D&D 5E What to do with DM issues?

[Uller]

If it were a consistent thing where the DM bends the rules in favor of the monsters I might get miffed enough to consider leaving the group or at least talk to the DM about it. It would depend on how much is it impacting the group's fun

 

[Mishihari Lord]

I expect Tony will end up with a pile of XP because he gave the exactly right answer on the very first reply. That said, it doesn't hurt to ask after the game. The DM will probably say "this is how they work in my campaign," but there's also a chance he just made a mistake and if so should appreciate a heads up.

The only possible legitimate gripe in this situation is if there's inconsistency and the monsters act significantly different in different encounters without a legitimate reason. You should be able to do better against particular monsters by learning about them from experience.

 

[mafioso420]

Thanks everyone!

 

[was]

...I wouldn't say a thing. Altering monsters, and creating new ones, in order to challenge the pcs is the DM's job.

...On the other hand, trying to master beast statistics tends to lead to meta-gaming and is generally frowned upon. I am not saying that you would, but it is a serious temptation.

...Meta-gaming usually refers to pcs acting on monster knowledge they do not have, but the player knows from experience.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I don't agree with the "don't ever say anything" advice. I DM probably 75% of the time, and I am not always right on a rule. My players know that if there's a potential mistake, to let me know right away. The key again goes back to how you handle it. If everyone acts like an adult, these become non issues. In this case the answer might be "Oh, you're right. My bad" to "Yeah, but they seemed nerfed to me like that, so I changed it up to fit the adventure better." Either way, you move on

 

[was]

If everyone acts like an adult, these become non issues.

...extremely well stated...

 

[Ahrimon]

Possibly a mistake, possibly by design. My question would be was the fight fun and challenging? If the answer is yes then what are you worried about? As someone who is a bit OCD on the rules I can tell you that thinking that the DM is required to follow the MM stat blocks 100% without changes, whether planned, on the fly, or by mistake, will lead to being so frustrated with a game that it's not fun anymore. Let it go and enjoy.

 

[Ristamar]

I don't agree with the "don't ever say anything" advice. I DM probably 75% of the time, and I am not always right on a rule. My players know that if there's a potential mistake, to let me know right away. The key again goes back to how you handle it. If everyone acts like an adult, these become non issues. In this case the answer might be "Oh, you're right. My bad" to "Yeah, but they seemed nerfed to me like that, so I changed it up to fit the adventure better." Either way, you move on

I agree with this, but I think it's often better to wait until after the session is over to mention/discuss any perceived discrepancies unless it's directly related to a PC's skill or ability. I expect the players to know when I misinterpret the effects of their character's actions. Monsters and NPCs are a bit more nebulous.

 

[Mallus]

By all means mention it (politely). Maybe it was a unintentional; an error.

But be prepared to hear back: "I meant to do that". And if you do, accept it graciously.

 

[Sunseeker]

I wouldn't mind if a player said something like "Isn't that ability limited to 30 feet?". As a DM, I do mess up on occasion and have no problem admitting a mistake.

If I have modified a monster for one reason or another, my response may be "Normally yes, but this one seems to be able to reach 70 feet."

If a player continuously questions my actions as a DM, that is a separate issue which would be dealt with as appropriate.

This is basically how I roll. Since I customize a lot of monsters or outright create them of whole cloth, sometimes a stock MM monster seems to be able to do things the book says it can't. Sometimes players will say "doesn't that also do X?" or "shouldn't that only do X?" in which case the answer is "yes, in normal circumstances, but this is not a normal member."

But such questions are different than challenging the DMs authority to make such changes.