Things that annoy your PCs?

[Cor Azer]

Or, even worse, how abut changing the names of all the monsters so we have no sweet clue of what we're actually fighting?

Cave giant this, DM boy...

Hey now... I have to do that or Encyclopedia Boy will spout off their stats.

Besides, I just described the Earth Elemental as a large figure made of stone - you all jumped to the Stone Golem name.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Well whose fault is it for saying "He has 3 iron golems at the top of the tower." Whose? Oh, yours? So DMs can make mistakes, eh? Little CR 5 encounter almost kills the 10th level characters, because you lets the uber-huge-level NPC claim there were iron golems.

Now let me take my little 7 strength bard and jump off a 300 ft tower to appease you.

 

[MarauderX]

With my old group: turncoats. I worked with a player during one campaign that had motivations that started to contradict the party goals of kill the BBEG, reap the rewards. So I talked to him about it in private and during the battle the PC just stood to the side casting self-help spells (fly, etc) then attacked the other 4 party members during the fight. It was great for the 4 of them, as the players stood up and were red-faced at the betrayal, and let the other player know it. Then the fight ensued and two of the four died, but they still killed the turncoat player and got really creative with the corpse as retaliation. It broke the group up a lot and was deconstructive, but man o man it was fun, and no one will forget it. And I won't be doing it again after all of the swearing and grudges that followed that session. That poor player took all of the heat eventhough I stepped in and said I put him up to it (only half-true). It was a good thing the spring semester had ended and the group switched around.

 

[Liolel]

As both a player and DM at varying times (never both at once) I can comment on what annoys me as a player but I haven't been a dm enough to comment on what annoys my players.

So things the annoy me include:

• Our party monk doing something insane and really stupid
• Not being able to contribute to the combat or other encounter
• Stupid little Monkeys that cast spells (like charm person) and run away (its a long story)
• egotistical party members that try to take all the credit

 

[Belbarrus]

The main thing that annoys my gaming group are modules that don't make sense and/or greatly lack deatils about the "why" and "how". When modules cause the players to ask questions like:
-Why is this dungeon here? Why does it exist in the first place?
-Who, short of a demi-god, would have the resources to make a dungeon like this?
-Why did the villain do/create [something]?
-How could a mortal person even have the means of [doing something]?

Basically when modules are written with very little, or no, care for the "how" and "why" things happen. I am not talking about mysterious things, I am talking about answers that should either be "obvious" or the answers should be obtainable through skills or spells that the PCs can use.

Also, modules that have sections like, "blah, blah, and nothing will stop this short of a wish." Whenever a module states that an item is immovable, a door is unopenable, something cannot be destroyed/damage, nothing will stop the bad guy from teleporting away and so on and so forth, with no explanation at all as to *why*.

These things are especially annoying for the DM, when the players *ask* the questions.

Here's an example. A room has a painting in a frame. The module states that "nothing" can harm the painting. The players ask why. The module doesnt say. Is it guarded by a permanent Wall of Force? Is it treated with special chemicals giving it a really high Hardness? Is it protected by god-like magic? The module doesnt say. Then, if a PCtouch the painting some magical effect occurs and Dispel Magic doesnt work on the painting. Well, the players have access to answers using Detect Magic, high Spellcraft skills and Identify and Analyze Dweomer spells. So, what's the deal with the magical effects of this painting? Does it duplicate a spell effect? Is it considered a magical item? Is it a magical trap? Don't know, the module does not say.

Another example. The party enters a room and the modules states, "The door will automatically close 3 rounds after the party enters, nothing can keep the door open and nothing short of a wish will open the door." *How* does the door close? Is it a magical or mechanical effect? If its magical, then the Wizard with Permanent Arcane Sight should have noticed the aura. If it's mechanical, couldnt the Rogue have detected it? And what is meant by "nothing short of a wish"? *What* is stopping the Wizard's Knock spell or the Barbarian's brute strength from opening the door? What happens if we disintegrate the door? Can we disintegrate the wall around the door? The module doesnt say.

B

 

[shilsen]

Me smiling.

Although that's more in the "make them paranoid" than "annoying" category, I guess.

 

[DragonLancer]

Belbarrus, I so agree with you. Your examples are spot on. I've had these problems crop up in published modules before and then when I explain to the players after the game that it really makes no sense they get quite annoyed or try to make use out of it.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

On a similiar note: NPCs the characters hate and want dead, helping them or turning out to be not so bad.

Alongside long-standing allies that have really been Illithid-dominated spies watching their every move.

And deities, but it's an atheistic campaign, so that's a given.

 

[Mercule]

- Darkvision. With a passion. Most PC races (especially ones that make good sneaks) lack darkvision. Most NPC/dungeon races have it.

- Me referrencing any book and saying, "Hmm... Interesting."

 

[Wippit Guud]

Nonsmokers being forced to endure smoke breaks.

"Sorry guys, while you were smioking... umm... you all died."