|
(A little lengthy; thanks in advance for your patience and your responses)
This past Saturday I started a new campaign at my FLGS. I started the PCs at first level using Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed rules. Character creation took a little longer than usual because I was the only one familiar with the rules, and there were 6 players. However, everything went smoothly for the most part. I've played one or two sessions alongside some of these guys as a PC, but I've never DMed for any of them before.
Over the past two days, I've been getting ready to run the game this Saturday night. I wasn't expecting to run a game when I showed up last week, and I want to be more prepared this week. Two of the players took their character sheets home with them, but the other four left their sheets with me. As part of my prep, I put together a sheet with info on all their characters (attack bonuses and damage, race, AC, common skills, etc). In doing this however, I noticed a few "errors" on the sheets.
Most of these were minor things. For example, one of the players decided he wanted a better Int partway through chargen, and switched his Wis and Int scores, which I approved. However, he forgot to change the ability mods on his skills. Another player miscalculated the TWF penalties, and ended up crippling his attack bonuses pretty harshly (he also did his math wrong on saves, and screwed himself over there too). Another player forgot to add his racial penalty to Wis. Little things like that, which I easily fixed for them.
However, when it came to equipment, these errors really stood out. MCAU gives a starting gold of 10x5d4 per character, so I told everyone to start with 125gp, which is the average roll. We only had one copy of MCAU, so a number of them ended up shopping out of the PHB (which I allowed), so I expected there to be a few discrepancies (especially since some of these guys had already demonstrated that math wasn't their best skill).
Out of the four players, here's what I got:
PC1: 128gp gear, 0gp leftover, total: 128 (over limit by 3gp)
PC2: 112.6gp gear, 42.4gp leftover, total: 155 (over limit by 30gp)
PC3: 81gp gear, 100gp leftover, total: 181 (over limit by 56gp)
PC4: 239.73gp gear, 4gp leftover, total: 243.73 (over limit by 118.73gp)
PCs 1-3 I'm not worried about. PC1 only bought two weapons and some armor, and an overage of 3gp isn't that big a deal. PCs 2 & 3 both have overages which can be covered by their cash, and these are the two guys that demonstrated in other areas that they aren't too good at math.
PC4, however, worries me. He is over by a massive amount, almost at 200% of the number I gave him, and he's even over the maximum possible starting gold, so it's not like he took it upon himself to roll. And unlike PC1, he didn't just buy a few things. He bought a sword and shield, as well as expensive (for 1st level) armor and longbow. He then went on to buy the standard adventurer's smörgåsbord of crap: flint and steel, mirror, crowbar, bedroll, waterskin, sack, backpack, torches.
This is also the guy who messed up by "forgetting" to apply his racial Wisdom penalty. I even remember him mentioning that he though it was weird that a leonine race should take a Wis penalty. Unlike the other players, the only "mistake" he made on his stats directly benefited him. He's also the oldest of the players except for me; he's the only one in college, while the rest are in their teens, and he expressed frustration with the younger players once or twice when they wouldn't stop talking and pay attention to the game.
So, enough ranting. Here's the question:
1) What should I do to adjust for this PC's illicit wealth? Right now, I'm leaning towards just reducing treasure in the first few battles until it balances, but that approach still leaves the other PCs with less wealth than PC4, because they'll be splitting treasure evenly.
2) I'm planning on saying something to the group on Saturday to the effect of "I noticed a few mistakes on your sheets, and I fixed them for you" and pointing out where they had accidentally gimped themselves, things like that. Maybe it would be worth saying "PC4, you somehow ended up with a lot more equipment than you should have", or would it be better to take care if it "behind the screen", as it were?
3) I'm going to keep an eye on this player in the future, and I think I'm going to require that the players leave their sheets with me each week so I can make sure all their stuff is in order, and so I can have their stats available when I prep adventures and in case one of them doesn't show up. Is there anything else I can do to guard against a potential cheater?
