Who the hell needs 23 lemures?You have 23 lemures? You really should look up Monte Cook's A Paladin in Hell - there is a scene in that where the clock runs out and 10,000 or so lemures attack. I've been re-reading it and wondering were the hell I'm going to get 25 Lemures from.
Man, I so read that wrong at first. I had this mental image of 23 fuzzy creatures with long tails in black & white rings surrounding a character, staring at 'im, with those big eyes of theirs...
Mental image now adjusted to cannon fodder of the Lower Planes...better!
Oh, my peeves are people who show up 2 hours later wanting to game, people who don't update their character sheet, or wait til the last damn minute to level up. GRRRRRR!!!
Man, I so read that wrong at first. I had this mental image of 23 fuzzy creatures with long tails in black & white rings surrounding a character, staring at 'im, with those big eyes of theirs...
....their fiendish little black-ringed tails swishing in a demonically hypnotic pattern while their super sharp little claws cracked open another piece of fruit....except those aren't fruits---they're EYEBALLS, AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
(That was funny, Lilith...thanks for lightening up my ranting mood about those useless poorly painted blobs of plastic)
Ye gods, what a great thread. Holy smoke!
I was just being sarcastic, I have over a dozen of them, but I don't know the exact count. All I know is that I have miniatures I don't want and there are miniatures I do want, but I'll never pay the asking price for, because it is just patently ridicilous to pay that much for a plastic mini.
More rant later (it's been a long day), but I must agree 100% f2k!
I don't play the miniatures game. I use the WotC minis because they are pre-painted (haven't had the time to paint in years) and I can throw a bunch in a bag without worrying about someone's sword breaking off. All I want are the basic monsters: humanoids, owlbears, trolls, skeletons, ghouls, yada ... what I DON'T need is my 8th lemure or some half-giant/half-dragon Eberron psion. I refuse to waste my money trying to get a group of trolls or giants, that's for the birds... and while I'm on the subject (more or less), how many different minotaurs do we really need?
I absolutly HATE alll of the orb spells. They make no friggin sense! Why in the living H*(( would EVERY SINGLE GOD#$^%#$%#@$%^#$^$ING SPELL THAT MAKES FIRE OR ICE OR ELECTRICITY AN EVOCATION BUT ORB SPELLS AREN'T? WHY, OR LORDS WHY, IN THE WRETCHED BOWLS OF H*(( DO THEY HAVE TO RAPE EVERY SINGLE AMOUNT OF REALISM FROM A FANTASY GAME JUST TO GET A COUPLE OF LOUSY ATTACK SPELLS INTO THEIR PATHETIC LITTLE MONEY WHORING BOOOOOKS!
I know, I know it's fantasy and since it isn't real it can be messed with. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT HAS TO BE!
CLERICS DO NOT GET ATTACK SPELLS! When they do they are far and few between and always inferior to a wizard/sorcerer spell. IT IS A PART OF THE BALANCE OF THE GAME! NOT TO MENTION THE FLAVOR OF THE CLASSES THEMSELVES. BUT NOOOOO! MY CLERIC OF PELOR IS NOT COMEPLETE WITHOUT THE NEW GUSHING EXAHLTED BLOOD DOMAIN WITH DISENTEGRATE AND METEOR SWARM AND THE SUPER MAGNA F&**^%@#$%%@#%$ BEAN WITH JT&^$$ A## PEICE OF MONKEY SH*******!!!!!!!!
THAT SUMMONS ANOTHER FRIGGIN DRAGON!!!!
why why in gods name would anyone adventure with a frenzied berserker. I know frendships that were ruined by women, drugs, gambling, and in one case an oddly positioned watermelon.
HOW WOULD YOU STAY LIFE LONG PALS AFTER THE SECOND TIME YOU'RE BUDDY RIPS YOU INTO LITTLE PEICES IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE BLOOD RAGE!
AND ABOVE ALL I HAVE AN ABISSMAL HATRED FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN'T JUST SHUT THE F**K UP ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THEY HATE CAN'T YOU SEE THAT THERE ARE BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN BE ANGY ALL THE D**N TIME!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously guys, try to lighten up a little
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Man, I so read that wrong at first. I had this mental image of 23 fuzzy creatures with long tails in black & white rings surrounding a character, staring at 'im, with those big eyes of theirs...
There's a magic the gathering card like that from the Ice Age block. The artist misread the name and thought it was the fuzzy mammal, not the demon (or are they devils...I forget...anyway). The art came back with a cutsey little creature. They added some wings and changed the card, but it's still clearly a lemur.
I absolutly HATE alll of the orb spells. They make no friggin sense! Why in the living H*(( would EVERY SINGLE GOD#$^%#$%#@$%^#$^$ING SPELL THAT MAKES FIRE OR ICE OR ELECTRICITY AN EVOCATION BUT ORB SPELLS AREN'T? WHY, OR LORDS WHY, IN THE WRETCHED BOWLS OF H*(( DO THEY HAVE TO RAPE EVERY SINGLE AMOUNT OF REALISM FROM A FANTASY GAME JUST TO GET A COUPLE OF LOUSY ATTACK SPELLS INTO THEIR PATHETIC LITTLE MONEY WHORING BOOOOOKS!
