Oh my GOD please help..

[Chrisfa]

I am a 2 level rogue halfling and i accidently put a fire and burned a forrest... Now druids and elfes are after me and in the next session i am going to talk (or fight) with the leader of druids.. How can i save my char? Please save me.. Sorry for bad eng..

[illyahr]

Apologise? You'd be surprised how much that'll get you.

[Kid Jake]

Lie and blame it on something else?

[Chrisfa]

If i have to fight? Then what?

[legomaster00156]

Diplomacy. Bluff. Running like hell. You're a Rogue, surely you can do any of these three things. :smalltongue:

[Chrisfa]

I also dont have many [int] bad dice.. So a 2 lvl halfling rogue cant bluff a lvl 20 druid...

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

If i have to fight? Then what?

If it comes to a fight you're screwed, honestly. Druids are pretty strong, especially in groups. And it sounds like he's a MUCH higher level than you.

You have a few approaches. In order of likely success:

1 -- Apologize, and offer to help in any way you can. The fire was, as you say, an accident. It's not like you intentionally lit their forest on fire (Speaking of...how quickly did this fire destroy a forest? :smalleek:)
2 -- Apologize, don't offer to help. Less likely to work, but also less work for you if they'd take you up on the offer.
3 -- Don't show up. Run to another part of the world, and just avoid them. They probably have more important things to do than hunt you down.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Offer to perform some form of attonement. Instant plothook!

[legomaster00156]

I also dont have many [int] bad dice.. So a 2 lvl halfling rogue cant bluff a lvl 20 druid...
Why the hell would any of these Druids be level 20, unless the GM is just completely screwing you over for an accident? This just reeks of bad GM'ing. :smallsigh:

[illyahr]

I also dont have many [int] bad dice.. So a 2 lvl halfling rogue cant bluff a lvl 20 druid...

Your DM is a sadist if he/she is making you fight a level 20 Druid as a 2nd level Rogue.

[Chrisfa]

Why the hell would any of these Druids be level 20, unless the GM is just completely screwing you over for an accident? This just reeks of bad GM'ing. :smallsigh:
Yes i have a way too bad DM
He also tryed to take my soul with a level 20 nekromanser :p

[legomaster00156]

Yes i have a way too bad DM
He also tryed to take my soul with a level 20 nekromanser :p
Do yourself a favor and get out of this group. You are playing with a GM drunk on his own power. You are not going to win. You will lose, every time, no matter what you do.

[Chrisfa]

Do yourself a favor and get out of this group. You are playing with a GM drunk on his own power. You are not going to win. You will lose, every time, no matter what you do.

The bad thing is that i dond have another dm i only know one... :/

[illyahr]

Do yourself a favor and get out of this group. You are playing with a GM drunk on his own power. You are not going to win. You will lose, every time, no matter what you do.

This. If your DM is seriously putting you in these situations, it'd be better just to find a new group. By rights, level 20 characters are the stuff of legend and wouldn't concern themselves with an accident. A level 20 Druid could undo whatever accident you made, no matter how severe it was. Your DM is just out to punish you.

[Inevitability]

Well, there's two main possibilities here.

The first is that the GM has no intention of letting you get out of this and will kill your character the moment he enters the meeting. I'd give you some advice, but nothing will really help if the DM wants you dead.

The second is that the GM railroading you into taking a certain quest. In that case, offer to do 'whatever it takes to restore balance to the world and allow me to repent.'


Either case, your GM is a power-mad individual who wants to show how 'cool' or 'strong' his NPC's are and sees the PC's as little more than small pinpricks in His Glorious Story. I'd run, and run like hell. No gaming is better than bad gaming.

[illyahr]

Either case, your GM is a power-mad individual who wants to show how 'cool' or 'strong' his NPC's are and sees the PC's as little more than small pinpricks in His Glorious Story. I'd run, and run like hell. No gaming is better than bad gaming.

+1 to this. Having no game is better than having a bad game.

