What causes boredom in a game session?

[The_Gunslinger658]

hi-

I like to kill stuff and take their money, if that is not happening, I tend to drift off or read a magazine. Role playing is fine, but hacking is where its at!


Scott

 

[Elf Witch]

I could have started this thread. Lately I have dreaded game day. I spend the session bored out of my mind.

The reasons. A: my character does not have anything to do. We are 17 level and I play a fighter in full plate I move 20. The monk and the druid take off get to the bad guys and start taking them down. Then the pally and scout get close enough to fire spells and arrows and finally I get closer enough to see that it is all over. Or we are fighting vampires and I have a cool flail that is a vampire's bane but before I even get to swing it Mr Pally who is a cleric too as well as some uber powerful prestige class turns undead and destroys the vampire before I can get near enough to swing at them.

B: everything all the plot is about the paladin and his army and his stronghold and his goals. I feel that the rest of us are just glorified NPCs.

C:Some of the players take forever trying to figure out our next move. It goes around and around and then we still don't have a very good plan. I just tune out after awhile.

I could live with C if I was not already bored and frustrated out of my mind.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I don't want to derail the thread, but I feel your pain.

The reasons. A: my character does not have anything to do. We are 17 level and I play a fighter in full plate I move 20.

Do you have the ability to acquire boots of speed, boots of striding and springing, a cape of the mountebank, or a helm of teleportation? (For instance. The idea is "enhance my mobility.")

The monk and the druid take off get to the bad guys and start taking them down. Then the pally and scout get close enough to fire spells and arrows and finally I get closer enough to see that it is all over.

Honestly, your DM should be designing encounters in which your brawn is at least occasionally needed. Have you spoken to the DM about it? Speaking as a DM, I know it can be difficult to make sure all of the characters have a chance to shine.

Or we are fighting vampires and I have a cool flail that is a vampire's bane but before I even get to swing it Mr Pally who is a cleric too as well as some uber powerful prestige class turns undead and destroys the vampire before I can get near enough to swing at them.

Well, at 17th-level, he should only be able to destroy undead up to 8 HD (and that's if they don't have Turn Resistance). If y'all're fighting undead that're that wimpy, you're right: your character isn't needed. Typically, turning in D&D gets weaker and weaker as characters advance, because turning is based on undead HD, and HD increase far faster than CR does.

B: everything all the plot is about the paladin and his army and his stronghold and his goals. I feel that the rest of us are just glorified NPCs.

Ouch. You gotta talk to the DM about this. Use email, if you're nonconfrontational. Hell, use anonymous email if you're seriously nonconfrontational. (Just explain why you're doing it.)

C:Some of the players take forever trying to figure out our next move. It goes around and around and then we still don't have a very good plan. I just tune out after awhile.

Unfortunately, I think that's part-and-parcel of high-level play. There are so many options, and so many ways to die in an instant if you don't make intelligent use of your options, that players tend to plan and plan and plan ... I know, because I'm one of the planners. I try to be organized about it, playing the part of the "director" -- "Okay, Archidigital, now you're casting haste while I caste righteous might ... " -- but it really gets crazy. It's one of the reason I don't consider myself a good enough DM to run for high-level characters.

Seriously, don't wait until you're soured on the hobby: talk to your DM. If he or she proves defensive or intractable, you drop out. What have you lost?

 

[Elf Witch]

I don't want to derail the thread, but I feel your pain.

Do you have the ability to acquire boots of speed, boots of striding and springing, a cape of the mountebank, or a helm of teleportation? (For instance. The idea is "enhance my mobility.")

Honestly, your DM should be designing encounters in which your brawn is at least occasionally needed. Have you spoken to the DM about it? Speaking as a DM, I know it can be difficult to make sure all of the characters have a chance to shine.

Well, at 17th-level, he should only be able to destroy undead up to 8 HD (and that's if they don't have Turn Resistance). If y'all're fighting undead that're that wimpy, you're right: your character isn't needed. Typically, turning in D&D gets weaker and weaker as characters advance, because turning is based on undead HD, and HD increase far faster than CR does.

Ouch. You gotta talk to the DM about this. Use email, if you're nonconfrontational. Hell, use anonymous email if you're seriously nonconfrontational. (Just explain why you're doing it.)

Unfortunately, I think that's part-and-parcel of high-level play. There are so many options, and so many ways to die in an instant if you don't make intelligent use of your options, that players tend to plan and plan and plan ... I know, because I'm one of the planners. I try to be organized about it, playing the part of the "director" -- "Okay, Archidigital, now you're casting haste while I caste righteous might ... " -- but it really gets crazy. It's one of the reason I don't consider myself a good enough DM to run for high-level characters.

Seriously, don't wait until you're soured on the hobby: talk to your DM. If he or she proves defensive or intractable, you drop out. What have you lost?

I don't have the ability to get any magic gear right now because of where we are. But the DM has said if we live through this section then I can have something made when we get back to friendly surrondings.

The Pladain/Cleric has special feats from a D20 book that allows him to effect much higher die creatures he does not turn per say his turning destroys undead they do get a save for half damage. He also major immunity to any of their drains they take damage if they try and drsin him. So his character is not a standard by the book class. He is very powerful for example he still goes up in cleric spells even though he is a prestige paladin class.

I have let the DM know how I feel about the paladin hour and if we keep doing it once we leave the place we are now I will quit the game. There are other character who have plot hooks that should be allowed to pursue them for a little while we have focused on the paladin character for over a year now.

Its not the planning per say that bothers me it is going around and around discussing plans and then no desicion is made we just go off and "do" things.