Fighters vs. Spellcasters (a case for fighters.)

[pemerton]

My group, in terms of personalities and proclivities, has one film director, and has and has historically had a bunch of people who would be character actors or technicians behind the camera.

My group is two humanities academics, two computer/techies, an investment advisor, and a labourer. Two of the group have PhDs (I'll let readers guess which two), two have university degrees and postgrad tickets too (masters in one case, grad cert in the other), and two finished their formal schooling with high school.

Three of the group (maybe four?) play MMOs, another is into strategy-type games like Civilisation, and yet another (me) doesn't play computer games at all, nor really boardgames other than with my kids.

In the online game that [MENTION=6696971]Manbearcat[/MENTION] is GMing, there is also some diversity: Manbearcat seems from his posts to be a very physical, sporty person (lots of basket ball examples in his posts); [MENTION=16586]Campbell[/MENTION] is (as best I recall) a former soldier who is studying business on the GI Bill; I don't know much about [MENTION=386]LostSoul[/MENTION] and [MENTION=27570]sheadunne[/MENTION] outside of their RPG interests, but I can say that I'm not at all a sporty person, let alone a soldier (my writing on just war theory is from a purely theoretical perspective!).

I don't think there are any obvious correlations between education, other interests and abilities, and RPGing preferences.

I said social and I meant casual.

I'd be surprised if there are any obvious correlations between other features of a person's social life and his/her casualness or seriousness about RPGing, either. (Not that you were asserting the contrary.)

 

[sheadunne]

In the online game that [MENTION=6696971]Manbearcat[/MENTION] is GMing, there is also some diversity: Manbearcat seems from his posts to be a very physical, sporty person (lots of basket ball examples in his posts); [MENTION=16586]Campbell[/MENTION] is (as best I recall) a former soldier who is studying business on the GI Bill; I don't know much about [MENTION=386]LostSoul[/MENTION] and [MENTION=27570]sheadunne[/MENTION] outside of their RPG interests, but I can say that I'm not at all a sporty person, let alone a soldier (my writing on just war theory is from a purely theoretical perspective!).

Masters Degree. I do program development and marketing (and teach on occasion) for a college.

I don't think there's a consistent theme or correlation between Education, Profession, other Hobbies, and RPGs. My previous group consisted of three people who worked in the insurance industry (one a manager, one training, and one tech support), a nurse, an eye care specialist, and an engineer. My current group has an assisted living director, a stay at home mom, a quilter, a financial advisor, and a computer system engineer.

 

[Campbell]

Specifically, I worked on the communications arrays for Air Defense Artillery - I was a commo nerd. Currently I'm studying business with an emphasis in information systems, but I also have attended school for computer science, film production, and graphic design - just never finished those degrees. The group I play with includes:

• A history major at my school. Former air force.
• A computer security analyst
• A nurse
• A consumer service rep.
• A physics major. The crazy one.
• A creative writing major.
• a graphic designer (and former game store owner)
• A network analyst.

 

[Hussar]

I knew that if I waited a bit, something would come up that would be a very good example of what I've been talking about. In the 3.5 Elves and Secret doors thread, you have the following:

That it is up to the player of in this case, an elf to determine how paranoid they are and to role-play that.

I don't care if it's "my elven senes are tingling, I suspect there is a secret door around." I will tell them to either roll, or no, their senses are misleading them.

I may be generous enough to inform them when they pass near one that their spider-senses are tingling, but generally speaking I leave it up to my players to keep their wits about them, or not.

Followed by the next point:

Which for 3E, means the elf player just needs to walk next to as many walls as possible. That is all they have to do to have the d20 roll+ their search modifier to occur whether it is hidden around dummy rolls on one side of the screen or another. Hopefully the DM will have informed the players if the ability would be altered before they chose their character's race.

That would be what I generally regard as abusive behavior and I make an effort to put a stop to that. Yes, a player could walk within 5 feet of every wall in every place they ever visit and demand to know if their spider-sense is tingling, but I'd have a nice little chat with that player to tell them to cut it out or get out.

