When the campaign goes sideways

[Maglubiyet]

You show up to game night to find that your anthropomorphic llama druid has been soul drained. His corpse has been sheared and branded with a series of unknown runes with a slight purple glow. No prelude, no warning, no explanation.

Okay, so the adventuring life is tough...things happen, right? Time to bring in your other character you initially started the campaign with, a kobold (not dragonwrought) sorcerer. Nevermind that was on the other side of the world. He receives a package containing a wool scarf dyed with the same mysterious runes. He has a waking vision during a banquet where a half-blue dragon giant serpent reveals that the scarf contains your other character's soul.

We're in an oasis on the edge of a dust sea, more of an island really. Pack animals with padded feet drag sledges across the dust -- foot travel is too dangerous. There are no caravans leaving or arriving any time soon, so we're stuck for the time being. Anyway, this is fairly low level, everyone's under 5th. We were in the middle of helping the pasha's nephew gather a series of family heirlooms for his bride's dowry. Clearing a couple of old tombs, nothing unusual.

So...do we allow the druid to be mulched for the pasha's royal gardens, a sign of courtesy to our host in this desert? Or preserve his corpse to re-implant the soul? Is this a side quest? Or a message from the GM that he doesn't like the character? Only one other player atm, playing a human barbarian. Our mage's player had to leave the country for a few months on business.

No explanations to be found. Life is weird. So is RP.

[Lurkmoar]

Did you talk to your DM about this?

I'd say drag the body around, it's preserved so it won't decompose and get all nasty. And you have the soul, now you just need to find a way to reimplant it.

[Keltest]

I think the appropriate response is to confront your DM OOC about killing your character without provocation, in game or out, or a save. If you don't mind playing the quest and he asked you about it, that's different, but you NEVER want to tell the players "Sorry, I randomly decided you cant do that in between sessions without telling you. Suck it up."

[Maglubiyet]

I think the appropriate response is to confront your DM OOC about killing your character without provocation, in game or out, or a save.

Yeah, I did that with unsatisfactory results. I usually run my own games, but joined with these guys on a whim to see life from the other side.

I didn't know any of them before this. Sort of amusing. Sort of...

[Lacco]

Yeah, I did that with unsatisfactory results.

What were the results if I may ask...?

Basically, from GM point of view it may seem that he tries to make it more "personal" for you, maybe to push the story forward by giving you set of clues... certainly, he picked a rather strange method to do this...

Second idea? It will end with "...and you wake up from the strange dream where you were a kobold...!"

[nedz]

Does your Kobold know your Llama ?
Does he even care about the Llama even if he does ?
How does he travel halfway across the world, at level 5 ?
For that matter: how does he even know where to go ?

This sounds like the DM has derailed his own game and requires you to metagame to fix it ?

I don't know what to suggest - you could just have the kobold burn the mysterious scarf, I mean: why not ?
Or simply sell it ?

[Maglubiyet]

What were the results if I may ask...?

Basically, from GM point of view it may seem that he tries to make it more "personal" for you, maybe to push the story forward by giving you set of clues... certainly, he picked a rather strange method to do this...

Second idea? It will end with "...and you wake up from the strange dream where you were a kobold...!"

Yeah, it seems obvious there's some sort of agenda, though I have no idea what it is. Cryptic answers, sneaky smiles...jackass type stuff.

Does your Kobold know your Llama ?
Does he even care about the Llama even if he does ?
How does he travel halfway across the world, at level 5 ?
For that matter: how does he even know where to go ?

This sounds like the DM has derailed his own game and requires you to metagame to fix it ?

I don't know what to suggest - you could just have the kobold burn the mysterious scarf, I mean: why not ?
Or simply sell it ?

No, the kobold is only level 2, and he never met the llama. No idea how he made it to the middle of the desert. The missing player wasn't around when I started, but he had played earlier with the mage. The DM said I should make a different character when he came back (can't have two arcane spellcasters I guess?) I made the llama sort of as a protest to losing my kobold.

Maybe the DM really likes having exactly one arcane spellcaster - no more, no less.

I like the idea of burning the scarf! Even better, the kobold should smoke it.

[Lord Loss]

said I should make a different character when he came back

This is where the warning bells started going off in my head.

I'd be very leery of continued play with this DM. In my view, any number of casters is acceptable in a party, also, it's not the DM's place to limit a player's choice in character unless he has some very good reasons to do so (i.e, setting flavor doesn't permit said classes, optimized character is ruining the fun of the whole party) and even then it's best handled very respectfully, with compromise in mind, preferably before the beginning of the game (when possible).

[Keltest]

This is where the warning bells started going off in my head.

I'd be very leery of continued play with this DM. In my view, any number of casters is acceptable in a party, also, it's not the DM's place to limit a player's choice in character unless he has some very good reasons to do so (i.e, setting flavor doesn't permit said classes, optimized character is ruining the fun of the whole party) and even then it's best handled very respectfully, with compromise in mind, preferably before the beginning of the game (when possible).

Indeed. I would speak to the DM about it, and tell him he can either make clear to you exactly what his plans for your character are and why he did what he did, or youre just gone. No gaming is better than bad gaming, and this sounds like its descending very swiftly towards bad gaming.

[Maglubiyet]

Indeed. I would speak to the DM about it, and tell him he can either make clear to you exactly what his plans for your character are and why he did what he did, or youre just gone. No gaming is better than bad gaming, and this sounds like its descending very swiftly towards bad gaming.

I'd have to agree with you here; I'm very tempted not to go back. Nothing makes any sense in-game, which bugs me from a continuity standpoint. And just flat-out refusing to explain anything is the sign of a some form of personality disorder.