I'd use the second approach. Point out where mistakes were made with all the players, but don't become accusatory toward player 4. Just point out the "mistake" and treat it just like you do all the other players.
I would guess he's a cheater (don't like to say it, but if it's true, may as well be said). Keep you're eye on him, but don't call him out on it until you have absolute proof. Even then, it's probably not terribly important unless he's hogging all the limelight from the other players or preventing everybody else from having fun.
Cheaters can be a pretty big and annoying problem, but sometimes they are "harmless" (in that they don't deteriorate the quality of the game for the rest of the group). If this guy is the former you're going to want to nip it in the bud as soon as possible. If he's the later you might chat with him about it, but it's probably not that big of deal.
I wouldn't assume anyone is trying to cheat unless you have prior experience with them actually cheating. People make errors all the time when making characters and sometime they don't get caught for several levels. I would use you option 2 approach and just say that you reviewed the characters, found an few mistakes and fixed them. Make sure that you tell them that if your fixes when not in the spirit of what they were trying to do with their characters that you would be happy to work it out within the rules as laid out by you. As for player 4 it could be a simple misunderstanding. I have seen some DMs give out weapons for free and you use your gold for "other" stuff. maybe they are just used to something like that. Maybe they just forgot to carry a one when adding up the totals and didn't really think about how much stuff they had. Give them the benefit of the doubt because you don't want the game starting out with the players thinking that you think they are cheaters. Now if they are cheaters, I'm sure you'll catch them soon enough. :)
|
|
Maybe they just forgot to carry a one when adding up the totals and didn't really think about how much stuff they had.
Well, the first things he bought were armor (100gp), a shield (20gp), a bow (75gp), and a sword (15gp), rather clearly breaking the limit right there.
I'm more inclined to believe he just chose what he wanted and assumed that he'd have enough to cover it.
I'm not going to assume he's cheating, but I'm noting these "mistakes" in case they reoccur later down the line. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt for now, though, but I want to be prepared in case this becomes a pattern.
Are there any tactics people have discovered for discouraging cheating? I'm already going to be keeping the character sheets with me between sessions; are there any other recommendations?
Dice in the open where everyone can see them, reroll any leaners, or dice that drop on the floor.
Another area I've seen people fudge is spells memorized on wizards. It's one thing if they leave slots open and memorize things later on (something I do) it's another if they have a full list then suddenly have a different spell prepared. The simple solution is to just ask for a copy of their spells for the day (really simple for me as a notebook player, I just jot them down twice and hand the DM a copy).
Spells per day might be an issue for sorcs and the like: I simply keep a list of total numbers per day and put down a tally mark when they cast a spell.
Generally I don't get really anal about stuff unless I notice something really off (the wizard with "just the right spell" each time, and 2 spells over of each spell level... or the guy that has a maximized fireball at level 3 with only core material) but then I alert the players I'm going to be tracking it much closer... unless they want me to not track monster abilities per day/ HP as closely.
|
|
Spells per day might be an issue for sorcs and the like: I simply keep a list of total numbers per day and put down a tally mark when they cast a spell.
Generally I don't get really anal about stuff unless I notice something really off (the wizard with "just the right spell" each time, and 2 spells over of each spell level... or the guy that has a maximized fireball at level 3 with only core material) but then I alert the players I'm going to be tracking it much closer... unless they want me to not track monster abilities per day/ HP as closely.
This could possibly be an issue I hadn't thought of. MCAU spellcasters prepare spells each day, but then cast from that prepared list as a sorcerer would. Furthermore, spell slots can be combined to make higher level slots, or divided to make lower level slots, and spells can be cast with higher or lower slots for different effects.
I always assume error rather than cheating - partly because even assuming you know the guy cheats, what's going to happen if you confront him on it? Rarely anything good in my experience.
