who should choose familiar/spells DM or player?

[Elf Witch]

In our Eberron game I just leveled I am playing a ranger/sorcerer. I want a cat familiar. I duscussed this with the DM and he told me that he does not just let a player choose a familiar he rolls to see what you summon. There is a chance that you can roll and get nothing.

I know this is a hold over from Ad&D and to be honest I am not really crazy about this idea at all.

When I discussed it with him his argument was that it really did not impact that character that much on what type of familiar you got and that if you didn't get one it was not the same as losing a feat.

I feel very differently I think the different abilities a familiar gives you is one reason for choosing them. It is also a class ability so taking it away is taking something away from the class. I feel that it should be the player who gets to choose if they want to use this class ability not the DM.

Am I wrong in feeling like this is such a major thing and its impact on my character?

Then there is the entire sorcerer spell issue. He feels that since a sorcerer's magic comes within and is not learned that it should not be in the control of the sorcerer. Especially since it is manifesting after first level.

He is really big into role playing out character development. He does not allow in his game for example to take a level in wizard unless you have role played out studing to be a wizard.

So how he wants to do sorcerer spells is that we roll on dice to see what school my character is most favorable to and then from the top two schools roll randomly what spells I know.

I really hate this a lot. I am going for an arcane archer type and I wanted to take spells that would help with that things like true strike.

When I discussed this with him he told me that he thought I was a role player. I am always saying that role play is more important to me than roll play.

I am a role player and I will choose role playing over roll playing I am not a powergamer who has to have the most powerful player but I also like to play a character that is some what good at what they have chossen to do.

Normally I love playing with this DM I never played in a DnD game that he had DMed but I have played with him DMing a Shadowrun for over 8 years and I learned to play Ad&D at a game that he was in. He and another player were the one who taught me how to play.

I just don't know how to apporach him and convince him that this is not just powergaimg concerns that I really feel that these two apporaches can really handicap my character.

 

[Ilium]

It's your DM's game, of course, but I would never play a spellcaster under those conditions. Does he pick the fighter's bonus feats for him, too?

 

[Hjorimir]

Well I will openly admit that, as a DM, I LOVE character development and story. But, in the end, D&D is a game and the only thing the players have going for them is the choices they make. The DM gets to create the universe around the character, but the character really should be the province of the player (within the guidelines of any particular setting).

Your DM just sounds like he is too focused on keeping powergaming out of the game and this is going to hurt the balance of your character. I would argue that the downside of a sorcerer compared to a wizard is limited flexibility and his choice to not let you select your own spells will just kill the class. Sure, you can role-play not having the spells you'd prefer, but is that more fun?

"I'd to love help you all with my magic, but all I can do is erase magical writings!"

Yeah, that will make a great story.

 

[Elf Witch]

It's your DM's game, of course, but I would never play a spellcaster under those conditions. Does he pick the fighter's bonus feats for him, too?

No nor does he pick a wizards spells. I brought that up and he pointed out that neither are the same thing as sorcerer's magic. Fighters feats are things that allow them to do something better that they already know how to do.

Wizards study and that is why they get their spells though they have to roll for a familiar.

 

[Ghendar]

In our Eberron game I just leveled I am playing a ranger/sorcerer. I want a cat familiar. I duscussed this with the DM and he told me that he does not just let a player choose a familiar he rolls to see what you summon. There is a chance that you can roll and get nothing.

I know this is a hold over from Ad&D and to be honest I am not really crazy about this idea at all.

Well, as others have said, it's his game but I don't blame you for not liking that. I wouldn't put up with it personally. Part of the fun is choosing your own.

 

[Shroomy]

Did you know about and agree to these house rules before you took your level in sorcerer? If so, then you're probably out of luck. If not, then I don't think your DM isn't being very fair and I would expect this to be the tip of the iceberg. Me, I'd seriously consider finding a new game if the DM is going to dictate (even if it is kind of random) player choices like that.

 

[FalcWP]

I wouldn't play a sorcerer under those circumstances. The only thing a sorcerer gets to choose (beyond feats and skills) are his spells and his familiar, and your DM won't let you choose either of those. It isn't at all about roll playing vs. role playing there - its about playing something other than a randomly generated character. Either play something different, or don't play, if he won't let you at least pick your own spells.

 

[wayne62682]

I feel that the DM should have some input in what the player chooses, by which I mean he has the right to veto something that doesn't fit. However, I would not play a sorcerer under those rules.. the reasoning being that as it is YOUR character, only YOU have the right to choose what he/she gets.

 

[Fenes]

A familiar and spells are a big part of what makes a sorcerer, it is important for roleplaying that you are able to pick both - it's your character, and your concept.

We usually discuss spell choices in the entire group, if balance questions are raised, but I would not accept a DM forcing spells upon me.

 

[rgard]

In our Eberron game I just leveled I am playing a ranger/sorcerer. I want a cat familiar. I duscussed this with the DM and he told me that he does not just let a player choose a familiar he rolls to see what you summon. There is a chance that you can roll and get nothing.

I know this is a hold over from Ad&D and to be honest I am not really crazy about this idea at all.

When I discussed it with him his argument was that it really did not impact that character that much on what type of familiar you got and that if you didn't get one it was not the same as losing a feat.

I feel very differently I think the different abilities a familiar gives you is one reason for choosing them. It is also a class ability so taking it away is taking something away from the class. I feel that it should be the player who gets to choose if they want to use this class ability not the DM.

Am I wrong in feeling like this is such a major thing and its impact on my character?

Then there is the entire sorcerer spell issue. He feels that since a sorcerer's magic comes within and is not learned that it should not be in the control of the sorcerer. Especially since it is manifesting after first level.

He is really big into role playing out character development. He does not allow in his game for example to take a level in wizard unless you have role played out studing to be a wizard.

So how he wants to do sorcerer spells is that we roll on dice to see what school my character is most favorable to and then from the top two schools roll randomly what spells I know.

I really hate this a lot. I am going for an arcane archer type and I wanted to take spells that would help with that things like true strike.

When I discussed this with him he told me that he thought I was a role player. I am always saying that role play is more important to me than roll play.

I am a role player and I will choose role playing over roll playing I am not a powergamer who has to have the most powerful player but I also like to play a character that is some what good at what they have chossen to do.

Normally I love playing with this DM I never played in a DnD game that he had DMed but I have played with him DMing a Shadowrun for over 8 years and I learned to play Ad&D at a game that he was in. He and another player were the one who taught me how to play.

I just don't know how to apporach him and convince him that this is not just powergaimg concerns that I really feel that these two apporaches can really handicap my character.

As others have said above, it's his game so he can lay out the rules as he sees fit. That said, I wouldn't play any character in his campaign let alone a sorcerer under those conditions. He may have some personal problem with the sorcerer class and that may be what you are having to deal with, but if he acts capricious and arbitrary with this character, he will probably do it with others.

If it was me, I'd quit his campaign.

Edit: Yep, that Erase and Tenser's Floating Disk are going to come in handy when you and your party are fighting a pack of goblinoids.

Thanks,
Rich