| Carnival |
In the past I've always had players play things that appealed to them because they thought they where cool, not I want to play that cause then I can do such and such damage and become invincible. That to me isn't what play a role playing game is about and at that point who need D&D as it becomes a sort of mental ego trip.
al abuses.
Don't listen to anyone who denegrates 'cooperative story telling.' You've got the right angle, if not the confidence to pull the trigger and do what you already know is the right thing.
I have seen rules lawyers and power gamers ruin far too many campaigns to sit back as a DM and wait until they figure things out. And I've seen far too many weak DMs ruin a game with potential by letting foolishness carry on too long.
The game works so much better when the mechanics are a backdrop for the character rather than vice versa. Take charge pronto, ban or minimize anything that offends your sense of play balance, and focus the spotlight on character development rather than character generation.
"Ten shots per round... and you fire one in each hand at the same time, you say? I'm sorry, but not in this campaign. We can work together and restructure that character to fit the framework of rules we play under here, or you are free to create a new one.
"If it is all about the dice- maybe you should give up RP and go shoot craps. Or take up Soduko if you just want to play with numbers. If you want to role play- take a seat. We'd love to have you in our game."
The key is to shift the focus- not the power. If you lay this out as a DM power trip, they'll lose trust in you and the game will go nowhere. If they are sharp- they'll take your choice to roll back their prior excesses as sign that you are being fair by keeping to the rules.
You have to let the players have every sensible choice you can. At the same time they have to agree that you are the final judge as to what is sensible. A half-dragon demigod with psionic powers and machine-gun crossbows in each fist may be powerful- but does it belong in this campaign? You get to decide.
This should not be about forcing them to bend to DM will and stealing away all of their goodies. It has to be about creating a better playing session and a better story. Remember, virtually every classic knightly yarn or fairy tale revolves around just one or two magic items. They don't need an arsenal to advance an epic story.