D&D 5E Brainstorming about Interparty Conflict

[the Jester]

So, I don't know if anyone was waiting to find out what happened but....

I just read this whole thread now, but thanks for the update! I'm always interested in seeing where things go in games like this.

It sounds like there is a lot of focus on individual relationships and deep rp in this game. I'm honestly not sure whether the paladin's player is a great roleplayer or a problem player, but it sounds to me like either and/or both is possible.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

2) Won't work, DM is in control of the transformation.

Ah, but the other players don't know what the DM hasn't told them. Start passing blank notes to the DM and exchanging inscrutable looks while you talk about your telepathic baby gold. Maybe the DM will get enough of a kick out of it to go along with it! (If it were me, I'd eventually declare that you were about to give birth to a baby Death Slaad.)

;-)

 

[Chaosmancer]

I just read this whole thread now, but thanks for the update! I'm always interested in seeing where things go in games like this.

It sounds like there is a lot of focus on individual relationships and deep rp in this game. I'm honestly not sure whether the paladin's player is a great roleplayer or a problem player, but it sounds to me like either and/or both is possible.

LOL, yeah, I had to ask him at one point during the session whether this was stuff he actually believed or if this was all in character, because the line between out of character talk and in character talk was blurring a bit as we all lost our minds over this.

He insists it was all in character.

Ah, but the other players don't know what the DM hasn't told them. Start passing blank notes to the DM and exchanging inscrutable looks while you talk about your telepathic baby gold. Maybe the DM will get enough of a kick out of it to go along with it! (If it were me, I'd eventually declare that you were about to give birth to a baby Death Slaad.)

;-)

Playing on Roll20 unfortunately, so passing notes is done by typing whispers, and everyone will be aware that I'm hamming it up.

But if this was at a table, I might do stuff like that to mess with people anyways. I love inter-party secrets almost as much as I love knowing all the inter-party secrets.

And yet I never get a chance to play a rogue

 

[WarpedAcorn]

So, I think I made a deal with a literal Devil, there was a vision as we left the dungeon, and now the Druid is going to leave the party because the Paladin is completely a sociopathic monster. And I still haven't confronted the ranger over our issues.

Regarding the Ranger, you missed a good opportunity with the Petrification. Beat-for-beat, you could have had a moment of curing him just like between Simon and Jayne in Firefly (if you're familiar with that show). Basically, your Cleric can reiterate to the Ranger how he has wronged, belittled, and hurt him, making sure to point out every detail. Then he can throw in that as a healer, your Cleric will always patch him up and that while "under his knife" the Ranger will not come to any harm. Its basically a display of power, but a different type of power that the Ranger should recognize and respect.

Regarding the Druid, you might have the opportunity to "flip" the Druid to your side by providing some kind words. Assuming the player still wants to continue with this character and the storyline, your Cleric could provide the words of wisdom and comfort that can help the Druid make sense of it all. Relating the situation to the death and rebirth of nature is probably a good way to start.

Regarding the Paladin...sheesh that is a lost cause. That character has basically been painted into a corner and has become a full blown monster. Its cool in the sense that this seems to be a great example of doing the wrong things for the right reasons, and because of those decisions the good guy has become the bad guy. Since so much of this game seems to be based on RP, I have to ask the major question, why hasn't the Paladin been kicked from the group? She doesn't seem to want or need companionship, and it sounds like the character is not a team player, so why does she adventure with everyone else? The whole point of an adventuring party is that everyone brings something unique to the table and a reliance on each others' abilities.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Regarding the Ranger, you missed a good opportunity with the Petrification. Beat-for-beat, you could have had a moment of curing him just like between Simon and Jayne in Firefly (if you're familiar with that show). Basically, your Cleric can reiterate to the Ranger how he has wronged, belittled, and hurt him, making sure to point out every detail. Then he can throw in that as a healer, your Cleric will always patch him up and that while "under his knife" the Ranger will not come to any harm. Its basically a display of power, but a different type of power that the Ranger should recognize and respect.

Yeah, I definitely saw an opportunity, but I didn't consider it would be a curse, so the paladin broke it and saved him while I thought I needed to wait for my greater restoration to come back.

Regarding the Druid, you might have the opportunity to "flip" the Druid to your side by providing some kind words. Assuming the player still wants to continue with this character and the storyline, your Cleric could provide the words of wisdom and comfort that can help the Druid make sense of it all. Relating the situation to the death and rebirth of nature is probably a good way to start.