I'd check his equipment and see if there's any item which cost 120 gold (maybe he forgot to pay for his armor and shield or something?). Even if he was cheating - what I'd say to him is "Oh you didnt seem to pay for your armor - you've got a bit too much stuff. Can you just run your eye over your equipment and work out what you'd like to do without?"
That way you fix the problem without harming the other players, he knows your paying attention (so will probably limit his cheating to always rolling 20 when he thinks it's necessary - something which is easier to address, in my view and does less damage to the game anyhow) furthermore - you havent accused him of anything if he genuinely did make an error. (I wouldnt rule that out, since he knew you were taking the character sheets home and presumably knows you understand the rules well enough to catch such cheating - given that, sneaking in extra equipment is a silly way to cheat. Doubly so when you consider that the starting wealth of characters is usually dwarfed by what they find in the adventure anyway - it's kind of like slipping yourself 5 extra experience points - why bother?)
Long and rambly - but that's the approach I'd take. Point it out and make sure he knows you think it was an error, not deliberately deceptive (even if you harbor doubts...).
Consider that he probably would not have given you his character sheet if he was really cheating. So I would say go for solution 2.
You can also consider keeping the character sheets with you, so that you can check them sometimes. It also helps to tailor the adventures to the players, so you can use that as a reason. Then you do not have to accuse anyone of cheating.
If people really cheat, you notice it during play, e.g. because they have a bonus that is way too high for their level, etc. If I notice something extravagant during play, I always ask how the player got such a high bonus, and let him or her calculate it before me. Usually it is OK, and the player is just playing a maxed out character.
Sometimes I spot an error, which I correct. If this happens only sometimes, I just assume it is an error.
|
|
what I'd say to him is "Oh you didnt seem to pay for your armor - you've got a bit too much stuff. Can you just run your eye over your equipment and work out what you'd like to do without?"
That's a very good approach to take. His armor and shield together ar 120gp.
(I wouldnt rule that out, since he knew you were taking the character sheets home and presumably knows you understand the rules well enough to catch such cheating - given that, sneaking in extra equipment is a silly way to cheat.
That was my thought as well. For one thing, I don't think he knew I was going to take the sheets home until the end of the session.
For another, I think it might've been possible that he was just "testing the waters" so the speak, to see what kind of DM I was and if I would catch little things like that.Of, course, that theory is assuming he was cheating, which I'm not entirely committed to just now.
Is his PC a fighter type? Because all he really did was get necessary equipment: armor, shield, 1 melee weapon, 1 ranged weapon. Without those, he'd be kind of useless. It'd be like making a wizard without a spellbook and spell component pouch, or a cleric without a holy symbol, or a locks and traps thief without thieves tools.
But if you're so suspicious of him, maybe you shouldn't be playing with him anyways.
|
Your second option works well. Also, try to get him or her 1:1 before the session starts to save face. Innocent mistakes do happen. And, depending on the culture, he may have some unusual reason like, "my old gm used to let us deduct any clothing and basic travel supplies" or whatever. I'm not endorsing this, just saying our culture is riddled with houserules that sometimes get confused with standard starting coin.
Also, you could just say, "who cares!" After the first adventure it all washes out anyhow. Many times, based on character backgrounds before play, I allow starting coin to vary based on things like social class, background, etc. I'm not saying this is the only way to do things, however, after a few games it all evens out anyhow. You could just let this go and forget about it. Up to you.
Either way, avoid making any assumptions. Either point it out or truly let it go. Avoid suspicions of "cheating."
Is his PC a fighter type? Because all he really did was get necessary equipment: armor, shield, 1 melee weapon, 1 ranged weapon. Without those, he'd be kind of useless. It'd be like making a wizard without a spellbook and spell component pouch, or a cleric without a holy symbol, or a locks and traps thief without thieves tools.
I generally agree with this; I find it a bit silly to have a special batch of cheap equipment (scale mail, shortbows, etc.) that becomes obsolete halfway through my first adventure (when banded mail, longbows, falchions/greatswords, etc. become available). But I guess some people find that to be part of the charm of D&D.