[TheifofZ]

Yeah, there are other options out there (I'm sure if you ask around in the appropriate seconds of the forum, you could find a game, for instance. [Those are not in the 3.5 area.]) if you absolutely must game, but even if not, then leaving the group is a better choice than what he's doing to you.

The moment level 20 characters show up as opposition to a level ~2 party is the moment you pack your gear up and leave.
It's bad DMing and you'll have more fun reading a story than being humiliated again and again to be part of it.

[Segev]

Yeeeeaaah, a level 20 druid should have put the stupid fire out long before it could burn down a forest. He has the power to do so fairly easily. Even if he was away for some reason, but was summonable for this trial, he could cast any number of high-level druid spells to restore said forest.

Apologize and offer to try to make ammends, and if the DM kills your character, accept it, say, "Good game, everyone," and leave. Don't come back.

You can probably find other games in your area if you look hard enough.

[Darrin]

Yeeeeaaah, a level 20 druid should have put the stupid fire out long before it could burn down a forest. He has the power to do so fairly easily. Even if he was away for some reason, but was summonable for this trial, he could cast any number of high-level druid spells to restore said forest.


This is the angle I'd probably work on... if the druid 20 is presiding over a council of other druids, you could try accusing him of negligence for not being able to contain an accidental fire. If the Numinous Heirophant has made any enemies among the lesser druids, you might be able to set off a political kerfuffle and sneak out while everybody is yelling at each other, or maybe find an upstart druid that wants to be top treehugger and will hopefully offer you protection to "testify" against the druid 20.

The other thing I'd try... have you put any ranks into Forgery? Well, it works like Bluff but it's opposed by... wait for it... Forgery. So it's unlikely any of the druids have ranks in it. You could create a fake note (or find someone at your Thieves Guild that will do it for a small fee) that implicates the Druid 20 as the person who ordered the "accidental fire":

Dear Minion

Please start a forest fire this Tuesday, as we discussed. I will be "on a diplomatic mission" and, of course, unable to stop it. Remember, you must never, ever mention this to anyone, and I will of course deny that I ever wrote this. Oh, and please destroy this note, so there is no physical evidence.

Hugs & Bugs!
Numinous Heirophant

If the DM really has it in for you, this won't work, and the Druid 20 will suddenly have 20+ ranks in Forgery. If you suspect the DM isn't going to be fair about this, then try framing someone else who the druids already have a grudge against, such as the local Lord Fancypants. The forgery is more likely to succeed if your target is someone they already believe would do such a thing. Since you were only "following orders" and Lord Fancypants is the real culprit, then you can offer to "betray" Lord Fancypants and help the druids get rid of this horrible menace.

[Honest Tiefling]

Look your DM in the eye while DMing yourself and DM a kick-butt game that the players love to prove your dominance over him.

Seriously, no game is better then a stress-fest. I suggest taking a turn in the DM seat. You never know if you like it if you never try it.

[nedz]

Forest fires are natural phenomena — just blame nature.

The trick with this sort of thing is not to actually lie, since that risks a Bluff role, just state the truth.

Forest fires are natural phenomena. The forest was very dry and could have caught fire at any moment. Lightning from a storm could have started a fire in those woods.

[Draconium]

In-game? Well, a 20th level Druid should have been able to stop the fire. If you don't want to bring that up (and possibly anger the Druid), then just apologize and hope for mercy.

Out-of-game? Leave. Just leave. As several posters before me said, no gaming is better than bad gaming. This DM's on a power trip, and that never results in a good game for the players.

[Jay R]

Play it out. I urge you to admit that it was an accident, and apologize. The DM probably has some cool quest or other plan for you.


Well, there's two main possibilities here.

The first is that the GM has no intention of letting you get out of this and will kill your character the moment he enters the meeting. I'd give you some advice, but nothing will really help if the DM wants you dead.

The second is that the GM railroading you into taking a certain quest. In that case, offer to do 'whatever it takes to restore balance to the world and allow me to repent.'


Either case, your GM is a power-mad individual who wants to show how 'cool' or 'strong' his NPC's are and sees the PC's as little more than small pinpricks in His Glorious Story. I'd run, and run like hell. No gaming is better than bad gaming.