My job as DM requires enough work as it is. Players who make my life difficult while I'm trying to give them an enjoyable game are unwelcome.

And forcing Taking 10 on the roll is BS. Taking 10 is an option one takes to minimize low rolls by sacrificing high rolls, forcing it onto the Elf ability is a terrible nerf. Because unless you are also letting the elf jog around he room to take 20 to accelerate combing the dungeon, that makes the ability worthless since even a typical secret door has a DC of 20.

I'm not sure if you're replying to me on this part, since I don't do that.


Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...rs-how-do-you-pull-it-off/page3#ixzz2lz9fnzKP

Basicaliy [MENTION=93444]shidaku[/MENTION] has changed the rules, completely by fiat, without any recourse for the player, because he feels that the rule is abusive. To me, I have an issue with DM's who do this. There's no real reason for it and it's stripping a player ability without any sort of balancing payback.

I'm wondering how the DM's in this thread react to this.

 

[MJS]

I knew that if I waited a bit, something would come up that would be a very good example of what I've been talking about. In the 3.5 Elves and Secret doors thread, you have the following:


Followed by the next point:


Basicaliy @shidaku has changed the rules, completely by fiat, without any recourse for the player, because he feels that the rule is abusive. To me, I have an issue with DM's who do this. There's no real reason for it and it's stripping a player ability without any sort of balancing payback.

I'm wondering how the DM's in this thread react to this.

you missed the point - not the rule that is abusive, but a player being a tool

 

[Sunseeker]

I knew that if I waited a bit, something would come up that would be a very good example of what I've been talking about. In the 3.5 Elves and Secret doors thread, you have the following:

Followed by the next point:

Basicaliy @shidaku has changed the rules, completely by fiat, without any recourse for the player, because he feels that the rule is abusive. To me, I have an issue with DM's who do this. There's no real reason for it and it's stripping a player ability without any sort of balancing payback.

I'm wondering how the DM's in this thread react to this.

I didn't remove the ability entirely, I just placed the burden on the player to keep it in mind, and told the player to be reasonable about using it. I can't imagine that's an egregious breach of trust, oh my, I asked the player to play their character and to not be a snot.

 

[ImperatorK]

I didn't remove the ability entirely, I just placed the burden on the player to keep it in mind, and told the player to be reasonable about using it. I can't imagine that's an egregious breach of trust, oh my, I asked the player to play their character and to not be a snot.

IMO you're being more of a snot than the player in this situation. And the elf ability is a passive ability, not an active one. It works regardless if the player remembers it or not. Your "tactic" is just a passive-aggressive dick move to penalize a player that plays in a way that you don't like. I find such DMs despicable.

 

[Sunseeker]

IMO you're being more of a snot than the player in this situation. And the elf ability is a passive ability, not an active one. It works regardless if the player remembers it or not. Your "tactic" is just a passive-aggressive dick move to penalize a player that plays in a way that you don't like. I find such DMs despicable.

Wow, way to harsh there man. Well, lets immortalize your language with a quote why don't we?

 

[ImperatorK]

Wow, way to harsh there man. Well, lets immortalize your language with a quote why don't we?

Lol. I just gave my opinion. You're the one that started with calling your player a snot. Don't get your panties in a twist.
Also, lol. Quote what you want, it's not like I'm going to edit my post. I don't see anything wrong with it, other than apparently being spot on. Truth hurts, doesn't it?

 

[Sunseeker]

Lol. I just gave my opinion. You're the one that started with calling your player a snot. Don't get your panties in a twist.
Also, lol. Quote what you want, it's not like I'm going to edit my post. I don't see anything wrong with it, other than apparently being spot on. Truth hurts, doesn't it?

The "player" was hypothetical. I wasn't insulting a real person, nor was I insulting you. I have no idea why you are taking this so personal and making attacks on my person over it.

I never asked you to play at my table, I never tied you down and forced you to play at my games. If you don't like the way I DM, you're perfectly welcome to seek out other games. I don't understand your desire to call me an ass for running games in a manner which appeals to me as DM. Isn't that my right as DM?

Or are you trying to tell me that if I'm not playing your way I'm having badwrongfun?