Waaah! We broke our GM!

[tauton_ikhnos]

Two campaigns, alternating weeks.

One 14th level (13-15), heroes of Verdannes, yadda yadda, mindless dungeon crawling. One 25th level (24-25), semi-political, saving the world from half-fiend advanced great wyrm white dragons with extra sorcerer levels and their demonic hordes.

The 14th level campaign dragging to crawl last month or so, due to intra-party bickering, and GM decided to bring us together with "big threat". Built CR 20 gargantuan demon things with Upper Krust's IH appendix (v4), threw bunch of them at us in enclosed space. Pretty nasty fight, almost lost our cleric, won, retreated, came back. Didn't bring us together. If anything, wedged cleric & rogue further apart - rogue could have saved cleric, didn't, you know where that lead. So GM let us argue, then trapped us in really big fight with even more of gargantuan demon things.

This is where plan went really awry.

We'd already fought them. First time, they were new, didn't know how to handle them. Second time, we'd spotted weaknesses, pimp-slapped horde into next week. We're munchkins. S'what we do. However, rogue bull rushed cleric into maw of one - cleric died, when we should have had zero casualties (and very little hp loss).

Out of game fight erupted. GM finally shouted it down, said that was enough, we needed to calm down. Ended game there, said we'd pick it up again later.

We played 25th level game last weekend, rogue and cleric PLAYERS were antsy at each other, rogue left in huff halfway through. GM wrapped up game pretty quick, then, said he'd think about it, talk to us all next Friday.

Just got e-mail over lunch - he talked with rogue's player, player is quitting group, GM wants to cancel both games because of "sour taste".

Any advice? Kind words? I don't mind dropping 14th level game, just mindless beatdown fests, but I've built up 25th level character over 2 years. And lots of alliances, in-character motives and goals, etc. Haven't been this attached to character in long time, but now I'm almost ready to cry.

Starting over before this one is done... ugh.

 

[diaglo]

Originally said by Meg Ryan's Character in Joe vs. the Volcano
I have no response to that

i've never played in that kinda high level powergame.

typically i would just advise you to find a replacement player and continue.

but i don't know how the new player would react to starting at God Level.

 

[Sir Trent]

You may just have to 'retire' the character, which I've had to do a couple of times before I was ready. If the DM isn't prepared to continue, there's not much use in trying to force him. Start a new campaign, new characters, maybe a new player or two. You might enjoy a lower level character for awhile.

Alternately you could just play a few low-level one-shots as a break, then bring up the subject of picking up the higher level campaign again in a month or two.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Sounds like the person playing the rogue was a pain in the butt. Good riddance.

Give your DM a couple weeks break, let the emotions fade a bit, and then see if he'd be willing to start the high-level game back up. In the meantime, see if someone else in the group would be willing to either pick up DM'ing the mindless hackfest game, or maybe just a couple one-off sessions.

 

[jester47]

Wow, thats pretty funny. The party's rogue always out for the pary's cleric. Eventually gets him by feeding him to some demon...

That is it would be funny if the players had not turned it into some sort of ego war. Too bad the murder was not in character. I know at my table people would think some intrigue like that was cool.

soundslike you all need a break from powergaming and the two people that will take character death personally need a break from each other.

Aaron.

 

[tauton_ikhnos]

Regarding who is a pain: It's complicated . Rogue's player was roleplaying too deep for hack-n-slash game, purpose not immersion, just team butt-kicking. So that was stupid - I'd rather rogue just not play in 14th level game, right?

On other hand, cleric took it way too personal, AND took it into another game. So that was stupid.

Of the two, rather have rogue's player in RP-heavy game, and just not have hack-n-slash game (though I like that too).

Diaglo: Level not really the issue - more concerned about lack of closure on subplots .

S. Trent & Rodrigo: Thanks. I think I'll do that. At worst, says no. At best, maybe everybody gets back together - one fight shouldn't break up group, says group weak to begin with.

jester47: Yeah. Laughed my *** off before everything got serious. Most perfect bull rush ever, especially considering cleric had Righteous Might up.

 

[Arnwyn]

Just got e-mail over lunch - he talked with rogue's player, player is quitting group, GM wants to cancel both games because of "sour taste".

Any advice? Kind words? I don't mind dropping 14th level game, just mindless beatdown fests, but I've built up 25th level character over 2 years. And lots of alliances, in-character motives and goals, etc. Haven't been this attached to character in long time, but now I'm almost ready to cry.

Advice? Suck it up, and face retirement. It sounds to me like those two guys finally beat down the GM, and now all the players are going to pay (rightfully so, IMO).

I've always been of the opinion that the players are perfectly capable of policing themselves, instead of dragging the poor (already overworked) GM into their petty squabbles. Too bad the other players didn't stop it before it got out of hand, and saved the GM some grief...

Or, as others have suggested, you could take a brief break, and then ask the GM to try again... but maybe with some assurances about how the players are going to make the GM's life easier this time?

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Regarding who is a pain: It's complicated . Rogue's player was roleplaying too deep for hack-n-slash game, purpose not immersion, just team butt-kicking. So that was stupid - I'd rather rogue just not play in 14th level game, right?

Personally, I've never tolerated a 'I'm just roleplaying my character' excuse for that kind of behavior. I've thrown people out of groups for pushing that after being warned.

It's still a game, and the point is for everyone to have fun. Fun > Roleplaying.

 

[astralpwka]

Have someone in the group take over DMing. Maybe the rogue or the cleric, so they can become more impartial to each other. Maybe even sit one out yourself, and DM one, even if you fall a level or two behind.

 

[tauton_ikhnos]

Arnwyn: Unfortunately, this was first time it became an issue. Otherwise, sure, take them outside, beat them, take them inside, let GM do his job.

Rodrigo: Don't play with us . Our high level game has all sorts of backstabbing. We had a cyberpunk game, 4-5 years ago, with near TPK... with most bullet wounds from "friendly" fire + Acting checks.

Astralpwka: Yeah, basically . I'm harsh GM, though.