Ever benched a GM?

[Keeper of Secrets]

Feedback is essential. Some of these posts demonstrate that. I realize this may sound easier than it is but you have - at its worst - situations where people are playing games they hate because they don't want to hurt the GM's feelings or because the GM is a friend OR you have situations where there is a decent GM who could change but as is, is ruining a good game OR people getting angry/frustrated and leaving.

You HAVE to tell your GM what is going on if there are problems (too tough, not tough enough, pet NPCs, pet PCs, etc.) I don't want to say 'no sympathy if you don't' but there has to be a certain amount of player initiative.

I think this topic is one of about ten that pops up every few months (and will do so for years). The best resolution is to do SOMETHING about it, even if it ends up being kind of painful.

 

[Palantir]

Code? CODE? What the bloody hell does that mean???

Avast ye code-followin' swabs! The Code is more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules. ;-)

No, we have never kicked out a sitting DM. The one group I played with for about three years had only one switch, and that was me stepping down for reasons of burnout. The new DM did a fine job, for his first time, although I do admit to a little politicking, as there was another who wanted the job. We were all friends, so telling the DM to have a seat in front of the screen just wasn't feasible.

So, no, we've never unseated a DM, but we (I?) have kept one from starting.

 

[Piratecat]

At this point I am not sure what I am going to do.

Yeek. That is touchy, you're right. I think I'd tell her that I love her but she's doing it again, and she should be sure that it's something she's doing on purpose instead of just out of habit. At least that way she knows you still want the game to be fun, instead of feeling like a failure when it collapses on her as it will inevitably do otherwise.

I can't believe I'm advocating a DM intervention.

 

[Zandy]

The thing is that over the years we have told her that we don't like it when she brings in NPCs that is one of her major weakness. Because it has never failed they become these super powerful characters that just overshadow the PCs.

Very simply state to her that the game can't have any uber-NPCs. If the DM has NO NPCs in the game that actually travel with the group, this should be eliminated. If she "accidentally" includes one, you will all reserve the right to immediatly stop the game and tell her so she can fix it.

My group occasionally played Dark Conspiracy years ago. In a continuing campaign, one guy had this great idea for an adventure. Although he had never DM'ed before, we let him go for it. He turned his regular PC into a cyborg killing machine. We all sat stunned as the story was completed around us with no input from any of our PCs.

We still give him a hard time after almost 6 years. Needless to say, he decided he is much happier just playing.

 

[scruffygrognard]

Our group benched a killer DM who twisted rules to always screw the players and aid the NPCs/villains in the game.

To play a spellcaster or rogue was to have your class abilities/spells nerfed whenever the DM felt you were getting too much bang for your buck.

NPCs were always ornery... ALWAYS. Barkeeps were surly and quick to take offense and interparty interactions were an unwelcome distraction for the DM.

At one point the party's LN monk was heavy-handedly forced to undertake a killer quest for his order (monks serving St. Cuthbert) or be quested to do so against his will. In the meanwhile this player faithfully performed EVERY other task the order sent him on and donated EVERY gold piece he ever got to that order (without taking Vow of Poverty and getting any benefit for doing so).

None of us were having fun and we rebelled (though there was 1 dove who didn't feel his expulsion from the DM chair was necessary). The DM left the group entirely and we continued merrily on... until other ugly events threatened to disband the group.

That is another story however.

 

[XO]

I've benched myself, away from a group. It really was another DM's group, and the players were fine, but I joined the group as player and co-chair. Made up a character fitting their then current level.

My "honorable" colleague first ran us through "The Speaker in Dreams". We had a good time and all, BUT someting was amiss: the rewards were, shall we say, scarce. Very scarce. Once we had done away with the problematic influences (I shall say no more to prevent spoliage) and the adventure was finished, I decided to read the module. I listed a solid page of stuff our group did not get. Fine. His DMing style may differ from mine.

So I ran the group through my first adventure. Things were going fine: we laughed so hard we often cried. Once the game was finished, the other DM unilaterally removed ALL treasures from other PCs. Without mentioning it to me... (btw, the encounters and take were perfectly in tune with the normal treasure allotments... Before their removal, anyway ).

I quit. Obviously, my co-DM or revolving chair was incapable of sharing control. He applied much 2E to the game still, and had no strong grasp of 3E (which is the edition all parties had settled on). Admitedly, I "escaped" using the "new responsibilities at work / no more time" excuse...

 

[BlackMoria]

Elf Witch, sounds like you got a 'Mary Sue' DM....the campaign is all about their own private fantasy about their characters, not the stories of the characters in the party.

My suggestion - just be frank. Tell her (hopefully with the backing of the other players) that you like campaigns in which everyone gets to tell their story, not just her pet NPCs. Make it clear that you would like to play in her campaign but only if there is no NPCs or other 'pets' that will overshadow the group. And if any pet NPCs start showing up and stealing the limelight, that you will walk...

So, upfront, she knows what the consequences are if she slips back into old habits.

 

[Sejs]

"We like gaming with you, and we respect your abilities as a GM and as a world builder. You're our friend and nothing will change that.

However, just as a warning, if at any point in the future another center-stage, spotlight-holding, pet uber npc joins the party we will turn on it like a pack of starving dogs on a pork chop. And nobody wants that."

 

[Pbartender]

So have you guys ever benched a GM?
and what was the offense?

Yes.

Monthly TPK's.
Never a clue as to what we should be doing.

The game consisted of us wandering around aimlessly and dying.
We played for 8 months, and our average party level never increased, due to level loss resulting from character deaths (and re-creation, resurrection, or reincarnation).

 

[Henry]

..."However, just as a warning, if at any point in the future another center-stage, spotlight-holding, pet uber npc joins the party we will turn on it like a pack of starving dogs on a pork chop. And nobody wants that."

Sejs, thank you for brightening a hectic day a little.