D&D 5E Minor rant - y'ever just hate your players' characters?

[Curmudjinn]

Wait, what? Isn't this one of the most common TWF combinations in real life, in fiction, and in D&D up till now? How is it disallowed in 5E?

Now, you need the Dual Wielder feat to use any nonLight weapon in a two-weapon scheme. It accounts for the skill required to be successful with the style. However, you can then wield any two single-handed weapons without the big feat chain(and Tempest levels) of 3e.

You can twin-longsword like Zaknafein at level 4(or level 1 Human), with a single feat devotion. With an AC bonus and can dual draw your weapons without penalty.

 

[Herobizkit]

Wait, what? Isn't this one of the most common TWF combinations in real life, in fiction, and in D&D up till now? How is it disallowed in 5E?

Per RAW, you can only fight two-handed with two Light weapons and Rapier does not count as a Light weapon. You can overcome this limitation with a Feat (if allowed), otherwise... oh well.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've had that kind of problem every time I've tried to run a Planescape game. Inevitably at least one of the players wants to make a character from the real-world Earth. I always have a problem with such characters because the players want to play up their characters' naiveté and make constant real-world references which really goes against the tone that I try to set for the campaign.

I'm not surprised- the Stranger in a strange land? That's a very common trope in fantasy, Sci-Fi and horror fiction. John Carter, Adam Strange, Den, Eric John Stark, Hank Morgan (the Connecticut Yankee), John Furie Zacharias, the Time Traveller, Bren Cameron...even the Atom and the Hulk. The kinds in the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon. The protagonists in the Guardians of the Flame, Magic Kingdom of Landover, Dragon Knight, and The Windrose Chrinicles novels. And lots more.

It can be a cool trope to play with.

 

[Herobizkit]

And it's a trope that at least one of my players loves... the Fish Out Of Water.

Now that the Monster Manual tease has been released, my players have given me a little bit more buzz to indicate interest.

The Drow player loves The Elements.
The Halfling player is excited for Dinosaurs.
The Half-Orc player is very excited for Changeling and/or Warforged.

Methinks a trip to Dark Sun is in order... via a Gate of Stars...

One of 'em make a wisecrack about Warforged Dinobots and was immediately cautioned by another player "Don't say that, it'll happen..."

Oh, how true.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Now that the Monster Manual tease has been released, my players have given me a little bit more buzz to indicate interest.

The Drow player loves The Elements.
The Halfling player is excited for Dinosaurs.
The Half-Orc player is very excited for Changeling and/or Warforged.

Methinks a trip to Dark Sun is in order... via a Gate of Stars...

Or a trip to Eberron would work. Changelings and warforged originated in the Eberron setting, Eberron has dinosaur-riding halflings, and there's a guild who harnesses elementals to power stuff like trains. It might be a good fit for their tastes.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

One of 'em make a wisecrack about Warforged Dinobots and was immediately cautioned by another player "Don't say that, it'll happen..."

"I tried to think of the most harmless thing. Something I loved from my childhood. Something that could never ever possibly destroy us. Mr. Rusty Skaylez!"

 

[Oryan77]

I've had that kind of problem every time I've tried to run a Planescape game. Inevitably at least one of the players wants to make a character from the real-world Earth. I always have a problem with such characters because the players want to play up their characters' naiveté and make constant real-world references which really goes against the tone that I try to set for the campaign.

I've been running Planescape campaigns for almost 20 years now. Earth has never existed in my games. Wouldn't that easily solve your problem? Earth isn't even in the cosmology for PS. The only mention of Earth in D&D that I'm aware of is in Pelinore & Masque of the Red Death. I'm not even sure if that is even our Earth. So players don't have much to argue with if you said "no".

I just don't understand why so many DMs won't say "no" to players.Those DMs call other DMs controlling for saying "no" to players, but then they complain about how their players are ruining the fun of the game and they end up burning out. I've been called a controlling DM. Ironically, those that called me controlling couldn't keep a campaign going for more than a few months when they are DMing. People don't seem to be able to differentiate "controlling" for the good of the game, and "controlling" just to be a prick. The things that I like to have control over are the things that will keep me sane so that I can run an effective and long lasting campaign. Players that have a problem with this are the ones that float from group to group because nobody wants to DM them.

 

[Halivar]

Okay, here's an idea that you might want to think about:

[SECTION]
Death Flag: In normal play, the PC's, being the center of the story, don't die. They can be knocked out, incapcitated, roughed up, beaten around, but when they get to 0 hp and fail 3 death saves, they're just in the DM's hands. You might wake up hours later naked and sore in a sun-baked inn room with no idea who is in bed next to you, or why they're bleeding so much. You might wake up in a goblin stew pot. You might find yourself groggily coming to as orcs pillage the village you failed to protect. It's up to the DM, but it'll probably be Bad News for your characters.

If you WANT to be able to die, you can raise the Death Flag when you fail a roll or get damaged. This instantly gives you a re-roll, or negates the damage, but it is a sign that for you, this is going to be Serious Business. Now, if you die, it will be permanent. But it's up to you to declare that.
[/SECTION]

....and then go for the jugular in a TPK.

When the party wakes up fine and just has to deal with the consequences of their TPK, you'll have established two things:

1 - The Worst Case Scenario is not a big deal, because it'll be fun on the other side. Failure is fun, too.
2 - This is a cinematic kind of game with movie/comic-book logic, not a gritty dungeon survival game.

You'll also have probably earned some trust as a DM who isn't just out to bone them.

And then you introduce the cult of the Gozarian, and all will be good.

OMG. You just solved my player dilemma. I have a couple crazy-go-nuts players and the rest are so death-averse that I was once warned that I "better not" kill his wife's character. It's no fun DM'ing in this environment because I can't cut loose and really be a RBDM. This is the solution I have needed for years. Here's a take on it I'm thinking of:

Death Flag
Normal XP accrual is reduced by 25%. Player death is excised from the game. "Dead" under normal circumstances means out of the fight for the duration (even with a heal; think "temp death" with no lasting effects). If you raise the "Death Flag", meaning you are close to dropping and you are willing to risk actual death, you receive double XP for the session. This Death Flag cannot be played with any "get out of death free" cards, like class abilities, etc. that you know will avoid death. You actually have to be in danger of dying.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

People don't seem to be able to differentiate "controlling" for the good of the game, and "controlling" just to be a prick.

You got THAT right.

 

[The Shadow]

Yep. I've literally sat down, explained the campaign structure, then had people fixate on character ideas so antithetical to that structure that I've abandoned running it before the first pencil hit paper.

Oh good heavens yes.

I once created a campaign world in which one monotheistic religion was dominant, with various othercultures at the fringes. So naturally EVERY SINGLE PLAYER came up with a concept from the fringes. Different ones, of course. Why are they together? I eventually came up with a plausible reason, but it was a strain.

The most egregious case was the guy (who always comes up with inappropriate characters) who made a necromantic cleric of a pagan god. I told him, "You realize your character will be burned at the stake just about anywhere if he is found out, right?"

The same guy, in a superheroes black ops and espionage game, made a fire projector... and then had the gall to complain that he had nothing to do during missions. Ya think?