DnD Boiling Point: Here's What I Did

[Andrew D. Gable]

I'm one of those die-hard homebrewers, and for the most part I refuse to game in pre-canned settings. But I'm frustrated, because it seems with my group I can't get enough of the feel of the world across sometimes. Like I want a low-magic world where most people are normal humans and there's few mages, but my players insist on making half-celestials and crap, and I have sorcerers and wizards coming out my ears.

They don't listen. I try to tell them no on things, tell them they can't have the damn half-celestials and crap (one guy even wanted a mind flayer PC! a mind flayer, fer Pete's sake!). I can't explain the feel of the world to them (well, to two of them, anyway) because they get bored real easily and want me to press on to the point where they get to kill things. I can't write out a document about things, 'cause I know those things never get read. They're so spoiled by Everquest and Diablo it's not funny, and that seems to be what they want out of DnD. And that's like the diametrical opposite of what I want.

I've even done things like implement the Everquest crafting system, because I like it and they asked me, and they don't even follow that. One guy always changes the rules on summoning and basically makes it last forever, they do stupid things in combat (the other night they actually curb-stomped a slaveship captain, a la American History X). When they play spellcasters, they very rarely even remember to tick off their spells per day.

I admit, a lot of this is my fault. I'm good at coming up with ideas, but I think I'm a really bad DM. I've killed one player in all the times I've played (the guy who got decapitated by a balor in RttToEE, and that was just dumb luck). I try to make the game fun for the players, but the unfortunate thing is that that seems to make it not fun for me. I'm beginning to loathe the d20 rules, they're too rules heavy and when I relax the rules a bit to make things easier on me, they abuse it.

And at the same time, I can't really lay down the law on these guys, because my town sucks and these are the only three RPers I know of in town. Of the three, one's a good player. One's borderline. And the third...well, honestly I don't even know why we game with him. He's just always there. And he's a munchkin of the worst kind. I'm considering changing to a totally different system, maybe to Fuzion (for a game of Shadowrun) or classic rules CoC. Or would if I thought they could be bothered to learn a new system. CoC'll take away the kill tendency.

More and more and more, I'm about ready to quit DnD. Not a six-month break, but quit it. I'm done. Screw this. I like working on my homebrew and all, but I think playing might have to take a hike.

 

[Crothian]

Sounds more like you need new people to game with.

 

[Nightfall]

Andrew,

Well if I could afford and would be able to, my dad's old home in Lewisberry is still there...and I would like to me. Find me a job, I'll join in and play! (Course you'd better let me run some too! )

And yeah take Crothy's advice. Try advertising or checking out Harrisburg for people. SOMEONE that games has to live there.

 

[Silveras]

It sounds like your play style and that of the others are very different. You can't make them play the way you want. If their style is different from what you want that you are getting ticked off: Take some time off.

Start a Play-by-E-mail game. The slower pace tends to encourage a more story-oriented play style (at least the ones I have been in), and you don't need to worry as much about where the players are. It is not always as good as table-top gaming, but if the table-top is becoming a bad experience that may not be so bad.

Switching to another genre might change some things, but not the parts that it sounds like are really bothering you. The kill-kill-kill guys will want to do that in every genre, and will hate the ones like CoC where it is more die-die-die than kill-kill-kill.

Maybe you should refuse to GM for a while. See if one of them will give it a try. Sometimes, being in the DM's shoes gives a problem player a whole new perspective.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Hey, I'm sure that there's someone up there, if you can find gamers in Miami, when most people go clubbing or to the Beach, then there's GOT to be some in PA.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

MIDNIGHT

No setting has ever been so perfectly engineered for use in the breaking of players. See here.

 

[Jeph]

Make your own games custom tailored to fit your settings.

 

[shilsen]

Like I want a low-magic world where most people are normal humans and there's few mages, but my players insist on making half-celestials and crap, and I have sorcerers and wizards coming out my ears.

How exactly does that happen? As DM, I presume you get a teensy-weensy bit of say in the characters that they choose.

One guy always changes the rules on summoning and basically makes it last forever

Your players get to change the rules as they choose? I'm all for giving players a lot of freedom, but that's a bit much.

I try to make the game fun for the players, but the unfortunate thing is that that seems to make it not fun for me... that seems to be what they want out of DnD. And that's like the diametrical opposite of what I want.

That sums up the problem. It really does sound like you need a new group.

 

[Harlock]

Well, even if you think it may not get read, I find players NEED a document to go on. Telling them over and over just numbs them. It's hard to think like your character would when you cannot even begin to imagine what the world he comes from is like. DMs feed players so much info during a game that much of it gets lost, so having a document to refer back to is a huge boon.

For instance, let's say you mention someone's hometown, as a DM you could say, "And you can read more about it on page X of the handout I gave you." If they run into some head of state you could point out that his bio is on page Y of the document. If the players ask what time of year it is, what the weather is like, how many moons there are etc, you can keep referring them to the document. Eventually, it'll sink in that they should read it.

Also, start awarding XP for good roleplaying. Not just for clever solutions and such, but for really knowing things from the document and starting to think like a person from your world. As a player I hate playing in a game, getting into character and then, because of lack of documentation or communication hearing, "Oh, that doesn't exist in my world." Nothing ruins willful suspension of disbelief more than ignorance. Educate your players. Give them the tools to learn and then instill a desire to learn and eventually, they will.

 

[Gothmog]

Andrew, your world sounds really cool and a different take on D&D- sounds a lot like my world. I would KILL to play in a low magic game like yours. Your problem isn't that there is anything wrong with you or what you want, you have crappy players. Its a sure sign you have an immature, munchkinish player when they get bored and want to go kill things, or seem to want to create random havoc for no apparent reason. Cheating on spellcasting, wanting only ultra-fantastical races that aren't supported by the setting, and idolizing Diablo only cinch the deal. One of them is bad enough to make me want to quit gaming when I DM, but TWO of them? Yeesh.

I do think you should prepare a short document detailing a brief history of your world, the races and classes available, and how prevalent magic is and how it affects most people's lives. Your players will need some background if they are to play believable characters in the world you are planning on running. However, by the sounds of it, the people you are gaming with now won't be terribly receptive to this- so I would suggest another option. Find people who have never gamed before but who are interested, and bring them in to form a new group. Give them options of what is available and possible in the world, and work with them to create characters they will enjoy- but don't budge on a point if you don't want fiendish half-dragon mind flayers in your game. I'll think you'll have a lot better luck introducing new people into the hobby than trying to talk some sense into your current players.