(RANT) Magic restricted while more expensive!

[Dougal DeKree]

hi green slime

Might I propose a third solution?

Talk to her about her idea. Personally I think the basis of the idea is cool, but the actual implementation is faulted. That is to say, there is nothing fundamentally wrong exchanging spell components with spell focii.

The problem is the amount of wealth it is binding up for you. The way I see it, their could be two reasons for this:

1) She is really unaware of just how restricting this is. Perhaps she is really unfamiliar with the level-wealth rules? Or perhaps she plans to provide you with a certain number of these gems anyway?

2) She is uncomfortable with the level of magic available in the game and wishes to reduce it through this mechanic.

Regardless, I can understand that, for you, who sought a standard game, that this is extremely frustrating. I suggest having a calmer discussion with her where you can discuss both the merits and faults of the system, and do try real hard not to get her defensive mechanism up; arguing, bribing, and getting irate, is just no substitute for calm discussion (not always easy I know...just don't ask my missus...)

Oh yeah: Good Luck over the weekend, I hope you enjoy the game regardless!

Just want to set that one right... i TRIED a calm discussion for a whole day, i.e. 12 emails. But i am sure you would have to be hard to yourself when every point you make is simply unanswered, falsified or plainly pushed aside with a "oh, but it's only rules-talk, i don't care"...staying calm then IS hard.

I'd say, too, that the actual idea using gems as foci is neat - maybe you could even make a knowledge arcana check to get an idea what the powers of a wizard are, deducted from the gems worn openly...BUT i'd also say, that this would have to be thought through more thoroughly.

About the weekend...see my next post.

thanx for all the response, helped me a lot

Dougal DeKree, tired gnomish Illusionist.

 

[Dougal DeKree]

The weekend...

If she tries the "You guys don't like me" routine whenever you disagree with here, then give her the "If you try to guilt trip me, you're damn right I don't" response. "You're not my friend anymore" is for kids, not mature adults.

Well, that was what we told her in advance - we are all adults. Our goal for the weekend: have some buckets 'o' fun.
We started out of town, pursuing some horse-thieves. The group consists of 4 people, 2 rangers(3), a fighter(3) and a wizard(3), which is me. I even got a bag with gems, suitable for 1st lvl spells. i chose scare and web as my first 2nd lvl spells, so i needed a small black gem for the scare - for that i used up all my money, sold the books i had found so far and lent some additional money...basically i was totally broke from the beginning.

So we took to the wilderness with spare equipment, fought through a goblin-ambush, where the scare came in handy...and i had to make the first secret check to see whether the gem burns out or no. yipee. i did hint that this wasn't actually funny - i mean i roll bad and suddenly i can't cast my best spells anymore? pardon me? From there on she made some biting remarks whenever i did some 1st lvl spell about "if we did use ingredients, would you actually have this/that?!"...i stayed calm. Really. You can ask Darklone.
Then, after finding some drow corpses and one living (who was friendly actually), defending him from some ghouls and then going into the underdark where, too, some nasties awaited, like a sea with some tentacled beast that fell pretty soon thanks to some criticals (boy, did we roll good that day )...we stopped.

She suddenly announced, that the pressure was too high and that she felt her adventure was no fun at all and that someone else should run some other game.

I have to say i don't understand why this happened, we all really just tried to get through those caves and get on with the pursuit.
We did NOT make any comments about gems or the like, we were having fun. hmm.

Ok, so we made a break, ate something, rolled up some chars and i ran Sunless Citadel from mind. She started off in a bad mood but "Meepo The Mighty" (tm) turned that into open laughing, so the rest of the weekend was grande. It was a wagonload of fun...

Regarding Meepo, i will soon start another thread - i made some observations and hope to find the opinions of other ENBoarders about them...til then, have a nice day

Dougal DeKree, tired gnomish Illusionist

 

[Darklone]

I think the problem can be put together in one sentence:

How do you handle a DM who loves to make lots of houserules without any feeling for game mechanics or whatever?

 

[S'mon]

For goodness' sake, either play a non-spellcaster, or if you can't stand to play a fighter or rogue (with Use Magic Device skill), don't play the game. She's the GM, she can determine the rules for her campaign however she wants. Personally it sounds to me like a great way to deter spellcaster PCs. Nothing wrong with that IMO, they tend to dominate 3e too much anyway, unless the DM is very careful. If I were you though I'd look at playing a Rogue who can use magic devices, read scrolls etc, and maybe pick up some wizard levels later if you like. Not a very powergamery character, but if you're a munchkin it's obviously not the right campaign for you.