The Druid is pretty much on my side already, but she isn't a traditional druid character. Essentially she made a deal with something, we are thinking celestial, and went from Fighter to Druid, he's still role-playing her figuring out her powers, what she can do and how they work.

I've got some hopefully ideas to talk her into staying with the party, but no idea what's going to happen

Regarding the Paladin...sheesh that is a lost cause. That character has basically been painted into a corner and has become a full blown monster. Its cool in the sense that this seems to be a great example of doing the wrong things for the right reasons, and because of those decisions the good guy has become the bad guy. Since so much of this game seems to be based on RP, I have to ask the major question, why hasn't the Paladin been kicked from the group? She doesn't seem to want or need companionship, and it sounds like the character is not a team player, so why does she adventure with everyone else? The whole point of an adventuring party is that everyone brings something unique to the table and a reliance on each others' abilities.

We have been informed that we are on a quest to destroy a great evil, and that we all need to stick together, the Paladin wants us around so we can complete our quest, nothing more nothing less.

But, honestly we didn't know she was this bad essentially. We knew she was violent, antisocial and mostly cared only for herself, but this level of monstrosity was completely unexpected.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Yeah, I definitely saw an opportunity, but I didn't consider it would be a curse, so the paladin broke it and saved him while I thought I needed to wait for my greater restoration to come back.

Is the DM a friend of yours or something? He seems to be consistently weighing in just a tad against you. Not enough that he's actually got it in for you, but enough that it seems like he's trying to compensate for accidentally being too nice to you or something.

The Druid is pretty much on my side already, but she isn't a traditional druid character. Essentially she made a deal with something, we are thinking celestial, and went from Fighter to Druid, he's still role-playing her figuring out her powers, what she can do and how they work.

I've got some hopefully ideas to talk her into staying with the party, but no idea what's going to happen

I would hope she stays on. The paladin is handing her (and you!) a great big "Please redeem me" plot hook. I mean really - where in fiction does a character take a heel turn like that and then the other party just goes "Oh well, it's been real. Shame we didn't work out."?
I'd say it's time to bust out the divination (or just ask the druid) and find out some backstory if the paladin is going to stick with her silence.

Or, you know, have your character ask the paladin. The logic being that if she's truly free of emotional ties, then there's nothing in her backstory that could hurt her. Offer to share your story back, with the logic that since you are not free of ties, there can only be disadvantage to you in doing so.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Is the DM a friend of yours or something? He seems to be consistently weighing in just a tad against you. Not enough that he's actually got it in for you, but enough that it seems like he's trying to compensate for accidentally being too nice to you or something.

We are friends yeah, actually he was asked to DM for the group and then he invited me to fill an empty seat.

I would hope she stays on. The paladin is handing her (and you!) a great big "Please redeem me" plot hook. I mean really - where in fiction does a character take a heel turn like that and then the other party just goes "Oh well, it's been real. Shame we didn't work out."?
I'd say it's time to bust out the divination (or just ask the druid) and find out some backstory if the paladin is going to stick with her silence.

Or, you know, have your character ask the paladin. The logic being that if she's truly free of emotional ties, then there's nothing in her backstory that could hurt her. Offer to share your story back, with the logic that since you are not free of ties, there can only be disadvantage to you in doing so.

We all want to redeem her, the problem is how. She doesn't think she has done anything wrong at all, and refuses to even consider that her actions are causing any harm to the group. She's marching, head held high, into darkness declaring herself righteous and nothing we can say or do seems to slow her down. We don't want to abandon her, but if we don't find a chink in her armor, are only other choices are to slay her or condone her evil.

And my character and her are definitely not having a heart to heart anytime soon. He told me outside the game that she considers my character completely irredeemably Lawful Evil and in collusion with Demon Overlords, there is no other explanation for why I keep trying to defend these evil soulless abominations, ie a couple that was the subject of vampire subjects and not aware they were vampires, Lizardfolk whom we attacked first, or any other of a number of things we have encountered.

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

The party should probably put the paladin down. If that is too drastic, then at the very least the party should no longer help the paladin and let them go on their way.

 

[Chaosmancer]

It almost happened last week, the assassin looked for my input and I put the ball in his court.

Mostly we didn't at that time because we were in the dream dungeon, so killing her would have just woken her up, angry, next to our unconscious bodies.

Which might have ended poorly