I know, I know it's fantasy and since it isn't real it can be messed with. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT HAS TO BE!
CLERICS DO NOT GET ATTACK SPELLS! When they do they are far and few between and always inferior to a wizard/sorcerer spell. IT IS A PART OF THE BALANCE OF THE GAME! NOT TO MENTION THE FLAVOR OF THE CLASSES THEMSELVES. BUT NOOOOO! MY CLERIC OF PELOR IS NOT COMEPLETE WITHOUT THE NEW GUSHING EXAHLTED BLOOD DOMAIN WITH DISENTEGRATE AND METEOR SWARM AND THE SUPER MAGNA F&**^%@#$%%@#%$ BEAN WITH JT&^$$ A## PEICE OF MONKEY SH*******!!!!!!!!
THAT SUMMONS ANOTHER FRIGGIN DRAGON!!!!why why in gods name would anyone adventure with a frenzied berserker. I know frendships that were ruined by women, drugs, gambling, and in one case an oddly positioned watermelon.
HOW WOULD YOU STAY LIFE LONG PALS AFTER THE SECOND TIME YOU'RE BUDDY RIPS YOU INTO LITTLE PEICES IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE BLOOD RAGE!
AND ABOVE ALL I HAVE AN ABISSMAL HATRED FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN'T JUST SHUT THE F**K UP ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THEY HATE CAN'T YOU SEE THAT THERE ARE BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN BE ANGY ALL THE D**N TIME!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously guys, try to lighten up a little
Whoa!! Now thats a rant!
I hate DM's that fudge rolls.
I hate when PCs think the DM is fudging rolls so they can "cheat." Whenever I start rolling in front of PCs, and a crit drops one to -15, they shut up real quick. Fudging exists so that DMs can control certain aspects of the game for everyone's enjoyment. Sometimes it HAS to be done. Not always, but you can assume that you are not being "cheated."
I hate when a DM b@~$#es about something being "Out of his control" or about his PCs being too good. BS. You're the damn DM. Read the 1st Ed Core books, and get some inspiration. If a player sucks or is disruptive, fine. There is nothing, rule-wise or in game, you cannot control.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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I hate DM's that fudge rolls.I hate when PCs think the DM is fudging rolls so they can "cheat." Whenever I start rolling in front of PCs, and a crit drops one to -15, they shut up real quick. Fudging exists so that DMs can control certain aspects of the game for everyone's enjoyment. Sometimes it HAS to be done. Not always, but you can assume that you are not being "cheated."
I hate it even more when the DM fudges in favor of the players. I hate not being able to die and having risk taken away from characters to serve the "story." It's not a story, it's a game, and the rules should be respected.
I actually dislike playing though. I only DM.
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I hate it even more when the DM fudges in favor of the players. I hate not being able to die and having risk taken away from characters to serve the "story." It's not a story, it's a game, and the rules should be respected.
I actually dislike playing though. I only DM.
Except that a "game" should have winners/losers. roleplaying implied the creation of a story. If I want to roll dice, I'll play a miniature battles game (which I do) or possibly craps (I could use the money),
I hate the "my gaming is the right gaming" attitude
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Except that a "game" should have winners/losers. roleplaying implied the creation of a story. If I want to roll dice, I'll play a miniature battles game (which I do) or possibly craps (I could use the money),
So, by your definition (games must have a winner or loser), MMORPG's are not games. ;-)
I HATE people that say the DM can do anything to the players since it is their game, there the ones making the rules, blah blah, blah.
For those of you that can get away with it fine, go ahead and kick the players out. You can get new players or go to a different group. It is wonderful that you have that flexibility and I wish I could say the same. HOWEVER STOP ASSUMING EVERYONE HAS THAT OPTION!
When the local gaming community is 6 people the only option you have is to play with the people you have or not play at all, yes the players have some power, NAMELY THE POWER TO QUIT AND LEAVE THE OMNIPOTENT DM WITH NOTHING! Not to mention the fact that in these situations the players are not just you're gaming group they are long time friends that DM's would gladly sacrifice some of the smug enjoyment that comes from shutting someone down to make sure that they stay close friends.
I JUST HATE HEARING THAT! Look, on every thread it pops up at least once, someone has to chime in and say the magic F**KING WORDS "what you say goes". The DM is both master and servant and to say that they have the unlimited power to thwart players is a fast road to becoming an abrasive little prick that no one will game with.
All just MSLTHFO
NOTE: (MSLTHFO) MY-SLIGHTLY-LESS-THAN-HUMBLE-*censored*-OPINION
I hate players interrupting me when I talk. I hate myself for interupting a good narration to stop and look stuff up in the published adventure.
