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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 627897" data-attributes="member: 151">As always, tales such as these need to be considered with an obvious grain of salt.  That said, Pardoxish has commented several times, and has not come across as a poor DM.  His level of concern about the events of the game indicate to me that he's a fairly considerate DM.  His description of his player's behavior certainly seems to illustrate a lack of maturity.  This has nothing to do with his age, although he may grow more mature with time.  To me, one of the most telling pieces of information is this:In other words, "Bob" was more upset at the deaths of the other characters than their players were.  We can infer from the discussion that this was either (a) a low-magic game or (b) a relativley low level game; this from the fact that death is considered so permanent.  It also sounds like "Bob" is more upset that he was wrong than he is at the turn of events...most likely taking the situation as either an affront to him personally or assuming that Paradoxish set out to spite him, after he told the others that they 'couldn't die'.How culpable Paradoxish is depends on the cirumstances we don't know, such as how the game has run in the past, what the player's expectations were and their previous experience.  It's a DM's job to compensate for situations, to present the players with a generally fair experience.  This doesn't mean always presenting them with a winnable battle...it means giving them the chance to realize they're outclassed, and pull out.  With 3E, one can no longer assume that all kobolds are weak, pathetic creatures.  Is it an ogre...or an half-dragon ogre zombie with three levels of barbarian?  Personally, I wouldn't want to play in a game where the dice are fudged more than once in a while.  Character death should be a part of the game...especially in 3E, where death has little lasting effects.  If there's no risk, we might as well be playing 'Once upon a time' (a good game, btw).It's quite possible that "Bob" made assumptions that were valid, but we can't know either way.  What we can know is that "Bob" has a history of telling the DM that he disagrees with his rulings, and that "Bob" is more concerned about having his way than playing the game.  If the other players, who arguably would have been more aggreived, are perfectly ready to create new characters and dive right in, what exactly is "Bob" protesting?  Bob appears to have or perceive an adverserial relationship with the DM.What can you do about it?  That depends on you, "Bob", and the other players.  First step?  Discuss the situation with the other players.  See if you WERE in the wrong.  How did they percieve this situation.  Even if you didn't intend to, they may also believe you acted out of spite, and not just that they were outmatched.  If they didn't, then you know the problem may be with "Bob" alone.DON'T be afraid to change the timeline, if you think that the game will benefit.  This doesn't require a complete reversal...but a few simple changes could make it more palatable.  Perhaps the victors didn't actually kill the fallen characters...and then decide to crucify them as an example, allowing them to be rescued.  Perhaps they strip the characters and release them to be hunted by their wolves, and the others need to save them.On the other hand, if the guy's a jackass: let him know that, as DM, you're trying to make the game fun for everyone, and if he doesn't enjoy the game, he needs to decide for himself what to do.  For your part, you have to decide what makes the game fun for you and ALL the players, not just him.  If his only role is creating malcontent within the game, ask him to leave or buck up like the other players.  Nothing wakes a party up like the firm knowledge that death is a very real possibility.  If he thinks that the party has script immunity, then he needs to realize that isn't the case, or find a game that feels the same way he does.  If he really wants that kind of game, he needs to go find one of his own.  A different play style is fine, but it won't mesh with your game.</blockquote>

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