Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 6858648" data-attributes="member: 45197">Hiya!Two things. First, saying "...I have played with schlubs and needed to dominate the encounter" doesn't do you any favours. It makes you come across as one of those guys that, after the game and after you leave, the group says "Do you believe that guy? What a self-centered, egotistical, A-hole!" Just because someone doesn't have the same focus or desire to play the game "your way" doesn't mean they are a bunch of 'schlubs'. Just because you have a min/maxed monstrosity and they don't...doesn't mean they are a bunch of 'schlubs'. And...more importantly...just because they aren't min/maxed monstrosities who will take more damage and take longer to win a combat encounter does NOT mean you suddenly "need to dominate the encounter". >:|Second, how would you feel if you showed up to a game with your optimized damage-based barbarian...and someone in the group had the same thing, but put yours to shame? Would you still have "fun" playing in combats where he just kind of giggled and said "Oh, look! The cute little newbie barbarian is trying to kill something... awwwww....that's so sweet!", and then proceeded to stand there for two rounds while you got your ass kicked by a monster until the better barbarian says "Well, at least you're trying! That's nice...here, let me help...", and then one-shots the monster.  Now pretend that happens every single session, regardless of what character you make. Your characters are never as powerful as the others. Ever. Would you still have fun in that game? I mean, you are powergaming and have a kick ass character...just not as kick ass as everyone else's.... ... ... that feeling you are having right now? Yeah. That 'worbly stomache' type feeling? That's the empathy you are now having for players who don't optimize their characters, yet are forced to play with someone who is/does.See my second point above. If someone in the group has a non-optimized close combat fighter, and you come along with a fully optimized close combat fighter...he will never be able to shine, because you are stomping all over him. Everyone else in the group will look at his fighter and say "Dude...you suck. Sorry." What if he doesn't have a fighter, but a barbarian? Not the same character, but still focused on front line. And again, we have the same problem. Ok, what if he's not a barbarian either. What if he's a wizard? Same thing, unfortunately. "Oh, you just magic'ed him for what? That was 9 points of fire damage? Er....ok... Well, I just hit him too, for another 24 points"... next round... "So, you did max damage? Great! Oh...that was 12 points. Well, I hit him for...ouch...minimum damage. So I guess thats another... 14 points" ...rinse, repeat. You, with your "optimized" damage dealer just stomped all over everyone in the group when it comes to consistent damage dealing in combat. Nobody in the group...fighter, cleric, druid, thief, wizard, etc... can pump out consistently high damage every single encounter. Why? Because they aren't optimized. So now, everyone at the table is annoyed by seeing their characters 'suck' in combat compared to yours. If you hadn't optimized your character, and made a more well-rounded guy...well, everyone at the table other than you, would be having a great time. And that...my friend...is why you can't easily (if at all) mix a powergamer into a group of non-powergamers. It just doesn't work. Powergamers are mutually exclusive to themselves; unless everyone is, nobody should be. The very rare exception is that person who prefers to powergame, but can have an equally fun time not powergaming. I actually have one player who is like that. He loves to make powerful characters...but he can also make 'well rounded' characters and have just as much fun. When everyone makes a decently powerful character, he does too, and our game changes to that style. It's the folks who "only powergame" that are disruptive to a group that doesn't. Sorry to say, I don't think there is any way to get around this. I can't think of one anyway...and yeah, I've been DM'ing since 80'.^_^Paul L. Ming</blockquote>

Verification