I could use some advice

[Henry]

Yeah, that's me.

Aw, now how can someone be mad at a person who uses a kitty-cat as their avatar?

Seriously, I would echo Dr. Midnight's sentiments, but not his language. If your DM will not listen to your arguments, and you do not enjoy the game, then there is no point in playing.

But it certainly can't hurt to give it a try, as you say. But the whole prayer about "God give me the wisdom to change the things I can, to accept the things I can't and have the wisdom to know the difference" is very appropriate advice here. The one thing you have control over in this life is yourself and your own actions. you have the vote - you just have to decide how to cast it.

 

[Storminator]

ForceUser: I'm concerned about the tone of your acquiessence to playing. You'll play, but if it isn't great fun you "have reserved the right to toss the character after a couple of sessions if I dislike it."

To me, this sounds a lot like, "I'll play, but by god I won't like it! And I'm ditching this PC the first chance I get!" Maybe I'm wrong, but it doesn't sound like you're going to be trying to make this game work. And you should. This could be a great chance to break out of your normal gaming routines and try something different.

I find that the making of a 1st level PC is a tiny fraction of the gaming experience. Actually playing a PC adds so much more personality to a character than anything you write up before hand. Relax, give your friend his game, and let it roll. If this turns out to be just one of a series of unacceptable DM practices, reevaluate, but if this is as bad as it gets you'll be fine.

And post a follow up so we know how the game goes.

PS

 

[birdboy2000]

Personally, making a character is part of the fun. I would quit the campaign.

 

[noretoc]

I am in total agreement with Dr. Midnight. Everyone is saying "it isn't all about the DM" Well people, here is a wake-up call for you. If the DM is not having fun, don't expect him to DM. There is a reason we play. It isn't so that all of you can have a reat time, trying to do whatever you want. It is so that we as a group can have a good time. If I am not having a good time as the DM, I can guarantee you won't either. Not on purpose, but that is just the way. How can I make it enjoyable, if it isn't for me.
Now the DM probably has an idea for a game. I have done that lots of times. Some of my best campiagns were when I gave players pre-made characters with histories, and personalaties. The only person to whine was the guy who wanted a drow elf mage, rather than the elven he got. Everyone else looked at it as a great way to try somthing new.
Also I think people were so ready to jump on the "bash a dm" bandwagon, dr midnight took it personal as a DM. Me too. If you don't like the way I run my game, no one says you have to play in it. I am not hurting for players. BTW, what got me going was the guy who said start doing suicidal things with you PC. If you are going to do that, why play. That is a super immature way to deal with things. I would kick that player out for good, from that campaign and all of my games. Let him go find a game in the schoolyard where the children play.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

My 2 cents:

I'm going to agree with the dastardly Dr. Midnight, rapscallion tyrant that he is. Yes, the game is for everyones enjoyment. From what I have seen of the original poster's statements, the others in the group seem okay with the DM's decision.

Look at it from his perspective. He seems to think he's onto a real ripping good idea. The others in the group seem keen to play along. Maybe he doesn't think he should have to change for you. It's the old "tyranny of the majority." Why should HE be the one to bend, when there is apparently just one disenting voice. I don't think he means to hurt your feelings.

You have the option of not playing. You can come in the next time around. I've done this in the past, in gaming and otherwise, when groups of friends were keen on something I had no interest in. Sometimes it's the best way to not spoil their fun with your own lack of enthusiasm.

My suggestion (which seems to be what your doing already): Play the game. It's a chance for you to try something you have never done before. If you get into it, bully for you. If you honestly don't like it, make suggestions. Your opinions will have more oomph if they are backed by a few sessions of giving it a sporting chance. If things don't change to your satisfaction, pull out of the game and say you'll come back next campaign.

Anyway, good luck.

 

[LostSoul]

Originally posted by noretoc Everyone is saying "it isn't all about the DM" Well people, here is a wake-up call for you. If the DM is not having fun, don't expect him to DM.

That is true, but I think that DMs should be willing to compromise. It's not just about the DM; it's about the group as a whole.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Oy

I would say this DM is being extra-tasty-controlling.

I mean, eek. It's one thing to say "Make characters within these parameters," which is fine. It's another to say "I'm making your characters, and if you don't like it, tough luck."

The closest I've come to this is when I introduced about 5 new people to the game in 1 campaign-starting adventure. I wrote up character sheets for them, as it would be infinately quicker than teaching 5 new people to play with 2 PHB's, and not a lot of time. After all, character creation is some of the most tedious work in D&D.