I hate the fact that we all can't afford to hire babysitters for when we play D&D. I love my kids and my nieces and my friends' kids dearly, but I can't wait until they're all old enough to remain unseen and unheard during the D&D game.
What I hate most of all--PLAYERS WHO GET TOO DRUNK TO PLAY, BUT ARE TOO STUBBORN TO QUIT. We all like to drink while we play, but I swear to God, if some people don't stop slamming scotch like it's a CLW potion after a troll fight, I'll stop the game much earlier than ANYONE likes.
I hate players who b$*$# at me when I'm too exhausted to DM and I stop the game one hour earlier than they wanted, especially when THOSE players have never DMed and don't know what kind of mental energy it takes.
I hate players who b#~!@ at me when I'm too exhausted to DM and I stop the game one hour earlier than they wanted, especially when THOSE players have never DMed and don't know what kind of mental energy it takes.
OMG - that is the first time I have ever heard that sentiment on these boards or anywhere. I 100% agree.
Every time I'm ready to stop, or try to end on a note of suspense, it's like "aw c'mon, just one more encoutner", or "but we wanted to get to the Black Mimi's secret lair tonight," or "we didn't get to sell the treasure and buy our holy hand grenades yet," and so on.
DMing is hard, man. As you said, that complaint almost ALWAYS comes from the guys who have never DMed before.
4-5 hours is my maximum threshold to keep one session high energy and interesting, sometimes less. Deal with it, folks! :)
I HATE the fact that I can't figure out what F2K's Avatar is.
Is it and ogre mage with no horns? The worlds only blue troll? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! It TAUNTS ME WITH IT'S VERY EXISTANCE! WHAT MONSTER IS THAT BLUE AND BIG? I'M COMMING UP WITH NOTHING! AND THAT THING IS NOT AN OX!
It's an ice troll from the D&D mini's...
I hate anyone that tries to "win" this game. This way of thinking leads players to cheat, munchkinize and power-game. It also leads DM's to get bitter when they lose an NPC and strengthens that negative me vs. them mentality.
Understand what success in an rpg TRULY is and you'll realize that it's about the creation of a story.
I can't stand cheaters. Those players that dice cheat, those players that don't keep track of hit points and healing potions and the DM's that let's them slide.
I HATE the fact that I can't figure out what F2K's Avatar is.
Is it and ogre mage with no horns? The worlds only blue troll? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! It TAUNTS ME WITH IT'S VERY EXISTANCE! WHAT MONSTER IS THAT BLUE AND BIG? I'M COMMING UP WITH NOTHING! AND THAT THING IS NOT AN OX!
Let's just say I'd gladly trade in 23 lemures for the ice troll.
Just thought of something else I hate--the fact that I don't have a dedicated room in my house for gaming and my hobbies. Setting up the game and breaking down the game are such pains in the ass...I wish I could just leave everything set up and could permanently put everything somewhere.
I don't need a fancy projector-map set up like some lucky folks have--I just want a room that is just set aside for gaming (and homebrewing beer and reloading my own ammunition)...I hate, absolutely loathe dragging out all my gaming stuff in backpacks, plastic cases and old briefcases one hour before the game--spend 20 minutes setting up, then having to break all that stuff back down afterwards....it sucks!
Next house we buy will have a game room...my wife has already agreed to this....
I hate people that don't teach others to play the game - see my "when was the last time you taught someone the game" thread - ITS A CHALLENGE.
Also i hate people that play paladins but make no effort to be noble, do the right thing... talk. The f*(&^ing paladin in my group told the new guys charisma was FOR SMITING!!!! The paladin is gonna die!
I also hate people who tell other players what they should do. Or stop them from doing it - i always encourage the character to do what they origionally intended and will change the entire module if i have to so that the person who tried to get them to do something different is wrong and the origional idea is the best solution to the problem.
D&D is a game of action - don't like something take ACTION. I hate it when player complain about the direction of the campaign - you do't like the direction - GO ANOTHER WAY YOU F!#@Ktard...
I hate DMs who can't handle ACTION. When i play a Chaotic character - they are CHAOTIC - unpredictable, when they are bored they TAKE ACTION - the DM can kill me or roll with it i don't care - JUST DON'T WHINE CAUSE I DID SOMETHING CHAOTIC i am playing a f!@king CHAOTIC character.
I hate TPK's cause the party is to stupid to know when they are in over their heads - but i TPK them anyway - hell they gotta learn sometime.
I hate it even more when the DM fudges in favor of the players. I hate not being able to die and having risk taken away from characters to serve the "story." It's not a story, it's a game, and the rules should be respected.
It's not about risk. If the players plan for a combat, and they die as a logical extension of the combat, fine. But if they did all they could, and a simple roll is the difference between putting a months long played PC at -8 and dead, I'll let it go. They know the risk.
