[Rant] My DM is crazy

[adndgamer]

I normally DM for our group, but I've been burnt-out about DMing for a long time now, and one of the players has finally stepped up to the plate (which I'm grateful for).

In our secondary group (average of 5th level), with the new DM, there's a fighter (dwarven) who's rather a tank. Full plate armour, tower shield, etc. The DM's getting all pissed off that he can't hit the dwarf with any attacks, and so last gaming session he revealed to us that the town guard (we were getting rowdy) all had +10 to hit, but only did 1d6 damage with their attacks (it didn't matter what weapon they had). He said he did this because he was never able to hit the player(s), and so he made them really good at hitting (+10) but left their damage lower.

Argggghhhh! Does anybody else think this is really dumb? And the fact that they're ONLY TOWN GUARDS in a smaller town! When we called that +10 modifier bull****, he said, "they're pretty high level guys". In a small-town militia? wtf?

*sigh* I feel better now.

 

[Wolf72]

Por Pobrecito!

okay ... yeah so that sounds a bit weird, but why not go for things that use touch attacks?

... or simple spells like daze or flare

... or a hold person

... or a web/entangle spell

oh yeah, breath and help him come up with other options.

Just becaus he's the DM doesn't mean you can't help out in the story creation and mechanics.

I'm usually pretty bad a fluffy descriptions, but sometimes my players can give a pretty good description of things ... I say "bar" ... they say "with half window, no door, and a dead cat hanging from the entrance ..."

 

[adndgamer]

Good ideas

oh, and he said that the town guards had something like 18 strength. *shakes head*

 

[nopantsyet]

Well, as far as arbitrary bonuses to allow them to hit you, I think that's an odd approach. I think there are plenty of ways to challenge a party without tailoring opponents bonuses.

For example, let's say in this town, every patrol in the guard has a wizard. It's only logical since monsters and criminals are likely to have magic too. A wiz5 (same lvl as the party--how high level are these guards with +10?) can cast Fireball. Hmmm...All that armor doesn't help so much anymore. His max DEX bonus and hence his Reflex save are limited. And even a wiz1 can always hit with Magic Missile. So what if the guards are ftr4/wiz1? Now they can all cast magic missile.

Touch attacks, enchantments (sleep, anyone?), area effects, caught in a net, every character is vulnerable to something. (At least at lvl5.)

 

[JLXC]

When will DM's realize that thrown Touch attack weapons, ala Alchemists Fire, Tanglefoot Bag, and Acid are not for Pc's only?

 

[drothgery]

While your DM was pretty cheesy in how he handled things, it really isn't too out of the line to create town guards with +10 to hit.

4th-level fighters (not all that out of line for town guards that see a lot of action) will get a +4.
14 Str makes it +6.
Weapon Focus for +7.
Masterwork weapons for +8 (easily affordable by 4th-level characters).

Smart town guards that outnumber the PCs will flank them, so +10.

 

[Squire James]

The DM is a bit unimaginative, but not nuts. I can understand his pain, but I think a good crack group of 4th level warriors with a +8 attack bonus and bastard swords dealing 1d10+4 damage will do a lot better job than the ones you describe. Villages couldn't muster this kind of force, but a small town probably could.

Generally, if you've been beating up town guards a lot, don't be surprised to see said town hiring better guards!

 

[Grendel]

your DM is a push over,
I would have had a couple of the guards ride to the nearest lords manor or keep (the same man to whom they pay taxes). then have the lord come back and with some of his elite guards, who not only are +10 attack but are doing 2d6+4 damage with their two handed swords twice a round.

any survivors will be run out of town on a rail, or hung.
a weak lord does not rule long.

 

[mkletch]

Pit...

Then let's see that dwarven tank climb in that full plate. The snail is out of its shell.

The other option is us hordes of weenies - kobolds work - and hope for 20's. That's pretty much where our campaign is now. The party contracted, so the chaaracters are a bit ahead on the power curve.

-Fletch!

 

[Napftor]

Good ideas

oh, and he said that the town guards had something like 18 strength. *shakes head*

I would join that town's gym.