Is picking spells to counter the DM's tactics undermining the fun of the game?

[ThoughtBubble]

Am I going to cross the line of acceptable behavior?

Things are going strangely for our adventuring band. First, we were just running into a lot of dangerous creatures for going through a populated area. Then, things were sneaking into our camp and specifically targeting party members. Ok, now we're getting a little paranoid. After monsters appeared seemingly out of mid-air (including a large number of elementals) to attack us, it was pretty obvious that we were being scried and having things dropped on us. We made appropriate measures while camping that night, so when a random stranger came into our camp, claiming friendlieness, we weren't too impressed. So, after recieving a cold welcome, there's some RP where our fighter decides to help him out, and lo and behold, is attacked. Turns out the guy is a vampire. My one and only contribution to the fairly long fight (Being out of spells from the earlier battle during the day) was one glitterdust.

So now, we've hit the point of exessive paranoia (and fairly significant irritation on my part). The next day, on the road, we encounter some travellers waiting around in the road. Appropriately paranoid, we begin to hand out the GMW's and groupthinks as soon as they come in sight. They start to do the same. So I drop a Black Tentacle right on them. They start to move forward, and so I drop another, which the ranger makes worse with an entangle. A noise in the bushes alerts us to another presence, so I drop a wall of ice there. The fight ends pretty quickly. The guys getting groped are shot full of arrows, and the only one to make it out is taken care of by the fighter. So now it's just to take care of that noise in the bushe-- I've been shot.

And not just any sort of shot. It was a shot so powerful that my arm is broken. Then the new bodypart damage house rule is explained. When asked if I thought it was fair I responded with "As long as you don't mind me using it."

Well, the next round comes, and as I prepare to do my part of beating the snot out of the archer, I'm informed that, with a broken arm, I can't use spells with somatic components. That's all of my spells. That's ok, as I was dominating this fight.

The cleric comes up to heal. But the wound is too severe to be healed by normal cure spells. It's going to take a regeneration spell. Given that we're pretty broke, we've got to hope the next town has a high level cleric that is willing to cast the spell now so we can help him out later. Or, y'know, we gain three more levels really quickly.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling background info. Now, here's what's going on in my head.

1. Stopping the midnight dropins. Browsing the SRD, there's a pretty good encampent spell that I can cast now, that should make it really difficult to drop in on us unexpectectedly. The bags of holding with all our stuff make extradimentional sleeping spaces a little unweildy.
2. Blocking the scrying. There are spells to do this, I can pick them up.
3. Using the bodypart damage rule. With the way it works is that I could probably deal enough damage to cripple someone in one good shot. A lightning bolt shot at leg height could put a serious dampener on any melee opponents. A magic missile to the hand stops a wizard pretty well. Shots to the face? Well that's just mean.

But maybe it isn't a good idea. The thought recently occurred to me that the whole broken arm thing may have just been a bad reaction to me destroying the fun in his carefully crafted setup. And I can see that. Questioning that made me wonder if blocking out his two (seemingly) favorite tactics for dropping unexpected trouble on us is an even worse idea.

So, yeah. Obviously abusing the house-rule isn't the thing to do. But is finding a counter to the situations that are plaguing us an equally bad idea?

 

[the Jester]

Dude, if he dropped the body part damage house rule on you outta nowhere, and you told him it was fair as long as you get to use it too, your dm really doesn't have a lot of wiggle room (imho).

Now, you might want to ask the dm this same question. Explain that you don't want to ruin his fun, but that if the bad guys can do it to you, and you can do it to them, you will. Understand that means they will too, and discuss with the dm whether the house rules increase or decrease the fun for everyone- you, him and the other players as well.

Does he want every enemy spellcaster rendered useless with a magic missile to the hand?

Do you want to be rendered useless every fight by such a wound?

Is there any reason at all not to try to take out certain body parts?

And is it very fun?

I'm guessing, ultimately, that you'll all agree it's better to drop the HR or shift to some kind of 'crits cause special effects' HR instead. (This is assuming your group is reasonable about talking these kinds of things out.)

 

[Greylock]

But is finding a counter to the situations that are plaguing us an equally bad idea?

Hell no. Your DM is throwing the everything and kitchen sink at you. Throw it right back.

HTH

 

[Zappo]

Personally, if a DM pulled out this kind of "house rule" out of the blue on me, I'd have quit the game there and then. It's unfair because it seems obviously invented on the spot just for you, and if it wasn't you should have been told in advance.

And it's double unfair because you only need one hand to cast spells. :\

 

[Kilmore]

It would be silly not to take precautions against threats that plague your group on a regular basis.

I'm not sure about the optional rules about targeting body parts, but in the PHB, it specifically says that Magic Missile cannot be target to a particular body part. It is a spell that destroys a part of a target's life energy.

 

[Romnipotent]

He sounds like a DM I know, we were being smart and disposing of monsters quite easily so he applied that if 3 Large/Medium fire elementals were caught in an Ice Substituted "Fireball" that a ploom of steam would wash out to 40ft and that meant consuming some party members so some of us got hurt.
There was much protest (from the people got hurt and ourselves), now this may not be relevant directly, and in the end I pointed out that with this new grasp on physics and magic that I and my Sorcerer Comrade would be taking Summon Monster V next level to ensure we had Fire Elementals around to damage and spread our spell effectivity. The DM promptly withdrew the damage at that point and we didn't return to that game.

Chaotic rulings, instahouserulomatics and the RATBASTARD line of DM/GM's all suffer from a lack of respect for their players and their intelligence. If players find a great way to deal with something and go all out against anyone suspicious then fine, but dont apply an unknown houserule because its not going your way. Suggest it first. Sounds like the DM needs to meet some good GM's I have

 

[fafhrd]

Sorry to be the cynic, but I get the feeling that, left unchecked, your game is approaching an ante upping meltdown phase. I'd go with the Jesters advice and talk to the DM and quick like.

 

[Zappo]

[magic missile] is a spell that destroys a part of a target's life energy.

It's a Force effect, so it is actually causing wounds by kinetic damage, shotgun-like. And the reason for which you can't target a hand is... well, I could explain it as the spell locking on a creature's vital pattern, true name or whatever and even tie it in to the fact that it can't miss its target even though it will hit it on a random spot, but I think that's a bad idea. Getting scientific about magic leads to lots of trouble of the kind that we're seeing in thread (eg steaming fire elementals). It's much better to leave it unexplained as much as possible. Good for the flavor, too.

 

[Infernal Teddy]

Personally, if a DM pulled out this kind of "house rule" out of the blue on me, I'd have quit the game there and then. It's unfair because it seems obviously invented on the spot just for you, and if it wasn't you should have been told in advance.

And it's double unfair because you only need one hand to cast spells. :\

I'm wih this guy. If my DM were to try this with me, I#d be packing. Quietly. With most of my group following suit.

 

[IronWolf]

It does sound like the game may be spiraling out of control. It sounds like its coming down to the DM versus the players instead of the DM being the referee. As others have suggested it might be worth talking to the DM to see what is happening before it is too late to save the game. Otherwise, I don't see why your character *wouldn't* ready spells to help protect you. After all, in IC wise you are certainly seeing enough traps and situations not in your favor to make you sufficiently paranoid.