Bitching thread.

[Balsamic Dragon]

Why!?

Why is it that I have a million cool ideas when it comes to just casually throwing ideas around, but when I have a game to run after work today and I promised my player that I would write up his prestige class I can't think of a damned thing!

Grrrr....

I think I will post another thread about this, but I do feel better having griped!

Balsamic Dragon

 

[kengar]

If they didn't want to collaborate on making a party, couldn't each of them have given me some sort of grommet on his or her character that I could attach them by? It isn't like they didn't know that that's what I want: I've been droning on about this for fifteen years.

This time I am leaving it to them. I serve up plot offers, they are going to have to do the work of roping one another's characters in. It'll probably be a miserable campaign with at least one charcter left out of most adventures, but with any luck that will serve as a object lesson to those pig-headed character-players!

I feel your pain, Agback.

The last two settings I've worked up have been deemed "heavy-handed" by a couple of the players because -in one- I'm daring to supply background for the characters; telling them what town they are from and limiting their races & classes to a "short list." The second is more of a silly romp where they all have to start as War1 goblins.

I've explained that I've done this is so their characters "fit" into the game-world and have not only a reason to adventure together, but to be adventuring at all. I tell them since they refuse to do anything other than work out which Opti-set of feats and classes they're going to try this time around, I have to step in and fill the "narrative gaps" somehow. I usually try to do this by setting some guidelines & limits in my house rules about character generation since I dislike interfering with an already-made character.

This typically gets me blank looks

"What do you mean I need a character concept? I've got my next character's concept all worked out!"

"OK, let's hear it."

<insert description of feats & equipment & scores>

"No no, tell me about the character. I ask you this every time. You know; personality, history, etc.?" (encouraging grin)

"Ummm...He's a badass! And he wants to adventure to get rich... aaand he likes to kill stuff... but only evil stuff 'cuz he's Chaotic Good!" <insert description of what feats, multiclassing, and magic items they want to get over the next several levels>

oy

 

[jollyninja]

you have players like that and my 5 page backstories get a nod and then have no bearing on the campaign at all. it's enough to make me cry.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

A long time a go an ex-friend of mine had a brain storm session about how to have a DM-less game, so everyone could be a player. We didn't get anywhere, but the discousion could be an interesting one.

 

[Broken Fang]

I hate it when your players want to role-play and you provide them a great setting to do so...the inn with lots of interesting individuals...and they just sit there! I could waste hours waiting for them to do something if I didn't get things going on my own.

Or the party who thinks they have to get a reward other than fame every time the do something. (Same group as above!) Though having a Paladin in the group makes this a fun DM pasttime!

Or when they complain (was going to use the b word) about something being to hard because they did something stupid!

 

[Buttercup]

I'm with Hong.

Merciful Christ those D4's hurt when you step on them

Oh, dear god yes. Nothing hurts quite like a D4 in the ball of the foot.

 

[novyet]

Oh, dear god yes. Nothing hurts quite like a D4 in the ball of the foot.

God forbid you trip and get stuck with one in the face. Damn that hurts. I tripped and caught one just to the side of my nose on sunday. Man it sucked!

 

[Tom Cashel]

Whoa! This thread is bitchin'!

BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO
I ran over my neighbors
BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO
Now it's in all the papers.

My folks bought me a BITCHIN CAMARO with no insurance to match;
So if I happen to run you down, please don't leave a scratch.
I ran over some old lady one night at the county fair;
And I didn't get arrested, because my dad's the mayor.

BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO
Doughnuts on your lawn
BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO
Tony Orlando and Dawn

When I drive past the kids, they all spit and cuss,
Because I've got a BITCHIN CAMARO and they have to ride the bus.
So you'd better get out of my way, when I run through your yard;
Because I've got a BITCHIN CAMARO;
And an Exxon credit card.

BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO
Hey, man where ya headed?
BITCHIN CAMARO, BITCHIN CAMARO
I drive on unleaded!

 

[kengar]

you have players like that and my 5 page backstories get a nod and then have no bearing on the campaign at all. it's enough to make me cry.

I have 2 players who do work up great backstories and want to RP them, but they get bullodzed by the others who just drone "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enough with the gabbing! Does the guy tell us where the dungeon is or not? We make him draw us a detailed map too!" or "Arrg! We've been in town FIVE WHOLE MINUTES OF TABLE TIME!! Just do assume you talked to whomever you needed to and get the info 'offline'! Let's get a move-on; I wanna kill something soon!"

I try to balance RP/story opps with hacking, but sometimes folks are less patient than others.

 

[Shiv]

Oh, dear god yes. Nothing hurts quite like a D4 in the ball of the foot.

Several years ago, I banned my players from using clear dice or dice that were the color of my carpeting. It doesn't come up much now, but I occasionally secretly check what they're using just to make sure.