What the hell are all these players doing at my table messing with my campaign world and my beautifully-crafted story? This is my setting, and they're lucky to be able to even gaze upon it. Why do they think they're entitled to be able to "play" in it? Spoiled brats. They don't appreciate me or my world or understand anything. This game would be so much better if PC's just didn't exist.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. There are some children playing with toys, and I need to explain to them that doing so will inflict wear and tear on the toys, damaging them until they eventually become useless. They should just leave their toys on a shelf in an airtight box, where they belong. Don't they know how much work was put into manufacturing those toys? Do they think they could make better toys? Then where the hell do they get the idea that they're allowed to slowly but surely destroy them? I blame shoddy parenting.
It's hard being the only one with any sense.
I adore your brutal honesty. And factual truth. I agree 100%. Here's the long and short of it:
The DM gave everyone a free feat because he doesn't like the mechanics. But instead of adjusting the mechanics, he optimized the mechanics for "his" classes (melee NPCs) and eliminated the mechanics for the "enemy" classes (PC spellcasters). He's acting like the fat kid who wants to take his ball and go home.
Giving everyone the exact same feat isn't "balancing" that rules adjustment at all. Not giving his players a heads-up was also a bad call. Telling the OP to play a different class instead is pointless, because it takes away a player's choice (shortchanging the fun factor).
That being said, I wonder if you could offer this DM a choice while still retaining some sense and the "intention" that I can see behind his adjustment....
I propose offering him the ability to give all melee classes "Lunge" and give all caster classes "Combat Casting" free of charge. Hybrid classes that can do some of both could choose which one, based on their preferential play style.
That seems to be a lot more balanced an option than straight up "I hate this mechanic so I'm going to hate on any PC who employs it". It gives people both an advantage and a penalty for doing those types of actions.
Cartman the DM?
Exactly how I'm seeing this guy, yep. REPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!
The DM is a storyteller and mediator whose job is to be a respected leader. He is not a brainwasher and enforcer whose job is to be feared and lead through tyranny.
Cartman the DM?Exactly how I'm seeing this guy, yep. REPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!
The DM is a storyteller and mediator whose job is to be a respected leader. He is not a brainwasher and enforcer whose job is to be feared and lead through tyranny.
But feared and lead through tyranny is so much easier than loved and respected through tyranny.
Kinda made me chuckle how you went from "he should give the houserules a chance" to "by the gods! he killed armor!" ;)wow... he killed armor. i wonder why.
non of it would PERSONALLY hurt me because I tend to use light armors and the occasional mithral breastplate but i wonder why he made the changes he made.
on a side note... does he modify the AC of creatures... like do the 5 NPC guards wearing breastplates get their ACs changed?
its a statement not an exclamation. he did nerf armor and I wonder why. I am not condemning him just pondering. You dont have to like it to give it a chance.
The DM gave everyone a free feat because he doesn't like the mechanics. But instead of adjusting the mechanics, he optimized the mechanics for "his" classes (melee NPCs) and eliminated the mechanics for the "enemy" classes (PC spellcasters). He's acting like the fat kid who wants to take his ball and go home.
its not so simple.
if you look at all of the changes it seems like he ultimately gave casters the greater buff and melee a relative nerf especially as he is not going with the step up rule.
i dont think the GMs ruling is as simple as he hates X or is selfish or stupid or what ever. just because you dont know the reason does not make it invalid.
Note to both: not everything is a mater of extremes.
Thing is, the DM should ask the group if they are okay with these houserules.
If he gets four or three votes of no from the table, then he should consider dropping them.
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he did nerf armor and I wonder why. I am not condemning him just pondering. You dont have to like it to give it a chance.The DM gave everyone a free feat because he doesn't like the mechanics. But instead of adjusting the mechanics, he optimized the mechanics for "his" classes (melee NPCs) and eliminated the mechanics for the "enemy" classes (PC spellcasters). He's acting like the fat kid who wants to take his ball and go home.its not so simple.
if you look at all of the changes it seems like he ultimately gave casters the greater buff and melee a relative nerf especially as he is not going with the step up rule.
i dont think the GMs ruling is as simple as he hates X or is selfish or stupid or what ever. just because you dont know the reason does not make it invalid.
Note to both: not everything is a mater of extremes.
I am not seeing the big problem with the armor here. For example, splint mail has actually become nicer, whilst breastplate is simply more expensive. Apparently Carpricornus' GM has his own vision of how good or bad a certain type of armor should be. To me it does not really look bad...
Regarding the haste spell, it's a bit of a reduction in power, but not really problematic IMO. In fact, we have been playing up to level 9 in a campaign, and we haven't used a single haste spell (first time in a party without someone being able to cast it). It has not been a problem, we just use slightly different tactics.
The rest of changes, well... Some are not bad (like the bonus for combat maneuvers), some I don't like (banning classes). It's all workable, but it really depends on your personal opinion...