Wow. You don't know the DM, you haven't seen the game, and you've already decided that the DM is power-mad.

I'm sure I can't convince you to wait until you know the truth before attacking the DM's reputation, but could you at least wait until something bad happens to the character?

[legomaster00156]

Wow. You don't know the DM, you haven't seen the game, and you've already decided that the DM is power-mad.

I'm sure I can't convince you to wait until you know the truth before attacking the DM's reputation, but could you at least wait until something bad happens to the character?
This GM has attacked a level 2 Rogue with a level 20 Necromancer, and now a level 20 Druid (over an in-character accident, too). Yes, he is completely power-mad.

[nedz]

This GM has attacked a level 2 Rogue with a level 20 Necromancer, and now a level 20 Druid (over an in-character accident, too). Yes, he is completely power-mad.

The level 2 Rogue survived the encounter with the level 20 Necromancer. I suspect that the level 2 Rogue will survive the encounter with the level 20 Druid also. If indeed these NPCs are level 20 then they are not being played as such. I suspect that this is a role-play encounter only.

I wouldn't walk out over this. I suspect it's just clumsy DMing due to inexperience.

[TheMiningDwarf]

TBH the fact that a lvl 20 necromancer only tried to take the soul of a lvl 2 rogue it sounds to me like he'll be fine with these druids. Honestly I don't even know why the DM would mention the fact that they're level 20 except that it was his way of saying 'don't try to fight your way out of this'. Just take whatever quest the crazy forest(less) hippies give you and continue on with the campaign.

[AvatarVecna]

I don't see what the problem is. You just burned down a forest faster than an entire sect of druids could prevent a forest fire, when one of those druids is level 20. Do you realize how many animals, fey, sentient plants, and elementals you just killed?!

Do you have any idea how much XP you just got?!!

EDIT: Every rat is 38 XP, every bird of prey is 100 XP, every wolf is another 300 XP. If there Berenstain Bears were living in that forest, you'd have another 2700 XP (we won't count the children for these purposes). This forest was large enough that a Druid 20 and his hippie cult were collectively in charge of protecting it; it's got to be a pretty massive forest...and that means lots and lots and lots of creatures just took part in the worst Burning Man ever.

According to this preview, (https://books.google.com/books?id=CuX1f28Kg-EC&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175&dq=forest+rats+per+acre&source=bl&ots=1e0oEKobIl&sig=mQvm8p22kLhxWo-l1Fjh6Fm-bfU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAGoVChMIz5zfw7GMyAIVAdOACh3ozQ4t#v=on epage&q&f=false) 100 acres of land contains 2 barred owls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/owl.htm), 100 wood rats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/rat.htm), and 2500 woodland salamanders (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lizard.htm). With just the three animals mentioned in that paper, you've got up to 128950 XP from burning down just 100 measly acres. That's just over .15 square miles; that's tiny! Taking into account all the other possible animals in that forest, you're probably at least 20th level now yourself. Show that Druid who he's messing with!

[Draconium]

The problem is, characters at such a low level should not be encountering level 20 NPCs.

If the NPCs are being used to show up or beat up the PCs, the DM's on a power trip. This means you should get out of the game ASAP.

If the NPCs are being used to force the players into quests and situations, the DM's railroading with an extremely heavy hand. This situation isn't nearly as bad, since it's more likely a sign of less experience, but it's still bad. I would talk to the DM about it.

[Crake]

The level 2 Rogue survived the encounter with the level 20 Necromancer. I suspect that the level 2 Rogue will survive the encounter with the level 20 Druid also. If indeed these NPCs are level 20 then they are not being played as such. I suspect that this is a role-play encounter only.

I wouldn't walk out over this. I suspect it's just clumsy DMing due to inexperience.

I share this sentiment. The forest may be some small forest tended by a low level druid who made contact with the archdruid who may have, by all accounts, been the one who stopped the fire eventually anyway. "Fixing" the forest isn't the druidic thing to do really, it would be more appropriate to instead let nature run it's own course and recover normally, and the necromancer may have been roleplaying the necromancer offering him a deal for his soul, not something unreasonable to do to be honest, especially since it sounds like it didnt' go through anyway.