Edit: missed your last post. I'm not surprised the DM quit on you, all that complaining.
Seriously though, just sounds like she was inexperienced running a game.

 

[MarauderX]

I agree with S'mon that it sounds like she is a bit inexperienced to make sweeping changes to the game. Perhaps you do and she feels it is necessary to make some game changes just because, but in the long run it's not necessary IMO. After all, I don't keep track spell components at all, I just subtract a small sum of cash from the PC casters per month and move on with the game.

 

[Azlan]

I tried to argue, i tried to bribe, i even became unfriendly, which is something very unusual for me, but she will have none of it... Now, any tips what i can do here?

If you really have done all of that, to no avail, then my only advice is: find another campaign to join.

The idea your DM has about gems being required for all spell casting has merit, and it is indicative of the kind of campaign world she is wanting to run. But evidently she hasn't thought her house rules all the way through, and they need some further tinkering to regain game balance and playability. If the two of you are willing to work together toward this end, then by all means, continue playing in the campaign. But if either of you is not, then you should drop out rather than stay and rock the boat, perhaps causing the whole thing to take on water and sink.

 

[Azlan]

If she tries the "You guys don't like me" routine whenever you disagree with here, then give her the "If you try to guilt trip me, you're damn right I don't" response. "You're not my friend anymore" is for kids, not mature adults.

True enough. But, hey, welcome to the real world.

 

[Dougal DeKree]

Edit: missed your last post. I'm not surprised the DM quit on you, all that complaining.
Seriously though, just sounds like she was inexperienced running a game.

Hi S'mon!
Well, i could understand, too, IF I had been complaining.

Seriously: Yes, she does not have the experience for making up houserules and knows that. That is why she asked me if that thing with the gems was ok for me, since i am the only spellcaster. I read it thoroughly (5 Pages pdf), thought about what it would do to wizards in general and said no - and here is, where trouble started. If she wants my opinion but not my REAL opinion, she should tell me before? Of course i could play a rogue or a fighter, did it before, will in the future, but at the moment i feel like playing a spellcaster.

Well, dunno if we ever play that campaign again, i will wait for the call. Maybe take some lvl's of fighter though...weapon specialization Spiked chain...hmm... ;o)

Dougal DeKree, retired gnomish Illusionist

edited to remove some horrible spelling...

 

[Dougal DeKree]

True enough. But, hey, welcome to the real world.

Hey Azlan!

Exactly THAT is the point i want to play a Wizard - Real Life is waaay too real at the moment. I play a FANTASY-RPG to ESCAPE this realism. I want to do things i normally can't do. This is why telling me to go and play a fighter simply won't do...

Oh well, at the moment we switched to an alternate campaign of another player - there we are playing overpowered 6th lvl chars against even more overwhelming odds (a big red dragon PLUS 2 16th lvl fighters last time, dunno how we got out of that...totally Insane setting, but it is fun

Hmm, this post doesn't fit into this thread...sorry

Dougal DeKree, disillusioned gnomish Ilusionist

again i had to edit to erase a spelling that would make a Solar cringe...

 

[S'mon]

Hi S'mon!
Well, i could understand, too, IF I had been complaining.

Seriously: Yes, she does not have the experience for making up houserules and knows that. That is why she asked me if that thing with the gems was ok for me, since i am the only spellcaster. I read it thoroughly (5 Pages pdf), thought about what it would do to wizards in general and said no - and here is, where trouble started. If she wants my opinion but not my REAL opinion, she should tell me before?

Well, the best thing would be (have been) to offer suggestions as to how her idea, which is basically a nice idea with lots of promise, could be made to work: eg Wizard PCs start off with spell foci gems for their known spells, which replace the need for spellbooks. The gems should cost no more than the regular cost of scribing new spells (eg 100 gp/spell level), and the burnout chance on casting should be low - I'd say 1/20 for a regular gem, higher for poorer quality gems (those costing less than 100 gp/level). Because the burnout chance weakens arcane spellcasters, divine casters need to be similarly limited in powers, if they're allowed at all. And of course the PCs will be using fewer spells, so monster CRs will need to be revised upwards.