Boredom [rant]

[wally]

Similar Problem, but from other side

I don't really mean to hi-jack this, and please don't take this personal, but as a DM, I have a similar problem.

The game I am running was centered on a specific character. The party journeyed for over a year (in their time) to help the druid with her quest, and when they finished, they went back home. Upon arriving, they found some problems that they wanted to help with. This caused the game to shift away from the druid and towards other party members. Now the player of the druid is saying that there is nothing for his character to do, and that the game is going nowhere and that he doesn't see why his character would even be there.

Is it that the player is getting bored? Is it that he really doesn't see why the character should be there helping her friends when they helped her for more than a year? I really don't know.

Just wanted to offer another perspective and possibly get some advice as well.

-wally

 

[Arnwyn]

Is it that the player is getting bored? Is it that he really doesn't see why the character should be there helping her friends when they helped her for more than a year? I really don't know.

Just wanted to offer another perspective and possibly get some advice as well.

Possibly he could be bored, but possibly not. Did he give any more information, or was he (rather uselessly, IMO) vague?

It could be that after being the center of attention, he is now unhappy that the plot isn't revolving around him anymore.

As a DM, I'd ask him to be very clear and concise as to what his problems are, and exactly why he feels that way. Further, I'd get him to offer suggestions as to how the problems can be fixed. Be supportive (not dismissive) and be a good listener.

In other words, don't accept the player being vague and dumping everything on you - let him give the details. You're no mind-reader.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

I'd just like to say that there is a Bard PrC in, uh, COmplete Warrior I think, called Warchanter that could perhaps transform your bard into something more playable in a military context.

AR

 

[Felikeries]

add a blessed sword of good or evil ...that effects the players

and make a Lycethropy attack that gets a character,majorly,alter stats
then add agents randomly with extra money needed to get ant-silvetr protection so that 15th level character can live

or make all combat rolls 4d6 versus 4d6 +score for higher AC


DM's license you realize

 

[takyris]

I don't know the game, so I can't say whether or not this is true, but it's also possible that the players of the fighter and wizard are either receiving or taking special treatment. Do they have ranks in skills that would make them effective as generals, or a PrC that would make them such? Frankly, in this war campaign, YOU ought to be the general. You're the guy who can inspire the troops with loyalty. You're the guy who's swung enough weapons to tell the grunts how to stick to it, who's cast enough spells to give the wizards the right jobs, and who's snuck through enough lairs to know when the scouts are being lazy and when they're being safe.

Even if you're not the general, you can be the liason with the troops, the one that the guys go to when they feel that they can't trust the general. Feel like your squad is being used for stupid scut work, when you're clearly worlds better than teh other squards? Talk to the bard. He'll tell it like it is. One of the grunts getting a little too talkative and asking for secrets, but you're not sure whether he's a blabbermouth or a spy? Talk to the bard and let him suss it out for you.

You're a bard, man. You can walk into an occupied enemy territory with a disguise, a few songs, and a musical instrument and get the royal treatment in the local tavern. Then you can casually sing songs that sow the seeds of despair, buy a few drinks and see what the low-ranking enemy grunts tell you in the way of information, and cast Modify Memory on one or two lieutenants so that they remember their orders incorrectly and send their troops off in the wrong direction at some critical moment.

In times of war, you need a lot of good fighters, but a squad of bards can turn the tide.

 

[Arc]

I just had a major campaign realignment last session, and it wasn't pretty. The campaign is a "FR 80 years in the future, with airships added to the mix" (I had just gotten Bastion Press's Airships, and was watching Pirates of the Carribean, when I got the idea), so the main campaign centers around the party
a) Acquiring an airship
b) Flying about on the airship, making money, and dealing with Faerun politics

I had a decent meta-plot going, the party had almost acquired their first ship... and then a few members realized that "Wow... I have no connection to the party." It was my mistake to allow for extremely open character creation; even though the campaign would be perfectly fine with a party of neutral evil/neutral characters, they couldn't quiet mesh together. A few people decided to do some stupid (but oddly in character) actions, ie stealing horses, killing town guards, and attempting to drag the other half of the party along because they felt the rest of the group "didn't have motivation towards the plot, so they had to be brought along." End result: I (and the group) realized the problem characters really didn't have any further reason to stay with the rest of the party (or the plot, for that matter), so I had them roll up new characters that could be brought in with the next major NPC encounter. We managed to salvage the rest of the session, but the first half was a mess.

Sometimes I think that players trying to advance the meta-plot (as the problem characters did) is more problematic than attempting to run sideplots. I had planned a way to subtly bring the remaining party members back into the plot... but the rest of the party couldn't wait, and I couldn't stop them from making bad in character decisions, even though I warned them

*sigh* And I wonder why I wanted to take over the DM position...

 

[tonym]

...one of the players in the group is monopolizing the GM's time... [I'm] about to burst with boredom...

Your DM isn't doing his job right. You should say things at the table to remind the DM that he needs to spread the FUN around. You should also say things to let the DM-hog know he's hogging the DM.

For example:

(to the Player) "Excuse me. Excuse me. Thank you. Is there some way we can carry out your amazing plan that involves my character?"

(to the DM) "Excuse me. Excuse me. Hello? Thank you. My bard doesn't get to do very much in this game SO, if you don't mind, can we roleplay out my information-gathering rather than have you gloss over it?"

(to both) "Excuse me. Do you mind if my Bard participates in the discussion with the General? I'm getting antsy sitting here not doing anything."

(to the DM) "What? I get to roll my d20? Let me wipe off the dust."

After a few sessions of this, they'll either include your Bard in the action or kick you out of the group. Either way you win.


Tony M

 

[Altalazar]

I just had a major campaign realignment last session, and it wasn't pretty. The campaign is a "FR 80 years in the future, with airships added to the mix" (I had just gotten Bastion Press's Airships, and was watching Pirates of the Carribean, when I got the idea), so the main campaign centers around the party
a) Acquiring an airship
b) Flying about on the airship, making money, and dealing with Faerun politics

I had a decent meta-plot going, the party had almost acquired their first ship... and then a few members realized that "Wow... I have no connection to the party." It was my mistake to allow for extremely open character creation; even though the campaign would be perfectly fine with a party of neutral evil/neutral characters, they couldn't quiet mesh together. A few people decided to do some stupid (but oddly in character) actions, ie stealing horses, killing town guards, and attempting to drag the other half of the party along because they felt the rest of the group "didn't have motivation towards the plot, so they had to be brought along." End result: I (and the group) realized the problem characters really didn't have any further reason to stay with the rest of the party (or the plot, for that matter), so I had them roll up new characters that could be brought in with the next major NPC encounter. We managed to salvage the rest of the session, but the first half was a mess.

Sometimes I think that players trying to advance the meta-plot (as the problem characters did) is more problematic than attempting to run sideplots. I had planned a way to subtly bring the remaining party members back into the plot... but the rest of the party couldn't wait, and I couldn't stop them from making bad in character decisions, even though I warned them

*sigh* And I wonder why I wanted to take over the DM position...

Ah yes, that magical thing called "party unity." That, I think, is more important than just about anything else in the game. And I think to get that you need to have people create their PCs together, with that in mind from the beginning. Otherwise such things can happen. Ever since I first saw that problem many many moons ago, all of my campaigns that I've run have been started with players creating their characters and making a strong reason for them to be together and have at least compatible goals a part of all of their backgrounds.

It has gone that way in games others have run as well, for similar reasons.