When the GM gips you (a rant)

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Kill the DM and take his stuff.

 

[delericho]

Here's where things get interesting: 3rd level warriors trying to hit rolling kegs miss with a 7... no explaination beyond 'there were penalties'. I can deal with this, as there might have been some wierd magic going on that my character may not be aware of.

It gets to be the head NPC's turn. His action: toss a 9D6 FIREBALL igniting the area, undead, barrels, and two characters who were in melee at the time (one of which died, but admittedly my plan might have killed him too).

This sounds very much like you're playing with a DM who is combining a showboating streak with a DMPC. Either is cause for me to say, "sorry, this game's not for me."

I suggest you give it another couple of sessions, and if the Gunmage isn't rapidly relegated to the status of supporting cast, walk. (You could try talking to the DM, but I've found this seldom works with this type of DM, as they generally see nothing wrong with what they're doing.)

 

[Vocenoctum]

Honestly, if I were the DM, I would have let it have worked regardless of the die roll, simply because it was a very clever idea.

I agree here, it should have been easy, if not automatic for this to work, just for fun.

IMO, the DM saw a clever showey solution and took it away from the PC's and put it firmly in the hands of his EgoPC. I've seen it done before.

The really funny part to me, is that the Cavalier had to run into the bar, and BUY the stuff.


(And, for the record, a DMPC is just another PC that is run by the DM, he doesn't do anything more than the other PCs do. The object of this is obviously an EgoPC, a character from the DM's past that he's using to make himself look bigger and better.)

 

[FCWesel]

Could this GM have been thinking that a barrel laying on its side (to roll) would thus be "prone", which is harder for a ranged attack to hit?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

But Dexterity and dodge bonuses to AC are not the same as having a fast or slow land speed, correct?

Correct. Especially since those barrels don't move under their own power. They have no control over their movement. It's just a simple matter of accounting for the very predictable movement. Should not be more than +2, if it's even that.

Haste doesn't increase your base speed, but it does make you move faster.

It increases your speed. Not your base speed maybe (it's enhancement bonus as far as I know), but that's just technicalities.

So a hasted creature will be able to react faster. The barrel will not be able to react faster. Or at all.

Edit - Oh, and before someone reads too much into what I said, you aren't a terrible person if you think it should be equally as easy to hit stationary kegs as it is to hit moving kegs.

It may be harder, but not that much. Surely nowhere near the difference of attacking an immobile target and attacking a life target that moves how it pleases, moving by itself.

Yes, the barrels move. But they won't jump out of the way, they won't rush ahead so the arrows fall short.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Barrels rolling down a cobblestone street wouldn't be THAT predictable, in my limited experience.

 

[werk]

This is eating away at me, so if I rant here I can let it go.

Let it out...just let it all out. I don't think you are ranting enough.


Maybe I can help...

Where does a DM get the audactiy to show up a fresh cast of PCs that aren't even grouped up yet with his stupid glory-hog DMPCs?!? First off, it's not very hard for a 9th level anything to show up 3rd level individuals, nothing impressive about that. Secondly, if he wants to TRULY impress you, he'd make a great game that ran well, in which everyone had an amazing time and said "WOW, what a great DM he is!"...that was not the case, it seems he hasn't figured out that, as DM, he's no longer a player. It seems that he thinks he is the master player, or super player, rather than DM. Once again, if a 6th grader beats up a 1st grader, he's not tough or cool, he's an ass. Thirdly, THE EGO ON THIS GUY! Next session, before anything, I'd ask him to recap the events from the previous game. If his story is all details about the NPCs, bad guys, and his DMPC heroics...just give up and walk out, he's playing with himself.


Hope that helps!

 

[IcyCool]

Like I said, I certainly would have imposed a +2 penalty (or bonus to AC). Even so, the roll that Storyteller01 made would have hit, given my ruling. Either the DM decided there were more penalties/bonuses, or he just wanted his DMPC to win the day. Without any further information, I would fall on the side of the DM's ruling rather than DMPC desires. But as Storyteller01 wanted to vent, that's neither here nor there.

 

[IcyCool]

Barrels rolling down a cobblestone street wouldn't be THAT predictable, in my limited experience.

Full of liquid, no less. But then again, that's what the "DM's helper" is for. One DM might decide that they are just as easy to hit as stationary targets, and so apply no modifier. Another might decide differently. If I were Storyteller01, I'd be less upset about that ruling and more upset about the fact that a (supposedly friendly) NPC fireballed my allies.

 

[papakee]

A couple of options

a. Ask the NPC in character for some Gold to raise dead the 3rd level allies he killed ... this could lead to some interesting roleplay and may explain some things

b. Since he is not a PC, diplomacy would work on him, right? Maybe change him to 'friendly' to the party