Rant regarding players of the game that I am in.

[spotmarkedx]

So you guys get to be the recipiant of this rant, since I tend to be fairly non-confrontational as a rule. I like the players in my group, but at times, things can be extremely frustrating to me due to a one of them that complains about my character. Pretty much every game.

So I'll bring this to you to see if my character smells of cheddar.

So my character concept was that of a charismatic holy warrior. As I don't like the roleplaying straitjacket paladin can be, I went cleric instead. Besides, we already had a paladin in the party. Two would have been excessive. I fight single sword (longsword-I'm an elf) so that I can cast spells or turn undead without sheathing my weapon. Also, I can two-hand or hold a light source if I need to. I'm eighth level now, so I do have one of my two fourth-level spells that I have kept as Divine Power. Note that I only have two spells since my wisdom only started at 15. I have power attack. I do not have: quicken spell (though I plan to take this late in the build, around level 15 or 18), persistant spell, any form of divine metamagic, shock trooper, leap attack. I have the sun and fire domains (since my other options were law and good). If in melee with my spells up, I generally dish out hits that hover in the mid twenties. I do cast what strength buffs I can on the other characters that like to mix it up in melee (bull's strength, crown of might).

Personally, I think the character is effective, but not gouda prime. I am likely the best melee damage dealer in the party, as the other two melee-ists have gone sword-and-board, so don't get as much use out of their power-attack, and I currently have a better magic weapon than either of them. So if either of them were complaining, I might not be coming to you, knowledgable OOTS forum members.

However, the person that is the most vocal about complaining every time combat starts? He's the wizard. Now he is playing an evoker, so he isn't the full batman that he could be, but between free empowering and maximizing his spells (from a metamagic rod and sudden maximize feats), he regularly does obscene amounts of damage with his own spells. I can think of fights that were won or all-but-won with a single spellblast.

Not that I have actually any problem with that, I just sometimes feel like I should start complaining about his damage output in retaliation for his constant whining about mine. Considering the fact that, in the last battle, it would take about 4 rounds of full-attacks, not missing once, to equal the first non-defensive spell he cast? I dont think I'd be too out of line

Anyway, I just needed to get that out of my system in a way that doesn't involve me blowing up or walking out of an otherwise fun game.

[Dervag]

Why not just say something like:

"Dude, you're doing as much damage as the rest of us put together. I mean, look at how your first shot smashed up that last bunch of monsters. We'd be toast without you."

Would that actually start a fight?

[spotmarkedx]

Huh... I have tried alluding to such, but I haven't stated it in quite that fashion. Usually any forays in that direction only have a temporary effect, but maybe being a bit more blatant would have the desired permanancy.

[Zincorium]

Huh... I have tried alluding to such, but I haven't stated it in quite that fashion. Usually any forays in that direction only have a temporary effect, but maybe being a bit more blatant would have the desired permanancy.

Some people have DR 15/bluntness. If you can't talk openly to this guy (and I'm presuming you're friends of some variety) get someone who he trusts a bit more to act as an intermediary.

Either way, he thinks that there's something askew here, and just because you don't think there's anything to the damage argument, that's where you'll have to start.

[Roderick_BR]

What? Your character is far from being overpowered. You can keep up with the party while buffing everyon else, and the wizard is complaining? Just tell him straight: "My character is not broken. Can you please stop bothering me? It's getting in the way of the flow of the game." If he doesn't stop, complain to the DM.

Finally, if it all fail, try using Divine Power/Divine Favor/Righterous Might, and if you have, Divine Might and Divine Shield. And that's a *very* basic cheese, without persist or DMM metamagic, to show him how a true broken build works. Or just show him the teoretical build.

[Burley]

I actually fall into the same boat as you, quite a bit. I'm not a min-maxer by any means, but my character concepts always end up being extremely useful. My best friend plays a lot of Druids, and I play a lot of arcane caster variety stuff, like the Warlock.
After he complained that my Warlock was way more powerful than his Druid and that I should make a new character, I challenged him to a character bout. If I won, I'd change characters. If he won, he had to shut up.
I won initiative and threw everything I had at him (One Eldritch Blast...). He killed me in the next round with a swift wild-shape Dire Lion pouncing full attack.
Sometimes showing somebody how great they are is the best way to show them how much they suck...

[Solaris]

Your evoker-playing friend sounds like he wants to be the end-all, be-all with no competition in the party. Don't be so passive about his being a whiner. Be assertive (and I'm not saying be a jerk, as tact is generally a useful thing if you're not me and actually want to continue hanging out with these people) and let 'im know in no uncertain terms that A: Quit complaining about your character and look to his if he's so concerned about competition, B: It's okay for the evoker to have a smidgeon of competition in delivering damage to the opposition, honest, and C: It's D-and-freakin'-D, a game wherein the only competition is between the players and the monsters, it's not real, and really, truly, and deeply not worth irritating a buddy over some characters in the game.
If that last fails, maybe this guy needs a good, healthy dose of fresh air, sunshine, and (figurative) boot to head. The grand scheme of things is always a good thing to look at, after all.

[Solo]

Kill his character.

Alternatively, remake your character to be a walking gouda wagon. Then kill his character.

Alternatively, retire your character and build Batman. Then kill his character

After you're done sacking his cities and salting his farm fields, tell him that he shouldn't be an arse and complain about the second most effective member of the party, damage dealing wise, and start viewing himself as part of a team rather than Blasty McBlaster Extraordinare and Somewhat Less Awesome Friends.

