Help! My DM is a Tyrant!

[Mauve Shirt]

The DM's many crimes include but aren't limited to:
1. Throwing monsters at us that have damage reduction
2. Miss a session? Your character is poisoned. Miss 2? Your character is killed. BY A T-REX IN THE LAST ROUND.
3. He won't let me play the character I want, a human druid with a half-dragon template. He's letting other characters get away with outrageous things, like being 12-FOOT-TALL BEARS WITH VAMPIRE TEMPLATES.

The bear is threatening to eat me. I'm pretty sure being a half dragon is the only way to escape this fate. What is the most reasonable way to deal with this tyrant DM?

Ok, real question now.
What will you let your players get away with for the sake of the character they want to play? Not the numbers they want to play, but the character?
Perhaps it's my introduction to gaming via the Fate system, but I figure if a player says "I want my familiar to be a dinosaur because I was raised by dinosaurs" the DM could say "Ok, you have a baby dinosaur, but it's statted like a weasel."
I also find it incredi-boring to play a core race, so if I can get away with it I want to play a monster template. But I fully expect a DM to modify my power level to fit his game, I'd just like to be a Tree-Person. I don't care about my numbers, I just want to be interesting!

I totally get why he doesn't want me to be a half dragon in this specific game. It's Eberron.

[Deaxsa]

leave?

start your own group?

talk to the other players?

begin a revolt?

actually, only point #2 sounds completely extreme (and maybe 3, but i can't tell without more context.)

[Amnestic]

What is the most reasonable way to deal with this tyrant DM?

Talk to him. If that doesn't fix it, leave.

[Callin]

For some reason this post screams "I was supposed to be blue!"

If serious... then all I can say is "Do What?"

[Deaxsa]

For some reason this post screams "I was supposed to be blue!"

that it does.

[Tvtyrant]

The DM's many crimes include but aren't limited to:
1. Throwing monsters at us that have damage reduction
2. Miss a session? Your character is poisoned. Miss 2? Your character is killed. BY A T-REX IN THE LAST ROUND.
3. He won't let me play the character I want, a human druid with a half-dragon template. He's letting other characters get away with outrageous things, like being 12-FOOT-TALL BEARS WITH VAMPIRE TEMPLATES.

The bear is threatening to eat me. I'm pretty sure being a half dragon is the only way to escape this fate. What is the most reasonable way to deal with this tyrant DM?

The obvious solution is to transform into a planar Shepard and kill the DM.

[Urpriest]

Fill his Kool-Aid pitcher with Mountain Dew! Set fire to his arugula! Leave the group...in a jetski!

[Za'hynie Laya]

Bribery, my friend. Bribery.

If he owes you for something or is indebted to you, one of two things may occur: He might be willing to compromise with you as payback or may resent being indebted to you.

I'd learn his taste in snacks and bring him (or the whole group) a treat once a month. Remember his birthday and buy him a game-related gift. (Do not buy him Dungeon Mastering for Dummies!) Have the group pitch in some money for his b-day gift. Get him something for Christmas, too while you're at it.

When he sees you as a thoughtful player, he may ease-up on saying "no" so much to your request. Good luck.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

I'm not the DM in question, and I'm here to defend the game:

1. Do you know how common DR is? Especially DR/magic. I mean, juuuuuust because I homebrew a CR 8 creature with DR 30/epic doesn't mean I'm trying to kill the players. It looks pretty balanced compared to the other random CR 8 creature I found, the Clockwork Adamantine Horror.
2. If you miss the session, it's the DM's responsibility to punish you. This policy weeds out the weaklings who dare prioritize anything above the game, because D&D should be the most important thing in your life. Also, T-Rex deaths are awesome! Your character was a bad ass like Donald Gennaro of Jurassic Park fame!
3. I don't know how Half Dragon would stop a bear from eating you, but the reason the vampire bear gets cool things (he can shoot lasers from his eyes too, whoops that was supposed to be a secret) is because he brings the pizza. Do you bring the pizza? NO HALF DRAGON FOR YOU!

PS, Entirely serious.

[Gwazi Magnum]

The DM's many crimes include but aren't limited to:
1. Throwing monsters at us that have damage reduction
2. Miss a session? Your character is poisoned. Miss 2? Your character is killed. BY A T-REX IN THE LAST ROUND.
3. He won't let me play the character I want, a human druid with a half-dragon template. He's letting other characters get away with outrageous things, like being 12-FOOT-TALL BEARS WITH VAMPIRE TEMPLATES.