Honestly, coming across level 20 NPCs is not necessarily an immediate sign to quit a game, as it could just be a sign that your DM is running a status quo rather than a tailored world. If the players do something that will incite the rage of a level 20 NPC, then so be it. Of course, running into 2 separate, unrelated level 20 NPCs seems a little more dubious, but, as nedz said, it sounds more like the DM doesn't quite understand the power dynamics between level 1 and 20. It is also of course possible that the OP isn't exactly sure of what level the NPCs are, and is just assuming level 20 due to a huge power difference, even though the NPC might only be level 10 or so.

I actually recently had a similar event occur in one of my games (spoilered for players in my game, Max, Brett, Bob and John, this means you guys!):
The level 1 players assaulted a high level wizard's familiar (a tibbit) who was pretending to be a "cat goddess" for a bit of fun by using spells her master had imbued her with via imbue familiar with spell ability. I gauged her at roughly CR 8 based on the fact that she could cast 5th level spells (level 9) minus 1 for the fact that she had very limited uses of the ability. Upon demonstrating her "unlimited power" to the players, they immediately assumed they were dealing with an epic level goddess (probably because, as a familiar, she could use those spells with no components, so it seemed more powerful than it was), which was very much not the case. She had invited them to her mansion to have them apologise (they had attacked her tibbit friends while investigating her "cult"), and the whole thing was meant to be a roleplay encounter, but things turned nasty when one of the players started to suspect she actually wasn't as all-powerful as they had initially suspected, and called her bluff by, get this, threatening her life.
Well, you can assume that the familiar didn't take it very well, was frazzled, and contacted her master, who, in this case, happened to be an evil wizard who promptly came in and completely wrecked the one who had threatened her life. And this wasn't even an NPC I made up, it was a previous player's character who retired when they hit 20. I asked the player what his character would have done, and followed that.

Moral of the story is: even level 1s can draw the attention of high level NPCs if they step on the wrong toes, and that not all NPCs that seem high level are actually as powerful as they look at first glance.

[LoyalPaladin]

I have a player that once lit a forest on fire (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?412821-Some-players-just-want-to-watch-the-world-burn) in a fit of rage.

Your best bet might be to tell them you'll become a ranger and pledge yourself to protect the wilds...

[Nifft]

I am a 2 level rogue halfling and i accidently put a fire and burned a forrest... Now druids and elfes are after me and in the next session i am going to talk (or fight) with the leader of druids.. How can i save my char? Please save me.. Sorry for bad eng..

High-level characters usually have ways to know if you're lying.

Try honesty.

Try apologizing -- you didn't know the forest was so dry. Usually, camp fires don't burn down the forest.

Don't try to beat the DM. You can't. Instead, play along. Maybe something nice will happen.

Sometimes, a DM will try to make a fun surprise which is only a surprise because you expect something horrible to happen. This is very common, because DMs read books and that sort of thing happens all the time in books. It works better in books than games.

But if the DM screws you over when you try to be honest and play along, and all the surprises are bad, and you're not having any fun -- then you should consider running away from the game.

[Jay R]

The problem is, characters at such a low level should not be encountering level 20 NPCs.

Why not? Bilbo encountered Gandalf. Lucy encountered Aslan. Harry Potter encountered Dumbledore (and as a baby, he encountered the most powerful evil wizard in the world, in combat).

Low-level characters shouldn't fight level-20 NPCs to the death, but that isn't what's happening.


If the NPCs are being used to show up or beat up the PCs, the DM's on a power trip. This means you should get out of the game ASAP.

If the NPCs are being used to force the players into quests and situations, the DM's railroading with an extremely heavy hand. This situation isn't nearly as bad, since it's more likely a sign of less experience, but it's still bad. I would talk to the DM about it.

