Is this DM bs or is it not?

[Henry@home]

A few sage words from a guy named Monte:

"When a mistake is made, and a player character ends up too powerful, all is not yet lost. In fact, it's almost never difficult to simpley increase the challenges that the character faces to keep him or her from breezing through encounters. However, this way of solving the problem can be unsatisfying, and it can mean that the encounters become too difficult for the other PC's. At the same time, as already noted, its' never fun to lose some aspect of your character...that turns out to be unbalancing. From the player's point of view, it's not his or her fault.

You have two options:

Deal with the problem in-game:...suppose a PC becomes unbalanced by using a wish spell to give herself the ability to cast all prepared spells twice rather than once... an in-game solution might be to have an enemy cleric cast a miracle spell to rob her of that newfound ability. Whatever you do, try not to make it obvious that the situation is a tool to balance the game. Instead, make it seem just a part of the adventure. (If you don't, indignant players will get very angry).

Deal with the Problem Out-of-game: ...an out-of-game solution to the problem... would be to take the player aside between sessions and explian that the game has become unbalanced because of her character - things need to change, or the game may fall apart. A reasonable person will see the value in continuing the game... be warned, however, that not every gamer is reasonable. Many will hate this level of intrusion on your part and resent giving up a great ability or item that their character "earned." ...what's worse, after an unfortunate exchange of this type, it will seem obvious and contrived if you try to balance things with an in-game solution. Nobody said DM'ing was easy."

Summary: Talk to the DM. Explain your grievances, and try to come to a workable solution together. The DM is not supposed to be there to screw you, he is there to provide a fun game for all players - himself included. There is no need for hostility or harsh feelings over a game, no matter what is "lost" on a piece of paper.

 

[Emiricol]

IMHO, the DM should have started by having every beggar in the land come after him for donations, because hey, he could afford it. Then, start having rogues come after him. Then, have a *good* rogue rob him blind. Great plot points, works well, and makes sense.

 

[Hattersai]

Please tell me the PC became a Vampire due to game play?

Seriously though if you have concerns bring them up with the DM. I always ask for player feed back and never hold it againist them. The game is there for both parties to enjoy not just one or the other.

Besides to me I love playing struggling poor PCs with only the armor on their backs and weapons at their side. It makes it more heroic when you accomplish something.

Who has better bragging rights; the guy who kills a Troll with the Flaming Longsword +3 or the guy who killed it with only a Longsword and a torch fighting two handed? Think about it.

 

[Fade]

Two questions: How was the vampire magically controlled if he was standing in an antimagic shell?

Why did he die? Undead don't need to breathe, and I wouldn't count ocean waves as 'running water' (its not going anywhere, just moving back and forth.

 

[quexly]

There should always be a reason why people travel in groups. Safety's usually it. When a lone barbarian decides to casually fly off to the nearest town, he's in a good deal of danger. That you attracted attention by FLYING over the countryside surprises me not - you're alot more visible way up there; that the harpies didn't kill you does.
Although I don't know all the details, I do know of a fair number of DM's out in the world who are browbeat by their players for every bit of misfortune that hops, flies, slithers, or flumphs their way. Maybe the DM was out of line, maybe he should've found a different way to deal with these items (insanely overpowering at those levels), but you got out alive. No treasure if you're dead.

Thinking the DM's out to getcha will kill any campaign - viewing a random fight turned sour as "DM b.s.", and harping on him is just a self-fulfilling prophecy. The DM will probably GET sour, and show just what the master of all reality can do. Of course, rub the PC's faces in dirt enough, and they quit.

The moral? Give each other some slack, and the benefit of the doubt.

 

[quexly]

Seriously though if you have concerns bring them up with the DM. I always ask for player feed back and never hold it againist them. The game is there for both parties to enjoy not just one or the other.

Besides to me I love playing struggling poor PCs with only the armor on their backs and weapons at their side. It makes it more heroic when you accomplish something.

Well, I should've read this last one before I posted. You said it!

 

[zouron]

I most defiantely agree with Hattersai, the less magic stuff the more heroic, besides a hero shouldn't be defined of what he has, surely it feels bad to loss a superb edge. There might be DM b.s there might not be, anyway live one with it and fight on, your character is alive and kicking and appearently the harpies stripped him, either someone is plotting against him or the powers penalize him for arrogance (flying to a nearby town? men walk! so to speak).

Talk to the DM if there is a huge problem, otherwise just enjoy the ride and work with it, most dms doing unfair things regret it later when the PC's character's personality changes in one way or the other (one fellow PC once had a bad attitute knight which became holier then holy when he was a bit unfairly resurrected, the DM surely regreted that ever after and got tired of the PC continuing to praise the gods blablabla)

use it, abuse it, have fun!

 

[green slime]

I'm against having a game where the only dangers the party faces are their challenge or lower. It makes the whole game rediculous. Where were all the high level threats earlier in the game?

If you don't trust the DM, get out of the game.

Who knows why they only stripped the character of magical items? Only the DM. Until he reveals the reason behind this apparent aberrant Harpy behaviour, this is all idle speculaction.

 

[Zappo]

Wait a minute - I have just one question... where you over the ocean or over the forest when the harpies attacked you?

Somebody's story needs to be straightened out here.

So? Me wants to know, too.

 

[Bran Blackbyrd]

/rant on

Shame on anyone who is trying to make excuses for this DM.
You can try to explain it away as being the player's fault because he took an unreasonable risk flying alone in the open like that, but come on, let's be realistic. The DM is an obvious munchkin, a term that I don't just toss around.
Taking the example of the DM's NPC using magic against a PC in an anti-magic shell goes a long way towards properly proving his true motivation in the harpy situation. The DM is breaking the rules to suit his own purposes.
Before anyone says, but the DM makes the rules... Changing the way certain game mechanics, the laws of nature, or magic works is perfectly within the DM's right, but there should be a warning. Just showing up with a villain that can weild magic in an anti-magic shell...
Anyone who thinks that the rules include, "The DM is Always Right, No Exceptions", is either a masochist, a hardass DM, or simply misguided.
Nobody plays the game so that they can be unreasonably abused. Games are for having fun, but this DM either wants to "win" against the players, or is trying to correct his own mistakes in the worst, most incompetant, most unfair manner.

Many people take the position that if the players don't like it, they can find another DM. Maybe it's just me, but that statement always come off sounding arrogant. You don't just stop at the local corner-store and pick up a new DM. Some communities have very few gamers and DMs are not as numerous as some would have you believe. Others simply don't want to game with strangers and I can whole-heartedly understand.

Finally, most people (keeping the prior statement in mind) game with friends, and if the DM is you friend, he owes it to his players to work things out, and quit playing the game like a jerk. And he IS playing the game too, so don't let anyone tell you he's doing you a favor by playing the role of the DM. Just because he's playing the role of the moderator does not mean he's earned the right to beat up on the rest of the players.
/rant off