The bear is threatening to eat me. I'm pretty sure being a half dragon is the only way to escape this fate. What is the most reasonable way to deal with this tyrant DM?


1. That is how d&d should work, parties are expected to be able to identify the creature (through say a Knowledge check) and then find ways around the DR, for example:

-Silver Weapons
-Adamantine Weapons
-Magic
-Piercing/Slashing/Bludgeoning

etc.

It's part of the challenge the game was designed with.
Now if he's sending DR at you he knows you have no chance to getting around and no chance of winning due to that, that is a **** move but it's also a sign your group has some weaknesses to address.

2. This is ridiculous, but it may depend on the reasoning for not coming.
Like if you're not coming cause you don't care for the group I can sympathize with the DM, if you show you don't care for the game or the group, it makes sense he puts in a penalty so you aren't doing that to the group. But a better response would be to just explain that they'd rather you play and care about whats going on.

If this is a case of you had family business, other commitments, work, etc and the DM is punishing you for not prioritizing d&d, that's just a **** move and he should be made aware that some things are more important.

3. To be fair, druid is the most OP class and the half-dragon is a very strong template.
While bears (assuming you mean werebears) and Vampires are very weakened/nerfed from high HD and/or LA which ultimately makes them weaker/not good options to be playing as.

[Aegis013]

Leave the group...in a jetski!

Across the pacific ocean!
https://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&hl=en It's step number 44 in traveling from Japan to China!

[Eslin]

3. To be fair, druid is the most OP class and the half-dragon is a very strong template.
While bears (assuming you mean werebears) and Vampires are very weakened/nerfed from high HD and/or LA which ultimately makes them weaker/not good options to be playing as.

Druids are very strong, though I wouldn't call it the most OP class. Half-dragon is a really bad template, especially for a druid.

[Asteron]

snip

Someone didn't catch the blue that has been happening...

[Gwazi Magnum]

Druids are very strong, though I wouldn't call it the most OP class. Half-dragon is a really bad template, especially for a druid.

One of the most OP at least, if you take advantage of wild shape.

Half-Dragon, maybe bad for druid but it looks pretty good when I saw it.
Then again I looked at it through a Gestalt perspective.


Someone didn't catch the blue that has been happening...

I have been, but the OP has no blue.

So I'm going to stick with the assumption that they are being serious.

[Eslin]

One of the most OP at least, if you take advantage of wild shape.

Half-Dragon, maybe bad for druid but it looks pretty good when I saw it.
Then again I looked at it through a Gestalt perspective.


Templates become very very strong in gestalt if it only takes up one side of the gestalt, but that's not how the game is balanced.

And yes, druid is tier 1, though wild shape is only a moderate part of why.

Half-dragon wise, you Str +8, Con +2, Int +2, Cha +2, NA +4, immunity to paralysis/sleep/one type of energy and some crappy little extras.

That's only really good for melee types, and put that trade in perspective - you have to lose 3HD worth of hp, skills, feats, BAB and class features in exchange for that.

[Nettlekid]

Okay, I'm going to be the stupid one to ask for clarification. Who's being serious and who isn't? Is the player legitimately upset and the DM is kidding around, or they're both trolling, or what?
*prepares fire and acid for impending troll*

[Gwazi Magnum]

Templates become very very strong in gestalt if it only takes up one side of the gestalt, but that's not how the game is balanced.

And yes, druid is tier 1, though wild shape is only a moderate part of why.

Half-dragon wise, you Str +8, Con +2, Int +2, Cha +2, NA +4, immunity to paralysis/sleep/one type of energy and some crappy little extras.

That's only really good for melee types, and put that trade in perspective - you have to lose 3HD worth of hp, skills, feats, BAB and class features in exchange for that.

This is true, most of those benefits would be gone if you took advantage of wild shape too.

[Gwazi Magnum]

Okay, I'm going to be the stupid one to ask for clarification. Who's being serious and who isn't? Is the player legitimately upset and the DM is kidding around, or they're both trolling, or what?
*prepares fire and acid for impending troll*

I admit there's a good chance this is a joke topic.

But crazier things happen on here often so until further notice I'm treating this as if the OP is being serious.

