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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wingsandsword" data-source="post: 1477926" data-attributes="member: 14159">I run a d20 Modern game using the Dark*Matter setting.  I don't allow most of the magic/psionic classes (and the few I do allow I have heavily rewritten to fit the setting), but I generally allow all the nonmagical classes/feats from the core books and the Modern Player's Companion.  It's a low-magic setting so I have no qualms about restricting magic and psionics (but definitely magical, but it's not as powerful or silly as say, Urban Arcana)A particularly odious member of our local gaming club (who started gaming with Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights and is an example of the "GM is my EQ server" mentality) heard I am running this game and immediately decided to create a character for my game, he started rolling up a PC right in front of me and telling me he was playing a Paladin.Strike three, he's out.  First, he didn't even bother to ask me if I had room in my campaign or if I wanted him in it (frankly, I would lose my sanity if he joined the game, and the apartment I run my game in is crowded enough as-is on game night).  Second, he started to create a character without knowing or caring to know about any house rules (like I don't roll PC's, I use Point Buy, 25 points, and I have a list of homebrew feats he should probably look at), he automatically assumed that everything was by the book.  Third, he started to create a high-level character from scratch assuming I would allow it, there is a "Paladin" prestige class in d20 Modern called Holy Knight, but it is campaign specific to the Urban Arcana setting (and I explicitly disallow it in the campaign), and since you can't take the class until 9th level he wanted to start with a 9th level character (I was starting new PC's at 4th level at the time). In other campaigns, he always plays the exact same character: Lawful Stupid Paladin.  If it detects as Evil: Smite It, even if it is trying to negotiate, surrender or help, because it is EVIL!  If they are an Evil race or creature, smite them because they are all evil.  If the DM is allowing the Book of Exalted Deeds his characters aren't complete without some PrC's and feats from there.  What little roleplaying that is done is being condescending to other PC's about IG morality because you are a paladin and infalliable so if you disagree with other PC's they are wrong and immoral, and possibly even Evil if you disagree too much.  Oh, and he believes that Paladins are by-far the most powerful class (but you should start as a Ranger at 1st level in 3.0e to get the front-loaded abilities before multiclassing to Paladin, he's also a munchkin).  When this fellow didn't understand why every melee combat character didn't have a level of Ranger for the bonuses, some others in the club tried to explain to him that being a Ranger isn't in everyone's character concept or doesn't make sense for them.  He just said "but that's more powerful if you do it, everyone should do it".  A Poster Child for the "Crunch=Game" mentality.I've also seen GM's have seemingly arbitrary house rules.  It's hard to go along with seemingly abitrary, unexplained rules.  "I am running Forgotten Realms, but no elves in my game and PC's can't be Druids".  If you question them, they say simply "I am the GM, this is my game".  If he had said "this is an alternate timeline from the normal realms, where all elves have finished the retreat and none remain in Faerun, and the Druids are all reclusive and isolated and a member of their order wouldn't go adventuring" I would live with it.  GM's and Players are supposed to be partners in having fun, not GM's as dictators handing down arbitrary rulings, and Players are supposed to enjoy the world, not find ways to trick or rules-lawyer the GM.  A friendly, cooperative atmosphere is the best way to an enjoyable game.  If a GM wants to have lots of restrictions, a friendly explanation of Why (especially if there is a story/plot reason why that class/race/feat/skill/whatever doesn't exist on that world) will go a lot further than just saying "Because I"m the DM".</blockquote>

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