What this Player have in mind????

[Kerilstrasz]

In the current campaign im running, i have a player (1 that is known for reading
awful lot D&D material) that is doing smthing i find suspicious...

he spends lot of money on many kinds of vials (metal,glass,clay) and protective
gear (metal tongs, various material gloves, cloths) and he is collecting almost
every kind of "strange" liquid samples he may find.. every different creature
blood, saliva, goo, tears.. even unknown substances i did introduce just out of
curiosity as green honey, orange rain drops, phosphorus resin from trees...

can any1 thing what he has in his mind???? (i dont want to ask him for various reasons)
we play 3,5 with no homebrew
he is lvl 4 wizard (not specialized), no alchemy, not any unusual feat...

[Xerxus]

Maybe roleplaying. Maybe material components for spells that he wants to invent.

[VanIsleKnight]

<.< Players should trust one another. If you can't trust your player, or your player can't trust you to not specifically go out and gimp/nerf whatever thing he's planning on doing, there's a problem.

On the surface he just sounds like a wizard that's collecting and cataloging different exotic creatures and their samples to increase and expand his knowledge. I think there's some random spell that lets people learn things if they have a piece of the creature they're trying to learn more about. I could be wrong though.

But a curious, intelligent wizard collecting odds and ends of flora and fauna from around the world doesn't sound out of the ordinary. It sounds completely normal and expected actually, I'm impressed that he's bothering to roleplay that out if this is the case.

[Azimov]

This player has in mind; Being Awesome.

Seriously wouldn't worry about it, it just sounds like he's roleplaying a wizard to me. Speaking as someone who knows a whole bunch of scientists in real life (closest analogue)... yeah they're kinda like this sometimes. If it really worries you ask him gently if he has a specific plan in mind.

[Parra]

Prepping for Simulacrum maybe?

[jokeaccount]

If he pulls off something retarded and breaks your game please post it here so we can see what he was up to

[Jopustopin]

Dude is role playing. Put some strange "brown" matter in the forest. Ask him to roll a knowledge check to know if bears **** in the woods.

[Telonius]

Planning for his retirement, maybe? Opening a "Museum of Strange Substances" next door to the Wizards' Academy could be lucrative.

[Hyena]

There was some feat or ACF that gave you bonuses for using materlal components when you don't need any.
But yeah, sounds like he is being awesome role-player, even if I am right.

[caden_varn]

Call me a radical if you will, but you could just ask him?

[GreenSerpent]

There was some feat or ACF that gave you bonuses for using materlal components when you don't need any.
But yeah, sounds like he is being awesome role-player, even if I am right.

Primitive Caster from Frostburn? Add verbal, somatic, and material components to increase caster level.

[Zubrowka74]

If he goes out of his way to do this and sinks some of his wealth into the hobby, I'd even give him XP for roleplaying. Because, you know, it's called a roleplaying game.

[The Trickster]

Your the DM. Just ask him. You are aloud to know if he is planning something, even if it is a goofy something.

[Amnestic]

Call me a radical if you will, but you could just ask him?

Look, boy, we don't take kindly to that kinda crazy new-age-y talk 'round these here parts. We gotta be paranoid! We gotta be distrustful! We gotta constantly doubt our friends and allies!

Anything else is a sign of WEAKNESS.

[LanSlyde]

This actually sounds like something I would do solely to make the DM paranoid. Considering your coming here asking us what could he possibly planning is evident that you yourself have become paranoid. I approve of this passive defiance of tyranny. :smalltongue:

Please tell him to keep up the good work. :smallbiggrin:

[Gereo]

Roleplay is pivotal, not everything is cheese... As evidenced by my druid player's stammering each time i ask him what he does with his gargantuan animal compainion whenever they come to a town... "DRUID: Look, if i tell him to wait outside he'll wait outside!" ...Or enter a dungeon... "DRUID: Pft, he'll just break through the walls..." ...Or make a climb check. "DRUID: Uhmm, reduce dinosaur? DM:...:smallconfused:

[Zombulian]

Your the DM. Just ask him. You are aloud to know if he is planning something, even if it is a goofy something.

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I hate being this guy but it hurts me.
You're* and Allowed*
There.

And actually on topic, let him keep doing it. If he actually finds a way to make random picked up liquids break the game... More power to him.
If it's just roleplaying and he's actually putting thought into being a knowledge seeking Wizard... More power to him.

[ddude987]

Look, boy, we don't take kindly to that kinda crazy new-age-y talk 'round these here parts. We gotta be paranoid! We gotta be distrustful! We gotta constantly doubt our friends and allies!

