A Rant, and Then a Campaign Question

[Viscount Einstrauss]

So, I've been running a gestalt game for quite some time now, and one of my players has always been somewhat of an aggravation to everyone else due to constant complaining, rules lawyering, and just generally being an unlikeable jerkwad. Most of this stems from the fact that no one in the group liked his game when we tried his campaign, which he hoped would derail my DMing attempts because he prefers to be in control of everything. I'm not about to kick him out of my own campaign yet, though- he's a good friend of our's, though an often-obnoxious one.

In order to "save face", if you will, he's decided to side-step being honest and saying his whole problem is that he's not in control and instead say it's because I'm playing D&D differently from "the way he prefers it". Specifically, he's decided to whine that I made my own setting, everyone's gestalt, I play with point buy (at 40), I homebrew a lot of rules I think suck (like TWF and how profession works), I ad lib any encounter the players think up that I hadn't prepared ahead of time instead of just denying the action, and I offered every player a free LA 3. He wants me to use a pre-set campaign, non-gestalt, 4d6 drop-lowest character generation, no homebrewing, and no free LA. He wants me to be a goddamn encounter computer and nothing else.

Now let's say that I have NEVER IN MY LIFE purchased a campaign setting book because I prefer homebrewing, but am considering running a second weekly D&D game just to shut this guy the hell up when he sees why I do these things. Now, given that, does anyone know of a campaign I can reasonably use without buying the campaign setting?

[Matthew]

Greyhawk, I would have thought? Actually, maybe not, as you might have to purchase the Greyhawk Gazetteer, though if you ask me that would be money well spent.

Not sure, really. I have to say I wouldn't be too up for a full on 40 Point Buy Gestalt game with free LA +3 as my regular campaign, but that's a different issue to how you DM.

I wouldn't run a second game if I were you. Just play a few one off or short campaign games as an alternative to your regular game once in a while.

[BCOVertigo]

Did he not know the rules when he joined? He rolled up the gestalt character, probably took advantage of the free LA and in all likelyhood has used at least some of your new rules to his advantage. If he doesn't like the campaign you're running he pretty much has no reason to whine. It's not like you forced him into it.

Anyways I've played and DM'd for people like this before. Maybe you should consider playing a campaign under him if he's that much of a control freak. This is of course assuming he's the fair kind of control freak and not the "omg lawl my npc is level 30 with 15 templates and kills you just so he can res and repeat" kind. If that ISN'T the case, it might give him the control he wants and shut him up. It's worked for me at least.

[Quietus]

I wouldn't start a second campaign just to shut him up. If you have another supercool idea, then sure - but it sounds like he just wants you to use the book rules and a published setting so that he can study everything and know exactly where everything is, using metagame knowledge to further his own character. You know, because 40 point-buy and gestalt with free 3 LA isn't powerful enough.

*Mutters a bit to himself*

Sorry, I've run adventures involving people like these - they annoy the crap out of me. Heh.

[illathid]

Well, you could look into Planescape. Old source books for the campaign aren't too hard to find, and Planewalker has a lot info about the setting updated to 3.5e, and it's free.

Plus, Planescape campaigns are more fun than a barrel full of Modrons.

[clarkvalentine]

I'll add my voice to the chorus: Caving in to the guy's demands is unlikely to make him be less of a jerkwad. I'd advise gently but firmly saying "This is the game we're playing; if you'd rather play something else, maybe you should find a different game group that's a better match to your preferred play style."

[JadedDM]

Another free setting is Spelljammer. You can find the updated rules here: http://www.spelljammer.org/

[Viscount Einstrauss]

I did, in fact, play under this guy's own game once. Funny enough, he homebrewed a world. Well, maybe that's being too kind to what he did- he more or less rehashed the most tired and terrible cliches in fantasy history and then gave everything painful mock-fantasy names. Every action that could be considered chaotic was somehow immediately squashed by the fact that apparently every civilized area was monitored by roughly 500 guards per block. So much as getting drunk in a bar could get you thrown in prison for a week (he literally did this to me). He directly railroaded us into going on these "quests" that he developed, which were always "king tells you to go get random item from random and poorly made dungeon and bring it back, how dare you question why you're doing it or what plot significance is there to anything you've done in this whole game". I quit early, and apparently I did it before the game got worse. It devolved into the entire remaining player-base (no one from my original group) roleplaying performing lewd acts on each other. Seriously. They apparently spent two full sessions doing nothing but that.

