DMs are too easy on their players

[Edena_of_Neith]

I hear, constantly, of balance.
Encounters should be balanced. A weary worn down party should be allowed to rest and recover. An adventure should not be overwhelming or underwhelming. Character class abilities should be on a par with each other. Character items should be on a par with each other.

I say: nonsense.

If I were your DM:

- You can count on me to throw encounters at you, and you can count on them to almost never be your CR. Some will be pushovers, some stupendously difficult. How will you know beforehand? You won't, typically.
- So you are beaten down? Out of spells? Low on hit points? Need to rest? I do hope you found a good hiding place or a spell that allows you to hide. Because the entire dungeon is after you, and *they* are not going to wait for you to rest and regain your strength.
- I don't owe it to you to be reasonable. I'm here to KILL your characters ((actually, I'm not, but I must make you *think* I am.)) Get it? KILL them. You better run, better hide! You better figure out how to fight well. You better know your spells. My monsters do!
- You are jealous of that other guy's items or powers? That's unfortunate, because without those items he can't protect your character. I guess I should just take them away, and let you both die, no? And you both WILL die, but at least that's fair. Oh wait ... YOU want the special goodies too? Ok then ... let's PLAY and see if you can get some nice items of your own, then!
- You think that character is of an overpowered class? A broken class? Wait until you see my MONSTERS. Then you will learn what BROKEN means. If you survive, the next monster encounter will be worse!
- I have no intention of ever stopping, ever relenting, ever letting up, until your PCs are dead. I can't be bargained with, I can't be reasoned with, I don't know fear, or pity, and I absolutely will not stop, EVER, until your PCs are dead ((actually, I don't mean that, but I'm going to make it sure look like I do.)) I am the bad guy. I am out to KILL your characters.
- You want to stop and argue amongst yourselves In Character? That's foolish. You can hear each other arguing ... and so can the whole Dungeon. And they wish to join your discussion.
- You wish to waste my time by arguing Out of Character? Didn't we agree we WOULDN'T do that before the game?
- Your evil characters are going to fight? Didn't we agree to suspend disbelief and that the party would cooperate, even though they were evil? They could be evil to everyone but the other PCs?
- No, you CAN'T take a break and rest your PCs, unless you want a TPK. About a billion monsters are after you right now!!!
- I don't want to hear your rules argument. During the next break, we'll discuss it. Right now, we play.
- You made a mistake? You beat my monster with a +39 sword and now you realize that it is actually only +2? Bully for you. I'm glad you found your mistake. No problems. Let's play.

Now, if DMs worked like that, we'd have no more of this balance stuff, envy stuff, jealousy stuff, alignment arguments, or anything such.
Because people DESPERATELY FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES do not have time for such discussions.
And after the game - and their miraculous survival - the players realize that everything (all those items, powers, PrCs, feats, spells, etc.) they brought to the table was needed for victory.

Me: The dragon is coming.
Party: That's a CR 20 encounter! We're CR 5.
Me: Tough.
Party: What do we do?!
Me: (raises eyebrows) Run? Hide? Fight? I do hope you make up your minds quickly ...
Party: It's not balanced!
Me: Would you have preferred the 5 beholders I was considering? You ought to thank your lucky stars it's only a young dragon. Now, you have about 10 seconds to do something, before I rule you lose initiative to said dragon ... 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 ...
Party: Uh ... ok ... we ...
Me: 4, 3, 2 ...
Party: We act out Operation 21! (pre-planned set of actions for just such an emergency.)
Me: Ok. On with the game ...

-

When you are the DM, I am stuck in the boat I put you in. When she is DMing, both you and I are stuck in that boat. But right now I'm DM, we agreed it would be tough before we started, and now you must live (or die) with the situation.

Now why can't more DMs be like that?

 

[Caliban]

*yawn*

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

(grimaces)

I've seen far too many players yawn - actually yawn - in games I was in.
Nobody should have to yawn in boredom in a D&D game.

 

[lukelightning]

Hooray, DM, you've killed all the PCs. You win the game.

 

[Mallus]

Character class abilities should be on a par with each other.

So if we ever play chess you'll spot me a rook?

 

[Rhun]

Personally, I like tough DMs. I can be one myself. My players are warned that any given encounter can be more than they can handle.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

I lose the game, you mean.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

I'm sorry, man, but I'd not play in a game you run (if that's truly how you do things). I play D&D to have fun, not to constantly fight for my character's very survival. I don't expect victory to be handed to me on a silver platter; but I don't think it's very fun to go through 14 characters before getting to level 3.

-TRRW

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

So if we ever play chess you'll spot me a rook?

Yep. Because it's Knightmare Chess all the way, baby. And I got that card that flips the board, and will soon have 2 queens to nail you with.

As Knightmare Chess is, so goes D&D. It's not easy, it's not fair, but ... that's the way it is.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

I'm sorry, man, but I'd not play in a game you run (if that's truly how you do things). I play D&D to have fun, not to constantly fight for my character's very survival. I don't expect victory to be handed to me on a silver platter; but I don't think it's very fun to go through 14 characters before getting to level 3.

-TRRW

It's not fun for you, to have to constantly fight for your character's very survival?

I guess you wouldn't be comfortable in my game ... even though it is most probable your 1st character would have survived to level 3.