[BCOVertigo]

Okay, I'm going to be the stupid one to ask for clarification. Who's being serious and who isn't? Is the player legitimately upset and the DM is kidding around, or they're both trolling, or what?
*prepares fire and acid for impending troll*

I came here to listen to a problem and potentially help, or listen to intelligent discourse. Instead, I get the feeling that a person who had a problem a short while ago is being mocked.

Stay classy GitP. :smallsigh:

[Urpriest]

I came here to listen to a problem and potentially help, or listen to intelligent discourse. Instead, I get the feeling that a person who had a problem a short while ago is being mocked.

Stay classy GitP. :smallsigh:

Here's the thing:
1. There have been a lot of threads recently in which people complained about their tyrannical DMs.
2. It has become more and more apparent that often such players are not always giving the full story, and that typical GitP advice (usually to leave the group) tends to be premature.
3. The OP is presented in a silly and flippant way, by an experienced poster with a classy avatar, albeit a poster who doesn't often visit this section (speaking of, I feel like I don't see you around here too often either, but I could be mistaken).

While some have mentioned trolling (some sort of "sting" operation for bad advice in the RP forums), I came to a different conclusion. The OP is humorous enough that it's likely a parody. It's an intelligent commentary on how we GitPers give advice, and what sort of advice we are asked to give. It's funny. And I responded accordingly, by attempting to continue the joke. If the OP is serious, I offer my apologies, and mention that most people who genuinely want advice tend to describe their situation in enough detail that people are able to give it.

Edit: Just to add to this, the OP's sig suggests that if the OP says something silly, we should assume it's a joke. :smallsmile:

[BCOVertigo]

Here's the thing:
1. There have been a lot of threads recently in which people complained about their tyrannical DMs.
2. It has become more and more apparent that often such players are not always giving the full story, and that typical GitP advice (usually to leave the group) tends to be premature.
3. The OP is presented in a silly and flippant way, by an experienced poster with a classy avatar, albeit a poster who doesn't often visit this section (speaking of, I feel like I don't see you around here too often either, but I could be mistaken).

While some have mentioned trolling (some sort of "sting" operation for bad advice in the RP forums), I came to a different conclusion. The OP is humorous enough that it's likely a parody. It's an intelligent commentary on how we GitPers give advice, and what sort of advice we are asked to give. It's funny. And I responded accordingly, by attempting to continue the joke. If the OP is serious, I offer my apologies, and mention that most people who genuinely want advice tend to describe their situation in enough detail that people are able to give it.

Adopting your views on this would result in more fun had, so I clearly just need to pull the stick out of my class feature.

[dascarletm]

I just read the sig. "I am not brave enough to say something outrageous and be serious. You'll be happier if you assume I'm joking."

Checkmate.:smallwink:

[Kuulvheysoon]

Fill his Kool-Aid pitcher with Mountain Dew! Set fire to his arugula! Leave the group...in a jetski!

You fiend!

[b300mussolini]

honestly i dont see the problem here or atleast not one that anyone one on the outside can help address.

problem 1: DR

looking through the monster books you quickly see that DR is about as common as hey on a farm. granted DR 30/magic is a bit high but i do know of some relatively low CR monsters that have it. one example is the Ruby Golem CR11 strip it of its immunity to magic or regeration 10 and that would drop it to about CR 8 i think (someone might want to check my math here)

problem 2: killing a player while they are away

again this is a matter of situation and unless you want to tell the page the reasons for why you had to miss two games in a row, we cant really tell if this was a **** move or not. as a DM i have a player who has been away for the last 3 games, he has been stuck 5 states away for some reason or another but he atleast tries to put in the effort of contacting us during game either by phoning in or something so i have not done anything to him yet.

problem 3: lazer eye bears

how did the 12 foot Vampire Bear fix the problem of the rods and cones polarizing with every firing of charged partical beams from its optical nerves? or in more simple terms; WHY VAMPIE BEAR NO GO BLIND WHEN ITS EYES GO PEW PEW PEW?

the case being there is some weird stuff happening here with problem 3. be in terms of your DM not letting you play a dragon it might be due to the setting the story is taking place in. if there are no Dragons there are no half dragons is one possible reason there might be another like in dragon society having sex outside of your own race is ranked right up there with ****ting in God's toilet. who knows there could be hundreds of possible reasons.

as for the who Player A wants to eat player B, that is an RP thing, due you think your DM will allow one player to eat another and if so does your Character really believe from what has already been said in done that he is in danger of being eaten, really think on that one before answering.

