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Is my DM being fair?
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<blockquote data-quote="MechaPilot" data-source="post: 7141762" data-attributes="member: 82779"><p>Is the DM's decision "fair?" There're a few level on which you can answer this question.</p><p></p><p>1) As long as you get to pick a replacement for the banned feat, the DM isn't outright depriving you of anything you're allowed to have under the rules. Therefore, under this perspective one could say the decision is "fair."</p><p></p><p>2) The DM gets to decide which options will be allowed and which will be banned at her table (for example, I ban +X magic items, and long-range teleport magic). It's considered good form to let players know what's allowed and what's banned before characters are made. Imagine the irritation and wasted time when a player is told she has to make a new character because dwarfs can't be wizards at your table.</p><p></p><p>However, there are occasions where actual play shakes out a bug the DM hadn't foreseen when initially evaluating player options (especially the result of two or more options interacting). In these cases, I consider it my obligation as a DM to lay out a logical path of my reasoning to disallow something, and to work out a compromise with the player. I'm also not afraid of reasonable feedback from my players, and I will reconsider if they can point to a flaw in my reasoning.</p><p></p><p>That said, neither Lucky nor Alert are game-breaking. Lucky is certainly a very good feat, but three re-rolls a day is hardly an overwhelming advantage. Likewise, Alert is a great defensive feat. Never surprised, very nice. How to describe that? Well, it's in the name: the character is alert and spots danger before being surprised. The +5 to Initiative is significant, especially if it synergizes with subclass features, but it can be a curse as well, especially if the alert character acts first, then the monsters do, then the rest of the party does. In such a situation the alert character can find herself overwhelmed by the retribution of an entire enemy group before any of her allies get a chance to help.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>On the subject of what you should do, unless not being able to take those feats would make the game un-fun for you, I would suggest not fighting it. Instead, I would suggest, as Quickleaf has, that you calmly and politely inform your DM that having to adjust your character is impairing your enjoyment of the game, and that you would like to know what she's going to allow and disallow from this point on. Ideally, ask for a list of what options are disallowed (the DM really should have one of these anyway, to provide to anyone who might wish to enter her game).</p><p></p><p></p><p>Edit: Glad you were able to work things out with your DM, and that you got to keep your feat.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MechaPilot, post: 7141762, member: 82779"] Is the DM's decision "fair?" There're a few level on which you can answer this question. 1) As long as you get to pick a replacement for the banned feat, the DM isn't outright depriving you of anything you're allowed to have under the rules. Therefore, under this perspective one could say the decision is "fair." 2) The DM gets to decide which options will be allowed and which will be banned at her table (for example, I ban +X magic items, and long-range teleport magic). It's considered good form to let players know what's allowed and what's banned before characters are made. Imagine the irritation and wasted time when a player is told she has to make a new character because dwarfs can't be wizards at your table. However, there are occasions where actual play shakes out a bug the DM hadn't foreseen when initially evaluating player options (especially the result of two or more options interacting). In these cases, I consider it my obligation as a DM to lay out a logical path of my reasoning to disallow something, and to work out a compromise with the player. I'm also not afraid of reasonable feedback from my players, and I will reconsider if they can point to a flaw in my reasoning. That said, neither Lucky nor Alert are game-breaking. Lucky is certainly a very good feat, but three re-rolls a day is hardly an overwhelming advantage. Likewise, Alert is a great defensive feat. Never surprised, very nice. How to describe that? Well, it's in the name: the character is alert and spots danger before being surprised. The +5 to Initiative is significant, especially if it synergizes with subclass features, but it can be a curse as well, especially if the alert character acts first, then the monsters do, then the rest of the party does. In such a situation the alert character can find herself overwhelmed by the retribution of an entire enemy group before any of her allies get a chance to help. On the subject of what you should do, unless not being able to take those feats would make the game un-fun for you, I would suggest not fighting it. Instead, I would suggest, as Quickleaf has, that you calmly and politely inform your DM that having to adjust your character is impairing your enjoyment of the game, and that you would like to know what she's going to allow and disallow from this point on. Ideally, ask for a list of what options are disallowed (the DM really should have one of these anyway, to provide to anyone who might wish to enter her game). Edit: Glad you were able to work things out with your DM, and that you got to keep your feat. [/QUOTE]
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