But even then, I provided them with options. I didn't say "You're this." I said "Give 'em a look, and see which ones you would like to play."

I'd do this in the future, too. If I had a great idea like the Ravenloft idea in my head, I'd say "All your characters are farmers on the same farm. Make it work." When the discovery came along, I'd give them their first level randomly, and allow them to take it from there (the character who can read runes may decide they don't want to be a wizard...). The plot can be created according to the player's ideas.

I might suggest certain character types for the plot that comes along (I always suggest a cleric/warrior/wizard/rogue dichotomy). But, in general, I work WITH the players to give them a game we can all enjoy. I don't dictate to them. I don't tell them what they do. I only tell them what they CAN'T do.

I would say try it. And please, post back here on what happens. But judging from your description of him (telling you what your characters do?!), it seems a bit slanted against him. Try it. And, if all else fails, you've got the rest of the character's progression in your hand.

I'd still say it's a very bad idea to tell players what they do. And I've almost never been a player. I just think that, if the majority (the players) aren't entertained, I'm not going to have very much fun. I don't have fun telling my story. I have fun creating it in conjunction with the PC's. If they don't have fun playing through the plot, then I don't have fun telling them what happens -- they are devoid of interest.

When I DM, I always create the plot according to the character's desires. Part of my fun comes from seeing how the characters they have created react to twists in the story, and going with them from there. It's happened that a PC has a "sneaking suspicion" about a nameless NPC I had no interest in, and suddenly they become the big baddie, because I go with the flow. I would never dictate to them. If I decided that that nameless NPC being the big baddie wouldn't work, I would just leave that suspicion unfounded. And I wouldn't force them not to persue it because it didn't fit in with my plot. If their suspicion is great enough, they may waste a lot of time while the real big baddie gains powers.

But, again, give it a try, and report on what he's doing once you have. I still think it's quite over-the-top for him to dictate what you must be, 99%, but I'm welcome to being proven wrong.

 

[Pielorinho]

I once had a cool idea for beginning a campaign. I had three veteran players, and one newbie player. I told the veteran players to create two characters, one of whom didn't need much background but needed to be part of a specific paramilitary organization that worked for the king. The other character could be pretty much whatever they wanted.

The newbie player, I told him to create a character that worked for the paramilitary squad. I didn't let the players talk to one another about the game ahead of time.

The first session of the campaign began in mid-battle: terrible creatures with their claws in the PCs' throats, screaming horses, arrows coming out of nowhere. All the PCs were killed in the battle.

Except for the newbie player's PC. He was knocked unconscious, and woke up hours later in the aftermath of the slaughter. When he made his way to civilization, he met the other PCs.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to use the trick: something went wrong with my planning, and the campaign had a much more prosaic beginning. But when I suggested to my players that they create these two characters, they trusted me.

I suggest, force, that you try trusting your DM here. You might want to let the DM know that you really enjoy being able to affect the storyline, and you really enjoy customizing characters; if he's a good DM, he'll work your desires into the campaign.

But ultimately, DMing is a lot of work, and the majority of the creative work for a campaign generally rests with the DM. If your DM is wanting to try something unusual, it's probably worth a shot. At worst, it'll be a failed experiment; at best, it could be something wonderful and cool.

Daniel

 

[Shadeus]

spoilers for Vecna Lives!

This reminds me of the Vecna Lives! module. You start the players out with the Circle of Eight characters (Bibgy, Otiluke, etc.) and then....they all die immediately! Kind of sets the tone for the whole module. Maybe that's what he's doing here. He's giving you characters already established into the campaign world and you will die a horrible and gruesome death.

Well, it's a thought anyway....

 

[Pielorinho]

Re: spoilers for Vecna Lives!

This reminds me of the Vecna Lives! module. You start the players out with the Circle of Eight characters (Bibgy, Otiluke, etc.) and then....they all die immediately! Kind of sets the tone for the whole module. Maybe that's what he's doing here. He's giving you characters already established into the campaign world and you will die a horrible and gruesome death.

Well, it's a thought anyway....

Good call! I never ran this module, but I bought it back in my 2E days, and I think it was this module's beginning that inspired my idea for a campaign beginning. I wanted to impress on the PCs the scariness of the campaign's major villains.

I'm way for giving DMs leeway to try something unusual. I try weird things myself on occasion as a DM; honestly, a lot of my experiments fall really flat. But I really appreciate my players' patience with me, and occasionally an experiment works, and then it's just grand.

Daniel