IF the answer is yes then you have every reason RP wise to coup-de-graw player A in his sleep, just make sure you hide any evidence that it was you who did it, feed the body to some monster or something and pretend to have fallen asleep on your watch.

RECOURSE outside of character, is where you might get into some hot water but legitly he set himself up for that one so, ya. if they get mad at you for this action, you can honestly say my character fear for his life and took actions to protect himself and i am not going to metagame to stop my guy from doing so, just to keep your character alive for the actions your guy took against mine because your a fellow player. or sometime along those lines.

but the best course of actions would be to try and prevent the need of taking such actions in the first place. try to be nicer to the player who is threatening your guy both out of game (if he is good at RP this will not change anything) and in game if it would not clash to much with the personality of the Char you made and the situation at the time. worse comes to worse one of you is going to end up re-rolling and he who strikes first has less paper work to do

[SaintRidley]

Well, those crimes are inexcusable. Your DM should feel--

Wait. You don't bring pizza? You monster.

You should leave your group, because you don't deserve them. Shame on you. Shame.

[Gnome Alone]

the OP has no blue.

So I'm going to stick with the assumption that they are being serious.
Y'know, some of us (hint hint) prefers to use English language skillz to convey sarcasm. Blue-ing it up ain't necessary.

[Killer Angel]

I have been, but the OP has no blue.

So I'm going to stick with the assumption that they are being serious.


But crazier things happen on here often so until further notice I'm treating this as if the OP is being serious.

Those are reasonable assumptions, but the OP is Mauve Shirt, and we think she's jocking on this, simply 'cause we don't think she can say those things and being serious about 'em.

[TuggyNE]

Y'know, some of us (hint hint) prefers to use English language skillz to convey sarcasm. Blue-ing it up ain't necessary.

What are these "skillz" of which you speak, and how can I acquire some?

[gooddragon1]

What are these "skillz" of which you speak, and how can I acquire some?

Such skills are still debateable. Though sarcasm tags are generally useless.

[Gnome Alone]

What are these "skillz" of which you speak, and how can I acquire some?

Why I'm glad you asked, friend - step right up!

Mainly context- for example, using "skillz" & "we prefers" while self-promoting skills? Sarcasmish.

[Gnome Alone]

Oh and for the record, my favorite thing about the whole blue text phenomenon is your "blue is for sarcasin' in" line in yon signature. We are amused.

[TuggyNE]

Why I'm glad you asked, friend - step right up!

Mainly context- for example, using "skillz" & "we prefers" while self-promoting skills? Sarcasmish.

OSNAP. I am enlightened.


Oh and for the record, my favorite thing about the whole blue text phenomenon is your "blue is for sarcasin' in" line in yon signature. We are amused.

Hee. I am a bit fond of it, yes. :smallwink: Perhaps inordinately so!

[Mauve Shirt]

You have passed the test. :smallwink:
Now that I have your attention, a real live question! Which I will edit into my original post.
What will you let your players get away with for the sake of the character they want to play? Not the numbers they want to play, but the character?
Perhaps it's my introduction to gaming via the Fate system, but I figure if a player says "I want my familiar to be a baby dinosaur because I was raised by dinosaurs" the DM could say "Ok, you have a baby dinosaur, but it's statted like a weasel."
I also find it incredi-boring to play a core race, so if I can get away with it I want to play a monster template. :smalltongue: But I fully expect a DM to modify my power level to fit his game, I'd just like to be a Tree-Person. I don't care about my numbers, I just want to be interesting!

I totally get why he doesn't want me to be a half dragon in this specific game. It's Eberron.

[nedz]

As a DM-Umpire: I am the gate keeper on the numbers. You, the player, owns your character. Anything goes, within the rules.

As a DM-World Builder: I have burnt may hours of my time creating a setting, if your character breaks verisimilitude, everyone loses. We should strive for synergy here. Work together we should.

As to the monster thing. This is a thing you have a need to grow through. It's cool, but you should be able to create your character concept without them. Humans are the worst monsters.