The only real issue I see is the lack of proper communication on your GM's part and that he apparently modifies the rules frequently. The best thing probably is to use a session to discuss the house rules he wants to enact, put them down in writing and make those fixed. New additions should then need to be agreed on and allow you to rearrange/rebuild your character to adapt to them. Because even minor changes can mess up your idea of what you wanted to play :-/
The thing is Splint Mail is one of the worst armours in the world over all. It is horribly restricting. if anything it should be AC 6, Dex 0, Check -8.
A breastplate historically is one of the cheapest solid metal Armours to make.
From what I can tell this GM is looking at WoW or some other game for their Armour.
Heck, Field Plate is effectively Half-Plate with the Plate components replaced with Banded Mail pieces.
If the GM really wants to create new armour they should build it with Pieceemeal Armour rules and sell it as a full suit.
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His explanation for the armor changes is that he didn't like seeing people buying only Chain Shirts, Breastplates, and Full Plate. He modified max dexes to allow for more variety of choice for those with different dex bonuses and needs. He also has some notions about the (I assume) historical popularity of various armors, hence the Chainmail and Breastplate changes... I don't know how he'll handle it if I try buying armors from Ultimate Equipment - Asian ones especially. Not that it matters a whole lot seeing as I'm going for a high-dex archer Cleric so I will probably be wearing light armors. At least until I can afford mithril.
That's a lot of houserules to keep track of.
Does he ever ask the players about the houserules, or does he simply give a "like it or not, this is how things are" response?
Good question. Also, does he keep track of these and brief/ask his players about them BEFORE starting a campaign?
His explanation for the armor changes is that he didn't like seeing people buying only Chain Shirts, Breastplates, and Full Plate. He modified max dexes to allow for more variety of choice for those with different dex bonuses and needs. He also has some notions about the (I assume) historical popularity of various armors, hence the Chainmail and Breastplate changes... I don't know how he'll handle it if I try buying armors from Ultimate Equipment - Asian ones especially. Not that it matters a whole lot seeing as I'm going for a high-dex archer Cleric so I will probably be wearing light armors. At least until I can afford mithril.
The thing is the other armours are mostly there for Druids and such.
I normally limit armour availability based on the regions in the world.
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To answer a few questions. The last time I played with him DMing I did not know his house rules. This time he sent everyone a PDF with his rules in them. He has not said explicitly that his rules are open to debate.
An update, after looking through the Ultimate Equipment book and seeing the new armors there, he has backed off on his price increases that I listed in a spoiler earlier. I expect that once he has had a chance to go through the book and think about it, he'll be banning and altering things in Ultimate Equipment too.
To answer a few questions. The last time I played with him DMing I did not know his house rules. This time he sent everyone a PDF with his rules in them. He has not said explicitly that his rules are open to debate.
An update, after looking through the Ultimate Equipment book and seeing the new armors there, he has backed off on his price increases that I listed in a spoiler earlier. I expect that once he has had a chance to go through the book and think about it, he'll be banning and altering things in Ultimate Equipment too.
Oh dear lord...
??? i am getting the impression he is actually going DOWN in house rules,
he dropped the step up (which he can replace with good use of the ready action rule) and he dropped the armor thing.
to be honest he sounds a lot like me when I started GMing. I wanted to make changes but did not realize how much they would effect the players or rules.
so i talked to an expericned player and would say things like "Im thinking of modding "FLY" spells so that they are harder to use in combat (making flight concentration making it harder or impossible to fly and cast for example)
the player had a fit with almost any idea of course because he was a super min/maxer. any change would mess with his way of thinking.
but by talking to him I was able to get a better grasp on how the changes would effect the game and cancle the more extreme ones "like the above flight rule."
anyway... keep a running dialogue with the guy, give him chances to make mistakes or realize the value of his changes. as time goes one you can discuss things and say OK we have tried this for a few weeks and its not working so well lets just play it normal, or, Im kind of liking this rule I may use it myself.
His explanation for the armor changes is that he didn't like seeing people buying only Chain Shirts, Breastplates, and Full Plate. He modified max dexes to allow for more variety of choice for those with different dex bonuses and needs. He also has some notions about the (I assume) historical popularity of various armors, hence the Chainmail and Breastplate changes... I don't know how he'll handle it if I try buying armors from Ultimate Equipment - Asian ones especially. Not that it matters a whole lot seeing as I'm going for a high-dex archer Cleric so I will probably be wearing light armors. At least until I can afford mithril.
While I think this guy has a bit too much of a hard-on for house rules It's good to know he actually has somewhat good or valid reasons for at least some of the changes he wants to make. This post made me think back and yeah...seems those ARE the only three armors I ever see being used on a regular basis.
lol you know how I fix that...
I NEVER give, chain shirts, breatplates and full plate as loot.
if a mob drops that kind of loot I just mod it to something else. so they may buy +1 breastplate, but later when they find +2 split they have a decision to make.
base weapon and armor prices are pretty much irrelevant past level 2 or 3 anyway.... after that only the magical bonuses truly effect price.