So...am I evil??

[gyor]

You didn't destroy his property, its fine, you bought him hundred of dollars worth of books and you encourage him to try new things. Now technically you didn't have his premission to touch his stuff so its not lawful good, but I'd say because of the generosity its Chaotic Good, especially since he isn't being forced to play 5e, your just asserting your personal choice not to play 4e anymore.

 

[Satyrn]

Cue music...

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you coming home, dad?
I don't know when
But we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then

Excuse me...

 

[Ancalagon]

Yeah, the OP really does make it sound horrible, but I think his followup posts show he was exaggerating for effect,

Which is kinda of a jerk thing to do when talking about parenting...

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

A good prank. Evil? Sure.

..BUT FUN!

Lot of folks here need to lighten up. It's easy to assume the worst. Sometimes a bit of mischief, a little evil, makes the world a better place. It's all good.

Christ, its not like he burnt the 4E texts whilst cackling as his child's tears spilled forth - and sometimes a nudge/sharp jolt can inspire change.

Of course OP, if you wake up and your car keys are buried in the garden, well, when you start something.....

 

[Nagol]

A good prank. Evil? Sure.

..BUT FUN!

Lot of folks here need to lighten up. It's easy to assume the worst. Sometimes a bit of mischief, a little evil, makes the world a better place. It's all good.

Christ, its not like he burnt the 4E texts whilst cackling as his child's tears spilled forth - and sometimes a nudge/sharp jolt can inspire change.

Of course OP, if you wake up and your car keys are buried in the garden, well, when you start something.....

Pranks are best played between those with relatively equal power levels -- like siblings. Parent--child relationships tend to be too lopsided much like employer--employee relationships. If the two were roommates, it'd still be a move worthy of a Richard, but at least possible responses would suggest themselves more easily.

I'd just dump GMing and find I'm 'too busy' and had 'other things to do' with that time if someone in a power position pulled that stunt on me. If a roommate or workmate tried it, my response might be less measured, but they probably wouldn't be gaming under me regardless.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

Pranks are best played between those with relatively equal power levels -- like siblings.

Nah. I've pranked my students a fair few times. They've pranked me. I've had my folks prank me and I've pranked them.

Nobody exploded.

Now, obviously, it requires a certain level of emotional intelligence and respect* to engage with and execute but honestly? I think a good prank can actually benefit folks.

*That is to say, if the OP revealed his evil scheme and their offspring started to show signs of serious distress then we can hope they'd be emotionally intelligent enough to fish the texts out of the lock up. That people don't credit the OP for this level of basic emotional intelligence is, to my mind, interesting and more than a little revealing. Perhaps we're getting better at assuming the worst in others.

 

[Nagol]

Nah. I've pranked my students a fair few times. They've pranked me. I've had my folks prank me and I've pranked them.

Nobody exploded.

Now, obviously, it requires a certain level of emotional intelligence and respect* to engage with and execute but honestly? I think a good prank can actually benefit folks.

*That is to say, if the OP revealed his evil scheme and their offspring started to show signs of serious distress then we can hope they'd be emotionally intelligent enough to fish the texts out of the lock up. That people don't credit the OP for this level of basic emotional intelligence is, to my mind, interesting and more than a little revealing. Perhaps we're getting better at assuming the worst in others.

I was pranked by a boss once. I pranked back. Went over very poorly. I didn't understand the expectation that pranks only went down the hierarchy -- never up.

Any time one party holds enough power that the other party feels the need to ask if their belongings can go back on the shelf if they don't like the new arrangement is too fraught for pranking in my view.

 

[MarkB]

Cue music...

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you coming home, dad?
I don't know when
But we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then

Excuse me...

He was born on a summer day, 1951
And with a slap of a hand, he had landed as an only son
His mother and father said what a lovely boy
We'll teach him what we learned, ah yes just what we learned
We'll dress him up warmly and we'll send him to school
It'll teach him how to fight to be nobody's fool

Oh, what a lonely boy
Oh, what a lonely boy
Oh, what a lonely boy

 

[Chuck Ocenasek]

Is Asshat parent an option? I am coming upon the 6th year of my dad being gone and I can honestly say in these 6 years he has been a better father for you. To come on a forum and brag about...shame.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

I was pranked by a boss once. I pranked back. Went over very poorly. I didn't understand the expectation that pranks only went down the hierarchy -- never up.

Any time one party holds enough power that the other party feels the need to ask if their belongings can go back on the shelf if they don't like the new arrangement is too fraught for pranking in my view.

You have to gauge things, exercise some awareness. This is where some would would say emotional intelligence comes into play & practice. I've pranked the higher-ups and things have been fine. Then again, over the years I've learnt to recognise which higher-ups can be pranked and which ones can't.

One is not all of them, after all - and basing a world view on one being all would mean I'd never prank anyone higher up again! Heck, 'higher up' 'peers' 'charges' -- emotional intelligence comes into play regardless.