[mattie_p]

Half dragons, as well as their parents and other kin, are wiped off the face of the Earth in Eberron. Read what happened to the house of Vol. She only survived by being hidden by her high level spellcaster mom.

[The Succubus]

If your DM is a Tyrant (http://artfiles.alphacoders.com/280/28039.jpg) then run away very, very fast.

[Callin]

See thats a Fluff vs Crunch discussion. As long as you and the DM can come to an agreement about style and the skin the bones of the build is around then there should be no issue.

I personally LOVE to refluff stuff to make it work with the character I am trying to make. However my DM's are sticklers for most things so I dont get my way often. :smalltongue:

[Gwazi Magnum]

Y'know, some of us (hint hint) prefers to use English language skillz to convey sarcasm. Blue-ing it up ain't necessary.

But it's also over text, so I have no idea what tone or expression they may mean it in.


Those are reasonable assumptions, but the OP is Mauve Shirt, and we think she's jocking on this, simply 'cause we don't think she can say those things and being serious about 'em.

I'm not so familiar with individual members so this wouldn't of crossed my mind. *Looks below* Looks like you guys were right though.


You have passed the test. :smallwink:
Now that I have your attention, a real live question! Which I will edit into my original post.
What will you let your players get away with for the sake of the character they want to play? Not the numbers they want to play, but the character?
Perhaps it's my introduction to gaming via the Fate system, but I figure if a player says "I want my familiar to be a baby dinosaur because I was raised by dinosaurs" the DM could say "Ok, you have a baby dinosaur, but it's statted like a weasel."
I also find it incredi-boring to play a core race, so if I can get away with it I want to play a monster template. :smalltongue: But I fully expect a DM to modify my power level to fit his game, I'd just like to be a Tree-Person. I don't care about my numbers, I just want to be interesting!

I totally get why he doesn't want me to be a half dragon in this specific game. It's Eberron.


I'd let the player get away with re-skinning a class that doesn't mechanically break the game.

I would also allow class variants (both official and homebrew - made by our group, not outsiders) to help fit a concept better.

Example: I want to play a Bard to experience it mechanically, but I don't want to have my character need to sing or I just can't take him seriously.

I would allow a simple re-skinning to say he's casting spells instead, or switch it to be dependent on another skill such as diplomacy if it fits the concept, like a guard captain who is giving out orders.

[Marlowe]

I would allow a simple re-skinning to say he's casting spells instead, or switch it to be dependent on another skill such as diplomacy if it fits the concept, like a guard captain who is giving out orders.

But wouldn't that simply be "perform:oratory"?

Nothing in the rules says that bards need to sing. Or be remotely musical.

[Nettlekid]

When I DM, my campaigns revolve around Rule of Cool. I let people do almost whatever they want so long as they have a good time with it and everyone's having fun doing awesome stuff. I frequently waive level adjustment on races like Goliath and Drow that are cool and flavorful but don't see enough use because of that LA, but I often won't allow things like Half-such and such templates that people just want to stick on for the power boosts. Then again, depending on a player's experience level, I may alter my judgement. In one campaign of mine I let someone play as a full vampire without the LA, because they were pretty new and playing a Duskblade without even the means for consistent full attacks. Although she was one of the strongest in the party (DR and FH will do that) her damage output paled in comparison to the more experienced player using a Goliath Barbarian charger build. And above all, it was cool.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Okay, I'm going to be the stupid one to ask for clarification. Who's being serious and who isn't? Is the player legitimately upset and the DM is kidding around, or they're both trolling, or what?
*prepares fire and acid for impending troll*

I'm not the DM in question,Oh, where'd that white text come from? :smallwink:

Anyway I'd basically let everything in according to the rules, unless it completely ruins the game (so, infinite loops of most kinds get you insta-gibbed by several angry deities, for instance). I might also ask players to tone it down for a particular game feel, or play a less powerful concept, but if I'm going for a different feel I'd be tempted to switch systems. Also, if the player can convince me the rules really don't support their archetype well I'd generally refluff/tweak some existing mechanics for them.

For instance, if you want to be a walkin' talkin' tree, Treants are playable characters in high-level games. That said, those stats probably aren't worth 12 character levels (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/treant.htm). Not to mention most games start before 12th level. If you just want to look like a freak tree, you could probably just get Goliath stats, tweak the skill bonuses and bonus languages, and re-skin 'em. Boom, +1 LA, playable race.

