I know we have "Rules Lawyers", but what

[Mistwell]

Sometimes I long for the 1e days when only the DM had read the DMG, and the rules were USUALLY house rules on the fly, and we all just had fun and didn't care much what the rules said.

 

[Treebore]

I totally agree Grunj. "Fun" is my rule "0" as DM and player.

As for my GM, he has yet to respond to my e-mail asking him to IM me. When he pops up on my IM as being online he dissappears by the time I clikc and open it to IM him. But he is in World of Warcraft playing his "super" character. But shows up on IM as "off line".

I guess he is afraid of his own shadow or something.

Plus he cancelled tonights game by having one of the other players show up and tell us, citing a "rough day". The player who showed up was ticked, but wouldn't say why. But his "attitude" made it clear he was upset with our DM.

Looks like I will be quitting after all. No sense playing under a DM who can't talk about such a minor problem with one of his players. A couple of the others are developing the same line of thoughts.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Oh, wow. That really sucks, Treebore. I'm sorry to hear that things have fallen through.

It may be a good thing, in hindsight....but it sucks anyway. Hope you find a new game soon. Or maybe somebody in the existing group can run something?

Anyway, good luck in the future.

 

[Treebore]

I still have other games to play in. Mine with my wife and kids, an alternating Sunday game, and two good PbP's.

This one isn't down and out yet, but it certainly looks like it is. Maybe it will get back up before the "10 count" is over.

Besides, there is an interesting Skype game being advertised in the "gamers wanted" here on ENWorld. Maybe that one will get going and be a lot of fun. I've wanted to try an on-line game with audio and video cameras being used. If it works my good old gamer buddies in Japan and Nevada can start gaming with me again. Plus I can find out if a couple more are still in Charleston, SC and see if they can play too.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Looks like I will be quitting after all. No sense playing under a DM who can't talk about such a minor problem with one of his players. A couple of the others are developing the same line of thoughts.

Why quit when you can run?
Do something light and easy.

No sense in ruining everyone's fun for one person's issues.

 

[Sound of Azure]

I still have other games to play in. Mine with my wife and kids, an alternating Sunday game, and two good PbP's.

This one isn't down and out yet, but it certainly looks like it is. Maybe it will get back up before the "10 count" is over.

Besides, there is an interesting Skype game being advertised in the "gamers wanted" here on ENWorld. Maybe that one will get going and be a lot of fun. I've wanted to try an on-line game with audio and video cameras being used. If it works my good old gamer buddies in Japan and Nevada can start gaming with me again. Plus I can find out if a couple more are still in Charleston, SC and see if they can play too.

Well, that's all right then!

 

[Treebore]

Because the two players considering quitting already play in the alternating Sunday game with me, and since one of those two is my daughter, she plays in the family game I run.

If the other two, who have apparently been friends with, and gamed with, the GM for years, shock me and quit as well, then maybe I will.

The other thing that disappoints me is we were planning on doing Shadowrun for a while after this campaign was over.

 

[IamTheTest]

That seems like poor form to me. Id liken it to playing cards with a 5 year old, every time you get the upper hand a new 'rule' pops up. Perhaps it could be construed as DnD TEGWAR edition.

 

[Treebore]

That seems like poor form to me. Id liken it to playing cards with a 5 year old, every time you get the upper hand a new 'rule' pops up. Perhaps it could be construed as DnD TEGWAR edition.

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

Based on Treebore's description, it sounds like his DM has control issues and may make up house rules on the spot to retain control. I've met a lot of DMs who behave that way and it really has to do with ignorance or misdunderstanding of the rules. My recommendation is to share the relevant rules offline. Also to document these new house rules. And definitely use it against him. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

But as far as providing written house rules ahead of time? In 29 years of D&D I have received house rules from only one GM in addition to the ones I maintain. All other games used "tribal knowledge", i.e. everyone knew them and didn't write them down. And yeah, it is pretty annoying to learn about these house rules in the middle of combat only to realize that my character is suddenly sub-optimized. But you know what? At the end of the day it really comes down to trust and fun. Do you trust the GM to not screw you over? Do you enjoy his or her's campaign? No amount of house rule documentation is going to resolve these questions.

For those of you who get all hot if not handed a house rules sheet in advance, I say "get a life." That is the ideal but in my personal experience it is the exception. If the rest of the group is OK with the unwritten rules then vote with your feet or shut up.

I get irritated with surprise house rules as much as the next player. Therefore I work very hard to ensure my own house rules are as complete as possible. But we really need to pick our battles. Not every fight is worth fighting. And if you're going to resort to name calling, then just get the heck out of the campaign. Walk away while you still have some dignity.