I hadn't considered Greyhawk. I guess, by default, I have the most stuff on that.

EDIT: Ooh, and completely free settings! Thanks, guys.

[Maxymiuk]

What I'm curious about is why are you still keeping this guy around as a player? Wouldn't it be much simpler to just show him the door, applying the boot as necessary?

[Viscount Einstrauss]

It's a crazy friendship, I know. Me and some of the other guys in my campaign are some of the only people that can put up with him for any long periods of time. We're sort of numb to half of his jerkish ways, and can see past it to what he really is- a terrible friend. I mean, a friend. Heh.

He's that guy that you can always count on to do stupid things and hang out with because you know his life is a wreck and it makes you feel better just being around him. We're also pretty honest around each other, us constantly berating his stupidity and jerky-ness and him constantly trying to explain his really screwed up views and ideas that are in no way rooted with reality. Weird, but he's one of our "fun" friends.

[ZekeArgo]

It's a crazy friendship, I know. Me and some of the other guys in my campaign are some of the only people that can put up with him for any long periods of time. We're sort of numb to half of his jerkish ways, and can see past it to what he really is- a terrible friend. I mean, a friend. Heh.

He's that guy that you can always count on to do stupid things and hang out with because you know his life is a wreck and it makes you feel better just being around him. We're also pretty honest around each other, us constantly berating his stupidity and jerky-ness and him constantly trying to explain his really screwed up views and ideas that are in no way rooted with reality. Weird, but he's one of our "fun" friends.

Eh, I wont knock it, but damn that guy sounds all kinds of screwed up.

Well, that and I would kill to find a decent gestalt game *anywhere* the LA stuff is meh, but if you were anywhere near central Florida I'd have had to track down your game ^_^

[Viscount Einstrauss]

I handled the LA a little differently, actually. After realizing that over half my players wanted to be templates that would kill them with LA, I decided to instead lend them a hand and give them it for free. But I do have a catch- at level 1, 4, and every multiple of 4 thereafter, you may only pick ONE benefit from your chosen template(s). Thus, a level 1 half-dragon might have a breath weapon, a strength increase, claws, natural armor, or one of the other benefits, but never all of that combined until they reached a high enough level to choose it all.

I also entirely removed racial HD, as it just messed things up.

[ZekeArgo]

I handled the LA a little differently, actually. After realizing that over half my players wanted to be templates that would kill them with LA, I decided to instead lend them a hand and give them it for free. But I do have a catch- at level 1, 4, and every multiple of 4 thereafter, you may only pick ONE benefit from your chosen template(s). Thus, a level 1 half-dragon might have a breath weapon, a strength increase, claws, natural armor, or one of the other benefits, but never all of that combined until they reached a high enough level to choose it all.

I also entirely removed racial HD, as it just messed things up.

Heh, I meant meh on the LA because I'm just not very interested in any templates. I mean yeah, sure, they are powerful but I can't even see myself in the mindset of an orc or elf, let alone a phrenic half-dragon or some such.

I do hold a special place for warforged though. Though of course Eberron is crafted from win and good.

[Zincorium]

Look up Dark Sun online, I believe someone has brewed up 3.0 and 3.5 versions and released the PDFs for free. It's a good, imaginitive setting, and if the intent is not to simply shut the person up but also to have fun, the setting should distract you enough from the rules that you can still have a good time.

[daggaz]

I wouldn't cave in to him, ever. And I probably wouldn't want to play with him, period. And I would probably make it exceedingly easy for his player to kill himself somehow. And this will sound harsh, and I have no idea about you and your friend, but in MY life, I have ZERO room for guys like that. I used to, and they always end up being a huge drain on what would otherwise be a good time. People like that are a dime a dozen, need to grow the F up, and need to stay away from me until they do grow up. I simply wont waste any more time and energy on that kind of crap.

[MrNexx]

Your game isn't my cup of tea, but, then, I wouldn't cave to him.