[CIDE]

If your DM is a Tyrant (http://artfiles.alphacoders.com/280/28039.jpg) then run away very, very fast.

Wrong tyrant. (http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080814184608/residentevil/images/c/c0/Tyrant_t0400.jpg)

[Realms of Chaos]

What will you let your players get away with for the sake of the character they want to play? Not the numbers they want to play, but the character?

Pretty much anything. I won't obviously break the game or anything but I'm willing to have my players realize pretty much any character concept in their game and am willing to help them in their endeavors, even if it physically hurts me.

I have allowed goku and pikachu to be played as a character. Not characters. goku and pikachu. One character.

...I still have flashbacks.

[Vertharrad]

You have passed the test. :smallwink:
Now that I have your attention, a real live question! Which I will edit into my original post.
What will you let your players get away with for the sake of the character they want to play? Not the numbers they want to play, but the character?
Perhaps it's my introduction to gaming via the Fate system, but I figure if a player says "I want my familiar to be a baby dinosaur because I was raised by dinosaurs" the DM could say "Ok, you have a baby dinosaur, but it's statted like a weasel."
I also find it incredi-boring to play a core race, so if I can get away with it I want to play a monster template. :smalltongue: But I fully expect a DM to modify my power level to fit his game, I'd just like to be a Tree-Person. I don't care about my numbers, I just want to be interesting!

I totally get why he doesn't want me to be a half dragon in this specific game. It's Eberron.

My answer to this is a unwritten rule I have told every participant of my games before the game started. As long as their characters are within reasonably accepted common sense standards we won't have a problem, and that I go by 95% of the rules.
This doesn't mean I won't bend just stuff like being raised by dinosaurs isn't going to come up in my games. I have had to deal with players trying to get things over on me.
I don't DM anymore so it's not an issue anymore. It just gets tiring when a player will argue with you for about an hour or more on getting 1/2 dragon hd and skill bonuses when their character has no RHD. Or that a player wants to play a weretiger in a 2nd lvl party. I understand the rule of cool, however it's not always practical.
Most times I have made some concessions...we all want to have fun with the game. I don't know where I stand on your DM being a tyrant or not, but if you have an issue I wish you luck in getting it resolved.

[Codenpeg]

You have passed the test. :smallwink:
Now that I have your attention, a real live question! Which I will edit into my original post.
What will you let your players get away with for the sake of the character they want to play? Not the numbers they want to play, but the character?
Perhaps it's my introduction to gaming via the Fate system, but I figure if a player says "I want my familiar to be a baby dinosaur because I was raised by dinosaurs" the DM could say "Ok, you have a baby dinosaur, but it's statted like a weasel."
I also find it incredi-boring to play a core race, so if I can get away with it I want to play a monster template. :smalltongue: But I fully expect a DM to modify my power level to fit his game, I'd just like to be a Tree-Person. I don't care about my numbers, I just want to be interesting!

I totally get why he doesn't want me to be a half dragon in this specific game. It's Eberron.
Dangit Mauve, you couldn't keep up the deception long enough for me to show up and play my part as terrible GM.
Wait a second, you don't play a sylph wizard do you?

[ArcturusV]

Generally my way of doing it sounds like your way Mauve Shirt.

Player: I want to ____!
Me: Okay, I think we can make that a thing. I ask that you accept ______ limitations/mechanical references to it.
Player: Well... that doesn't do what I really wanted.
Me: Okay, what did you really want?
Player: Well I was thinking I could _____.
Me: Hmm... well, we could do it as _____ compromise instead, you get the flavor you want and I don't have something breaking my world.

[Wings of Peace]

Why I'm glad you asked, friend - step right up!

Mainly context- for example, using "skillz" & "we prefers" while self-promoting skills? Sarcasmish.

I don't have enough faith in people on the internet to trust this method. :(

[jedipilot24]

I'm not the DM in question, and I'm here to defend the game:

2. If you miss the session, it's the DM's responsibility to punish you. This policy weeds out the weaklings who dare prioritize anything above the game, because D&D should be the most important thing in your life.

If you seriously believe that, and are not just crackpot trolling, then the only reply I can give you are the immortal words of Captain Jack Sparrow: "You need to get yourself a girl, mate."