Your last paragraph describes the start of some of the best games I've played. My Ranger recently encountered a mad arch-druid. We eventually found a way to negotiate with him. We weren't "railroaded" into the quest, except in the sense that we got involved in the most exciting thing happening in that world.

But your description is still entirely made up. The NPCs may be involved only because a 2nd level burned down a forest, that was already under the protection of the druid. This encounter may be entirely player-driven.

You are making up guesses. That's not necessary.

The character isn't hurt until the character gets hurt. And the DM isn't beating up or railroading the PCs until the beating or railroading occurs.

I repeat: play the game out. Find out what the next adventure is. And don't assume that the DM is doing something bad until something bad happens.

[Draconium]

Why not? Bilbo encountered Gandalf. Lucy encountered Aslan. Harry Potter encountered Dumbledore (and as a baby, he encountered the most powerful evil wizard in the world, in combat).

Low-level characters shouldn't fight level-20 NPCs to the death, but that isn't what's happening.

And those were all stories, not role-playing games. (Even the theory that states that LotR was a role-playing game acknowledges the fact that the DM for it wasn't the best.)


Your last paragraph describes the start of some of the best games I've played. My Ranger recently encountered a mad arch-druid. We eventually found a way to negotiate with him. We weren't "railroaded" into the quest, except in the sense that we got involved in the most exciting thing happening in that world.

But your description is still entirely made up. The NPCs may be involved only because a 2nd level burned down a forest, that was already under the protection of the druid. This encounter may be entirely player-driven.

You are making up guesses. That's not necessary.

The character isn't hurt until the character gets hurt. And the DM isn't beating up or railroading the PCs until the beating or railroading occurs.

I repeat: play the game out. Find out what the next adventure is. And don't assume that the DM is doing something bad until something bad happens.

There are always exceptions. I was just writing based off of my experiences, though. And in my experience, DMs who railroad like that are usually inexperienced and handle situations like that clumsily. I suppose it can be done in a way that sets up a good game, but I have yet to experience one as such.

And it seems to me that the situation is already pretty bad. I could be mistaken, but the way the OP's situation was presented, the DM's NPCs seemed to overreact a bit. Over an accident. This DM sounds like he could be handling the game a lot better than he actually is... In case I'm wrong, though, I'll reserve further judgement until we find out more.

[NeverSleeps]

Tell them you were following your nature to get warm, and couldn't have known this forest was apparently made of gasoline.

[Jay R]

And those were all stories, not role-playing games. (Even the theory that states that LotR was a role-playing game acknowledges the fact that the DM for it wasn't the best.)

So what? Most ideas for role-playing game scenarios come from good stories.

No, to defend your position that "The problem is, characters at such a low level should not be encountering level 20 NPCs," you actually have to provide reasons, not just refuse the data presented on the other side.

There's nothing wrong with meeting people of any level, reacting to people of any level. I agree that a fight to the death shouldn't be against somebody 18 levels above the PCs, but that isn't what you said, and isn't what we've seen.


There are always exceptions. I was just writing based off of my experiences, though. And in my experience, DMs who railroad like that are usually inexperienced and handle situations like that clumsily. I suppose it can be done in a way that sets up a good game, but I have yet to experience one as such.

By contrast, I've seen more games destroyed by unjustified distrust of the DM by the players (or of the players by the DM) than by any particular sort of situation.


And it seems to me that the situation is already pretty bad.

I'll bite - what bad thing has happened? The high-level necromancer didn't hurt him. The high level druid hasn't hurt him yet, and I suspect that he won't hurt him at all.

The character is threading his way through a suspenseful situation. There's nothing wrong with that. You're guessing at what bad thing might happen in the future, and sayimg that that makes the situation bad.


I could be mistaken, but the way the OP's situation was presented, the DM's NPCs seemed to overreact a bit. Over an accident. This DM sounds like he could be handling the game a lot better than he actually is... In case I'm wrong, though, I'll reserve further judgement until we find out more.

Until we see what the druid's reaction is, we will have no valid data to declare it an overreaction. All we know is that he wants to see the PC. I can't imagine any reason why he wouldn't; that's what my high druid would want, too.

