When the magic starts to fade

[SweeneyTodd]

I can't comprehend spending several hours a week in a social situation led by someone who doesn't understand social situations or how other people think.

Seriously. That sounds absolutely miserable. What's good about it? Serious question. The other people there? The stuff he comes up with? Just having a regular game?

If you guys stay in the game so that he still has a social life, wouldn't be a lot better to work with him on learning to compromise, listening to other people's wants and needs? Then, heck, he might not be totally reliant on the group for socialization.

I don't want to sound snarky, and I apologize if I do. I'm honestly boggled, and I'd like to understand.

 

[Thunderfoot]

<SNIP> But these days I want a little more roleplaying out of my roleplaying, and that's just not his forte'. His games are pretty much "mission of the week" stories, with combat required every session. My biggest gripe is getting to be that he doesn't believe in character death. Ever. He will bend over backward to keep PCs alive. <SNIP>

There is a word for games like this - VIDEO GAMES! One of the few gripes I have with the newest edition of D & D is that without a lot of proper safety measures, your game can easily become "StreetFighter II the RPG" or "Mortal Combat" with unliited tokens. Of course this is hyperbole, but I think you can see what my point is. I have some issues with GMs whp won't kill a character, but they aren't gaming issues, they're personality issues. I really hope this person seeks professional help (the DMGII is a start but he/she may need a little more.)

I used to be a non-killer of characters when I started, I ran the typical Monte Haul, and never even let the characters get in to any real danger, I ran the game like a story in a fairy tale. Until I read "The Real Brother's Grimm Tales". WOW! Death, destruction, mayhem, mutilations, gore, more death, violence, even more death, rape, murder, death again... you get the picture. I realized the story suffers without a chance of risk and I altered course, I betting said GM is under the age of 20 (of course its just a guess), and if not there may be some underlying personality issues to include social disorders and attention craving (I just have to make the guys like me somehow!). Of course all this is conjecture, and it doesn't help much, but maybe knowing that when you go talk to the GM with the rest of your group, it will help then.

Best of luck and be ready for some possible hurt feelings.

 

[Mark CMG]

Is it possible he is reacting a little more stringently than usual because you have just entered the ranks of DMs? (Didn't I just read another thread where you talked about your first DMing experience?) Just something that I thought might be an overlooked factor.

 

[Rel]

Personally, I don't think this is a problem that you want to try an "in game" solution for. Having your PC try and commit suicide or become pregnant or whatever, is probably just going to appear to the GM to be what it really is: A thinly veiled attempt to push him into allow something that he said he didn't want to allow. And that's just kinda passive-aggressive and unnecessary if you ask me.

I'd just be direct with the guy. Say, "Our game styles are not meshing well right now and I need us to do things a bit differently if I'm going to continue playing in your campaign." Ask for compromise and if he says No then ask him whether he would continue gaming with a GM who was not fun for him and flatly refused to change.

There is really nothing to lose if you're not having fun. He'll either change and you will be having fun or you quit and form another group. Either is better than the "unfun" you are having.

 

[sniffles]

Personally, I don't think this is a problem that you want to try an "in game" solution for. Having your PC try and commit suicide or become pregnant or whatever, is probably just going to appear to the GM to be what it really is: A thinly veiled attempt to push him into allow something that he said he didn't want to allow. And that's just kinda passive-aggressive and unnecessary if you ask me.

I'd just be direct with the guy. Say, "Our game styles are not meshing well right now and I need us to do things a bit differently if I'm going to continue playing in your campaign." Ask for compromise and if he says No then ask him whether he would continue gaming with a GM who was not fun for him and flatly refused to change.

There is really nothing to lose if you're not having fun. He'll either change and you will be having fun or you quit and form another group. Either is better than the "unfun" you are having.

I can't help it - the evil part of me would like to watch him struggle when my character suddenly becomes insanely reckless.

I haven't been wanting to change characters badly enough to stir up the game, or to quit the game if I don't get my desire. And I'd really like to see what the other players think. Bringing in a new character is fine if I'm unhappy, but I don't want to ruin the fun for them by making a change they may not be comfortable with. I really see roleplaying as a collaborative enterprise. The GM isn't forcing me to do anything that I hate. The instance of the other player who had to change characters was a situation of two stubborn people butting heads. The player's still there and still having fun.

But I will definitely consider talking with the GM. He's not hopeless. I did make him sound a bit worse than he is. He's just got some issues with being in control of everything.

 

[TheGM]

Just have everybody show up for the next game with a new character.

If he didn't get the message before then, he will at that point.

Really, this does smack of video-game style play. Unlimited lives, locked in characters, you could just force the confrontation and tell him why you're all dis-satisfied. I'm a GM, and somewhat of a control freak, but my desires do not over-ride the desires of my players.