D&D General The Monsters Know What They're Doing ... Are Unsure on 5e24

[Minigiant]

Edit:I'm offended that 5e has shifted the Overton window so far that any gm is expected to hear a player rattle off a list like that while the player believes it to be anything other than straight minimax character optimization spreadsheet level character design desires

Player can choose a race or species for gameplay reasons or roleplay reasons.

The window hasn't moved that much..

It's no different from old school:

human wizard
Half elf cleric
Elf wizard
dwarf cleric
grome wizard

...Because fighter and rogue flexibility are dependent on the random treasure tables.

In fact, it was worse because the old school heavily relied on House Rules. And thus the GM really had to have clout with the players to entrust them to run restrictive settings once the players become veterans.. ESPECIALLY due to the very strict niche protection.

 

[Belen]

You seem obsessed with the AC 17 shell. So lets say "you can be a tortle, but your stats are the same as other lizardfolk". Is that a compromise? I get to be a tortle in you don't deal with free full plate at level one.

For me, I’d want to know more about your vision beyond species and class such as backstory, how you came to be in the area, how you were planning on fitting in your concept and your goals for the character.

My settings always have a tie to the Fey Kingdom.

Although my favorite concept was “play what you want, but your entire back story is your final moments before you died.” A god pulled them all into a world overrun by evil and they woke up in ancient standing stones with the bodies of two teens that died rather than submit.

Any way, I do not mind working with someone but I need more info from them. Just like the girl cursed by a werewolf in my current game.

 

[Remathilis]

Consider them a primus inter pares

I've always considered DM the same as Party Host. When you throw a party, you have added responsibilities your guests do not: menu, venue, decorations, entertainment, etc. That gives you tremendous power to chose things you will like, but you must keep in mind the preferences of your guests as well. Making sure the menu has foods that can support your guests dietary restrictions (if any, like Vegan, Kosher, or Gluten-free). Making sure the music isn't something people with dislike (IE, no country, no hardcore rap, no throat-yodeling). I could just throw the party I want to be at and if my guests enjoy it cool and if they don't, there is the door, but I probably won't have many repeat guests if my party is essentially for me (and you can come too).

 

[mamba]

Why is your vision worth more than my fun?

your fun is not worth more than theirs and vice versa, so if you cannot find a compromise where you both can have fun, then your tortle is not part of the campaign

 

[Remathilis]

For me, I’d want to know more about your vision beyond species and class such as backstory, how you came to be in the area, how you were planning on fitting in your concept and your goals for the character.

So here is the funny thing. IF you okayed my (lets say) Hermit Tortle Druid, I'll give you all that info. I'll work around in your setting to make that character fit. Maybe he was awakened by a druid ritual and the spell mutated him to a more humanoid shape? Maybe I'm one of the last of a weird offshoot of lizardfolk. Maybe a mad alchemist dropped a cannister of mutagen on me. I'm usually cool with making him fit because you worked we me on letting me play the character I wanted.

 

[Remathilis]

your fun is not worth more than theirs and vice versa, so if you cannot find a compromise where you both can have fun, then your tortle is not part of the campaign

DM Always Wins.

 

[Minigiant]

I doubt there is any table / DM that would shoot all five options down. If you find one that does, let me know, until then this feels pretty moot

5 probably not because I threw in the human rogue as a safe bet..

But it is very possible that a person goes to a table with 5 ideas for a character in their head and gets all of them shot down..

Now, sometimes it's because the player has very wild ideas of characters that they want to play. Sometimes, which I've run into myself, is the characters, ideas are all metagame. Internet picks.

But I have been at a table where the DM band an elf fighter, an dwarf paladin or druid, and a halfling cleric because they don't fit in his campaign world.

Allowing elves, but banning an elf fighter should have been a red flag to me and that was my sign to drop

 

[Remathilis]

But I have been at a table where the DM band an elf fighter, an dwarf paladin or druid, and a halfling cleric because they don't fit in his campaign world.

Allowing elves, but banning an elf fighter should have been a red flag to me and that was my sign to drop

Did he happen to say why? I've love to hear his reasoning...

 

[Minigiant]

Come on, guys..

To just be honest..
Turtles kinda suck mechanically.

People play Tortles to be
1) Ninja Turtles
2) Grandmaster Oogway
2) To stick their heads in their shell

If its 1 or 2, you can probably bribe them into being a human and just acting that way with a magical simple weapon..

 

[AlViking]

You seem obsessed with the AC 17 shell. So lets say "you can be a tortle, but your stats are the same as other lizardfolk". Is that a compromise? I get to be a tortle in you don't deal with free full plate at level one.

Tortles don't exist in my world. Why do you want to play one?

Why is your vision worth more than my fun?

I've explained it many times. I do my best to be accommodating but if I always say yes to the player requests for specific species my world would start looking like a kitchen sink campaign. I don't want to run a kitchen sink campaign.

Wer're back to DM Supremacy. Your fun is more important than mine. My choices is take-it or leave. DM Always WIns.

If you want to play something I don't allow, that's fine. We all play the game for different reasons. But as far as I can tell the only "compromise" possible is to let you play what you want, preferences of the DM and everyone else at the table for that matter be damned.

Why is playing a specific species the only way you can possibly have fun? Why do you want to play a tortle? Why can't you enjoy playing some other species?