Chrisfa, go into the game expecting to meet a high level character that you don't need to fight. He may want your help re-seeding it, or getting some magic item to re-create the forest with.

Don't fight a high-level NPC. Try to role-play a solution. And have fun! This could lead to a great adventure.

[Draconium]

So what? Most ideas for role-playing game scenarios come from good stories.

No, to defend your position that "The problem is, characters at such a low level should not be encountering level 20 NPCs," you actually have to provide reasons, not just refuse the data presented on the other side.

Okay then, allow me to clarify - they're two different mediums. One's interactive, and one isn't. As such, there are several tropes that can be used in one, but if you try and apply it to the other, you'll just end up with frustration from your players/audience. While good ideas can come from stories, using them as a comparison to a TTRPG in't a good argument.


There's nothing wrong with meeting people of any level, reacting to people of any level. I agree that a fight to the death shouldn't be against somebody 18 levels above the PCs, but that isn't what you said, and isn't what we've seen.

I hope we never have to, as well.


By contrast, I've seen more games destroyed by unjustified distrust of the DM by the players (or of the players by the DM) than by any particular sort of situation.

And I haven't. We've obviously had different experiences, so comparing them isn't going to get us anywhere.


I'll bite - what bad thing has happened? The high-level necromancer didn't hurt him. The high level druid hasn't hurt him yet, and I suspect that he won't hurt him at all.

The character is threading his way through a suspenseful situation. There's nothing wrong with that. You're guessing at what bad thing might happen in the future, and sayimg that that makes the situation bad.

As a player, I don't like to be threatened with high-level NPCs, because then I feel I have no choice. And TTRPGs are based on choices. That's why railroading is bad - by taking away a player's choice, you are effectively removing one of the core elements of the game.

I've also been on the other side of the screen, as a DM, and I can attest that throwing high-level NPCs at the players isn't just heavy-handed, it's lazy. There are plenty of ways to create suspense without completely rendering the player characters obsolete. I've learned to steer clear of challenges that the characters can't overcome unless I absolutely have to, to prevent their death or worse.

So what I'm saying is, it's not so bad from the character's point of view, as it is from the player's point of view.


Until we see what the druid's reaction is, we will have no valid data to declare it an overreaction. All we know is that he wants to see the PC. I can't imagine any reason why he wouldn't; that's what my high druid would want, too.

True enough. We won't know what he wants until it actually plays out. I suppose that saying he wants revenge would be paranoid.


Chrisfa, go into the game expecting to meet a high level character that you don't need to fight. He may want your help re-seeding it, or getting some magic item to re-create the forest with.

Don't fight a high-level NPC. Try to role-play a solution. And have fun! This could lead to a great adventure.

Hopefully, Jay R is right, and this situation can be role-played out. If it is, then I hope the game does end up becoming lots of fun.

[nedz]

As a player, I don't like to be threatened with high-level NPCs, because then I feel I have no choice. And TTRPGs are based on choices. That's why railroading is bad - by taking away a player's choice, you are effectively removing one of the core elements of the game.

If you start playing with level 1 characters then all NPCs are likely to be high level relative to the PCs.

Even if a high level NPC does threaten the PCs they still have choices: They can

Ignore the 'request' and do something else
Claim protection from another high level NPC
Run away
Delay doing the thing
Do the thing, but deliberately fail
etc.

There are options they don't have, but that's always going to be true.

In any event they have the choice about how they do the thing.

Rail-roading is a gradient, there will always be some - even in a sandbox - it's only when there is no player agency that it's a problem. The goal should be to maximise player agency, but actions should have consequences.

[Judge_Worm]

A lvl20 druid should have no problem putting out a fire. Point this out, while apologizing, and act really disappointed in the druid. Then stomp off while the druid is speechless. Then run, and hide, and never look back.

[Temperjoke]

1. We don't know enough of the actual story. I'm curious how you managed to burn an entire forest down, and were busted by druids as the reason for why it burned.