I hate when rules lawyering subverts the fun of the game. The rules should be respected, sure. But they exist solely to support the fun of the game. Having a story that is interesting and makes sense is fun. Anytime you will let your rules overpower the fun of the game, you went wrong.
I really really really hate house rules!! Ok, DM´s who abuse house rules, who make the game almost unplayable and then have players that turn out really crappy dms because of that!
I hate rules lawyers! I hate DM´s that do not give what the pc deserve at eache level because they are afraid of not being able to deal with it.
I hate the price of miniatures packs! Come on!!!!!
Oh, and i hate not being able to play 24/7 :P
It's an ice troll from the D&D mini's...
ahhhhhhhhhhh...... joy...........returning, coniption.........fading,
urge to kill........... nope, urge to kill still pretty strongsomething about this thread just brings out the best in me.
I'll rant a little later, right now my next door neighbor just got home and the average emergency responce time in our area is dreadfully slow..............
I hate money. I hate the fact that I have neither the time nor the funds to create an ultimate gaming table.
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I hate Eberron (something that is definitely worth saying multiple times.
I hate the idiotic abbreviations that accompany most web postings (lol, OMG, etc). Learn to write properly. By using these abbreviations you are contributing to the destruction of the English language and our ability to properly communicate ideas. When you do that, THEY win. This is one of the reasons I think the hip-hop "culture" should be outlawed and its practitioners mocked ruthlessly. The only time it makes sense is when you have a company with a ridiculously long name, i.e. Wizards of the Coast (which, if you ask me, is an insult to wizards).
I hate people who say that I should provide reasons for why I hate something. To hell with you. This is a free country, and I can have an unreasoning hatred for anything I want. Down with political correctness.
I hate the sixities because it gave birth to a bunch of hippie, socialists who have nothing better to do than complain about "evil corporations", "evil politicians", and the death of our environment. If they really want some evil to b^&ch about, I'm sure I can accomodate them.
And, oh yeah, I really don't like eggs. I know, it makes me a freak, but I can't help it.
I am a player in Saern's campaign I agree with what he says about the two's stats but mainly im ranting on RPing. What I thought was the worse part is that they both switched characters the day we started the campaign and I really enjoyed the characters they made up before these melee monsters they came up with. I myself play a Wizard / Elemental Savant (Electricity) going on archmage. In combat, im a crazy evocationist who loves to fry and pulverize enemies with air magic but out of combat I dont act like a raving lunatic. They WERE going to be a Hexblade and a Monk which I like. The Bear Warrior is a dumb concept and Frenzied Berserkers are just an overpowered barbarian who is a party liability. I really liked the stories they created with the Hexblade and Monk but with the last second switch the RP turned bland.
It's an ice troll from the D&D mini's...
ahhhhhhhhhhh...... joy...........returning, coniption.........fading,
urge to kill........... nope, urge to kill still pretty strong
something about this thread just brings out the best in me.
I'll rant a little later, right now my next door neighbor just got home and the average emergency responce time in our area is dreadfully slow..............
Its alright Golem, everything is going to be ok. Goosfrabah
Frikkin' Ashton Kutcher!
That is all.
Even more so after he got Demi Moore.
MMMMMM......Demi Moore.
MMMMMM......Demi Moore.More like... Gimme More!
Ultradan
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Oh yeah, before I forget...
D20 Modern. What the F*&%? What mental giant came up with that garbage. I play this game to get away from the real world. Now the future stuff might be cool - cybernetics, mental powers, space ships. Its like Spelljammer, but with science instead of magic. But I really don't want to game in a world whose current timeline is anywhere near that of the real thing.
And because it can't be said enough times...Down with Eberron!
The game did a 180 somewhere. Until 3.0, D&D was always much more DM choice than player choice. The DM decided what options were right for his game and the players lived with it. Don't like the way a rule works? Change it, it probably won't affect the rest of the game in a negative way because not much was tied together in the rules. Now, if a DM doesn't like a small aspect of the game, like the default amount of assumed treasure give out, he can't change it without it affecting a bunch of other 'subsystems' within the game.
Yes!
I hate the overabundance of magic, prestige classes, feats, weapon descriptors, templates, and new PC races. Enough already. I don't want to play a chimeric, half-illithid, half-displacer beast, fighter 6 /sorcerer 4 /dragon disciple 3 wielding a keen, silver, god-bane masterwork two-handed sword., and Power-cleaving everything in sight. Just let me be a Dwarven fighter or Elven wizard and have done with it.
Yes!
I think the game has grown to a complexity level where you need two DMs to handle it all, one for the story and one for bookkeeping. When playing Rolemaster, thats ok, but D&D used to be a lot simpler, or do I miss something ? (Perhaps I should dig out, say, CoC/Runequest...)
