So this the price of nice things!?

[D4rtagnan]

So recently my GM has been giving me a lot of nice things. I mean a lot of them. Most of this stuff I didn't even ask for. For example at level six he gave me a Staff of Mastery.
I am currently playing a silver browed sorcerer using the cold casting combo. So the DC for my spells are really high.
I am eventually planning on taking levels in the nightmare-spinner enchantment adaptation PrC as well as a dip into the Heroes of Horror PrC Fiend-blooded to gain access to True Dominates.

He is currently Neutral but is probably going to have an alignment shift to evil very soon. Plot reasons.

The problem I am currently having is my GM has seemed to finally realized just how powerful my character is going to become and has decide to fix this. His solution is to invite another player into the group, who is playing a Duskblade/Occult Slayer build. Role-play wise he a magical cop. The entire point of his character is to chump block my character every step of the way.

Now normally I'd just do all my evil scheming on down time actions, but this guy a heavy meta-gamer. I have seen him in action before, and my GM not the type to call people on it. I have a couple of Ray spells to get around his spell turning defense but I was wondering if you guys had any tips on deterring his character from getting in my way without killing or dominating his character.

[hymer]

Solution A: Don't become evil. That way you get to enjoy your OPness in peace.
Solution B: Metagame back, hard, the very first session. Then talk to the player and the DM about it, and see if they like it that way or if they'd rather you all tone down the meta.
Solution C: Work around his metagaming. Take the DM aside to explain your evil actions, and/or write notes.
Solution D: Ask to be excused from the game, and wish them all the very best fun. Less extreme, make a new character.

My favourite, E: Talk to the DM and confirm whether this is his intention. Get a firm position from him on it, including the metagame situation. Then talk to the player, if this is feasible. Then play and let everyone have fun.

[Winds]

He made you more powerful than he intended, and his way to fix it is a PC/grudge monster/thing? Ugh.

You can start by pointing out that he really doesn't know of any evil actions you've done (I assume), though it feels like this guy would metagame around it. In that case, push the game's rules harder. Make sure he doesn't know what you're doing IC-and if he tries to go with OOC knowledge, point out to the party that the guy is clearly out of his mind and seems to have some sort of grudge. At that point, you can see the reaction from him and the party. If your cop continues metagaming, get the party on your side, say you're afraid the guy'd going to do something over his watch, etc. (At that point, he may be.) If that doesn't help, you may want to consider fight or dominate after all. If he's blocking everything you try to do under those circumstances, and the rest of the party has noticed, the characters may just decide to have a little talk with him.


In the short form, push hard to make sure he sticks to IC knowledge, make OOC knowledge look like he's crazy, and get the rest of the party on your side.

[CardCaptor]

I think this is the kind of situation where you talk to your DM and ask everyone to take a step back, and look at what's going on. This is a lot of escalation for not much. Perhaps you could talk to your DM and let him put your PC as an NPC (since he's powerful and evil, after all), and make the both of you roll new characters, I don't know, it's what I'd do with my DM.

EDIT: The issue is, with the whole IC/OOC knowledge thing, the DM can just as easily put a powerful Diviner contact to the magical cop, and then there'd be little the other player can do against that.

[Kelb_Panthera]

The solution to both the metagaming problem and the possible diviner problem is the same; Misdirection.

The abilities and, more importantly, the limitations of divination spells make misdirecting them an awesome part of the game and I strongly suggest you learn those limits, how to get around them, and how to use them against the diviner; regardless of how this situation resolves.

Misdirecting a metagamer isn't hard. Tell him your "plans" so that he can prepare to deal with them (IC or OOC, your call) then do something else. It's the most basic misdirection in the book; bait & switch. If you think you can predict his reactions, you can take them into account and make them a part of your real plan.

Using such techniques to arrange his downfall without killing him directly is a fun little cat & mouse mini-game you can play that will entertain you (if you're anything like me when I play evil :belkar:) and, if you're lucky, show the DM not only how but also why this particular solution to the problem he created is such a poor one.

In case he asks, IMO, stripping away excessive gear via sundering or theivery works much more reliably and smoother. Don't get me wrong, it does ruffle some feathers, but it's a short-term problem replacing a long-term problem instead of a long-term problem being replaced with a different long-term (potential) problem.

The cop/perp dynamic can be very entertaining if it's handled correctly, (USA's White Collar, anyone?) but it takes a mature group of roleplayers and metagaming is anathema to it.

[rockdeworld]

Adventuring groups are the most fun when everyone works together, least fun when characters are working against each other. If your DM has invited another player to join your group to stop you from being powerful, there's something wrong, and it's time to talk to the DM now. If the other player's going to be a **** and block your character's abilities all the time, it's obviously not going to be a fun game. Just be honest with the DM about how you feel and your worries, and it will only get better from there.

And if all else fails, kill the other guy's PC for fun >=)

[Darrin]

If your DM is trying to set you up with a "Ringer", then in the grand tradition of Hong Kong action films, I'd try to see if the Ringer is willing to double-cross the DM.

Stage a battle, fight to a draw or one of you escapes. Ringer goes back to the DM and gives him a list of items he needs to "finish you off" (make sure half the items are on your "World Domination" shopping list). When you come back for a "rematch", shake hands with your new partner, split the proceeds, and take over the world.