[Renen]

Pilot, you need to get your sarcasm detector checked

[Gnome Alone]

@Wings of Peace:

Fair enough; guess not everyone can intuit intended tone. My real objection is that indicating that a joke is coming kills it faster than explaining it. The latter kills it on the operating table, the former strangles it in the cradle.

[Renen]

If you seriously believe that, and are not just crackpot trolling, then the only reply I can give you are the immortal words of Captain Jack Sparrow: "You need to get yourself a girl, mate."


@Wings of Peace:

Fair enough; guess not everyone can intuit intended tone. My real objection is that indicating that a joke is coming kills it faster than explaining it. The latter kills it on the operating table, the former strangles it in the cradle.

But blue text isn't explaining a joke. It identifies a tone of voice. If you are listening to someone talk sarcastically, you can hear the tone after 2-3 words. In text you can't, and tone is indicated by the blue.

[Gnome Alone]

On topic though, so for my E6 game I reskinned halflings as humanoid rabbits and made all elves wild elves. But if someone really wanted to play a halfling or PHB elf (?!) I'd have let them. (They mainly made rabbit characters anyway, because of course.)

[Gnome Alone]

you can hear the tone after 2-3 words. In text you can't

Ah. Well I think might be The Chosen One, because I can.

I get how it can be a useful conceit, if just a bit crude. Like farting and then blaming the dog.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

I kinda agree with Gnome Alone, in that if I was more obvious it would have ruined the joke.

[Killer Angel]

What will you let your players get away with for the sake of the character they want to play? Not the numbers they want to play, but the character?


Ah, here we are...



Player: I want to ____!
Me: Okay, I think we can make that a thing. I ask that you accept ______ limitations/mechanical references to it.
Player: Well... that doesn't do what I really wanted.
Me: Okay, what did you really want?
Player: Well I was thinking I could _____.
Me: Hmm... well, we could do it as _____ compromise instead, you get the flavor you want and I don't have something breaking my world.

Given that this is basically the way I act as DM, I cannot disagree with ArcturusV. That's the spirit!

[Black Jester]

The plausibility of the setting and the consistency of the pot is always and without exception more important than the specific wishes of any of the involved players. That's not tyranny; that is keeping the game interesting and focused, and as such it is a primary responsibility of the Gamemaster. If any character concept does not fit the mood, style or verisimilitude of the setting or the campaign, it's not just an option for the gamemaster to not allow such a character, he actively fails in his role if he doesn't do so.
A player who cannot come up with a viable and interesting character concept within a given framework is not very likely to come with a viable and interesting concept outside of that framework, either. So it's usually best to sent those players away and keep the good ones. You know, players who can actually get a feeling for what is appropriate within a given setting.

[only1doug]

Ah, here we are...


Generally my way of doing it sounds like your way Mauve Shirt.

Player: I want to ____!
Me: Okay, I think we can make that a thing. I ask that you accept ______ limitations/mechanical references to it.
Player: Well... that doesn't do what I really wanted.
Me: Okay, what did you really want?
Player: Well I was thinking I could _____.
Me: Hmm... well, we could do it as _____ compromise instead, you get the flavor you want and I don't have something breaking my world.


Given that this is basically the way I act as DM, I cannot disagree with ArcturusV. That's the spirit!


I agree, I work with the player to build something that meets their desired class without being overpowered, Which is why I built two Homebrewed classes for two of my players (a paladin rebuild (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=210315) and a fey based class with warlock type invocations and dragon shaman type auras (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195758)).

[nedz]

If you seriously believe that, and are not just crackpot trolling, then the only reply I can give you are the immortal words of Captain Jack Sparrow: "You need to get yourself a girl, mate."


I kinda agree with Gnome Alone, in that if I was more obvious it would have ruined the joke.

Well at least one guy could have done with the help.

You know I'm now in a quandary: should I have coloured the above line blue, or not ?

[Keld Denar]

Mauvey, Eberron dargons are DifferentTM. They don't just go around boinking everything and anything that walks, swims, flies, or slithers for fun and profit. Think of the seediest, sketchiest, most schemiest politician that you know, add scales, claws, and a breath weapon. THOSE are Eberron dargons. They don't interact with us mere mortals. They CONTROL us mere mortals. The Dargon Prophecies are kinda a big deal. Read a little bit up on dargon lore in the ECS, or better yet, Dargons of Eberron.

