion- I don't know if it applies- but brag less and try to compliment other players. Try to set up assists if possible.
•Ask other players for suggestions if you don't feel like talking to the DM right away. They can give you decent (if perhaps biased in differing directions) opinions on whether or not your character is getting more than reasonable amounts of spotlight and/or bad luck.
•Pal up with the Paladin? They take hits well and you dish hits well. Some fancy featwork for fancy footwork to take advantage of that might help.

Jay R
2012-05-02, 06:13 AM
You can fly under the radar, or you can lead the party by always coming up with the plan. You can't do both.We don't have a leader, "technically". Half of us view ourselves as the leader, but I'm usually the one to come up with ideas. Also my character is part of the Pathfinders so I have easy plot hooks. Kind of forces me to be in the middle stuff

That doesn't change the basic principle. If you keep yourself in the DM's notice, you will be the first one the DM notices. So if you come up with all the ideas, you'll be the first one he's thinking of when the attack starts. And if you are the most effective character, then attacking you first is the correct tactical move for the bad guys.

Solution? Let other people do the planning. Of course, you prefer to run your plan, but as long as you're usually the one coming up with the clever ideas, you will be the one most noticed.

Anxe
2012-05-02, 08:36 PM
Change to a joke character? Shifter Sorcerer!

Matticussama
2012-05-03, 06:18 AM
As far as being targeted by enemies first, I echo everyone else; talk to your DM outside of game in private and let him know that it doesn't seem fair that your character is the one always being targeted first.

However, I don't particularly see a problem with the Belt of Opposite Gender. Cursed items, by their very nature, are supposed to be extremely difficult to detect. Plus, although there is the embarrassment of your character's gender being changed, other than that it isn't as if you're being penalized in any other way. I, for one, love cursed treasure like this because it provokes interesting roleplaying opportunities without inflicting mechanical penalties on players.

The Glyphstone
2012-05-03, 09:45 AM
Belts of Gender Changing tend to be big warning signs of an immature DM, or at least one easily frustrated and willing to drop to the least common denominator in retaliation.

Malachei
2012-05-03, 10:04 AM
I found a cursed belt of Opposite Gender that did not show up as evil & was not able to be Identified as anything but a belt of Str, when I put it on it activated out of the blue



A gnome ranger (the DM's girlfriend)

Why do I think the two quotes might be connected somehow? :smallbiggrin:

Perhaps flying under the radar is hard if you're in the same room (i.e. an OOC issue rather than an IC issue) ;)