GM Authority (Edited For Clarity, Post #148)

[tetrasodium]

Well, the RL negotiation happened pretty much the way I laid it out in my OP.

That much was clear when you made this response touting your greatness when presented with this great advice to a fairly similar situation. I've said multiple times that I have zero tolerance for allowing FR stuff in my eberron games, but that line is drawn after I take the time to point my players to all the "cool naughty word" in my world that might scratch their itch with a few tweaks to their concept. You might not have planned for an unsullied, but weapons proficiencies, skills useful for a potential owner to have an unsullied know , &magically altered bodies with eyes that can maybe see in the dark is pretty close to an elf.

The fault is on you the GM for not trying to redirect a poorly fitting idea towards some great fitting thing that does exist in your world by describing some of the awesome things about it & getting the player on board with one of the things you could have pointed to that would enhance your game with depth.

 

[hawkeyefan]

In most games, especially fantasy games, the PCs are special snowflakes. It's just that we're so used to playing these particular snowflakes we no longer think of them as being very special. In defense of a lot of players, it's likely they just don't think of an elf as special and it's odd to them they couldn't play one in a fantasy game.

Ah, you're right....I misspoke. I'll amend.

You guys got it wrong! There are no special snowflakes allowed at this table!

Well, except for the GM!

 

[MGibster]

You guys got it wrong! There are no special snowflakes allowed at this table!

Well, except for the GM!

I tend to think of special snowflakes as characters whose very existence flies in the face of the premise of the campaign. If you agreed to play in my Vampire campaign set in the Chicago 1992 where you're Camarilla facing a Sabbat incursion I'm going to be mighty sad if you ask to play a werewolf or a mage. I'd see it as your way of telling me you're not really interested in the campaign. But if you came to me and said, "Hey, I know they're not part of the Camarilla, but is there any way I could play a Giovanni?" I can easily work with you and come up with a reason why you have an interest in keeping the Sabbat out as well.

 

[zarionofarabel]

That much was clear when you made this response touting your greatness when presented with this great advice to a fairly similar situation. I've said multiple times that I have zero tolerance for allowing FR stuff in my eberron games, but that line is drawn after I take the time to point my players to all the "cool naughty word" in my world that might scratch their itch with a few tweaks to their concept. You might not have planned for an unsullied, but weapons proficiencies, skills useful for a potential owner to have an unsullied know , &magically altered bodies with eyes that can maybe see in the dark is pretty close to an elf.

The fault is on you the GM for not trying to redirect a poorly fitting idea towards some great fitting thing that does exist in your world by describing some of the awesome things about it & getting the player on board with one of the things you could have pointed to that would enhance your game with depth.

I tried to get perspective Player #4 on board with the concept I had envisioned and the other 3 players were interested in playing. Player #4 insisted that they be allowed to play something I didn't want to have in the game. So, Player #4 now has the wonderful open schedule that will allow them to find a different game where they can play the character they want to play. In addition, Players #1, #2, and #3 have extra spotlight time so they can play their very interesting human characters they created. I'm excited!

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I tend to think of special snowflakes as characters whose very existence flies in the face of the premise of the campaign. If you agreed to play in my Vampire campaign set in the Chicago 1992 where you're Camarilla facing a Sabbat incursion I'm going to be mighty sad if you ask to play a werewolf or a mage. I'd see it as your way of telling me you're not really interested in the campaign. But if you came to me and said, "Hey, I know they're not part of the Camarilla, but is there any way I could play a Giovanni?" I can easily work with you and come up with a reason why you have an interest in keeping the Sabbat out as well.

I mean, maybe I'm getting stuck on the example but, why wouldn't a werewolf or a mage want to keep the sabbat out of chicago? Why couldn't one be an ally of one of the vampires?

 

[zarionofarabel]

I mean, maybe I'm getting stuck on the example but, why wouldn't a werewolf or a mage want to keep the sabbat out of chicago? Why couldn't one be an ally of one of the vampires?

The established fluff says Vampires and Werewolves are mortal enemies, in a "kill on sight" fashion. Mages generally stay away from supernaturals as they are ill equipped to deal with them. As per the established fluff.

Also,. technically, or for reals, Vampire and Wherewolf and Mage, are three different systems, or three different games if you prefer. They share similar mechanics, but are not exactly the same.

 

[Imaculata]

I tried to get perspective Player #4 on board with the concept I had envisioned and the other 3 players were interested in playing. Player #4 insisted that they be allowed to play something I didn't want to have in the game. So, Player #4 now has the wonderful open schedule that will allow them to find a different game where they can play the character they want to play. In addition, Players #1, #2, and #3 have extra spotlight time so they can play their very interesting human characters they created. I'm excited!

It sounds like you are happy to kick out a player. That seems like an unhealthy attitude for a GM to me. Did the player run over your dog or something?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The established fluff says Vampires and Werewolves are mortal enemies, in a "kill on sight" fashion. Mages generally stay away from supernaturals as they are ill equipped to deal with them. As per the established fluff.

Also,. technically, or for reals, Vampire and Wherewolf and Mage, are three different systems, or three different games if you prefer. They share similar mechanics, but are not exactly the same.

Sure, which is actually just fluff. The differen system thing, I'll grant you, but then it was a bad example to begin with.

 

[TwoSix]

Sure, which is actually just fluff. The differen system thing, I'll grant you, but then it was a bad example to begin with.

Yea, but the '90s era White Wolf games are really, really dependent on their fluff. Far more so than almost any other game, knowing and playing with the campaign lore is those game's raison d'être.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I tend to think of special snowflakes as characters whose very existence flies in the face of the premise of the campaign. If you agreed to play in my Vampire campaign set in the Chicago 1992 where you're Camarilla facing a Sabbat incursion I'm going to be mighty sad if you ask to play a werewolf or a mage. I'd see it as your way of telling me you're not really interested in the campaign. But if you came to me and said, "Hey, I know they're not part of the Camarilla, but is there any way I could play a Giovanni?" I can easily work with you and come up with a reason why you have an interest in keeping the Sabbat out as well.

Often its someone who's just taken the idea of playing the common odd-man-out role you see in a lot of fictional groups and not realizing that matters of degree matter when doing that sort of thing.

And of course, some times you're effectively right; they're only interested in certain sorts of games so they'll try to convert any game into one of the ones they really want.