Lame-O Characters in Your Party

[the_mighty_agrippa]

Let me start this discussion by saying I think everyone should be able and encourage to play whatever they would like to play. I just think that if you spend the time to make up a character, it should be - I don't know - roleplayed or effective or something.

We just got this Elf Ranger in the party. We've had more than a few deaths and of the last 3 Elves in the party, two had secret agendas to the Elf Brotherhood of Candlestick Jumpers and another one was accused of murderinga prisoner (a drow prisoner).

So, Elves are a little suspect to most of the party. And along comes this Elf Ranger.

ME: So you are a warrior?
ELF: Yes.
ME: What skills do you bring?
ELF: ....
ME: We are going to the Valley of Undead Witch Necromancers, have you skill
against such creatures? (Elf does, Favored Enemy)
ELF: ....
ME: What makes you better than, oh, any other Elf with a bow?
ELF: ....

Now, this isn't the best roleplayer but a good "Shut Up, Old Man" or a "I Kick Monster Undead Ass" or even "I've read about them in a magazine" would have been better than "....."

I mean, if you were taking volunteers for a dangerous mission, wouldn't you at least want someone with confidence in their own ability?

Plus, so far, the Elf has been level drained, poisoned and pretty much out of the fight against an iron golem.

Anyone else have temp-to-hire characters in your party?

 

[diaglo]

Anyone else have temp-to-hire characters in your party?

read the story hour in my sig.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Don't know if this applies, but a player joined our long-running campaign (now at level ~11). In 3 or 4 sessions, he went through 4 or 5 characters I believe.

There was the monk who got mauled in his first fight in the surprise round (got jumped by Dire Lions).

There was the half-orc ranger with poor AC.

There was the human fighter who died after 1 fight IIRC, an assassin surprised him (and he failed his save miserably)

I think there was another character, a rogue of some sort, who also didn't make the cut.

Finally, the last character was a gnomish sorcerer who survived hardships but was almost killed by the other characters for almost killing my fire-resistant, cold-vulnerable wizard.

as temp as you can get.

AR

 

[Delemental]

I say you should have reasonable freedom in character choice (maybe not complete freedom; your character should fit the setting and tone of the campaign), with the caveat that you must also strive to work within your group. This is why many DM's ban evil characters - because often "evil" gets played as "have fun at the other player's expense". D&D requires a little flexibility to be successful, because it is a group game. 'Lone Wolf' types may be cool to read about, but can be problematic in a game environment.

In regard to your elven ranger, I think that if he'd shown up in a group I was in, our response would have been "Well, thank you for your interest, but I don't think we'll be needing your assistance. Good luck!" The player of this elf may be relying too heavily on the assumption that because he's a PC, you must accept and trust him. Remember that to your characters, he's just another elf, and one who isn't being very forthcoming.

There is a possibility that your elf player has decided to play up the "aloof elf" angle (we have one such elf in our own group currently). However, I'd say he's overdoing it if he won't even discuss his combat skills with you.

I'm curious, of the three previous elves you mentioned (two with secret agendas and one prisoner-killer), how many of them were played by this same person. Were I to make a wild guess, I'd bet all three were his characters, or at the very least one of the Brotherhood of Candlestick Jumpers was his. I'd say this because this player could very well be one of those people who believes having an interesting character means having lots of deep, dark secrets that nobody knows about. It was something I used to do myself for a time, until I realized that subplots that only emerge when they cause misery for the party aren't much fun.

As far as the ranger's poor combat showing so far; is it a result of bad luck, poor choices on the player's part, or a willful effort not to contribute? If the latter, I'd say your party has good cause to boot him. If a result of poor choices, then the party should talk with the elf about group tactics and his role in them, and if he continues making poor choices then consider expelling him.

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

I'm curious, of the three previous elves you mentioned (two with secret agendas and one prisoner-killer), how many of them were played by this same person. Were I to make a wild guess, I'd bet all three were his characters, or at the very least one of the Brotherhood of Candlestick Jumpers was his.

Actually, the first Elf was an archery based fighter who also liked to use that most classic of Elf weapons, the greatsword. During our first big fight, he and the rogue were smashing down doors and looking for treasure 100+ feet from where the cleric and paladin were fighting for their lives against a hell hound.
Turns out he was working for some secret society of some sort.

The second was also an archery based fighter, this one shooting for Arcane Archer. This one joins up right before a major fight (this is after 1/2 of the party became Shades and got mysteriouso powers) and the cleric says,

"If anyone has some great idea, share it with the group. We don't need any more secret agendas."

Just as we were beginning to move towards the enemy, he goes invisible and doesn't tell us squat. Just goes off and does his thing. Gets nice and killed for his efforts. We bring him back, he gets killed again in another encounter. Sick of this, the cleric casts Speak With Dead - he's working for an elven secret society.

The third Elf was a happy-go-lucky Abjurer, who was the cohort of the cleric. We had captured a drow prisoner (who had killed the 2nd Elf Archer) and after a heated discussion about the sanctity of life, the Paladin asked the Sun Elf Abjurer to walk the prisoner outside. Well, his head kept going. That's worth something, I guess. The Paladin accused him of murder and the cohort was removed from play because 3.5 made him undesirable.

All 3 characters had different players! It's just Elves in this one game.

Bleagh.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Elves are broken.

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

Nah, I love Elves. It's just that every one that entered this particular campaign has been cursed. It's starting to make the characters edgey.

 

[the Jester]

Elves are broken.

Well, they are in this game, anyhow.

 

[Storminator]

Elves are broken.

I play in a game of only elf PCs. One day, when the new player started, the DM said to no one in particular, "I frickin* hate elves!" The new guy looked around, slightly bewildered, and said, "but we're all elves..."

Evil DM grin...
All players nodding sadly in unison...

PS

* not actual word used...

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

It's not even an elven issue; it's that this character cannot even discuss his utility with the party. He's a wallflower that keeps missing and falling down in combat.

Seriously, all bad luck aside, full BAB characters should be significantly better fighters than other characters. If someone came to me and told me that they could fight and we got in a gang-fight in some alley, I'd expect him to be able to fight. If he keeps throwing wild punches, getting hit in the face & falling down, then maybe he's just a big liar and ain't such a good fighter.