If you DM is really versed in Eberron lore, that would be the reason you can't play a half-dargon in his Eberron game. Fluff-wise, it just doesn't make sense.

[Arbane]

Y'know, some of us (hint hint) prefers to use English language skillz to convey sarcasm. Blue-ing it up ain't necessary.

Welcome to this newfangled thing called "the Internet", where there is NOTHING you can say that is so idiotic, loathesome, laughable, or flat-out insane that SOMEONE, somewhere, isn't saying it in total sincerity.


I don't care about my numbers, I just want to be interesting!


Because humans are SO BORING that earth-cultures have ONLY managed to get about 6000 years of interesting stories from them?

If your character has to be some Darwin-forsaken morphogenetic mash-up to be 'interesting', you might very well need to work on characterization a bit.

[Darius Kane]

The plausibility of the setting and the consistency of the pot is always and without exception more important than the specific wishes of any of the involved players. That's not tyranny; that is keeping the game interesting and focused, and as such it is a primary responsibility of the Gamemaster. If any character concept does not fit the mood, style or verisimilitude of the setting or the campaign, it's not just an option for the gamemaster to not allow such a character, he actively fails in his role if he doesn't do so.
A player who cannot come up with a viable and interesting character concept within a given framework is not very likely to come with a viable and interesting concept outside of that framework, either. So it's usually best to sent those players away and keep the good ones. You know, players who can actually get a feeling for what is appropriate within a given setting.
This. nghdhdhd

[Mauve Shirt]

I am glad to hear this. I was talking to a DM of Pathfinder games the other day who was like "No. It's not in the book? Won't do it." But as a player of Fate games, the character was the only thing I was interested in, not the story. Actually that fits well with how I like my literature.


Because humans are SO BORING that earth-cultures have ONLY managed to get about 6000 years of interesting stories from them?

If your character has to be some Darwin-forsaken morphogenetic mash-up to be 'interesting', you might very well need to work on characterization a bit.

Well, yeah. Humans have already done it. Why would I want to be something that in only 6000 years has been done?
I don't want to be something that I already am, ok? I'm part of the next 100 years (give or take a generation) of history, and I'm a human. How would those 100 years be if I were a treant or a tiefling, eh?

[ArcturusV]

It's just a case of personal desires and jollies.

In a lot of settings, I like playing as a bog standard human. Usually because the way they are portrayed and the realities of the setting. This isn't because it lets me "get into the game" or something as a personal avatar. It's usually the story that can be derived from it.

As a human I am weak, squishy, and hardly built to deal with the rigors of the world around me. I'm facing down Vampire Lords, Werewolves, Demons and Devils, Dragons, etc, who are all a lot more powerful than me.

No one (in that setting typically) really expects much of me. I'm human. We're fickle, weak, pathetic. We serve as a stop gap measure. Often our only strength is being described as "Breeds quickly" for explaining why we are a dominant culture (Even though things like Goblins and Kobolds typically breed faster but they aren't a dominant culture...). As a human character I am asked to look down the face of something that, by all rights, by sheer bloodline and genetics is my natural superior. And I spit in their eye.

And that? That's fun to me.

But I also understand that people like the opposite thing. They like to play the Elves who are naturally better at everything. Or the dwarven masters of SCIENCE. Or the Drow who has a buttload of innate powers and advantages, etc.

Or even just escapism of pretending for 10 hours to be something entirely different from anything they know.

[Gnome Alone]

Welcome to this newfangled thing called "the Internet", where there is NOTHING you can say that is so idiotic, loathesome, laughable, or flat-out insane that SOMEONE, somewhere, isn't saying it in total sincerity.

I think I've heard of this Internet thing, as I understand it it's mainly for displaying reproductive organs and pictures of cats with poorly spelled captions next to them. <---meta-point: doth this need to be blue? no it doth not, ye olde intent is clear.


Well, yeah. Humans have already done it. Why would I want to be something that in only 6000 years has been done?
I don't want to be something that I already am, ok? I'm part of the next 100 years (give or take a generation) of history, and I'm a human. How would those 100 years be if I were a treant or a tiefling, eh?

Makes sense to me. Reminds me of my friend who used to make fun of people on World of Warcraft* who made human characters ("well, ah'm a hyoo-man!") Good times.

*yeah yeah