Favored enemies, Sneak Attacks and DM's

[Dagger75]

Well after 4 weeks the ranger finally told me what his favored enemy was.

Strange story, I look over all the characters, every thing is okay I notice the Favored Enemy is missing. We are playing a pirate type game so I thought it would be a sahguin or Mermen, or even human. Nope.
He told the rest of the party what it is but not me. His reasonong,
"If you knew what the favored enemy is I will never face it."

Now I don't think I am like that, but ALL the players said I am. I asked when.

They say well you threw against a bunch of Undead, we couldn't crit and the rogue couldn't sneak.

Never mind they went to a temple that they were told had UNDEAD in it.

Well the rangers first favored enemy is PLANT. I think I have put an assassin vine or shambling mound in my game twice since, well ever. I guess I'll to write a plant encounter now.

Any of you other DM's get accused of not putting in the rangers favored enemies or making the party fight undead a lot as soon as the rogue gets +4d6 sneak attack?

 

[Victim]

I thought you only got favored enemy bonuses against foes you can crit.

Plants are immune to crits.

 

[Kai Lord]

Have them attacked by a horde of undead. In a forest. That should stop his complaining.

 

[Vymair]

I thought you only got favored enemy bonuses against foes you can crit.

Plants are immune to crits.

3.5 changed this. Ranger favored enemy damage now applies to any creature including those immune to critical hits.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Have him attacked by a horde of undead forests.

Sure, they're trees, but they's ZOMBIE trees!

 

[Li Shenron]

He told the rest of the party what it is but not me. His reasonong,
"If you knew what the favored enemy is I will never face it."

When I am DMing, I think I do quite the opposite, like having the party encounter more monsters of the type of Favored Enemy, or founding more magic weapons for the most popular feats taken by the group

 

[Nifft]

When I DM, I try to let the PCs determine the nature of each next story arc. Sometimes undead, plants and constructs will sneak in (when they make sense). But I really don't identify with my monsters -- they only exist to die for my amusement, and perhaps the amusement of my players.

-- Nifft

 

[clark411]

He told the rest of the party what it is but not me. His reasonong, "If you knew what the favored enemy is I will never face it."

Am I the only one who finds this kind of mentality offensive and insulting? Maybe I'm just overly sensitive, but I hear quips on and off from my players, especially one or two with a good amount of baggage from previous campaigns with previous DMs, that are similar to this. Basically, it seems like any time one fellow isn't going at full capacity (due to a monster's abilities).. its time to mutter how the monster is unfun, and shouldn't be encountered. Stuff of that nature... the suggestion a DM is actively trying to make things annoying or dreadful, or overly lethal. It's a real downer after spending a good number of hours with nothing on my mind but "What can I do to make this an interesting / challenging / entertaining evening for the fellas?"

 

[Larry Fitz]

I take quite a dim view on that sort of thing. The DM is the clerk who keeps the world running smoothly, if he does not know about it, it doesn't exist, IMO. That prevents a player from deciding what his favored enemy is "on the fly" as it were. It also prevents the appearance that such a thing is happening, so the other players can have faith that the game is being run fairly.

If you've only thrown two plant creatures at them, what's the rationale that he developed this mastery over odd plants?

 

[Dagger75]

I take quite a dim view on that sort of thing. The DM is the clerk who keeps the world running smoothly, if he does not know about it, it doesn't exist, IMO. That prevents a player from deciding what his favored enemy is "on the fly" as it were. It also prevents the appearance that such a thing is happening, so the other players can have faith that the game is being run fairly.

If you've only thrown two plant creatures at them, what's the rationale that he developed this mastery over odd plants?

These characters are only 3rd level, his very first Favored was plant, soemthing to do with a druid attacking a village with treants and assassin vines on them. Thats why he took plant.

As for me personally as a DM, I have probably only used plants as a monster twice EVER. I have never used them against this party.

I didn't make any of this clear in my first post