[PnP Fan]

To echo others. . . let him go. There seems to be this habit amongst gamers to put up with all kinds of bizarre behavior and rudeness and sometimes hygene problems, just to have a game. The older I get (34 now), the less tolerance I have for this. If he really is a good friend, you can try some kind of compromise, but that doesn't sound like an option for this guy. It's his way or the highway. Two anecdotes:
My high school buddies kicked a guy out for similar sorts of annoying behavior. Y'know what happened? When his friends ditched him, he looked at his life, stopped the drug use, started acting normal, and we took him back after about 6 months.
A couple of years ago I was hosting a game. One of my guests was a malcontent like yours. Very much a control freak (saw him turn an advantage for a character into a disadvantage and nearly kill his brother-in-law's PC). Well, a certain amount of this stuff I can deal with. Then I found out that he's antagonizing the rest of my players before and after the game, OUTSIDE MY FRONT DOOR! Boot to the head. Now he's gone and life is better. My buddies are in a better mood when we game, there's no longer any of the tension he used to cause from his remarks. Life is good. He's ticked off enough people in my gaming circles that no one uses his name anymore! If he comes up in conversation we refer to him as "He who shall not be named." <chuckles to self>
Don't let it get that bad.
Give this guy the boot. Tell him in an honest, and non-hostile way why you aren't inviting him over anymore. He'll be ticked. Oh well. Sounds like what this guy needs is some time away from "tolerance" to get his life strait. Remember, as the DM it's your job to ensure that EVERYONE has a good time. Not to ensure that everyone caters to some jerkwad. Help him grow up, and show him by example why people don't act like jerkwads. Give him the boot.

[Swordguy]

Eh...they make tasers for a reason, you know.

[Were-Sandwich]

Where do you get a hold of Tasers anyway?

[Swordguy]

Army surplus store. Internet. Travelling Taser Salesman (no, seriously).

[Were-Sandwich]

Yeah, but the latter aren't too common in England. The former are, but they don't sell Tasers.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Threats of bodily harm, you say? I believe the solution just got sexy...

Looking everything over, I think I have my answer. I'm going to homebrew a world again, and then claim it's an obscure 2e setting. I'm a writer, damn it, and I really do get my biggest DMing kicks out of creating every tiny facet to the perpetual world. Player generation will be point buy regardless of his whining against it, but at a much-lower 28 points. No free LA, and no gestalt. Players won't even get to choose their first class normally- they're very first level must be in one of the generic classes, and they must spend a minimum of 1 point in a craft, perform, or profession (and their starting gold will reflect a certain number of years utilizing their highest skill, giving the players extra incentive to put good skill points into their favorite). Moreover, every single class is instantly banned from them afterwards unless they find someone to tutor them in the ways of the class they want. Subsequent levels may be in anything they've had at least one level of before, freely. I'm going to include the reputation, honor, taint, sanity, flaw, vitality, action, and armor as DR variants, but am otherwise not homebrewing any rules outside of banning the existence of magical component pouches and forcing any and all spellcasters to thus plan ahead and keep track of regents.

There. A game that's exceedingly complex rules-wise that I'd still like to DM. Now to see if I can find other players interested in this.

[Swordguy]

You're in England? Then you can't have anything that LOOKS as though it may be used like something that looks like it might be used as a weapon.

What was that I heard about a ban on knives? Like, kitchen knives? Heck, I'm surprised tag isn't banned on English playgrounds. Oh...wait:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007060770,00.html

My heart goes out to you. Really.

[Swordguy]

Threats of bodily harm, you say? I believe the solution just got sexy...

Looking everything over, I think I have my answer.

...games full of evil win...

There. A game that's exceedingly complex rules-wise that I'd still like to DM. Now to see if I can find other players interested in this.

It's gonna be funny to watch your players faces when they're told they're forced into taking NPC class levels until they get a tutor...

[Kevka Palazzo]

Threats of bodily harm, you say? I believe the solution just got sexy...

Looking everything over, I think I have my answer....

*stuff stuff stuff*

There. A game that's exceedingly complex rules-wise that I'd still like to DM. Now to see if I can find other players interested in this.

Oh god.....my heart and brain literally collapsed. They simultaneously exploded and imploded when I read that list. That's right, simultaneously.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Yeah, the sanity and taint rules will do that to a player.

I really do think I'm looking forward to this now.

[Gamebird]

I...in MY life, I have ZERO room for guys like that. I used to, and they always end up being a huge drain on what would otherwise be a good time. People like that are a dime a dozen, need to grow the F up, and need to stay away from me until they do grow up. I simply wont waste any more time and energy on that kind of crap.

Ditto. (Plus more characters to equal 10.)

[MrNexx]

Am I the only person who prefers invisible characters to make 10?

[Quietus]

Nope .

[Gamebird]

I didn't know a person could do that. Now that you mention it, sounds easy enough.