Anything else is a sign of WEAKNESS.

I think you forgot your blue text.

All silliness aside, he sounds like he is just playing a wizard who likes to study things. As everyone else said, role playing. I did things like this on one of my character some time ago. It was fun to roleplay like this, though the DM ended up trolling me by putting a pool of blood in a dungeon and my character couldn't resist trying to get a sample and was dragged in by... well I don't remember but he almost died.

[Demorden]

I agree with the theory of roleplaying.
That kind of detail would make him a cool player to have at your table...

If he doesn't exceed to the point he becomes boring.

BTW, if you suspect something strange, I suggest the method we use at our table in these situations.


Ehi, are you planning something insane?

I'd rather say "smart". I don't feel like ruining the surprise, so unless someone is reading my mind, give me a chance to surprise you when the time comes.

Ok, but I will decide if that should work, so ready your papers.

It usually works for us.
It's funny because the DM has to deal with a real surprise.
It's funny because the player who wants to experiment is taking the risk to epically fail.

Just be sure to keep the discussion as short as possible.

And now, I'm curious:


I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I hate being this guy but it hurts me.
You're* and Allowed*
There.


I get the "allowed" part. I can't see what's wrong in "you are". Except maybe that "you're" sounds better.

[jokeaccount]

Except that he wrote your instead of you're. Those are the cornerstones of Grammar-nazi crusade

[eggynack]

I get the "allowed" part. I can't see what's wrong in "you are". Except maybe that "you're" sounds better.
The problem was in the sentence, "Your the DM." You meant to say, or should have said, "You're the DM." Also, I agree with many of the posters here that you should just talk to him. It's quite likely that he's not doing anything, but this stuff is making you paranoid which is likely cutting back on your ability to do your job well. Just ask him to tell you if he's going to be doing anything crazy or obscure. If you can't trust him to do that if you ask it of him, you probably shouldn't trust him to be in the game at all. That stuff is just basic honesty.

[Demorden]

Except that he wrote your instead of you're. Those are the cornerstones of Grammar-nazi crusade

This explains everything. But you know, I've read "you are" (and still read so).
A later correction maybe. Not important anyway... thanks for the explanation.
And keep on with the good work! I am a Grammar-Nazi Crusader too, I just have to learn how to Iron-Heart-Surge away the errors I read lol. :smalltongue:

[NeoPhoenix0]

My DM never has to ask if i'm up to something insane. He knows i'm up to something insane. When i don't do something insane it keeps him extremely paranoid, unless i'm busy drawing or something.

[Karoht]

With all the glass vials and such, I immediatly thought 'meth lab'
The other samples only slighly defer my suspicion.
Seriously, just sounds like he's having fun. Maybe he's collecting because his character is nerdy, likes to study stuff. Maybe he plans on using that slime and such as prank material.
I once carried a vomit bag. My character had a weak stomach. Hated gore. Puked in that bag every time.
And whenever opportunity arose, I would throw that bag at something, or empty the contents onto someone's head, or threaten to force feed it up someone's nostrils as part of an interrogation.

Next time he gets to town, have people who can see his character point out that he's got odd bits of slime and goop on him, and ask what is in all the vials. Is he a traveling apothecary? Someone should find him interesting or suspicious.
But it should be in character. The sheriff of town might be concerned. A small child might be excited and interested. Provide him an appropriate outlet to open up about it, you'll discover what it is for just fine.

[The Trickster]

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I hate being this guy but it hurts me.
You're* and Allowed*
There.

And actually on topic, let him keep doing it. If he actually finds a way to make random picked up liquids break the game... More power to him.
If it's just roleplaying and he's actually putting thought into being a knowledge seeking Wizard... More power to him.

Not offended. I would have caught those if I wasn't in a hurry to get to class. :smallsmile:

[Kerilstrasz]

ok.. here's the answer..


Well... beside the obvious(RPing) i collect all these for 3 reasons.
1) Collection of strange liquids that i will exhibit in a "museum of curios" as my
char's retirement program.
2) Maybe at some point invent a new spell.
3) Mess with your head :P

well... he got an applause by me for being able to manage the 3rd! (and some
minor magic items as a pair of metal tongs that shine when in contact with a
material he encounters for 1st time, and a Test tube Box of holding -homebrew
box that can contain 500 vials with no chance of breaking which weight only 1lb)

i intend to reward some RP XP every time he achieves a large number of diff
samples (lets say 50/lvl for every box he fills)

as about 1&2 i ll act accordingly when the time comes.