GM Dilemma

[der_kluge]

Drow Necromancer, a Human Ninja, a Orc Barbarian, and Pirate Rogue

Wow.

wow.

So, run a game set in the untamed oriental lands of an island chain? I don't know, that sounds like a bit of a stretch, I guess. Well, that doesn't allow for a drow necromancer, but then not much does.

A pirate *and* a ninja. That's classic. Are you DM'ing for 13 year olds?

 

[Mercule]

If you've got a themed campaign idea, let them know. Then get buy-in/agreement. If they agree, you can tell them that their characters don't fit the mold.

If they don't agree, then you can decide whether you're willing to GM another kind of game. If you aren't excited about the game, it won't be fun for anyone. Let them be aware of that. It isn't taking your ball and bat and going home. It's saying, "Well, that doesn't sound like something I want to helm, but someone else can." Or, as Stephen Covey says, "Win:win or no deal. It's better to abort the deal that for anyone to lose."

I have (and would again) handed a character back to a player and said, "The concept seems sound, but it rubs me wrong, for some reason. I don't think I could be fair as a GM, so I recommend you try a different concept." It's never been taken poorly, even by the "sensitive" players I've gamed with. If you have to do something similar with the entire group ("I don't think these characters will mesh very well with each other or with the setting I'd like to run. Because of that, I don't think the game would be very fun for very long. The easiest thing to do is for everyone to try a new character concept. I'll throw out some ideas to get things rolling. Knights of the Round Table should have certain archetypes. Arthur was the humble leader, Gawain was a peerless warrior, Galahad was unapprochably virtuous. Does anyone like one of those ideas? Does anyone have a two or three word description for another concept?"

 

[gizmo33]

A pirate *and* a ninja. That's classic. Are you DM'ing for 13 year olds?

I know - it was the kind of thing I was thinking about posting on a certain other board just to give the grognards a heart attack. I was surprised it wasn't a "fiendish tuaric werebear ninja".

 

[Schmoe]

Say your starting up a new campaign and the players submit their characters and you HATE them. What do you do?

Here is an example.
You are going to run a Knights of the Round table style game and the characters you get are a Drow Necromancer, a Human Ninja, a Orc Barbarian, and Pirate Rogue. And that is after explaining what the campaign is going to be like.

What do you do?

Maybe they thought you meant "Knights of the Dinner Table"? Anyway, I would make sure they understood the setting and ask explicitly if they are willing to play in that setting. If so, they need to make new characters. If not, you all need to find some other setting in which to play.

 

[Eccles]

Given that, I'd either (a) explain why they need to remake
(b) tell them to advance their characters to 10th level, free choice of equipment from any book, and then take the sheets off them and say "thank you for making the villains, now here are the rules".
(c) run my campaign with them desperately try to fit in, making a hash of it, and ending up fighting the villains and the powers that be...

 

[squat45]

What's even worse...

Say your starting up a new campaign and the players submit their characters and you HATE them. What do you do?

Here is an example.
You are going to run a Knights of the Round table style game and the characters you get are a Drow Necromancer, a Human Ninja, a Orc Barbarian, and Pirate Rogue. And that is after explaining what the campaign is going to be like.

What do you do?

... is when you start a campaign and all the characters look REALLY REALLY good on paper... but then the player ignores all the history and background you both worked hard on, throws the character concept out the window and plays a totally different kind of character... and you HATE the character (not the player) so bad you're willing to do a TPK to restart - doesn't help that the character is usually about the toughest to kill off...

 

[squat45]

(b) tell them to advance their characters to 10th level, free choice of equipment from any book, and then take the sheets off them and say "thank you for making the villains, now here are the rules

REALLY like this idea... <sarcasm> unfortunately for me, I don't have any powergamers in my group who could do this </sarcasm>

 

[Mercule]

... is when you start a campaign and all the characters look REALLY REALLY good on paper... but then the player ignores all the history and background you both worked hard on, throws the character concept out the window and plays a totally different kind of character... and you HATE the character (not the player) so bad you're willing to do a TPK to restart - doesn't help that the character is usually about the toughest to kill off...

Been there -- as a player.

We started a campaign where one guy was supposed to be an "Arthur" type character. I created a "Merlin" to his Arthur. Well, Arthur ended up more like Anikin -- whiney and moody. After the second time the group booted out the character, and accepted him back -- in shackles -- my character ended up the leader. Things played out quite a bit differently since I was canny, worldly, politically adept, and even a bit manipulative and "Arthur" was supposed to have been noble and idealistic.

Eh, we still defeated the BBEG. We just "re-imagined" three or four national governments in the process of bailing them out.

 

[Odhanan]

Say your starting up a new campaign and the players submit their characters and you HATE them. What do you do?

Here is an example.
You are going to run a Knights of the Round table style game and the characters you get are a Drow Necromancer, a Human Ninja, a Orc Barbarian, and Pirate Rogue. And that is after explaining what the campaign is going to be like.

What do you do?

One of the very important things when you propose to start a new campaign is indeed to be crystal clear about the style of game you'd like to run. This implies the basic subject/theme of the campaign, and the way you'd like to play.

IF still after explaining I want to run a Table Round game with some sense of believability I have players proposing to me ninjas, drows and whatnot I will refuse their characters and tell them to create something more in tune with the campaign I'd like to run.

Then there is one of two possibilities: 1) this is a general feeling, i.e. the players' visibly don't want to play a Table Round game but something else. "What kind of game?" is the good question, and then, if I have nothing against that style of game, I'll build something for them where I still have my share of the fun. Or 2) it is just one player who does that and the others visibly are "in" for the Table Round, I'll try to suggest some character ideas using examples, and the player will have to come up with another idea.

In any case:
- It's vital to create a campaign for everyone. Not just you the DM, but everyone. Or you're not meant to run a campaign.
- It's vital to get your share of the fun. If you can't or don't want to run the campaign your players want, then don't try, and let someone more willing run the game.
- If there isn't such a willing DM available, then you'll have to make a choise between a) running something the players want that you don't really like, and b) not play at all. Solution c) - running the game you want and the players' don't want, will almost certainly end up frustrating everyone anyways.

 

[Bront]

Say your starting up a new campaign and the players submit their characters and you HATE them. What do you do?

Here is an example.
You are going to run a Knights of the Round table style game and the characters you get are a Drow Necromancer, a Human Ninja, a Orc Barbarian, and Pirate Rogue. And that is after explaining what the campaign is going to be like.

What do you do?

Well, you have a Knights of the Dinner Table party there...

I'd tell them that you had a theme, and it needs to fit in the theme somewhat. The Orc Barbarian is tolerable, but only if the other players were more knighish.

I know, as a player, I try to come to the table with a few ideas to play, and go from there. This gives me some flexability to play what I want, not have too many characters doing the same thing, and gives the GM an oppertunity to say "I love that concept, run with it and so will I".

Um, I hope this isn't about your PbP game you're starting here...