Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Storme" data-source="post: 3908489" data-attributes="member: 56172">Well, before I go on, please bear with me as I comment first.The worst thing in the world that can happen to a group of players, next to a nuclear holocaust, is inter-party strife.  I have heard faint legends of such incidents NOT shattering a play group, but those are few and far between.  But normally, they break up or fragment groups, or, at worst, cause genuinely hard feelings between friends.  Two weeks ago, a guy I play with was commenting on how wrong my feelings about interparty strife is...and seemed to fail to remember that just last month we lost a husband and his wife (he was the guy some of the other players decided to kill), and she...is his wife.  So they both left with, "We're stll friends, but don't really want to play with you guys."  I know, I know...lots of people might say, "They're thin skinned," or "They're stoopid!" or some such.  But in reality...we're just people, man.  Very few of us can truly seperate the emotional interaction that goes on between the characters and with us.  We don't really work that way.Now I don't know what kind of relationship your group has.  I know you and your wife are married. But ultimately it doesn't matter.  if you chose to move forward with this...you will end the game.  If by some freakish miracle, the "evil" players doesn't leave disgusted, it's very possible that you may create something of a rift between you.  Could be...or not.  Either way, I hope you take my meaning in the spirit it was intended.As a DM I will NOT abide inter-party strife.  In 30 years of role-playing I have yet to see it end in a non-destructive fashion (outside the game) and so, do not put up with it.As a player, I politly excuse myself as soon as is convenient for myself and the party, and leave the game.  I won't put up with it, as the game means far less to me than my friends do.That being said (sorry for ranting...this IS my number one pet peeve), I have two suggestions to resolve the situaton.1) When in Rome.  Some people just don't get it.  There are some folk in the world that just can't understand good.  These naive folk say things like, "Evil is stronger than good," or "Goodguys are wimps."  Those of us that know better usually just snicker behind out hands at these morally bankrupt clods, but...they're out there.  You may have one in your group.  Since this is, as you said, a "Neutral Game," (I'd be interested in why the DM encouraged this course from the "evil" player anyway...), and Neutral is, of all the alignments, as close to being non-commital as any, just decide to tag along with the "evil" guys course of action.  Encourage him and cheer him on.  Offer to do little things to help, but stay true to your Neutral and don't get your hands dirty.  In this way, it won't escallate into inter-party violence.  Your characters shouldn't really care one way or the other (regarding the concept of evil that is..."  If he was diving into a deep commitment to a Good god, starts taking Vow feats and stuff...your neutrals would probably be equally concerned.  Neutral is a pretty weird alignment.  hehe.2) Nothing says "WHOSE YOUR DADDY!" better than trap the soul.  NOTHING.  NADDA.  If a greater diety decided to smite the guy....trap the soul would STILL work better.  hehe.  No save.  No spell resistance....youre DONE!  Best part is...it doesn't actually KILL the guy, and you can keep him on ice till your group (and him) work something out.  But, you'll need a little set up.  Getting an artificer is a great start right there.  Get the "evil" character used to the artificer walking up and buffing his belt with +4 intelligence, or adding neat armor buffs to his armor (or robe?), like magic eater (which he will truly LOVE and start to hunger for).  Or buffing a dagger with so, and so cool weapon buff and handing it to him.  Only very silly people refuse a friendly artificer buff, and then only for a short time as soon as they see the fantastic benefit it gives to the rest of the party.  Anyway...he's used to her (MAKE YOUR ARTIFICER COHORT A HER...it's improtant psychologically) handing him stuff and walking up out fo the blue and touching him so that he's way more powerful.  "When she hands me something its nice."  "When she touches me, its good."  Right?  Now...buy a Trap the Soul scroll if you don't have the ability to cast it.  And on the morning your group goes after the big badguy, cast Trap the Soul, along with inscribing his name onto that dagger she's been handing him for weeks.  Then, after the badguy drops, have her hand him the dagger.  TRAP THE SOUL.  NO SAVE.  Then yell to his cohort, "We'll RETREAT!  YOU HOLD OFF HIS UNDEAD" and teleport OUT.Scry back to him and watch him get killed by the guys undead horde, or gets away or goes away.  You can deal with him or not as you please.  Another Trap the Soul or a Baleful Polymorph would put him on ice.  No one's dead, and you've got you're (hopefully still) friend in the gem.  Then...since the game is about to come to an abrupt end...have your two characters planeshift and go visit some powerful entity associated with your wife's cleric diety (I once dragged a guy kicking and screaming to St. Cuthbert's Basila).  Then the two of you inform the diety (or high ranking alternative) what this fella has been up to and request that he pass judgement on hm.  If it's your wife's diety or an aspect of him, the DM will now have to pass judgement on the "evil" guy.  Maybe destroy him.  Maybe bound him into service.  Or you can just toss the gem out into the void of Acheron and be done with it.  Bahamut's palace is a good place too.  Hehe.3)  Resolve it before it gets out of hand.  It sound like it's just the four of you.  Your wife, the DM, the "evil" guy and you.  Invite them over to dinner early before the game begins next week.  During dinner, talk to him and the DM.  Let him know your concerns.  Tell them you and your wife feel like the game is getting a bit out of control, and they aren't sure if your characters feel they can trust the "evil" guy.  Tell them you don't want this to end with bad feelings between any of you then ask the DM what he thinks the group can do to make sure it doesn't end bad.It might work.  But whatever you do, try and avoid getting into a fight with this guys, or even using my Trap the Soul idea if you can possibly avoid it.  If there's conflict, it probably won't end well.Storme</blockquote>

Verification