D&D 5E Moral Quandry Over Possible DM Failures?

[BigVanVader]

BigVanVader, I wouldn't mind having a rogue around, the unoptimized monk in the party is... ... ... lawful good.

"Silly Monk, loot is for me. Oh no more Trolls, everybody run!"

That's my character.

 

[SirAntoine]

I think you should give feedback at the end of every session. A good DM will ask for it.

 

[Unwise]

None of the stuff in the OP strike me as issues at all. They would not even appear on my radar.

Few monsters I use are straight from the MM, no magic items I use are from the DMG. They are a starting point and a crutch for making a game. Not using them is in no way breaking the rules, they are not even 'rules'.

As a player, be a player, don't concern yourself with the mechanics of what is happening behind the screen. This is not some computer game that the DM is exploiting or using a hack on. The rules are designed to be messed with and monsters, loot and items are not even rules.

The concern about not being able to learn the standard rules and expectations of the system is a valid one and one I can understand.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I know he's running a 2e module, and perplexed by the array of magic items, I went to go see if they were legacy items, but they're not in the module either.

What is the module?

 

[Kikuras]

Correction on my part, it is 1e, and its 'When a Star Falls'.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Are you having fun? Are the other players having fun?

If the answer to those 2 questions are yes, then I don't see a problem.

However, if either yourself or the other players aren't enjoying the game then I think you need to discuss it with the DM. He can't make changes if he doesn't know that there's an issue.

 

[Gronin]

Like many people have said, did you have fun and more importantly, do you see yourself having fun if the campaign continues this way?
Was everyone else having fun?
If the answer to #1 is yes then you have your answer. If the answer to #1 is no and the answer to #2 is yes, then you are probably out of luck with this group.
If the answer to both is no then you owe it to your DM to talk to him. Maybe talk to your brother in law first as he may have some ideas as to how to approach the DM.

With all that being said -- I feel for you. If this was to be a game to give 5E at test drive then it failed completely. I am a crunchy bits kind of guy and I don't really understand how you can start house ruling a game until you have really taken it out for a run. I have been playing D&D (all editions) since 1977 or 78 (the past is a bit fuzzy), most of it as a DM, and I think I can safely say that I have created my share of house rules, monsters and magic items but I have always tried the rules as written before making wholesale changes.

 

[pemerton]

[MENTION=6790771]Kikuras[/MENTION], your complaints make sense to me. It's a long time (as in, nearly 20 years) since I've played in that sort of style, but it frustrated me then and would still frustrate me now.

That said, I don't think I can give you and moral/etiquette advice other than "be polite about it". Which, from your posts, you already seem to have under control!

Good luck sorting things out one way or another.

 

[BoldItalic]

Regarding magic items, and getting too many that you can't use - that may be a legacy from the style of earlier editions, where you were expected to sell spare ones and use the gold to buy ones you really wanted. Is the DM providing a magic item merchant? If so, it's not a problem, just treat them a "art objects".

The default assumption in 5e is that this doesn't happen - that magic items are so rarely found that there is no buying and selling and it's up to the players to find creative uses for the ones they do get. But that's just the default assumption - there are guidelines in the DMG for what to do if you want to go "old school" and allow trading.

The thinking is, that if a PC really wants a specific type of magic item - the barbarian wants a +1 greataxe and a +1 greatsword just doesn't fit the image - then finding one and winning it can easily become the focus of a whole adventure.

 

[miniaturehoarder]

Well, generally when you are playing, the other side of the screen is not your prerogative and thinking too much about it can take the fun away.

Orcs had higher ACs, and the DM was making up items, both mundane and magical. The deal was sealed when our party of 5 level-3 characters, and a level 2 were pitted against 7 ogres and a troll (and an undead assassin with a 22 AC for three rounds). We survived, barely, with 4 of the ogres fleeing... and each player walked away with 550 XP.

Monsters are not set in stone, the DMG rules make adjusting ACs and HPs easy. It's super helpful when all your orc minis have breastplates. While it's possible the DM doesn't know how carefully this edition weighs damage and AC, it's also possible he adjusted the monsters. Were the orcs swinging greataxes and dealing 1d12+3 damage? (less damage can make up for higher AC CR wise ) Were they taking extra moves via the aggressive ability (aggressive counts as +2 damage a round on determining CR ).

How much damage did each ogre take? Because I know if I was converting a 2E module with multiple ogres, I'd use CR 1 "Half Ogres" (hp 30, 100XP) who work more than close enough for ogres. That would also go a ways to explain why the XP was at the amount it was. 1800 troll + 700 (7 half ogres) + 800 (this high ac undead ) = 3300. 3300 / 6 players = 550. Either that or the DM is ruling foes who get away are not added to the XP (not a popular rule, but I've seen used before ) 1800 (troll) + 600 (3 dead ogres) + (900 (high ac undead.)

Oh BTW, do expect big fights to be regular, 6 players make lone foe fights a cakewalk and the XP encounter budget does account for this and encourages fights with more numerous foes. Your DM might be erring on the side of too many, but that's hard to say depending on how well the players control the battlefield.

To add insult to injury, we had come across a treasure trove (inappropriate for our level), which contained about 16 magic items (very inappropriate considering the general attitude of magic items in 5e), some insanely powerful, some essentially pointless, none were really fitted for the party (my character walked away with 0/16 items due to lack of usefulness),

That sounds like the group needs a better method of treasure division. Also there are no guarantees magic items are tailored to the characters or that they will fit concepts perfectly.

I went to go see if they were legacy items, but they're not in the module either.

If you want to spoil any chance of the thrill of discovery, check the 2E Magic Item Encyclopedia.

So what do I do? I like the DM, he spins a good yarn, and he runs the table well, but there's a distinct break from 5e rules that has got my panties in a bunch.

I think the problem is clear. Your looking through the DMG and modules when you are a player. 4E Hackmaster was tongue in cheek about it, but knowing too much about a game does affect a player just as knowing too much about the tropes of fiction can destroy one's enjoyment of movies.