And don´t get me going on wagonloads of prestige classes, feats, spells and more in every new book or magazine. I definitely had enough of that, especially if these new playthings don´t seem to get playtested thoroughly. I surely can and will do without. Same goes for all those fancy races and half-something races. I just don´t want to imagine how say a half-dragon/half-pixie should have come into being, and if I hear one more time that the whole explanation is "a kind of magic", then I´m going to have a nervous breakdown or kill somebody.
Enough for now. I still like the game, but sometimes I get the feeling that it becomes a manga-style superhero game, with magic becoming either some handy utility or a videogame style bonus. I would like my game somewhat more down to earth.
Yes!
Okay, here I go:
I agree with the comments regarding the shape of 3rd edition. Way too much emphasis on feats, prestige classes, and bizarre meldings of races/classes. D&D has become a min-maxer, munchkin dream.
Variety is indeed the spice of life, but if you can't have fun unless you get to play a half-lizardfolk/half-mindflayer ninja with psionic powers, it's time to go back to role-playing school. What happened to a plain wizard or fighter?
I'm sick of the extra work for the DM too. CRs, ELs, ECLs, trap creation, magic item creation, ... is this making my life easier or harder? Just watch the boards over at Wizards -- someone must ask a question about XP, CRs, or grappling every week, if not every day. The new system has more abbreviations than the Military, and as mentioned, everything's some interconnected that customizing is a nightmare. A friend recently suggested doing away with attacks of opportunity, period, and I leaped to warn him how many feats and subsystems that would screw up.
And whose brilliant idea was to give monsters standard PC-type ability scores, so we have violet fungi with higher Wisdom scores than the average NPC? When such system work-arounds are this obvious, the system should have been re-examined. They should have simply assigned base skill values and saving throw values to every monster and left the abilities out of it.
The weird way 1-hd humanoids are treated differently from higher hd humanoids also bothers me, though I haven't put my finger on exactly why yet.
On a similar note, leveling up and advancing creatures is a pain. "I don't bother working out the skills," you say, "I just raise the BAB!" -- that's great, but what if you are writing a 50,000-word adventure under a contracted deadline (as I did last year) and everything must be SRD-legal? Excedrin now sends me a monthly calendar, I'm such a good customer.
I also hate the huge stat blocks that now dominate adventure text. I used to look at the Mythus system with it's long stat lists as say to myself, "man, I'm glad D&D isn't like that," and now it's just as bad or worse. Thanks guys!
Eberron: Hate the idea of it. (Sorry Keith, it's nothing personal and I do respect your creativity!) Ditto for Spelljammer, Dark Sun, etc. If I want pseudo-science-fiction, I'll dig my old Traveller game. If I want all genres at once, I'll play TORG. I don't need cyborgs, robots, railroads, or spaceships, thank you kindly. One-shot runs like Expedition to the Barrier Peaks are one thing, twisting the D&D game into some multi-genre mish-mash is another. To each his own, true, but when I can't buy a simple box of figures without getting some warforged-whatever, it's hardly my choice. If there's such a cadre of Eberron fans (and it seems there is), great, offer them a separate set of figs. Of course, that would defeat the purpose of WotC getting me to blow my money...
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Ah, that felt good! Thanks for indulging me. Rant out.
Let's just say I'd gladly trade in 23 lemures for the ice troll.
One of the problems is that there is no way we can get together online and trade with each other. If I could trade I might be willing to give up some minitures you want for those Lemures - I like Lemures and use them often.
That said I have a sneaking suspicion that mostly we would be trying to pawn off the same crap on each other - my bet is we are both looking for a lot of 'classic' D&D monsters and have a slew of strange creatures from Monster Manual II and III that we never got around to reading the entry on.
Still that said I've got a rare Rary The Traitor Minature that a Greyhawk fan might trade me for a bunch of Kobolds or some such. I have the worst luck in that area - I've got Lord Soth and Elminster as well - but I run a homebrew. I wanted the Beholder...
I HATE people that say the DM can do anything to the players since it is their game, there the ones making the rules, blah blah, blah.
For those of you that can get away with it fine, go ahead and kick the players out. You can get new players or go to a different group. It is wonderful that you have that flexibility and I wish I could say the same. HOWEVER STOP ASSUMING EVERYONE HAS THAT OPTION!
When the local gaming community is 6 people the only option you have is to play with the people you have or not play at all, yes the players have some power, NAMELY THE POWER TO QUIT AND LEAVE THE OMNIPOTENT DM WITH NOTHING! Not to mention the fact that in these situations the players are not just you're gaming group they are long time friends that DM's would gladly sacrifice some of the smug enjoyment that comes from shutting someone down to make sure that they stay close friends.
I JUST HATE HEARING THAT! Look, on every thread it pops up at least once, someone has to chime in and say the magic F**KING WORDS "what you say goes". The DM is both master and servant and to say that they have the unlimited power to thwart players is a fast road to becoming an abrasive little prick that no one will game with.
All just MSLTHFO
NOTE: (MSLTHFO) MY-SLIGHTLY-LESS-THAN-HUMBLE-*censored*-OPINION
Sexi plays in my games, and I play in his. The following is not a rant, but a viewpoint.
