DMs are too easy on their players

[Tewligan]

BBBZZZZZTTTT! Sorry, your understanding of what I'm saying is what varies.

Just a quick aside: When I rule the world, it will be punishable by kidney punch to say or type a buzzer sound to indicate that someone is wrong.

 

[Crust]

I'm also running AOW (we're up to the 2nd adventure) and I'm actually NOT pulling many punches and so far my players have been reeeeeeeeally lucky. I let them know from the beginning that there's a chance that their PC's will die at least once during the campaign. As a result the players (and thier characters) are taking encounters a little MORE seriously and making sound decisions based on the information they have. For example...

That's great. After nine years together, they know what to expect from me, and vice versa. I can't take all (or even most) of the credit here. My players know what they're doing, and none of the core players have made any stupid decisions or poor choices while role-playing or in combat. We've reached a zen-like state.

I've also thrown in other material as well (Dymrak Dread, Sons of Gruumsh, various side quests in Waterdeep, etc.), so they're actually about 1-2 levels higher than what is expected in the modules as written, so that's helped keep them alive.

I just love these characters. At this point, the core party is so tight that to upset it would lessen our experience. I know it would lessen mine.

Not that death is out of the question... it might tap out the party to pay for a raise dead or resurrection, though.

 

[Nifft]

BBBZZZZZTTTT! Sorry, your understanding of what I'm saying is what varies.

Solid gold irony.

"I hate take-it-or-leave-it. That's my stance. And you can..."

Bemused, -- N

 

[Raven Crowking]

BBBZZZZZTTTT! Sorry, your understanding of what I'm saying is what varies.

If so, that is an extremely enlightening response.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Just a quick aside: When I rule the world, it will be punishable by kidney punch to say or type a buzzer sound to indicate that someone is wrong.

Note to self - vote No on "Tewligan as ruler of the world" referendum this fall....

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Solid gold irony.

"I hate take-it-or-leave-it. That's my stance. And you can..."

Bemused, -- N

Yes dear, thats EXACTLY what I'm saying.... bye now.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Yes dear, thats EXACTLY what I'm saying.... bye now.

Another extremely enlightening response.

I, for one, don't mind being told that I misunderstand someone's point, but when no replacement for my understanding is offered it makes me suspect that the speaker either hasn't really given much thought to what they're saying, or doesn't really understand the ramifications of what they're saying.

I'm not saying that either is true in this case, but if you are being misunderstood, would you please attempt to clarify your point?

 

[Nifft]

I'm not saying that either is true in this case, but if you are being misunderstood, would you please attempt to clarify your point?

If KB does so, I'll retract my amusement regarding her take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

Still bemused, -- N

 

[ShinHakkaider]

That's great. After nine years together, they know what to expect from me, and vice versa. I can't take all (or even most) of the credit here. My players know what they're doing, and none of the core players have made any stupid decisions or poor choices while role-playing or in combat. We've reached a zen-like state.

I've also thrown in other material as well (Dymrak Dread, Sons of Gruumsh, various side quests in Waterdeep, etc.), so they're actually about 1-2 levels higher than what is expected in the modules as written, so that's helped keep them alive.

I just love these characters. At this point, the core party is so tight that to upset it would lessen our experience. I know it would lessen mine.

Not that death is out of the question... it might tap out the party to pay for a raise dead or resurrection, though.

Yeah, like I'm fond of saying every table is different. Youre lucky wherein youre gaming with buddies of yours. After my long time group broke up I tried unsuccessfully to put together a gaming group three times before this present group. Theyre a bunch of good guys and they are fun to game with.

I was also thinking about a few side quests to bulk them up in level a little bit and also to get into details with their characters backgrounds. Just because there's a good chance they might kick during the course of the adventure doesnt mean that you can't or shouldnt do character driven stuff for your PC's.

And about raise dead and resurrection, I told my guys at the beginning that the means to raise people was available but unless they knew of a friendly enough high level cleric who was so inclined to do them that kind of HUGE favor AND have the means to pay for the spell component, well you know...

 

[rowport]

Incidentally, his namesake D&D character Edena was apparently presided over by wuss DMs. When someone says they've got 121st level character, you know there's something fishy going on.

In Edenas case he had one 'Master Edena' and many lesser versions of Edena. When someone DMed a game for 5th level PCs, for example, he couldn't play Master Edena, but made a 5th level character named Edena. If the Edena levelled, he would level up the Master Edena. That apparently happened 121 times, but it wasn't a single character who advanced to those levels. Not exactly kosher, is it?

And this is the man now advocating tough DMing? Granted, Edena had some tough DMs, like the butt-pirates* handling of Edena in one adventure proves, but I don't think that's the kind of tough love even he would advocate

* you don't wanna know, but if you do, ask Edena :\

Holy cow, Numion, I *sincerely* hope that you are making this up outright, or at *least* exaggerating heavily-- but given the thread posts above, I am just not sure.

EDIT: Respecting Umbran's request, I am editing my opinions about the above. I still hope that Numion made the whole bit up, though. I am going to run with that assumption for the sake of my own sanity.