Maybe they just forgot to carry a one when adding up the totals and didn't really think about how much stuff they had.Well, the first things he bought were armor (100gp), a shield (20gp), a bow (75gp), and a sword (15gp), rather clearly breaking the limit right there.
I'm more inclined to believe he just chose what he wanted and assumed that he'd have enough to cover it.
I'm not going to assume he's cheating, but I'm noting these "mistakes" in case they reoccur later down the line. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt for now, though, but I want to be prepared in case this becomes a pattern.
Are there any tactics people have discovered for discouraging cheating? I'm already going to be keeping the character sheets with me between sessions; are there any other recommendations?
Devil's advocate here. He might have heard what he wanted to hear when you told him the starting gold amount. He wanted to hear you say 225 (more then normal starting gold I know but your the DM and as you said this is your first time DM'ing these guys he might have hoped you'd allow for extra) so when you said 125 he heard 225. The rest is bad math.
Your right not to start with the belief one of your players is a cheater, go with the assumption he heard wrong. Explain the starting gold again and hopefully that ends it.
But do the die rolling in front of everyone when you call it. Don't let them roll ahead of time, tell them you like the suspense of watching the rolls.
|
|
Is his PC a fighter type? Because all he really did was get necessary equipment: armor, shield, 1 melee weapon, 1 ranged weapon. Without those, he'd be kind of useless. It'd be like making a wizard without a spellbook and spell component pouch, or a cleric without a holy symbol, or a locks and traps thief without thieves tools.
He's a mage blade, so he's something of a gish. Since he channels spells with his sword, he's very focused on melee, so he certainly needs the sword and board. I'm not going to begrudge him a ranged weapon or armor, but he didn't buy a light crossbow or a shortbow, he bought a longbow. He didn't just buy studded leather, he bought a chain shirt.
And I'm not assuming that he's cheating at this point, I'm just recognizing that this one instance has the potential to become something more than that.
I'll have updates after tomorrow night on the off chance that there's a development.
I'm a little late to this thread, but I have an alternate theory.
This player may have taken the starting package, and then spent 125gps afterward.
I won't get into if it was deliberate or not... I don't know the player. But I have known several people who thought they received the starting package and starting gold.
|
|
I'm a little late to this thread, but I have an alternate theory.
This player may have taken the starting package, and then spent 125gps afterward.
I won't get into if it was deliberate or not... I don't know the player. But I have known several people who thought they received the starting package and starting gold.
That's a good thought, Disenchanter. However, MCAU doesn't have starting packages. So unless he decided to use a PHB starting package (is there one that has chain shirt, scimitar, longbow, and heavy shield?), I don't think this is what happened. :)
Keeping the sheets can be viewed as you not trusting them. I would consider instead: Just reserve the right to review the sheets without notice. Also, as DM reserve the right to alter any clerical mistakes found.
As for the gold, I will say this: 125 is tough for a fighting character to start out with. I start PCs with 300 so they can get all the necessities. They should be able to buy more than just weapon/armor/shield. Things like torches, rope and food(rations) tend to come in handy too.
If you give him more though, then give them all more.
It would probably not be out of place either to state your expectations of the players for the game, and what they can expect from you. Getting those things out of the way early can help avoid problems later on.
|
Is his PC a fighter type? Because all he really did was get necessary equipment: armor, shield, 1 melee weapon, 1 ranged weapon. Without those, he'd be kind of useless. It'd be like making a wizard without a spellbook and spell component pouch, or a cleric without a holy symbol, or a locks and traps thief without thieves tools.
Ooh, in that case, I'll have mithral full-plate and an adamantine greatsword, please.
What?
|
|
Keeping the sheets can be viewed as you not trusting them. I would consider instead: Just reserve the right to review the sheets without notice. Also, as DM reserve the right to alter any clerical mistakes found.