It IS in the DM's right and power to limit player options and make rules. Sexi, you ban psionics and warforged, tweak classes and feats and spells that you say are broken, or just disallow them entirely, such as with the Orb spells from the Complete Arcane.
D&D is a group activity, and it mandates a leader. The DM is that leader, and he does have a much larger say in everything that goes on in HIS campaign. It IS his game, as he is the one putting forth the time and effort to develop it, run it, etc. It's fun work, but it is work. It's not easy. The DM is already giving a lot to the players, and has the right to ask for things back, and if that includes banning certain PrC, feats, and spells, that's perfectly all right. Every book out there confirms the long held precedent that the DM does have the right, the power, and sometimes even the OBLIGATION to look over material and decide to ban certain things. Every ruling you make that isn't defined in the core rulebooks is this; judging on applicable material for your campaign is just a (very normal, reasonable) extension thereof.
If you don't think that's the DM's right, then it is also not his right to say "No, you can't start at 10th level while everyone else is 3rd."
Doing this doesn't make one a jerk, or heavy handed. It can become that way, but one of the many responsibilities of the DM is to check himself and make sure he's not doing anything out of spite or favoritism. Also, as you stated, both of us are close friends with the other players in our group. That shouldn't limit us in our ability to make calls, but enhance it. Our friends, the players, should know that we're not doing something just to be a jerk, but because we have a valid reason. Also, the fact that we are good friends outside of the game should make it easier for them to accept a ruling that they don't like. If you feel that your bond to those who play in our campaigns is so weak that a bad ruling would jeopardize your friendship with them, I suggest you re-examine your definition of friend. I know this isn't the true case, but it is what you are defending your point with.
I, as a DM, hold the right to ban any material that I do not see fit, as it is indeed my game. I would pay any other DM I played under the same respect and acknowledge that right. If there is a valid reason for the decision, it is within the DM's purview to make the call. This lends the game further structure and allows things to progress, and everyone to have a greater experience. I also charge myself with the duty to make sure that I use this power not only to increase my own enjoyment (although, I do openly state that I use it to increase my own enjoyment, as is my right), but to increase the enjoyment and/or balance of the campaign for all the players involved as equally as I can.
Players have only marginal responsibilities, compared to the DM, and carry proportionately less weight in decisions about rulings and applicable material, as is to be expected with any situation in which one person assumes greater responsibility than those around him. Any other arrangement is unfair to said leader-figure, so long as he himself is being fair.
All just my Honest opinion, as I think Honesty is far more important than Humbleness. Your Friend, Saern.
I hate complaining about optional rules.
They're optional. I remember playing 2nd and 1st ed, and people always b~@~!ing how you could not realistically make certain types of characters.
There are a lot of PrCs, feats, templates, etc. You don't have to use them. That's like complaining your wrench set came with all the sizes, and you only need a 3/8. You don't like them? Super. Don't use them.
Furthermore, most people don't use EVERY rule. Not only is it not feasible to be able to use EVERY rule, but no one wants too. If my PC wants an archer, let him use all the rules they make to get the archer just how he wants him.
I hate when people complain about templates. Again, in past editions people complained when they couldn't do things they wanted with the monsters. Templates really aren't for PCs, for the most part. They are so you can make a monster you want.
These are tools, people. Not straightjackets. If someone else can use that book of races and feats to make the PC they want, good. If not, fine. That's the beauty of the game. You can use what you want.
I hate ridiculous, overexaggerated examples. A chimeric, half-illithid, half-displacer beast, fighter 6 /sorcerer 4 /dragon disciple 3 wielding a keen, silver, god-bane masterwork two-handed sword, and Power-cleaving everything in sight, is not likely to come up. Don't exaggerate an exception to defame a rule.
I hate when people act like there is no balance in the game. Thats what CRs adjustments and Level adjustments are for. and monsters. And DMs.
I hate the "magic" explanation fo crossbreeds, too. That's garbage. Gimme something more.
I hate some online slang. LOL, ROFL, OMGWTFBBQ, all of them are dumb. The only acceptable time to use them is on a chat in an MMORPG.
D&D is still simple. The gradual dumbing down of our culture, and the ease of playing a video game or watching a movie makes an entertainment endavor that takes math "too complicated." Get over it.
I hate when people try to use their dislike of something a basis for looking superior. "I'm too good for new feats," or "AFI sold out." Stop. Enjoy the game, and don't act like you're too good to like what the "mainstream" likes.
Senior Software Developer
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* The web server thinks it knows better than I do what I want when I click on a link. I read the first page of this thread and by the time I got to the bottom (and I'm not a slow reader) the "page 2" link had timed out. WTF?! ... I have to *reload* page 1 for the page 2 link to be valid. Eff that dot com.
Yah. That drives me crazy too. It's been on my list of things to fix for some time. Any day now, I swear....
