Should a DM assume your character does something?

[Zerovoid]

This is a really tough call. I suppose you have to have it set up for each game what the default action is in a situation like this.

The real problem is, it takes a lot of time to confirm every action from every player. Most of the time, the group probably is being led by one person. But, if you ask for confirmation, the players will immediatly know that you're up to something, and play cautiously.

I suppose the best thing to do is to have an equal number of situations where players get burned for staying together, and for hanging behind. That way they won't be temped to give the safer answer when asked, "Are you following Bob up the stairs?"

 

[Apok]

when we were ambushed in the night, he tried to assign penalties to me for being drunk, having 'assumed' that I kept drinking until I passed out, like my compatriots.

Now that, IMO, is just wrong. Whenever a character in my games starts imbibing alcohol, the first question I ask is, "How much are you drinking? Trying to get a buzz, get drunk, just a glass?" I don't assume a player is drinking to excess unless they tell me this specifically or if they repeatedly order more drinks for themselves.

I have developed a tendency to ask "Where is everyone and what are you doing?" every so often, especially in situations where a character's location is especially important. The only things I assume a character does without the player mentioning it are basic necessities like going to the bathroom, washing up, shaving, combing hair, etc. Mundane, routine activities only.

 

[Tsyr]

I have developed a tendency to ask "Where is everyone and what are you doing?" every so often, especially in situations where a character's location is especially important. The only things I assume a character does without the player mentioning it are basic necessities like going to the bathroom, washing up, shaving, combing hair, etc. Mundane, routine activities only.

I remember one time a DM made a player who's character was drunk roll a to-hit on his beard to shave... he critical missed and cut his own throat

 

[Pielorinho]

I don't really see that the fault is with either party. When Joe went up the stairs, the DM shoulda said, "so, y'all are going up to the next level?" or something like that, and gotten approval.

You probably shoulda said, without prompting, "I'm staying down here." Honestly, I don't see anything in your story suggesting that you intended NOT to go up the stairs.

I'm guessing that, had there been no trap, you would've gone along with the "everybody goes up stairs" assumption with no complaint.

To solve the problem in the future, I'd suggest piping up with statements like that -- specifically, statements that distinguish your actions from other folks'. "Y'all might be drinking yourselves goofy, but I'm finishing this glass and going to bed." "I'm gonna poke around down at the bottom of the stairs and maybe play a little ditty on my harmonica." "You folks go on ahead into the cavern -- I'll stay out here and watch the horses graze." "Hold on -- I'm not joining in an attack on a crown prince, no matter how snotty he is."

Be prompt and consistent with these statements. It's not enough just to state when you ARE following along with other people: you need to be stating when you're NOT.

Then, if the DM assumes you're following ahead without giving you a chance to make your Loner declaration, you can call him on the carpet for it.

*********

I can sympathize. I was once playing a little wussy necromancer goth teenager, and the party went to the island nunnery where his insane mother lived. The DM really wanted a confrontation scene between gothboy and crazymom. Naturally, gothboy DIDN'T want that confrontation. So the DM just assumed that gothboy followed the party into the temple where they knew crazymom was working. It was a PBEM game, and we were playing in a chat room, and I couldn't type, "WAIT! NO! HOLD ON!" fast enough for the DM to believe me, and the scene happened without my being able to prevent it. Grrr....

However, the DM in this situation had a good reason to assume I wouldn't go ahead with her plan and did it anyway. I don't see, in your story, where your DM had a good reason to assume that you wouldn't go ahead with the plan. I therefore think you should be proactive in this respect in the future; it might minimize the miscommunications.

Daniel

 

[Apok]

I remember one time a DM made a player who's character was drunk roll a to-hit on his beard to shave... he critical missed and cut his own throat

LOL!

Damn, I may be a bastiche of a DM sometimes, but I'm not that bad!

 

[Draconis Imperium]

LOL!

Damn, I may be a bastiche of a DM sometimes, but I'm not that bad!

I had a DM once, when my wizard was drinkong rolled I pulled my Wand of Fireballs out instead of my Wand of Magic Missiles in a bar fight. There wasn't much left of the party or bar left after that.

I try to be a little more sensible. A drunken wizard would hide under the nearest table.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

As a DM, I might occasionally assume that the party stays together, but NEVER would I do so if I knew that there was something waiting there for them. If there was a trap or a combat around the corner, I would ALWAYS make sure everyone specified what they were doing, what their marching order was, etc.

It sounds like your DM was really eager to nail somebody with that trap. Bad DM ... BAD!!

 

[Doc_Klueless]

I think that the DM might have erred some on this matter and here's why...

When I DM I keep track of what the characters usually do. If the PC usually follows the group around, then I assume that's what he is doing unless I'm told otherwise. If the PC usually examines every door by touching it with his fingers, that's what he does unless I'm told otherwise. Basically, I keep track of PC mannerisms, so that if a Player realizes there is a trap and yells out, "My character didn't follow him!" when he followed the group the last dozen times when he didn't know there was a trap, he follows the group.

Unfortunately, for your DM, it appears that you have a habit of stating when and if you're following the group. That's your habit, your mannerism, and he should have honored it when you said that you didn't follow the group.

Or something like that.

As a player, I'm very vocal about what my character is doing. I always announce when I follow and when I don't and so on. My buddy who DMs the games I'm in KNOWS this, so never assumes that I'm following anyone. Never assumes I'm doing something that I didn't say I was doing (for the most part. You can't expect someone to say "I'm taking in a breath. Now I'm blowing it out. I'm taking in a breath. I'm blowing...").

 

[Fast Learner]

I use the same system as Zeppo, and it works like a charm.

If someone says "We" do something, I look around to see if there are any dissenters and than everyone is paying attention (and if they aren't, I make certain the "we" is correct). I also pay attention to whether the "we" was spoken by someone who is an accepted (though not necessarily "official") leader of the party; if it's someone that other players tend to disagree with, I never assume the "we" means anything.

If someone says "I" do something, I ask everyone else what they're doing.

If it's ever unclear, I always try to ask "So you guys go on up the stairs?" If you do this religiously then you won't have to only ask when there's a trap or ambush or such.

It really works well

 

[Uller]

This is why I ask for one of my players to volunteer to be the party 'spokesman'. When deciding the general actions of the party, it is this player that announces to me what the party does. If an individual player wishes to not do what the rest is doing, he must say that he is doing something else (I always give ample opportunity to do so in dangerous situations).

So...if the party spokesman says "I go upstairs." Well...he goes upstairs because he is only speaking for himself at that moment. If he says (after some discussion among the players) "We go upstairs." then I assume everyone is going unless someone pipes up and says "I'm staying behind." I've never had a misunderstanding that I can remember...