Actually, at my FLGS, it's relatively common for people to leave their sheets at the store in the game room. If I keep their sheets, then I have their stats in case I need to design encounters around them. Also, if there's a week that they don't show up and there's someone else who wants to jump in as a one shot, there's a spare character.
As for the gold, I will say this: 125 is tough for a fighting character to start out with. I start PCs with 300 so they can get all the necessities. They should be able to buy more than just weapon/armor/shield. Things like torches, rope and food(rations) tend to come in handy too.
If you give him more though, then give them all more.
You know, this whole time, I'd never thought about just giving everyone a bunch of extra gold...it'd easier to add gold to everyone rather than forcing one player to remove a bunch of equipment...and if I make a point of saying that I noticed the error in gold, that one player will know that I notice things like that.
Should of thought of that in the first place, but I was too focused on not letting the player get away with possible cheating...thanks blope.
|
I'd be more worried high school kids can't do basic arithmetic. Maybe they need to spend more time doing homework and less time gaming.
AMEN!!! 2+2 does not equal chair!!!
But in all seriousness, just let it go and take it out on his hide. Maybe the shoppkeeper he bought everything from thinks he stole some stuff and hired someone to get him or something like that.
You have it easy. One of our good friends is kind of frustrating to game with, in that invariably no matter what his character is or the game he will eventually become error filled monstrosity. His problem is he somehow forgets what the bonuses stats give, ends up with extra feats, more or less skill points, his saves are 90% wrong, and he doesn't bother to read any class ability or feat the whole way through so he misinterprets what it does. We basically handwaive it, correct him and move on. It doesn't really cause that much trouble, we just look out for it. I agree that extra gear does sound like cheating (I have known players to just write gear they needed down when they realize they need it.... especially rope and oil) however it's not magic items or anything, so it's no big deal. if you don't decide to give out money to even it out then why not downgrade his armor to something more affordable like studded leather? he only loses like 1 point of AC and the cost is WAY down. that fixes it somewhat there, then maybe take his longbow down to something more affordable.... your almost fixed there. But more importantly basically talk to him about thses before doing it, make sure you have an understanding. That's my 2 coppers.
|
|
I teach middle school, and have had a middle school group going for about half the eighteen years I've been teaching. They love to fudge, as mentioned above, on spell slots and leaners and starting equipment. I grin and bear it, and then have something awful happen (like brown mold) to make all things equal again. (I can fudge rolls, too.)
The most serious of all the things you mentioned, more serious than the cheating, was that the older player was frustrated playing with the younger ones. I dealt with this myself at first. And I've had several high school students and one faculty member who tried, unsuccessfully, to enjoy gaming with my middle school group.
What everyone needs to understand is this: there is more than one way to have fun playing pencil and paper RPG's.
Some groups have a great time laughing and talking off topic between combats. And if they're loving it and coming back for more, I roll with it. Some groups are very into the roleplaying, and like to do lots of the table talk in character. I can DM that. Some groups like dungeon crawls and some like investigatives. As a DM, you can quickly figure out what your group likes best.
If the group likes to roll dice and play with the figs, and the one older person likes less chaos and more gaming, your job is a difficult one. If you try to meet in the middle, no one will enjoy it.
So...I think that is a bigger problem than the cheating. Here are my suggestions.
1. Make sure all of the younger players have a job that keeps them close to "on task".
Have one keep up with the treasure. Award XP on the fly and let one player keep up with it. If one of the younger players has their character go negative HP, let him whack on his friends with one of the bad guys. Let one younger player keep up with initiative order and who's going to go next. If they have a whiteboard, a dry erase marker, and an eraser, they will be in heaven.
2. Address roleplaying opportunities directly to the older player.
Have NPC's talk directly to the older player first. Create leadership opportunities, and railroad him into making decisions for the group. One way of doing this is having NPCs who only speak a language that he took and the younger players didn't.