2. It sounds like you are being railroaded by giving you enemies that you cannot win in a fight against. My question, though, is why? Why does the GM feel it to be necessary to railroad you in certain directions?

I have a theory that you might have been causing the GM problems with his plans, by deliberately doing things that you have been told are bad ideas, and that these might just be your just comeuppance for your behavior.

As for your situation, fighting is out. I'm guessing fleeing is out, since you're already being held. That means apologizing, probably with some sort of atonement, is your best course of action. Maybe next time you won't burn down a forest.

[Psyren]

I don't see what the problem is. You just burned down a forest faster than an entire sect of druids could prevent a forest fire, when one of those druids is level 20. Do you realize how many animals, fey, sentient plants, and elementals you just killed?!

Do you have any idea how much XP you just got?!!

EDIT: Every rat is 38 XP, every bird of prey is 100 XP, every wolf is another 300 XP. If there Berenstain Bears were living in that forest, you'd have another 2700 XP (we won't count the children for these purposes). This forest was large enough that a Druid 20 and his hippie cult were collectively in charge of protecting it; it's got to be a pretty massive forest...and that means lots and lots and lots of creatures just took part in the worst Burning Man ever.

According to this preview, (https://books.google.com/books?id=CuX1f28Kg-EC&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175&dq=forest+rats+per+acre&source=bl&ots=1e0oEKobIl&sig=mQvm8p22kLhxWo-l1Fjh6Fm-bfU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAGoVChMIz5zfw7GMyAIVAdOACh3ozQ4t#v=on epage&q&f=false) 100 acres of land contains 2 barred owls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/owl.htm), 100 wood rats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/rat.htm), and 2500 woodland salamanders (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lizard.htm). With just the three animals mentioned in that paper, you've got up to 128950 XP from burning down just 100 measly acres. That's just over .15 square miles; that's tiny! Taking into account all the other possible animals in that forest, you're probably at least 20th level now yourself. Show that Druid who he's messing with!

Not to burst your bubble but:

"A character can advance only one level at a time. If, for some extraordinary reason, a character’s XP reward from a single adventure would be enough to advance two or more levels at once, he or she instead advances one level and gains just enough XP to be 1 XP short of the next level. Any excess experience points are not retained."

Being Level 3 with 5,999 XP unfortunately isn't going to help matters much :smalltongue:
(Also, 128,950 XP = 16th level.)

@ OP: What do you mean "accidentally set a fire?" How exactly did it happen? Did you fumble a torch? Leave your campfire burning? Miss with Alchemist's Fire?

[AvatarVecna]

Not to burst your bubble but:

"A character can advance only one level at a time. If, for some extraordinary reason, a character’s XP reward from a single adventure would be enough to advance two or more levels at once, he or she instead advances one level and gains just enough XP to be 1 XP short of the next level. Any excess experience points are not retained."

Being Level 3 with 5,999 XP unfortunately isn't going to help matters much :smalltongue:
(Also, 128,950 XP = 16th level.)

@ OP: What do you mean "accidentally set a fire?" How exactly did it happen? Did you fumble a torch? Leave your campfire burning? Miss with Alchemist's Fire?

Firstly, that 128950 XP was assuming only 100 acres of forest got burned (and that's a pretty small forest, no matter what impression Winnie the Pooh gave you), and it also assumed only owls, rats, and lizards; I'm sure there's at least a handful

That's only the case if he killed all of them in the same "fight", and they all died around the same time. I would personally be very impressed if he managed to flash-burn an entire forest in one go as a measly second level character with no spells. No, this was a slow burn that eventually consumed the forest; fast enough that the druids couldn't prevent it and the animals couldn't escape...but slow enough that they didn't all die at once, and the flow of XP was constant. Since the XP doesn't come all at once, the level ups come one after the other.

Assuming that a forest fire starts out taking up a 2.5ft radius circle (1 5ft by 5ft square, roughly the size of a campfire), and the radius of the burned circle increases at a steady rate of 10ft per round (they can get much much faster than that, it's not that fast). At that rate, the first level up comes online a mere 15 rounds into the blazing forest; the second comes just 8 rounds later, and the third 8 rounds after that. After 15 solid minutes of the fire spreading, you're up to a total of 210948 XP...just enough to hit epic. And you know what? If you, as a second level character, managed to accidentally and successfully burn down a forest being guarded by a group of high level druids, including one at 20th level, I'd give it to you.

