Just because he's a PC?

[Kilmore]

Well, the fact is that he is simply wrong. You do not HAVE to accept anybody, either in your party or in your gaming group. It's always nice, but you don't HAVE to.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Now the party is neutral tending to vindictive and the is DM being relativley strict about languages and regional dialects in this campaign (which is actually turning out to be rather cool).

If the campaign is really strict on this, and it's a major part of the game, then meeting up with useful people that you cannot understand/speak to is going to be a common thing. Why is this particular interesting individual a target for "not bothering with". He clearly has some sort of connection - mebbe you should talk to him?

 

[jaded]

This campaign sounds like it precludes most non-core, non-high INT chars. How does a low-skill, non-language-learning class fit in? Say, any fighter-based low-level char?

I actually made the same point when the campaign started, but the enforced languages promotes and atmosphere of international isolation and misunderstanding. The effect on the campaign world is quite profound.

There is still "tradespeak" which is like common but much less useful unless your negotiating for goods.

 

[Greylock]

Now that you've given some particulars, I have to admit, a 6th INT Bard/Brd is a stretch, unless the player can RP him badly with a purpose.

But it still sounds like INT and Skills are arbitrary prerequisites for the game. Why did you invite this player in the first place? Ask yourself, or whomever invited him, that. Or if he was already a player, find out his reasons for going against the campaign steretype.

 

[painandgreed]

I guess my beef is that the player appears to be making no concession to the characters or players as they stand and is just relying on the "but I'm a PC, this is my character, you must accept me" fiat.

Which grates on me. Surely there has to be a bit of give and take?

I think the give would to have to be that the PC has no input on what the party does. He wasn't asked to join. The party didn't agree to any terms. He really is playing effectivly a "dumb barbarian". He can't make any demands on party treasure, what they're doing, or anything else. If the player is going to take a character that doesn't need language to communicate, then the PC shouldn't feel the need to communicate for anything. He sits back and lets everybody else do the thinking (which in some groups is reason enough to make him take language) and takes whatever the rest of the party gives him. If the player feels that he wants to input on anything, then yes, he needs to pay the skill point for the language.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Last session a player lost a character, new PC time.

Given this, the player has come up with a new PC - a Goliath from a distant mountain that has no common language with the party, not even "tradespeak".

Now sure, we all have the right to play the characters that we want, but where do you draw line in-character about letting another join the party?

As far as I can tell, the goliath has at least 10 intelligence but hasn't spent skill points on languages because he needs tham all for earliest possible prestige class entry (some ice giant thing from Frostburn I think).

The current PC's are a starting to get annoyed at an 8" goliath following them round like a stray puppy. It's likely that the goliath (we can't even ask his name) will be left behind, or if he is more insistent about it, killed.

Should we let him join just because he's a PC?

Does he look like he can swing that axe? Swing it well even?
If he's tagging along, stick him in front where he's going to get hit a lot and make jokes about him in your language. If he looks like he can take some punishment and he wants to, let him.

If I was the DM, I would be encouraging him to make use of the speak language skill when he goes up a level. Bad luck about the prestige class but skill point increases should be representative.

Check out my story hour if you want to see a very interesting introduction of a new character into a long standing campaign. This was a lot of fun.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[jaded]

Now that you've given some particulars, I have to admit, a 6th INT Bard/Brd is a stretch, unless the player can RP him badly with a purpose.

This is a mouthy half-orc drummer who ends up landing the party in closest pool of hot water. Tons of fun though.

But it still sounds like INT and Skills are arbitrary prerequisites for the game. Why did you invite this player in the first place? Ask yourself, or whomever invited him, that. Or if he was already a player, find out his reasons for going against the campaign steretype.

Our DM is big on skills, and likes to see PC's spend points on varied things. To be fair, when we do, we always get the chance to use them.

This campaign has also heralded the impact of 3.5 power attack on our game. This players last character was a monk who was a little despondent about his damage output compared to the bard and the fighter with their heavy 2-handed weapons.

 

[jaded]

If the campaign is really strict on this, and it's a major part of the game, then meeting up with useful people that you cannot understand/speak to is going to be a common thing. Why is this particular interesting individual a target for "not bothering with". He clearly has some sort of connection - mebbe you should talk to him?

You make a very good point. I imagine that due to the large number of languages within the party, we could become quite important globetrotters down the track. But the implication is that we should make the effort and expend resources to talk to him. Knowing this is probably for early prestige class entry is somewhat... frustrating.

However this character has no "story" connection to the party, this much is obvious. He just happened to be staying in the same inn.

Has anyone played with a character who is incommunicado for more than a few sessions? How did you handle it?

 

[Mark]

However this character has no "story" connection to the party, this much is obvious. He just happened to be staying in the same inn.

How do you know that if you cannot talk to him? HmmmmMMMM? HmmmMMM?

Seriously, though, perhaps the DM has given the Goliath some vital information and has told the player he cannot share the information until your characters can communicate...but also that his own character is not allowed to take any languages because of his own goals. There might be a lot more to this than they are letting on, if only to increase its impact on the game once it is all out in the open.

I suggest that you have one of the other players drop a point on speaking the Goliath language and find out what's really up with this tagalong. Then if you can give in game reasons why he shouldn't be with the group, you'll have a stronger case for ditching him.

Actually, I like the idea of an 8" goliath...

I'm not sure we needed to know that...

 

[Turjan]

The current PC's are a starting to get annoyed at an 8" goliath following them round like a stray puppy.

Aww, I think that's cute. If he gets annoying, you can always put him in your trouser pocket.