D&D 5E Was I in the wrong?

[FrogReaver]

For example: I place my magical dagger in its sheath. I go to the market and sell the sheath. Does that mean that I sold my magical dagger?

 

[pemerton]

TI don't see the smith as having to need to do anything more than look at the bundle, while others think he needed to look at it in much more detail. The DM may not have thought of either situation. That is, he may not have considered the actual action that the smith was doing, beyond a general "he studies the armor" which would also mean he may not have considered potential ramifications (can the ranger see the ring? Is it hidden? etc.).

My own view is that, given the OP's posts, and extrapolating to my experience with various GMs over the years, I think it is quite likely that the GM didn't think of the details of what the purchaser NPC was doing, nor of what the ranger PC could or could not see.

This is one of the factors that makes me characterise the GM as having done a relatively poor job.

What should the ranger have done differently to avoid selling those magical items in the sell situation and the situation leading up to selling the items?

Given the state of the ranger player's knowledge, I don't think there is much that he could have done unless the other players had intervened.

But it seems to me that they didn't intervene, perhaps in part because it didn't occur to them that "selling the whole set" would mean selling the gaunlets and ring. It's not clear who was at the table, whether one of the other players said "Make sure you separate out the gauntlets and ring" and the ranger player ignored this, etc.

 

[Mecheon]

This is one of the factors that makes me characterise the GM as having done a relatively poor job.

I'm with you on this

Nuts to all this schematics about wording or whatever, let's just cut back to the people at the table. If the guy at the table is not interested in the game, if he is too busy being interested in his phone, then that needs to be addressed. Get them more involved, find out what their problem is

You do not address this problem by pulling what is by all accounts a dick move on them and basically making it their fault they did not pay much attention. This is the type of thing that gets the ranger leaving the group instead and the group of friends breaking apart.

 

[Maxperson]

3. Should stating that you are selling a set of adamantime armor ever imply that magica rings and gauntlets are included?

If you find them as as set, bundle them as a set, and get reminded at least once prior to selling the set that they are still part of that set. Yes.

4. What should the ranger have done differently to avoid selling those magical items in the sell situation and the situation leading up to selling the items?

1. pull them out of the set prior to selling.

2. explicitly tell the blacksmith that the gauntlets and ring are not part of the set when asked if he is selling the whole thing.

 

[Maxperson]

For example: I place my magical dagger in its sheath. I go to the market and sell the sheath. Does that mean that I sold my magical dagger?

Not a good example as this is a completely different situation. There's a good change the gauntlets and ring are obscured by the rest of the armor and not visible, unlike the dagger. A better example is that you place a ruby in the sheath to hide it and then later go to the market to sell the sheath without taking the ruby out. Yes, you could sell the sheath with the ruby inside by mistake.

 

[FrogReaver]

Thanks for admitting that if the item in question is in view that it's a different situation.

Not a good example as this is a completely different situation. There's a good change the gauntlets and ring are obscured by the rest of the armor and not visible, unlike the dagger. A better example is that you place a ruby in the sheath to hide it and then later go to the market to sell the sheath without taking the ruby out. Yes, you could sell the sheath with the ruby inside by mistake.

 

[FrogReaver]

So you believe the keys to this situation were:
1. Bundle items differently.
2. Explicitly state items you are not selling.

That's what you expect players to do and care about in a rpg?

If you find them as as set, bundle them as a set, and get reminded at least once prior to selling the set that they are still part of that set. Yes.



1. pull them out of the set prior to selling.

2. explicitly tell the blacksmith that the gauntlets and ring are not part of the set when asked if he is selling the whole thing.

 

[ExploderWizard]

So you believe the keys to this situation were:
1. Bundle items differently.
2. Explicitly state items you are not selling.

That's what you expect players to do and care about in a rpg?

You forgot:

3. Pay attention to whats going on during play and don't assume that what you think is happening is actually happening in the game world when the evidence suggests otherwise.

 

[Maxperson]

So you believe the keys to this situation were:
1. Bundle items differently.
2. Explicitly state items you are not selling.

That's what you expect players to do and care about in a rpg?

No. I expect the players to roleplay their PCs, and part of that is describing to me what they do.

 

[FrogReaver]

No. I expect the players to roleplay their PCs, and part of that is describing to me what they do.

Yes they should describe what they do. They shouldn't describe what they do not do. If there is ambiguity then you should clarify with them so you understand what they are actually stating they are doing.