Is this a cruel DM?

[Methos]

You know, that is a very good suggestion. I think I will ask him why he believes that the current campaign is enjoyable.

Like I said, I have thought of simply quitting the group. Unfortunately, I like the folks I game with as individuals. Even the DM, believe it or not. He just simply has a style of DM'ing that I don't quite agree with always.

Methos, before you try things that will almost certainly ensure that NOBODY has any fun (besides you perhaps), I really think you should give your DM the benefit of the doubt and just ASK him what he thinks is fun about his campaign.

"What do you think makes this fun for me?"

If he doesn't have a good answer to that, and you want to show him that you can trash his fun as well as he can trash yours, then go ahead and let the party die, loot their bodies, whatever.

But surely the BEST solution to the problem is that the campaign becomes fun for EVERYONE. And you abandoning the party and derailing the whole campaign doesn't seem to me like the easiest route to that goal. Perhaps your DM will repent and start changing his ways, but more likely he'll just blame you for ruining everything, get angry and nothing gets solved.

So ask him why he thinks any of this is fun for you. Maybe he has an answer that will make you rethink what's happening. You'll never know if you don't ask.

 

[Xarlen]

I don't think saying you consumed a party member is too graphic. One of the story hours that was circulating had to do with werewolves strapping babies onto their chests, to keep from being shot with arrows.

If people can take that, I think saying you ate a party member is manigable.

Why not ask to DM yourself? Or, convince one of the other players to DM?

 

[Methos]

I have DM'ed in past campaigns and even DM'ed with this group where the existing DM was a PC.

Trouble is, I actually enjoy being a player more. I have a lot of respect for people who DM since I have done it myself. I know the work that goes into being a good DM and creating campaigns etc., and I know that it is very difficult.

Also, this will sound lame, but I just don't have enough time (wife, kid, job, etc) to create what I think is a good campaign. I have fairly high standards for myself, and with all of the other things going on, I just don't think that I would create a good campaign for the group.

As a result, even though I think he has gone over the top this time, I really don't want to seem overly critical of his DM'ing. It is a tough job.

I don't think saying you consumed a party member is too graphic. One of the story hours that was circulating had to do with werewolves strapping babies onto their chests, to keep from being shot with arrows.

If people can take that, I think saying you ate a party member is manigable.

Why not ask to DM yourself? Or, convince one of the other players to DM?

 

[ForceUser]

Any thoughts?

Seems a bit over the top.

 

[DDK]

Firstly, although I don't have the books with me, I'm almost sure that even infected lycanthropes can roll against a skill called Control Shape to see if they can prevent the forced change.

Secondly, although your DM's goals of creating a gritty, low-magic world are commendable, they should not override the ultimate goal of playing; the game should be fun, for everyone.

Thirdly, wizards are, IMO, ripped off severely in the current system. The 100gp per spell level per page is utterly ridiculous and makes the class virtually useless. To remain competitive with a sorcerer, a wizard has to spend at least half their money on their spellbook and even then, the difference is little more than a couple of extra spells to choose from, which defeats the whole point of being a wizard, ie. spell choice. That, and the sorcerer can freely spend all his cash on items, making the wizard a poor man by comparison. What's worse is that if a wizard loses their spellbook they're pretty much a waste of a text on a character sheet. Making a copy is all fine and well but then you have to spend another quarter of your money...

Fourthly, wererats are not stupid. Why they would destroy all the equipment, something that would take a great deal of time and effort, is beyond me. Also, considering they're supposed to be "ravening", and that to destroy equipment one would have to be purposeful and methodical (equipment wouldn't be destroyed just by a few slashes of claws), goes against his own reasoning.

 

[Tiefling]

Fourecks, the wizard doesn't have to pay those costs for spells gained through leveling, he has to pay them for spells copied from scrolls and other spellbooks. And it's 100 gp per page.

 

[Pyske]

Since you've settled on a course of action that seems a very good start to me (asking what the DM thinks is fun for the players), why not take it a step further? Since the DM's job is already pretty hard, why not bring to the table a reasonable suggestion to remedy the current problems?

. . . . . . . -- Eric

PS -- I admire your maturity in being willing to work with the DM and roleplay the character as far as you did. Many people would have refused to give the DM the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Ravellion]

So, when is your nes session going to be? I feel for you, I once had a DM who liked to take evrything away. I eventually started playing a Monk. He took my backstory away (killed my master) and aged me. I showed him a piece of paper with basically that information on it, which I wrote a session earlier, and he was shocked to see he was that predictable.

Some DM's like bleak and gloomy, but they just go overboard a bit.

Rav

 

[Saeviomagy]

If none of the other characters are magic-using, then infect the entire party with lycanthropy. Then you can all become evil, ignore the GM's quest, and wait for him to strike you all down in a fit of petty rage.

Either that or you'll be able to have a lot of fun, while at the same time making the GM suffer a bit (it's really difficult to hold a game together when none of the PC's want to quest for the good of the town...).

 

[Dog Faced God]

Re: Re: Is this a cruel DM?

Firstly, although I don't have the books with me, I'm almost sure that even infected lycanthropes can roll against a skill called Control Shape to see if they can prevent the forced change.

Not on the first full moon after infection. They go into a frenzy no matter what:

http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd/srdmonsterstemplates.html

On that night, the afflicted character involuntarily assumes animal form and becomes a ravening beast, forgetting his or her own identity. The character remains in animal form, assuming the appropriate alignment, until dawn and remembers nothing about the incident.