How do you tell your GM and friend that he just isn't that good

[Dordledum]

Ok,

situation scetch: We've been gaming as a group of good friends for over 10 years now. We've alternated as GMs between 3 of the 5 players (the other 2 were initially not interested). Everything went fine, we had some epic adventures.

Last year the regular 3 GMs (incl. me) were all for personal reasons no longer available to GM, the prep time being too much. One of the 2 players who wasn't interested in GM-ing at first wanted to give it a go.

We tried to infuse him with all our experience, provide him with all resources, etc. We've been playing in a Forgotten Realms city campaign for almost a year now. The story is good, dungeons are well designed.

The issue: his combat skills aren't very good. It's far too easy, no challenge at all. Higher challenge ratings/more enemies don't help a bit. We've been giving him all sorts of tips to up his game/the challenge. to no avail. He just doesn't seem to have much tactical insight.

Yesterday evening we fought 3 driders who should have obliterated our level 6 party if played well. We lost about 15 hitpoints each and that was it. In a year of gaming we have had only one exiting encounter where a character went into negative hitpoints. Undermountain has become a cakewalk.

There's no threat. As a consequence, the players at the table lose focus. People start to do other stuff, the game suffers.

My question: How do I/we tell him? We're all good friends and don't want to hurt his feelings. And he does design a good dungeon/write a good story.

Tips are very welcome, thank you.

 

[pming]

Hiya.

Maybe it's the other way around? Maybe your groups characters are "min/MAXED" too much? Too focused on 'optimization'? You *could* try and suggest you all make new guys...and then specifically make them "well-rounded" (re: something that seems to be frowned upon in the d20 system). So, make that ex-guard member fighter guy with a 13 STR, 10 DEX and 12 CON, who has Exotic Weapon: Bola, Investigator, Persuasive, and Skill Focus: Perform: Stringed Instrument. Give him a long sword, dagger and a bola, and then clad him in ring-mail. Have the other players make similarily "non-focused" characters.

I bet that would change the difficulty enough.

But, if it's purly about creative (and appropriate to their Int) monster tactics, where the battlefield can be utilized by all concerned...well, not much you can do about that. Some people just don't think that way (or don't care to). Suggesting slightly more 'unusual' stuff for your own characters to do may help spark his imagination though...it's worth giving that a shot too.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[S'mon]

If he's a good GM other than for combat, then I'd think a less combat-focused game would be best. Emphasise other aspects of the game, whatever he's good at. Move away from combat-focused dungeon crawls. Players won't need to combat-optimise PCs, as Paul says, if combat is not the focus.

 

[Dordledum]

Valid points to consider.

The fact is that we are all used to combat heavy campaigns, and he made a combat heavy campaign (sent us into Undermountain).

He really does make the effort, but he simply appears not know how to use the battle terrain, or the best use of monsters abilities. It's all line em up and let us chop em down one by one.

 

[Lwaxy]

Can't one of you take over the monsters in battle while someone else takes over that player's PC for a bit? We did that in one group before and it worked fine. It used to be a challenge as to who played the monsters best.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

As a player who's having a similar (yet very different) problem, I'm hoping to find some solace in this thread as well.

Our current GM was a player with our group for about a year before he decided to volunteer to run the next game. My game was winding down, so after it reached a logical stopping point he took up the reins.

His story is nonsensical. Somehow both too railroad-y and too open-ended. His grasp of the rules of the system is below average at best. He can't keep more than one player engaged at a time. He has no idea how to budget game time.

Example: We have a group of 7 PCs in L5R. Last session, he spent 2 hours (out of a total of 4 hours) focusing on one PC's activities. Not even important-to-his-story activities, just "I'm looking for a blacksmith to make me some new throwing knives" kind of activities.

I've tried giving him tips, but he gets really defensive when anyone says anything even remotely not-good about his game style. "I'm just trying to craft a believable narrative," he says. "I want the game to be realistic and make sense," he says. Not once has he asked what any of the players want. Not once has he asked us for any feedback at all.

Any confrontation will probably end with him crying.

I am at a loss.

 

[Dordledum]

Not once has he asked what any of the players want. Not once has he asked us for any feedback at all.

Any confrontation will probably end with him crying.

I am at a loss.

Sounds like your problem is worse than mine.

What would he say if you just asked how he think it's going? Does he see that it doesn't work well and is he in denial or is he oblivious that you are not enjoying yourselves?

Maybe someone else can volunteer that (s)he really would like to DM for a bit. Maybe for a few sessions only. Maybe the GM in question will pick up some tips.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

So you've tried to help him with his combat skills, and it didn't work. IMO you now have three options: 1) continue as you are, 2) someone else steps and says they want to DM for a while, and 3) stop playing. Telling your friend that he's not a good DM doesn't help in any of these situations, so my advice is not to do it.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Sounds like your problem is worse than mine.

What would he say if you just asked how he think it's going? Does he see that it doesn't work well and is he in denial or is he oblivious that you are not enjoying yourselves?

Maybe someone else can volunteer that (s)he really would like to DM for a bit. Maybe for a few sessions only. Maybe the GM in question will pick up some tips.

Whenever the game comes up in outside-the-game conversation, he believes it's going really well and that everyone is having fun.

We have three other players chomping at the bit to run, but he seriously doesn't understand that no one is having anything resembling fun.

Maybe we should just have everyone except him show up a half hour early and start work on a new game, then when he shows up just tell him that we're moving on.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

So you've tried to help him with his combat skills, and it didn't work. IMO you now have three options: 1) continue as you are, 2) someone else steps and says they want to DM for a while, and 3) stop playing. Telling your friend that he's not a good DM doesn't help in any of these situations, so my advice is not to do it.

I'm torn on that last point you make, because if no one tells him he's not good he'll never get any better.