DM-predicament

[kadamh]

I believe there's something that I should get others thoughts on in regards to a campaign I'm the DM of.

Essentially we're going back to a campaign that we've been playing for several months after taking a break for about the same time. Well the issue that I'm wondering about is one of my players had acquired a rather powerful magic item from treasure..etc and he didn't write it down when the treasure was being distributed. The item was a halberd of roughly +8.

My 1st reaction to hearing this screw up was shock and a bit of frustration. Should I just brush it off and cover for his failing or say no and not come off so nice?

[Crake]

I believe there's something that I should get others thoughts on in regards to a campaign I'm the DM of.

Essentially we're going back to a campaign that we've been playing for several months after taking a break for about the same time. Well the issue that I'm wondering about is one of my players had acquired a rather powerful magic item from treasure..etc and he didn't write it down when the treasure was being distributed. The item was a halberd of roughly +8.

My 1st reaction to hearing this screw up was shock and a bit of frustration. Should I just brush it off and cover for his failing or say no and not come off so nice?

Don't you have the weapon in your notes? What's the big deal with just telling him what it is again?

[Clumsyninja23]

Do you have notes on it as DM? You probably should. Although after a few months things can get misplaced easily. In which case you can't really be upset with the player. :smalltongue:

Is this a constant issue? If not, I don't think it should be a big deal. It's friends and games right?

That Swordsage.

[Lightlawbliss]

Book keeping errors happen, you tell him what the item is again and life moves on.

If you don't know what the item is... make a good guess and guess less powerful then it might have been.

[Yahzi]

cover for his failing or say no and not come off so nice?
Two questions.

1. What failing? Not writing something down is not a failing. Check the rulebook. Nothing in there says you have to write loot down or lose it. The rules say you have to use dice and not lie about the roll. They say you only certain bonuses at specific times. Nothing about documenting reality or it will change when you're not looking.

2. Whenever you have a choice between nice and not so nice - and this is general life advice, not just for D&D - why would you ever choose not so nice? If you are under the impression that somehow your being a d*** will improve the other guy's behavior or teach him a lesson, take it from me (who has botched this exact question enough times to know): it won't. All it will do is piss him off, and for good reason.

[John Longarrow]

kadamh
Which answer would enhance your and your players fun at the table?

That is the one to go with.

[HighWater]

Which answer would enhance your and your players fun at the table?

Quoted for truth.

Additionally to the OP: I understand that perhaps you felt a bit frustrated that your player didn't jot down something so awesome you gave him/her.
The shocking truth is that everybody has his/her strong suits and weak points. In the group I'm playing in, the DM dropped a very-obviously-magic-greataxe, which we quickly handed to the party barbarian.

Who didn't just forget to write it down for the next section. He just forgot it existed period.

Now this person is usually pretty useful in following the story and figuring out solutions to puzzles and story cues, he does pay attention. But when I brought up the magic axe for investigation the next session and his eyes just glazed over followed by a "Whut?", me, the DM and the other party member were just stumped... He's also lost track of his money and his xp on several occasions. Not much of a note-taker, really!

Don't punish the player, just try and find out what the item was and carefully reprimand him to take better notes next time if it annoys you (cause it costs you a lot of time and energy if you have to track everything for him).

[Shining Wrath]

The player has the halberd. The halberd has whatever powers you gave it.

If a player "forgot" to note they'd mistakenly picked up a cursed halberd of minus 5 and the PC must make a will save every round or be frightened, would you say "oh, that's ok, I guess you don't have to use that item"?

No? Then when they get a nice item, they still have it when they forget to write it down.

You ARE free to tease the player mercilessly, within the limits of it still being in good fun.

You can give the halberd a personality and it whines incessantly about being neglected if he ever sets it down, uses another weapon, etc. Eventually he has to sleep with the thing or it cries.

EDIT:

In a previous campaign, I lost track of my XP when the DM didn't tells us what we got for a couple of sessions. When I revealed my plight, it turned out no one else had been tracking XP, either, because they were relying on me. I found an old character sheet and we did the math to add about 2 month's worth of play back in.

My point is that not everyone always remembers everything.

[John Longarrow]

kadamh

A friend of mine told me something that he uses in his games that helped immensly.
Notecards.

Player get card that says "Neat Halberd. Glows RED (NOTE:011)"
DM keeps a card that says "Neat Halberd - Halberd with EVIL aura, does 2d6 extra fire damage when used against fire vulnerable creatures"

DM keeps track of anything the players don't know. Once they identify the item, they get the card. This makes it a LOT easier. He also keep a list of items so "Item 011 - Halberd, medium, Evil Aura, +2d6 fire. value X" tracks back to the card incase it gets lost.

[kadamh]

Hmm....yeah and thanks for the the thoughts. Yeah I'm just gonna say just write your items down and emphasize the need to or as repentance a certain body part shall be cut off to get it back.