When "Roleplaying" rears its ugly head...

[Hannibal King]

Congratulations! I'm glad everything worked out.

Well "Reow" to you too. That was certainly uncalled for. I guess I'm not the only one with childish players. Oh well, whatever.

Hannibal

 

[Elf Witch]

Well I ran the session yesterday and the players where able to retreive the bodies of their dead PC and NPC comrades.
The party certainly had the means to raise both characters if it meant dipping into their own pockets but was this suggested by the roleplayer? No

They raised the PC and sold some of the NPC's stuff and left his body with the church.
I expected the roleplayer to at least try and plead with his companions to pull their money to help raise the NPC but this wasn't even mentioned. Instead the roleplayer spent at least an hour or more real time of the session collecting every scrap of salvagable treasure in the dungeon and selling it. So yesterday's game had 3 combats, (1 medium, two minor) and the rest of the session was 'Advanced Accountants and Bankers'. We played for 6 hours.

So I am guessing the roleplayer has seen this thread and decided "if the group wants to meta-game, they'll get meta-game". So I have decided to stop DMing for a while. The next time I am on this board I will be as a player, don't know if it will be D&D but at least I don't have to worry about DM headaches anymore.

Later guys
Hannibal

I am sorry that you had such a bad time as a DM that you are stepping out from behind the screen.

But I am surprised why you sound so upset. Is this not what you wanted? The PC to be raised? And if the player did read this thead then I can see why he did what he did. It sounds to be like you are sending him mixed signals and he is getting frustrated.

On one hand you question his role playing and now you question when he does not. :\

I think there may be more going on here underlining tensions between you and the player so maybe it is beat if you take this break.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I'm sorry but this was simply something I felt strongly about and I'm not gonna candy-coat it. I think the "spirit of community" will survive. If I'm wrong in my opinion please feel free to tell me why.

So instead you came across as both wrong and argumentative... think about it - no one has asked you to 'sugar coat' any thing, they are asking that you use the right word for the right occassion.

That is why.

The Auld Grump

 

[Broken Druid]

Gods, I hate hearing that excuse, both as a player and as a DM. I have always looked upon alignment as a way to put an initial handle on a character and its motivations. As the game progresses and the player begins to develop their character, the whole alignment issue should become inconsequential. The character doesn't do something because of their alignment, they do it because that's just what the character would do.


Any time a player of mine tries to use the alignment card as the reason for doing something, its an automatic alignment shift towards chaotic evil. After all, the alignment excuse is just that; an excuse do do whatever the frack the player wants irregardless of consideration towards other characters or players< which is of course the core defination of chaotic evil

 

[Doug McCrae]

Any time a player of mine tries to use the alignment card as the reason for doing something, its an automatic alignment shift towards chaotic evil. After all, the alignment excuse is just that; an excuse do do whatever the frack the player wants irregardless of consideration towards other characters or players< which is of course the core defination of chaotic evil

Hey, just cause the player's chaotic evil is no reason to punish his poor character.

 

[ptolemy18]

The whole question is moot to me because... REINCARNATION IS FUN!!! I don't know how it works in your campaign, but I'd much rather be reincarnated than raised, most of the time. If I get a good animal/race, then great -- a mongoose monk is more fun than a human monk. If I get some weird, stupid, unplayable animal/race, then I can just make a new character.

Of course, I understand that some players don't like to switch to new characters as much as I do....

 

[Bagpuss]

So yesterday's game had 3 combats, (1 medium, two minor) and the rest of the session was 'Advanced Accountants and Bankers'. We played for 6 hours.

Just out of interest how many combats do you normally have in a 6 hour session as 3 seems average to high to me. I normally only have one or two a four hour session.

 

[shilsen]

I am sorry that you had such a bad time as a DM that you are stepping out from behind the screen.

But I am surprised why you sound so upset. Is this not what you wanted? The PC to be raised? And if the player did read this thead then I can see why he did what he did. It sounds to be like you are sending him mixed signals and he is getting frustrated.

On one hand you question his role playing and now you question when he does not. :\

I think there may be more going on here underlining tensions between you and the player so maybe it is beat if you take this break.

I have to echo Elf Witch. It seemed like the player did exactly what would solve the problem for you, and now you're unhappy with that too. Doesn't seem like the problem is with the player here. Verily, I say unto thee, how wilt thou remove the mote from thy roleplayer's eye if thou seest not the beam in thine own eye?

 

[fusangite]

Well "Reow" to you too. That was certainly uncalled for. I guess I'm not the only one with childish players. Oh well, whatever.

Hannibal, I congratulated you because your players did exactly what you wanted them to. Can you please explain why you are unhappy with the game?

You said you wanted the PC raised instead of the NPC. That is exactly what your players did.

You said you wanted everyone on board for that decision. Everyone was on board.

You said you didn't care whether the NPC was raised or not. So, the players left him in the hands of an NPC capable of raising him at your discretion.

You said you didn't like the problem player's focus on roleplaying. He hardly roleplayed at all; instead he raised money.

Now, apparently you don't like people dealing with merchants when they could be killing things -- but you never mentioned this problem to us. If we had no idea that this would annoy you, why would the player you don't like?

Finally, you indicated that you have quit GMing. I don't think this is a bad move; it sounds to me like you've become pretty tired and crankly about being a GM and that the job isn't fun for you anymore. Perhaps a break is just what you need.

 

[Hannibal King]

Hannibal, I congratulated you because your players did exactly what you wanted them to. Can you please explain why you are unhappy with the game?

You said you wanted the PC raised instead of the NPC. That is exactly what your players did.

You said you wanted everyone on board for that decision. Everyone was on board.

You said you didn't care whether the NPC was raised or not. So, the players left him in the hands of an NPC capable of raising him at your discretion.

You said you didn't like the problem player's focus on roleplaying. He hardly roleplayed at all; instead he raised money.

Now, apparently you don't like people dealing with merchants when they could be killing things -- but you never mentioned this problem to us. If we had no idea that this would annoy you, why would the player you don't like?

Finally, you indicated that you have quit GMing. I don't think this is a bad move; it sounds to me like you've become pretty tired and crankly about being a GM and that the job isn't fun for you anymore. Perhaps a break is just what you need.

Fair enough fusangite, I apologize. My issue was with the roleplayer suddenly going into full meta-game mode in game and selling every piece of equipment, weapon, etc found. I gave them the means to raise both, it was certainly in the parties ability to do so but suddenly the roleplayer doesnt make it a priority any more? Sorry sounds like someone didn't like what they read.

As for Bagpuss. 3 combats is nothing. Ever since starting 3rd edition I have found if any combat takes longer than 5-8 rounds its a major combat, everything else is a commercial.

ptolemy18 as I explained Reincarnation cannot raise those who have become undead and killed. Otherwise this would have certainly been an option.

My break in DMing is motivated by many things, it just required this incident to make me realize 'take a break and let some other schmuck handle it.'

Hannibal