* We can't subscribe to message board threads (unless I've overlooked that feature); we have to bookmark them instead and check them manually. And good luck bookmarking anything but page 1.
Subscribing to threads is kind of on a wish list for now. For what it's worth, when we fix the "page 2" issue mentioned above, you'll be able to bookmark any page of a thread.
* We can't cancel orders online. We have to contact Customer Service? BS! Web guy(s), stop spending your time making mysterious, short-lived, non-bookmarkable links and give us a freakin' "cancel" button next to our orders.
What, and make it easier for customers to not give us money?! That's just crazy talk! :-)
I hate complaining about optional rules.
They're optional. I remember playing 2nd and 1st ed, and people always b~%!!ing how you could not realistically make certain types of characters.
There are a lot of PrCs, feats, templates, etc. You don't have to use them. That's like complaining your wrench set came with all the sizes, and you only need a 3/8. You don't like them? Super. Don't use them.
Furthermore, most people don't use EVERY rule. Not only is it not feasible to be able to use EVERY rule, but no one wants too. If my PC wants an archer, let him use all the rules they make to get the archer just how he wants him.
I hate when people complain about templates. Again, in past editions people complained when they couldn't do things they wanted with the monsters. Templates really aren't for PCs, for the most part. They are so you can make a monster you want.
These are tools, people. Not straightjackets. If someone else can use that book of races and feats to make the PC they want, good. If not, fine. That's the beauty of the game. You can use what you want.
I hate ridiculous, overexaggerated examples. A chimeric, half-illithid, half-displacer beast, fighter 6 /sorcerer 4 /dragon disciple 3 wielding a keen, silver, god-bane masterwork two-handed sword, and Power-cleaving everything in sight, is not likely to come up. Don't exaggerate an exception to defame a rule.
I hate when people act like there is no balance in the game. Thats what CRs adjustments and Level adjustments are for. and monsters. And DMs.
I hate the "magic" explanation fo crossbreeds, too. That's garbage. Gimme something more.
I hate some online slang. LOL, ROFL, OMGWTFBBQ, all of them are dumb. The only acceptable time to use them is on a chat in an MMORPG.
D&D is still simple. The gradual dumbing down of our culture, and the ease of playing a video game or watching a movie makes an entertainment endavor that takes math "too complicated." Get over it.
I hate when people try to use their dislike of...
I just have to say . . . thank you SO much for that rant. I agree whole heartedly. I may joke about some rules that are insane or goofy, but hey, then I don't use them. Unless something is part of the core rules, or something that a whole lot of other rules are based on, then hey, guess that part of the rules isn't for you.
I hate complaining about optional rules...
I may joke about some rules that are insane or goofy, but hey, then I don't use them. Unless something is part of the core rules, or something that a whole lot of other rules are based on, then hey, guess that part of the rules isn't for you.
My earlier ranting aside, I do agree. (To quote myself from way back in Dragon #232 -- "Regarding the nature of the rules: They’re optional? Really? You mean TSR thugs won’t come to my house and rough me up if I delete or change some rules?" -- funny how some discussions come around again 10 years later!)
My personal problem isn't math, but lack of time. Perhaps my main rant is really "Life doesn't give me enough time to game!" something that gets worse as the years roll by and something I can't hang on any game company. And I'll be the first to plead guilty to exaggerating somewhat for comedic effect, but hey, it's my rant! Gamers are a finicky lot, we want things more complicated, less complicated, easier, harder, yada yada. No argument. But there's nothing like a rant thread to let out the pent up stuff once in a blue moon.I've really grown to enjoy these boards. I may not always agree with everyone here 100%, but you guys always make me think, and I appreciate that.
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I hate ridiculous, overexaggerated examples. A chimeric, half-illithid, half-displacer beast, fighter 6 /sorcerer 4 /dragon disciple 3 wielding a keen, silver, god-bane masterwork two-handed sword, and Power-cleaving everything in sight, is not likely to come up. Don't exaggerate an exception to defame a rule.
See, there's this concept called sarcasm....
And for those of you who don't like what some of us have to say - just don't read it. I for one, and I'm sure others agree, enjoy venting on some of the small annoyances in life. It helps reduce stress and makes life more enjoyable. So in the words of several of you...get over it.
By the way, you wouldn't happend to receive a paycheck from WotC would you? Just checking.
See, there's this concept called sarcasm....
Yeah, I know. But it wasn't purely sarcastic. It was an attempt to point out how horrible those rules were, and you can't use that kind of extreme sarcasm to say a rule is not good.
And for those of you who don't like what some of us have to say - just don't read it.
So, you want me to retroactively not read somthing? How would I know I don't like it without reading it? Or are you saying that I shouldn't say anything if I don't agree? Like you said, this a way to rant about annoyances. If you bring to light or do the thing I find annoying, I rant about it. And it works for you, too. If you don't like what I say, either ignore it, or rant about how it irritates you. You know what? I hate when people say not to disagree with them. You can dislike what I say all you want.
