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You're doing what? Surprising the DM
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<blockquote data-quote="sheadunne" data-source="post: 6110923" data-attributes="member: 27570"><p>I'm really enjoying this thread. Both sides are really bringing up some nice discussion points and I think that both of these sides are probably playing the same way we all play, with the objective of having fun. </p><p></p><p>I recall one scene we were playing in PF where there were a bunch of demons. I wasn't much up for fighting at this point so I cast a Save or Suck spell on the demons which happened to work. The fight was for all intended purposes over. The DM was grumpy and the other players were grumpy. So the fight continued for another two hours while the other players killed all the demons who were unable to offer much of a threat. I was bored out of my mind since the scene served no purpose once the spell was cast. It was over. What should the DM have done? It was clear the other players wanted to fight things while I didn't want to waste time on a long fight that wasn't very interesting to me. I offered a solution through the use of my spell to move the game forward, but that led to grumpy players who refused to hand-wave the scene even once it was clear there wasn't any challenge left. We had been fighting these same types of creatures for a while and it was really starting to get boring for me. </p><p></p><p>What I'm trying to suggest is that it is impossible for any group of players to be on the same page 100% of the time. Choices have to be made on whose fun is more important at any particular time. Clearly the other players and the DMs fun should have overridden my fun, which they did through an agonizing 2 hour pointless battle with creatures barely able to defend themselves. Perhaps I shouldn't have cast the spell (or even that the spell shouldn't have existed in the first place) but should one player's lack of fun mean that he shouldn't use his character's abilities? Should I have taken comfort in knowing that if I hadn't cast the spell, the fight probably would have lasted 4 hours?</p><p></p><p>I don't know. If it was a ongoing occurrence rather than a 1 out of a 100, then I would have said it was bad group mix. In this case it wasn't. I was just getting bored that night. </p><p></p><p>I think what I might be getting at is that emotion plays a part in how an particular game night plays out. It's not all DM and player decision making, it's also the emotions of all involved. The Desert scene could have been much more agonizing than it was and the siege might have bored one player to tears. It happens. For players it's often a matter of accepting that they're having a bad day and try not to hijack the game. For the DM, it's being aware that their emotional state might be affecting the game and try to step back and let the players have more influence.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="sheadunne, post: 6110923, member: 27570"] I'm really enjoying this thread. Both sides are really bringing up some nice discussion points and I think that both of these sides are probably playing the same way we all play, with the objective of having fun. I recall one scene we were playing in PF where there were a bunch of demons. I wasn't much up for fighting at this point so I cast a Save or Suck spell on the demons which happened to work. The fight was for all intended purposes over. The DM was grumpy and the other players were grumpy. So the fight continued for another two hours while the other players killed all the demons who were unable to offer much of a threat. I was bored out of my mind since the scene served no purpose once the spell was cast. It was over. What should the DM have done? It was clear the other players wanted to fight things while I didn't want to waste time on a long fight that wasn't very interesting to me. I offered a solution through the use of my spell to move the game forward, but that led to grumpy players who refused to hand-wave the scene even once it was clear there wasn't any challenge left. We had been fighting these same types of creatures for a while and it was really starting to get boring for me. What I'm trying to suggest is that it is impossible for any group of players to be on the same page 100% of the time. Choices have to be made on whose fun is more important at any particular time. Clearly the other players and the DMs fun should have overridden my fun, which they did through an agonizing 2 hour pointless battle with creatures barely able to defend themselves. Perhaps I shouldn't have cast the spell (or even that the spell shouldn't have existed in the first place) but should one player's lack of fun mean that he shouldn't use his character's abilities? Should I have taken comfort in knowing that if I hadn't cast the spell, the fight probably would have lasted 4 hours? I don't know. If it was a ongoing occurrence rather than a 1 out of a 100, then I would have said it was bad group mix. In this case it wasn't. I was just getting bored that night. I think what I might be getting at is that emotion plays a part in how an particular game night plays out. It's not all DM and player decision making, it's also the emotions of all involved. The Desert scene could have been much more agonizing than it was and the siege might have bored one player to tears. It happens. For players it's often a matter of accepting that they're having a bad day and try not to hijack the game. For the DM, it's being aware that their emotional state might be affecting the game and try to step back and let the players have more influence. [/QUOTE]
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