Bae'zel
Hero
I’m not a powergamer on the rare times I get a chance to actually play (forever DM here), but I want to portray a character who is reasonably competent. I’ll make sure that my stats, skills and chosen abilities reinforce those areas that I want my PC to do well in. An Archer will have high Dex and skills to let them do archer-sniper stuff.
I despise it when another DM gets annoyed that my PC is good at what they’re made to do. Especially when they see me roll a 1 and use it as an opportunity to describe my character as an incompetent buffoon, to the point that they encourage the other PCs to start ongoing jokes about that incompetence (ie, bad luck).
Basically I’ve experienced DMs who interpret failed skill checks as comical farce and failed attack rolls as ludicrous whiffing (“your character swings wildly, swooshing in the air and your opponent laughs at your inaccuracy”). I can understand why some players power game: to battle asshat DMs who give the impression that they are, in fact, their opponent.
I despise it when another DM gets annoyed that my PC is good at what they’re made to do. Especially when they see me roll a 1 and use it as an opportunity to describe my character as an incompetent buffoon, to the point that they encourage the other PCs to start ongoing jokes about that incompetence (ie, bad luck).
Basically I’ve experienced DMs who interpret failed skill checks as comical farce and failed attack rolls as ludicrous whiffing (“your character swings wildly, swooshing in the air and your opponent laughs at your inaccuracy”). I can understand why some players power game: to battle asshat DMs who give the impression that they are, in fact, their opponent.