By the way, you wouldn't happend to receive a paycheck from WotC would you? Just checking.
I fail to see the relevance. You seem to be implying that either A)working for WotC is the only way to have an opinion, B) I am a sycophant of some sort defending the Corporation, or C)You have recveied check from them, which makes you right.
All three are wrong.
That was a fun rant, too. I do enjoy this thread, and I look forward to your counterrant.
I hate people who can't spell "rogue" properly. Seriously. No, seriously. I may have never met them, but I hate them personally.
PCs who can't keep track of their familiar/animal companion.
DM: Where is it?
PC: Uh, exactly where it needs to be for my greatest advantage, even though I didn't think about it til now.
DM: Riggggght.
I love ranting, so I'll go again!
How come there isn't a great graphics computer RPG that a DM can run in real time for players far away? You know, something like Neverwinter Nights that your gaming group can log into and the DM can control all the bad guys/NPC's/dialogue and make up stuff on the fly...basically a way to play D&D "live" with real people, but using the fancy graphics of those computer RPGs....I have so many friends who used to game with us that could play in that type of game, but can't play in real life because they live too far away, or can't devote the time, etc. A game where you can make up stuff on the fly or even buy pre-prepared adventures and locations to drop into the computer graphics reality.
Best of both worlds--the flexibility and unlimited potential of a tabletop RPG with the remote access and fine graphics of a computer RPG? Why the hell not?????
Quite frankly, I don't want to join Ghostorb or some of those other online games because I'm intimidated by the interface and because I don't want to learn anything new...I don't have time and I just don't give a s&+%! Same reason I won't play DDO, didn't play any MMORPG and won't ever play any MMORPG--too much work, too much to learn, I don't like computers all that much anyway...I want a simple computer interface with decent graphics that I can DM from for my friends who live far away, with no audio fadeout, disconnects, all that other b!&@+~**.
Bandwidth? Processing speed? What's the problem? I tried having a buddy join my Wednesday night game via chat, but the audio and video sucked so bad, even though we both had cable modems. We tried to use speakerphones for the audio and Yahoo Messenger for the video, but it still sucked...he had to stop joining us because he felt like he was in a game with his ears stuffed full of corn and watching the battlemat through a straw. It really made us realize that 70% of the enjoyment of D&D comes from being with your friends and family to play a game.
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Director of Narrative
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I hate people who can't spell "rogue" properly. Seriously. No, seriously. I may have never met them, but I hate them personally.
I didn't want to be the first grammar/spelling nerd, but now that you've opened the gates....I really really freakin' hate the constant misuse of the obviously elusive "to - two - too". Not to mention the complete lack of understanding of "there - their - they're". From a book and language based game I really expect more out of the community. It doesn't hurt to go back and re-read your post. Since this is all text, it is quite difficult to communicate voice inflection and such, which is why people get angry at others due to miscommunication or just completely don't understand what in Hades someone's talking about.
The rant thread is certainly an exception, in that it's quite difficult to deliver a good rant and edit your missive simultaneously.
I hate people who can't spell "rogue" properly. Seriously. No, seriously. I may have never met them, but I hate them personally.
Okay, so I guess the rouge rogue prestige class is a no go for you?
..the rouge rogue uses his subtle, gently accenting face paints to gain a +4 circumstance bonus to hide and diplomacy checks........
The thing about D&D that gets under my skin more than any book or rule or marketing technique is the people who play D&D. Why is it that 90% of gamers in general are flighty or flaky or antisocial or irritating or airheads or inconsiderate or dysfunctional in some other way?! What is it about human psychology that links the gaming trait with all of these negative traits? Are any of you gamers out there pschologists? A study should be performed. Don't get me wrong; my best friends are gamers and I love them but they can drive me f%&#ing insane and they only have a couple of these lesser traits!
PCs who can't keep track of their familiar/animal companion.
DM: Where is it?
PC: Uh, exactly where it needs to be for my greatest advantage, even though I didn't think about it til now.
DM: Riggggght.
In that same vein, PCs who forget the name of an important NPC or an important fact that has been hand fed to them. Often times this is followed with some complaint to deflect criticism.
I really hate it that there are so few posts on the "love" thread.
;-)
Bocklin
The thing about D&D that gets under my skin more than any book or rule or marketing technique is the people who play D&D. Why is it that 90% of gamers in general are flighty or flaky or antisocial or irritating or airheads or inconsiderate or dysfunctional in some other way?! What is it about human psychology that links the gaming trait with all of these negative traits? Are any of you gamers out there pschologists? A study should be performed. Don't get me wrong; my best friends are gamers and I love them but they can drive me f%&#ing insane and they only have a couple of these lesser traits!
I'm no brain doctor but you just described a friend, not a gamer. The only quality of the game that causes this is the quality of pulling friends to the table.