Then bring your old characters back and continue on the path to adventure.

[Solaris]

Ooh. I like that idea better. Sure, it proves him right, but the sheer joy of wiping out a whinerchar overwhelms any qualms about that. Do what must be done. Do not hesitate, and show no mercy.

[Solo]

Ooh. I like that idea better. Sure, it proves him right, but the sheer joy of wiping out a whinerchar overwhelms any qualms about that. Do what must be done. Do not hesitate, and show no mercy.

All his base will belong to you.

[spotmarkedx]

Kill his character.

I am glad that my mug of water was on the way to my mouth, and not in the process of depositing water into my mouth at the time that I read this. Otherwise I think my keyboard would be drenched.

I appreciate the suggestions too. I guess I wanted assurance that I wasn't actually in the wrong before taking the next step forward.

[Solo]

Re-read my post for more inspiration.

Anyways, the angel on my shoulder (who, for some reason, now looks like my girlfriend) advises me to tell you that you had best have a heart to heart with the wizard player about what is wrong before challenging him to a magical duel and killing his character, pillaging his lands, and hearing the lamentations of his women.

For great justice.

[Fiery Diamond]

I DM. I have a cleric in my group much more powerful than you - and he's 7 level. I agree with the above posters - just tell him that his complaints are making things less fun.

-Fiery Diamond

[Citizen Joe]

Print up a business card with the address of the character optimization boards over at Wizards (or even here). On the back print that picture of the kobold killing an ogre. The next time he complains just slide the card over to him. Next, print up a card with some of that 4chan stuff or two girls and a cup or some such address and slide that to him if he complains again at the next session.

[MorkaisChosen]

Explain to him all the cheeses you haven't used.

You know, Camembert, Brie, Cheddar, Camemdog...

Seriously, though, tell him all the stuff you haven't used. I'm not much of an optimiser (my feat choices tend to work on "Hey Cool!" and "Yeah, that fits the concept" rather than anything else...), but I'm sure you can tell him a few nasty tricks you aren't using.

[Azerian Kelimon]

Show him TLN's batman guide, and say this one thing: "You didn't take the path to ultimate pwnzorzizing with the most broken and abusable class, so don't complain just because I'm semi good and you feel your manlyness/femininity is threatened."

[Solo]

Show him TLN's batman guide, and say this one thing: "You didn't take the path to ultimate pwnzorzizing with the most broken and abusable class, so don't complain just because I'm semi good and you feel your manlyness/femininity is threatened."

And then kill him, right?

I DM. I have a cleric in my group much more powerful than you - and he's 7 level. I agree with the above posters - just tell him that his complaints are making things less fun.

-Fiery Diamond

Why do people feel the need to leave their name at the end of a message? So we'll know who posted it?

As if your user name by your post wasn't enough of an indication... seriously, it's unnecessary and totally pointless.

-Solo

[MorkaisChosen]

And then kill him, right?

Solo seems to have taken the character of his avatar to heart...

[Ascension]

Why do people feel the need to leave their name at the end of a message? So we'll know who posted it?

As if your user name by your post wasn't enough of an indication... seriously, it's unnecessary and totally pointless.

-Solo

Once, long ago, there was a thing called a letter, and when it ended, people would sign it. Online signatures of all sorts are, in some manner, living relics of past forms of communication. I doubt it's a quest for name recognition so much as it is an attempt to be well mannered in the manner of our forefathers.

[Azerian Kelimon]

Plus, people like the thrill of having a double signature. It makes them feel PWNer than joo.

And of course, it makes them feel like murderous users of hadokens. Just to appeal to Alone.

[Twin2]

You could for arguments sake switch character sheets with him for a day (assurances being given before had neither of you will be an ******* and do something stupid to each others chars) and let him see first hand how broken he is compared to you blasting the **** out of everything that gets in your way with his character.

Or as solo said kill him, then muti class into a necromancer, piss on his corpse, then raise it as your undead slave. Win win really.

[mostlyharmful]

You're an elf, using a one handed weapon, without quicken spell, persist spell or DMM? You're playing a subpar cleric and getting whined at? Usually I'm not in the bloodthirsting, killcrazed contingent but mayhap this is a good time to get diabolically solo on his ass. Or alternately ask for a one off PC standin from your DM, proceed with the most obnoxious cheese you can distil from the charOP and then whine at him that his PC didn't pull its weight. And then stabbity death!!

[Azerian Kelimon]

You mean, an epic Pun-Pun that has the whole H. I. V. E. and omnificer schtick which beats you using DIPLOCHEESE?

[mostlyharmful]

You mean, an epic Pun-Pun that has the whole H. I. V. E. and omnificer schtick which beats you using DIPLOCHEESE?

Ok, maybe not quite that extreme, enough to bend the game into a horseshoe without being so much it becomes completely unrecognizable as such. Say buying nightsticks and or using the hidiousness of the poly line, rather than just buying candles of invocation and dust of sneezing and choking

[Solo]

Solo seems to have taken the character of his avatar to heart...

I mean kill his character. Of course. That is exactly what I meant to say. Undoubtedly.

Or as solo said kill him, then muti class into a necromancer, piss on his corpse, then raise it as your undead slave. Win win really.

I never said that... but I'll take credit for it anyways.

[Raiser Blade]

Why do people feel the need to leave their name at the end of a message? So we'll know who posted it?

As if your user name by your post wasn't enough of an indication... seriously, it's unnecessary and totally pointless.

-Solo

Tell that to EE.

~Raiser_B1ade