I was hoping my first foray into being a player in many many years would go better. Ah well... :(

[Alcibiades]

Might just be an inexperienced DM?
Based on what I'm reading, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. If you confronted him about it and he didn't explicitly say he had objections to your character, he probably didn't or he's just a total jerk0. The scarf set-up and the secrecy about it just feels like an obvious side-quest excuse to be used at a later date. A bit ham-fisted, I'd say, but not necessarily malicious.
You could also read the request to roll up a different character when the mage gets back in that context; maybe he's just planning on having your llama resurrected by then but wants to be sneaky about it.

[nedz]

I'd have to agree with you here; I'm very tempted not to go back. Nothing makes any sense in-game, which bugs me from a continuity standpoint. And just flat-out refusing to explain anything is the sign of a some form of personality disorder.

I was hoping my first foray into being a player in many many years would go better. Ah well... :(

Do go back — if only to smoke the scarf. Now this doesn't make any sense but who knows, it might work ? It should be worth it to see the DMs reaction

[Kajorma]

Is anthropomorphic llama something that remotely fits in the setting?

I could see a GM saying to himself, "well, I've had enough of this nonsense."

But of course, you should be able to expect him to communicate about it out of game. If the silliness of your character is detracting from the mood and flow of the story, then I'd say it's fine to give it the ban-hammer, but he needs to be able to talk to you about it.

Alternately, if there's a story-driven reason for this (like going murder mystery or something) then there's a good chance that he doesn't want to give out any out of character hints. That's fine and all, but again, he needs to communicate with his players.

[Sith_Happens]

I like the idea of burning the scarf! Even better, the kobold should smoke it.

Do this, then start having your kobold start doing whatever it is he'd be doing now that he's on his own. Do not have him suddenly decide out of nowhere that he should really go find his old party and start hanging with them again. Watch the DM squirm as he has to either run two entirely separate campaigns at once or take a hatchet to the table's suspension of disbelief for the sake of building train tracks from you to the party.

...Is what I would suggest. But that would be wrong.

[Maglubiyet]

Is anthropomorphic llama something that remotely fits in the setting?

I could see a GM saying to himself, "well, I've had enough of this nonsense."

But of course, you should be able to expect him to communicate about it out of game. If the silliness of your character is detracting from the mood and flow of the story, then I'd say it's fine to give it the ban-hammer, but he needs to be able to talk to you about it.

Yes, I admit I initially made the llama for silliness (his name is Al Pakka) as a form of protest. Holy cow, I am the "problem" player! Although he has grown into an interesting character and I don't play him for laughs. Maybe it's residual silliness that the DM is trying to squash. He could've said something at any time, though.

Do this, then start having your kobold start doing whatever it is he'd be doing now that he's on his own. Do not have him suddenly decide out of nowhere that he should really go find his old party and start hanging with them again. Watch the DM squirm as he has to either run two entirely separate campaigns at once or take a hatchet to the table's suspension of disbelief for the sake of building train tracks from you to the party.

There really is no motivation for the kobold to even care about the llama. Selling the scarf would be perfectly in character, I would think. Or smoking it in hopes to gain "mystic visions" or something.

[Kajorma]

Yes, I admit I initially made the llama for silliness (his name is Al Pakka) as a form of protest. Holy cow, I am the "problem" player! Although he has grown into an interesting character and I don't play him for laughs. Maybe it's residual silliness that the DM is trying to squash. He could've said something at any time, though.

Yeah. It's unfortunate when people can't simply talk out what's bothering them.
You may try specifically asking him about it. IMO, more knowledge and more communication is always better. If nothing else you'd at least know where he's coming from. Maybe the two of you could work something out where you can still play Al (heh heh), but you agree to tone down the silliness somewhat.

[Maglubiyet]

Yeah. It's unfortunate when people can't simply talk out what's bothering them.
You may try specifically asking him about it. IMO, more knowledge and more communication is always better. If nothing else you'd at least know where he's coming from. Maybe the two of you could work something out where you can still play Al (heh heh), but you agree to tone down the silliness somewhat.

I wish I could talk it over -- I've definitely tried. Now I've sort of been forced into resorting to passive protests because direct questions don't get any response beyond a cryptic smile. The guy is a little socially "off", which is okay, but sometimes maddening to deal with.

I'm still looking for that sweet spot where I can convey what I want and understand what he wants and we can all still have fun. It's increasingly looking like it may be a fruitless endeavor, unfortunately.

[Hawkstar]

I wish I could talk it over -- I've definitely tried. Now I've sort of been forced into resorting to passive protests because direct questions don't get any response beyond a cryptic smile. The guy is a little socially "off", which is okay, but sometimes maddening to deal with.

I'm still looking for that sweet spot where I can convey what I want and understand what he wants and we can all still have fun. It's increasingly looking like it may be a fruitless endeavor, unfortunately.

So call him out on being a complete ****. Aggressive protests, not passive protests, are in order - in front of the group if he won't communicate out-of-game.

[Maglubiyet]

Just a follow-up for anyone who's interested -- this campaign is dead in the water. The other (active) player and I talked about it and he is also fed up with the GM's weirdly passive-aggressive non-communication style. He told me he already told the GM that he' s not going back to that game.

I called the GM and was like, "so..." and he cut me off and told me that this campaign "is not going to work out". It was a short call, but even so he seemed angry and subtly accusatory. I don't like games and beating around the bush, if you've got something to say I prefer you get it out. He wouldn't give me any more info, though, even with my prompts. So I just thanked him for opportunity to play in his game and that was that.

So I guess we'll never know why my llama was sheared and magically branded...some secrets, it seems, are meant to last.

[Segev]

So I guess we'll never know why my llama was sheared and magically branded...

For shere drama was the llama sheared and branded just as the bad guy planned it.