As someone who has only been on the Players side of the DM screen, and want's to try out his DMing prowress in the future, I'm going to try to stay balanced on my comment's without leaning to one side or the other.
I understand that a whining player is bad for everyone involved and sometimes makes you reconsider being the DM, but I think that you two are over the ages of angst (ages 13-18) and you want to make everything good for all the parties involved.
Does he think that they are a bit too powerful for just him to take on by himself or for the entire party? If it's just him then I think he may be justified in whining, but he could probably bring it up in another fasion after the session is over and you can talk it out like adults.
Do the characters know the levels of their opponents or are they just guessing? Anyone with access to a MM will know the challenge level of a Beholder (13 if they have not changed anything). This makes me think that maybe you might have thrown a bit too much their way.
They may have forgotten because you threw a lot of stuff their way between their last encounter with the Wizard and this encounter. I know that in one of the games I used to play we all tried to remember bits and pieces of things, but sometimes people forget things and we got to a point where someone always kept notes.
This sounds like he has less to gripe about, but again how did they know this Wizard was level 15? I understand that things sometimes slip out or players sometimes see things that they should not see when they get up for a break, but how do they know this?
I think 4 level 10 characters and a level 15 NPC might have a shot, but then again I have never faced these kinds of odds before.
This sounds like Metagaming to me and that is something that needs to be avoided. I think if this Wizard knew he was going to be facing 5 characters that have just buzzsawed through characters that are between 3 and 6 levels above them then the Wizard would have cast Time Stop a long time ago and did his ritual and been done with them afterwards.
DON'T stoop to his level. Set an example of how a player should play by just playing your character to the back story you have written and don't gripe about a thing. If you feel you need to gripe about how something is being done, do it after the game. I'll state this again for the record: DON'T STOOP TO HIS LEVEL.
Slaygrim said:This guy whines CONSTANTLY.
I understand that a whining player is bad for everyone involved and sometimes makes you reconsider being the DM, but I think that you two are over the ages of angst (ages 13-18) and you want to make everything good for all the parties involved.
Slaygrim said:If faced with an opponant or battle that appears too tough for him, he will whine saying it's too strong of a battle and that there is no way his character would fight this battle.
Does he think that they are a bit too powerful for just him to take on by himself or for the entire party? If it's just him then I think he may be justified in whining, but he could probably bring it up in another fasion after the session is over and you can talk it out like adults.
Slaygrim said:Such as recently, the party is 4 10th level characters and they had to battle a 19th level wizard, a 16th level sorcerer, a 15th level wizard, a beholder, and a runic guardian.
Do the characters know the levels of their opponents or are they just guessing? Anyone with access to a MM will know the challenge level of a Beholder (13 if they have not changed anything). This makes me think that maybe you might have thrown a bit too much their way.
Slaygrim said:Of course this battle does appear to be too powerful, the gaming group completely forgot (I have no idea how) that the previous adventure the PC's learned that the 15th level wizard was actually a spy out to stop this 19th level wizards plot.
They may have forgotten because you threw a lot of stuff their way between their last encounter with the Wizard and this encounter. I know that in one of the games I used to play we all tried to remember bits and pieces of things, but sometimes people forget things and we got to a point where someone always kept notes.
Slaygrim said:So the entire time before the battle, all I hear is whining. "Oh this is too powerful, we are out of our leagues. My character wouldn't fight this, he'd just walk away." and all of this junk. But of course the other PC's are going forward and fighting the battle so he reluctantly goes along. When the battle begins the 15th level wizard "enemy" immediately turns on his allies and aids the PC's in the battle.
This sounds like he has less to gripe about, but again how did they know this Wizard was level 15? I understand that things sometimes slip out or players sometimes see things that they should not see when they get up for a break, but how do they know this?
Slaygrim said:The battle actually secludes the main enemy from the battle (as was planned by me from the start) as he had to work on a ritual. Thus it ended up being the 4 PC's and this 15th level wizard traitor against a 16th level sorcerer, a beholder, and a runic guardian. In the end the battle went quick. The sorcerer failed his save against prismatic spray and turned to stone on the first exchange, and the PC's destroyed the beholder and the runic guardian within two rounds. This lead to the final battle which included all PC's + the 15th level wizard against the 19th level wizard.
I think 4 level 10 characters and a level 15 NPC might have a shot, but then again I have never faced these kinds of odds before.
Slaygrim said:Again, that player starts whining saying that once this wizard casts time stop they are all done for. I wanted to rip my hair out.
This sounds like Metagaming to me and that is something that needs to be avoided. I think if this Wizard knew he was going to be facing 5 characters that have just buzzsawed through characters that are between 3 and 6 levels above them then the Wizard would have cast Time Stop a long time ago and did his ritual and been done with them afterwards.
Slaygrim said:I get to play and I am really resisting the urge to give him loads of trouble and a taste of his own medicine.
DON'T stoop to his level. Set an example of how a player should play by just playing your character to the back story you have written and don't gripe about a thing. If you feel you need to gripe about how something is being done, do it after the game. I'll state this again for the record: DON'T STOOP TO HIS LEVEL.