"Okay, you know what? You're epic now...and here's a divine rank for the hell of it. You're now a demigod of arson."

EDIT: And nothing anywhere says XP is necessarily handed out only at the end of the adventure; I've had DMs (and played video games) (http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131201215938/starwars/images/1/15/KotOR_Cover.png) where it was tracked kill by kill.

[SangoProduction]

The bad thing is that i dond have another dm i only know one... :/

"No game is better than a bad game" as is the motto of the playground. But, I understand the feeling.
Option 1: DM a game yourself. Not going to work unless the other players are discontent with the current GM as well.
Option 2: Talk to the DM and tell him about how you feel. That generally works 8/10 times. I mean it. Most "Bad GMs" are in fact just doing what they "think" is best. If told it's not, then they'd often change.
Option 3: Google "Online D&D sessions" and you can specify exactly what version.
Option 4: Just google "Roll20" directly. It's got a great community of roleplayers. Only downside: No one is willing to DM for 4e. (So I had to, lol. At least its still fun.)
Option 5: Google "Game Stores in [my area]" Where [my area] is the area in which you can access. Many game stores offer walk in tables for role playing on a weekly basis.

[Rebel7284]

I agree with the people that say that this is probably a start of the next adventure. If a Druid wanted to kill you, you would be dead, not talking to them. You may want to figure out exactly what you will say though. If you go around accusing them of negligence (even if it's true) and being a pain in the ass, the DM may have no choice. Diplomacy is important. :)

[Psyren]

Firstly, that 128950 XP was assuming only 100 acres of forest got burned (and that's a pretty small forest, no matter what impression Winnie the Pooh gave you), and it also assumed only owls, rats, and lizards; I'm sure there's at least a handful

That's only the case if he killed all of them in the same "fight", and they all died around the same time. I would personally be very impressed if he managed to flash-burn an entire forest in one go as a measly second level character with no spells. No, this was a slow burn that eventually consumed the forest; fast enough that the druids couldn't prevent it and the animals couldn't escape...but slow enough that they didn't all die at once, and the flow of XP was constant. Since the XP doesn't come all at once, the level ups come one after the other.

RAW says "adventure" - not "fight" or even "encounter." No matter how long it takes the forest fire to kill all those things, it's the same root cause - he started a fire. Therefore, the XP cap applies no matter what angle we come at it from.


I agree with the people that say that this is probably a start of the next adventure. If a Druid wanted to kill you, you would be dead, not talking to them. You may want to figure out exactly what you will say though. If you go around accusing them of negligence (even if it's true) and being a pain in the ass, the DM may have no choice. Diplomacy is important. :)

There's a lot of choices besides killing the OP. Perhaps the druid is really angry and is about to do that, when a nature cleric shows up and intercedes, then puts a Geas or other curse on the PC to make them set things right. Perhaps an archfiend shows up (e.g. Golarion's Treerazer) or an agent thereof, and is delighted at all the carnage the OP has caused, then "volunteers" him for further service - in the process protecting him from the archdruid's vengeance. Perhaps the flames broke a seal (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NiceJobBreakingItHero) on something that the forest was keeping in check, (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SealedEvilInACan) and now the Druid - wrathful though he might be - has way bigger problems to deal with. He might even draft the OP, not merely to atone for his mistake, but because he needs all the help he can get. Perhaps the ability of the fire to do anything is a surprise - the forest may have been warded against such, and something about the OP got around that, causing him to catch the interest of all kinds of major players.

TL;DR - There's a lot of ways this can go with only a modicum of creativity (and maturity.)

[Bonzai]

Forest fires are part of nature. If the forest was dry enough to catch fire, then it was natures will. The fire clears the way for a new cycle to take root, so is something to be celebrated not punished. :P