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Should Dumb Players Be Slapped?
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<blockquote data-quote="Dykstrav" data-source="post: 5747041" data-attributes="member: 40522"><p>In a word--yes. In my view, the DM has an <em>obligation</em> to "slap" dumb players, at least in a metaphorical sense.</p><p></p><p>The "slap" for a dumb player? Those are called "consequences." Let 'em try whatever they want, but don't give them a free ride because they're PCs. Hero or not, physics and NPC reactions will only bend so far.</p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"You approach the fortress of Njoff, Jarl of the Northlands. A pair of burly guards with keen axes block your passage."</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"I stop in front of the guards and yell for Njoff to present himself before me."</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"A wizened, old man dressed in thick furs totters out on a gnarled staff. He addresses you, 'Who seeks audience with the Jarl?' He stops in front of you and glares."</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"I push the old man aside and scream past him, 'Show yourself! I will not waste time with your weak servants!"</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"Your push stumbles the old man into the snow. The guards look aghast. One of them rushes to help up the old man to his feet. He snarls at you."</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"Take it easy, grandpa. I've got a title--maybe you heard how I killed the trolls of Fog Mountain--and I'll have the Jarl flog you for making me wait to see him."</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"The little old man grumbles and his countenance darkens. He snaps at the guards, 'Take this fool to the rocks by the river and show him why the lowlanders fear me--perform the blood eagle on this one as the moon rises."</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"Wait, what? Are you saying that the old man is the Jarl? You didn't say that."</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"Well, no, he's not wearing a name tag or a gold chain with his name on it or anything. It's not like you know what the Jarl looks like--you've never met him personally and he doesn't have a Facebook page. Why didn't you introduce yourself to the old man or ask who he was?"</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"...oops."</em></p><p></p><p>Yes, that's happened in one of my games before. After that character got his lungs removed, the Jarl was glad to converse with the rest of the party... And the player learned to ask questions before deciding on a course of action.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dykstrav, post: 5747041, member: 40522"] In a word--yes. In my view, the DM has an [I]obligation[/I] to "slap" dumb players, at least in a metaphorical sense. The "slap" for a dumb player? Those are called "consequences." Let 'em try whatever they want, but don't give them a free ride because they're PCs. Hero or not, physics and NPC reactions will only bend so far. [I] "You approach the fortress of Njoff, Jarl of the Northlands. A pair of burly guards with keen axes block your passage." "I stop in front of the guards and yell for Njoff to present himself before me." "A wizened, old man dressed in thick furs totters out on a gnarled staff. He addresses you, 'Who seeks audience with the Jarl?' He stops in front of you and glares." "I push the old man aside and scream past him, 'Show yourself! I will not waste time with your weak servants!" "Your push stumbles the old man into the snow. The guards look aghast. One of them rushes to help up the old man to his feet. He snarls at you." "Take it easy, grandpa. I've got a title--maybe you heard how I killed the trolls of Fog Mountain--and I'll have the Jarl flog you for making me wait to see him." "The little old man grumbles and his countenance darkens. He snaps at the guards, 'Take this fool to the rocks by the river and show him why the lowlanders fear me--perform the blood eagle on this one as the moon rises." "Wait, what? Are you saying that the old man is the Jarl? You didn't say that." "Well, no, he's not wearing a name tag or a gold chain with his name on it or anything. It's not like you know what the Jarl looks like--you've never met him personally and he doesn't have a Facebook page. Why didn't you introduce yourself to the old man or ask who he was?" "...oops."[/I] Yes, that's happened in one of my games before. After that character got his lungs removed, the Jarl was glad to converse with the rest of the party... And the player learned to ask questions before deciding on a course of action. [/QUOTE]
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