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<blockquote data-quote="Elemental" data-source="post: 2922579" data-attributes="member: 7931">Been there. In a game in Eberron, the PC's had been tasked with following some Emerald Claw agents who were up to no good in an island chain and seeing what they were trying to do. There was a very strange session where the group were acting randomly, going off in different directions and generally doing a headless chicken impression. Turned out that they had collectively forgotten what the mission was--every player assumed that the others knew what they were doing and were following their lead!The Dowsing Rod:This player has an unerring instinct for the hideously broken. Typically, the power comes from a combo of several broken things rather than one easily spotted big one, so they look harmless till they bust out their combo that deals two 90-damage piercing cold-subsituted lightning bolts as a free action each round, use a Gate scroll to call in a klurichir which then summons two balors, or play a Dweomerkeeper with XP-free wishes. In general, if they even put it on their sheet, you should start thinking about how it can be abused.Groups with players such as these typically end up with a long litany of houserules that are nominally for everyone, but only ever apply to this player. And every time one of his ridiculous comboes is nerfed, he will moan about how you're targeting his character.A good test for these players is to show them the Tainted Scholar PrC, or the Death By Thorns spell. If they think they're fine as written (a common refrain is &quot;well, there are ways to deal with this, you just have to be creative&quot;), then be afraid.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Elemental, post: 2922579, member: 7931"] Been there. In a game in Eberron, the PC's had been tasked with following some Emerald Claw agents who were up to no good in an island chain and seeing what they were trying to do. There was a very strange session where the group were acting randomly, going off in different directions and generally doing a headless chicken impression. Turned out that they had collectively forgotten what the mission was--every player assumed that the others knew what they were doing and were following their lead! [b]The Dowsing Rod:[/b] This player has an unerring instinct for the hideously broken. Typically, the power comes from a combo of several broken things rather than one easily spotted big one, so they look harmless till they bust out their combo that deals two 90-damage piercing cold-subsituted lightning bolts as a free action each round, use a Gate scroll to call in a klurichir which then summons two balors, or play a Dweomerkeeper with XP-free wishes. In general, if they even put it on their sheet, you should start thinking about how it can be abused. Groups with players such as these typically end up with a long litany of houserules that are nominally for everyone, but only ever apply to this player. And every time one of his ridiculous comboes is nerfed, he will moan about how you're targeting his character. A good test for these players is to show them the Tainted Scholar PrC, or the Death By Thorns spell. If they think they're fine as written (a common refrain is "well, there are ways to deal with this, you just have to be creative"), then be afraid. [/QUOTE]

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