Who's at fault?

[Lockridge]

I have a situation for you.

A party consists of a thief-type rogue, a paladin and a wizard.
The adventure callls for the party to find a way into the city prison located beneath the city to find a certain NPC.

An NPC thief tells the PC thief about a secret passage to the prison.
The PC thief then tells only the PC wizard about the secret passage. His rational is that telling the paladin would likely result in the paladin having the passage closed after the adventure by telling the authorities. The thief believes that he may need that secret passage in case he is ever imprisoned.

All of this role play makes sense however the player who played the PC paladin was left out of the adventure for 3 hours of game time. The player certainly did not have any fun that night and spent the time reading other books and generally being frustrated.

The PC thief believed that he was role playing well.

The PC paladin stated that this was only a game and that the thief should have made an exception in favor of allowing the whole group to enjoy the game.

The DM believed that he should stay neutral and not "make up" another way for the PC paladin to know about the passage.

Who's at fault for the paladin player's boring evening? The thief for not recognizing that this is only a game? The DM for not metagaming another way to include the paladin? The paladin himself for not accepting that life doesn't always work out?

 

[Crothian]

The DM. It is his responsibility to make sure everyone at the table is involved. He doesn't need to find a way for the Paladin to know about the secret passage, all he has to do is have the Paladin do something the Paladin would have fun doing even if it is completely unrelated to what the others are doing.

 

[FrostedMini1337]

The Paladin. Don't make a character with morals and then whine about them.

Edit: And then a mix of the paladin and the dm both for not having something awesome for the paladin to do. the dm needs to make sure you have something to do, but lethargia isn't his fault.

 

[JoeGKushner]

The DM. It is his responsibility to make sure everyone at the table is involved. He doesn't need to find a way for the Paladin to know about the secret passage, all he has to do is have the Paladin do something the Paladin would have fun doing even if it is completely unrelated to what the others are doing.

It is indeed the DM's fault.

It's also the party's fault for having characters who are going to come into conflict with one another. This can be fine for certain groups but then you have to accept the possibility of scenarios like the above coming into play. Don't cry about the black guard getting his throat slit by the assassin after killing off the lawful good cleric because that was just evil.

Players need to create characters as a GROUP effort to insure maximum playability for the group.

 

[silentspace]

The DM, for reasons above.

 

[Harmon]

The Pally's Player first, but the GM is the primary reason.

Knowing what your PCs are and how they might react just as their class is set up is something that needs to be considered when designing an adventure. "Hay, the Paladin might have issues with this passage," should have crossed the GMs mind as well as "the thief might want to keep this to himself."

More then once our table has had Players sitting and waiting while the others caught up. Sometimes the GM is at fault, some times the other Players, but usually the GM is the one that needs to be addressed.

 

[Falkus]

Another vote for DM's fault

 

[LostSoul]

I agree with Crothian. Just give the Paladin's player something else to do. Cut back and forth.

edit: I change my vote to agree with Gold Roger and buzz, down below.

 

[Belen]

It is indeed the DM's fault.

It's also the party's fault for having characters who are going to come into conflict with one another. This can be fine for certain groups but then you have to accept the possibility of scenarios like the above coming into play. Don't cry about the black guard getting his throat slit by the assassin after killing off the lawful good cleric because that was just evil.

Players need to create characters as a GROUP effort to insure maximum playability for the group.

QFT

 

[Vorput]

I'd be wary of blaming the DM... If the paladin wanted something to do- why didn't he go out looking for it?

The DM was simply setting up the adventure- and the players stated what they were doing, and wanted to do.... The Paladin's character's whining is his own fault. To be fair- the paladin was probably in an inn reading a book for this whole time- or praying, or whatever- that's his character's choice.

Could the DM be blamed if the Wizard failed a fort save in a dungeon and was paralyzed for a few hours?

If the characters choose to exclude one- that's their fault, and they should work it out together. It doesn't make sense for the DM to go "And suddenly, there's a robbery taking place in front of the paladin! What do you do?!"

Vorp