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<blockquote data-quote="Ruin Explorer" data-source="post: 8065003" data-attributes="member: 18"><p>This thread is about warning signs though, and those are both totally legit warning signs.</p><p></p><p>DMs who ban a bunch of stuff (esp. races/classes) with poor/no/irrational explanations is a definite warning sign/red flag. A DM who says "In my campaign there are no halflings, because they're just not part of my setting" is fine, but when you have DMs saying "no Tiefling PCs because they're for edgelord losers" or "no Warlocks because they're OP!" (whilst allowing Wizards/Clerics/Druids/etc. lol of course) or just presents you with a big list of "banned" stuff, well then that's like red flashing light and klaxons level of warning signs.</p><p></p><p>Likewise a DM who lets you play a race, but then decided to grief the hell out of you by having NPCs react as if you are a monster, especially without a clear and polite explanation of the issues involved beforehand. Particularly if they clearly enjoy being racist as hell to your character. Bonus "run a mile" points if they actually re-enact "Deep South"-type stuff instead of merely "angry peasants".</p><p></p><p>DMs who are surly/rude about character choices in general are almost always very bad DMs. I mean, surly/rudeness is always a bad sign in a DM, but that's a particularly good warning sign, because if you see a DM actually get rude or angry about say, you even asking about playing certain races/classes, he is almost certainly a completely toxic DM with anger/control issues.</p><p></p><p>Giant lists of house rules in 5E is another good "red flag" for me from a DM, especially if they try to minimize them, or can't explain them rationally. I have met people who have a bunch of house rules and run a good game, but it's usually a highly stylized one with a very specific focus, and they know it, and can explain all their choices. I've come across more people who have a ton of house rules and most of them make no sense, often contradicting each other (sometimes literally, sometimes thematically), or worst but perhaps most common, they have a bunch of house rules to "cover stuff the rules don't", when the rules actually do cover that, often with a near-identical rule, but they clearly don't know that.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ruin Explorer, post: 8065003, member: 18"] This thread is about warning signs though, and those are both totally legit warning signs. DMs who ban a bunch of stuff (esp. races/classes) with poor/no/irrational explanations is a definite warning sign/red flag. A DM who says "In my campaign there are no halflings, because they're just not part of my setting" is fine, but when you have DMs saying "no Tiefling PCs because they're for edgelord losers" or "no Warlocks because they're OP!" (whilst allowing Wizards/Clerics/Druids/etc. lol of course) or just presents you with a big list of "banned" stuff, well then that's like red flashing light and klaxons level of warning signs. Likewise a DM who lets you play a race, but then decided to grief the hell out of you by having NPCs react as if you are a monster, especially without a clear and polite explanation of the issues involved beforehand. Particularly if they clearly enjoy being racist as hell to your character. Bonus "run a mile" points if they actually re-enact "Deep South"-type stuff instead of merely "angry peasants". DMs who are surly/rude about character choices in general are almost always very bad DMs. I mean, surly/rudeness is always a bad sign in a DM, but that's a particularly good warning sign, because if you see a DM actually get rude or angry about say, you even asking about playing certain races/classes, he is almost certainly a completely toxic DM with anger/control issues. Giant lists of house rules in 5E is another good "red flag" for me from a DM, especially if they try to minimize them, or can't explain them rationally. I have met people who have a bunch of house rules and run a good game, but it's usually a highly stylized one with a very specific focus, and they know it, and can explain all their choices. I've come across more people who have a ton of house rules and most of them make no sense, often contradicting each other (sometimes literally, sometimes thematically), or worst but perhaps most common, they have a bunch of house rules to "cover stuff the rules don't", when the rules actually do cover that, often with a near-identical rule, but they clearly don't know that. [/QUOTE]
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