3. Hold the younger players accountable for their behavior.
Reward the players who stayed on task at the end of the session with house rule XP. Tell them when they are "being good." (Even with adults.) Penalize players for interrupting roleplay (a HP, some gold, or XP). I have seen DMs at cons use wandering monsters to attack players who are off task a lot. Drop people who aren't paying attention to lower in the initiative order. Do these things using a positive affect rather than a scornful or mean words.
Cheating is easy for me to handle. It's the intergroup dynamic that is hard for me.
|
|
I'd be more worried high school kids can't do basic arithmetic. Maybe they need to spend more time doing homework and less time gaming.AMEN!!! 2+2 does not equal chair!!!.Yes it does.
1 = cane
1+1 = ladder
2+1 = stool
2+2 = chairI don't know where you went to school!
:D
Darn my public education!!!! Darn it all to heck!!!!!!!!!!!
|
|
But in all seriousness, just let it go and take it out on his hide. Maybe the shopkeeper he bought everything from thinks he stole some stuff and hired someone to get him or something like that.
Or maybe he got everything half price because it's rotten quality.
Woodworm in the bow, warped arrows, armour has a hole over the heart, repaired with softer metal rings, maggots in the rations...
|
|
But in all seriousness, just let it go and take it out on his hide. Maybe the shopkeeper he bought everything from thinks he stole some stuff and hired someone to get him or something like that.Or maybe he got everything half price because it's rotten quality.
Woodworm in the bow, warped arrows, armour has a hole over the heart, repaired with softer metal rings, maggots in the rations...
Ooooo...good idea...everything is bad, falls apart, does half damage. Mean!
Ooooo...good idea...everything is bad, falls apart, does half damage. Mean!But in all seriousness, just let it go and take it out on his hide. Maybe the shopkeeper he bought everything from thinks he stole some stuff and hired someone to get him or something like that.Or maybe he got everything half price because it's rotten quality.
Woodworm in the bow, warped arrows, armour has a hole over the heart, repaired with softer metal rings, maggots in the rations...
Or you could explain it away by saying it was sold to them by someone disreputable, that way when they complain you get to point out you took the initial error as a sub plot for the game so they'd find out they aren't the only ones so you have an additional story line where they get to find out who would want to sell adventurer's fifth rate gear or more importantly who else was sold it say for example the military imagine if the garrison was also sold this gear and what you pc has was just some stuff that was unwittingly knocked off froma shipment to a garrison that has gone silent as a result of a successful attack by bad guys who used this to their advantage...
The key is to decide what part of his equipment is faulty because if you say both armour and weapons are worthless that could kill the character if it happens in battle but if it happened as a result of a critical fumble but then have them discover what really happened afterwards then at least they have the means to replace their faulty equipment and not be left without the resources to deal with this as the game continues.
I'm more inclined to believe he just chose what he wanted and assumed that he'd have enough to cover it.
That would be my guess; I've been guilty of that myself... I go back and add up my totals and say, "Man! 125 gp really doesn't go too far in today's economy!"
This is why I give max gold out so players can get what they think there players need early
and I think he just made a mistake he is not a cheater
|
|
I'd be more worried high school kids can't do basic arithmetic. Maybe they need to spend more time doing homework and less time gaming.
Or maybe they need to play more games. ;)
OP: The least aggressive path is always best. Go with solution 2. In regard to "balancing the treasure", I would say let it slide. Longbows are expensive, but how often does their advantage compared to a crossbow (fast loading, better crit) make an appearance before level 2? Just make sure everything is fair when the treasure is divided.
Is his PC a fighter type? Because all he really did was get necessary equipment: armor, shield, 1 melee weapon, 1 ranged weapon. Without those, he'd be kind of useless.
I don't disagree in general. However, if you're working on a budget, you don't need to start with the expensive stuff:
You don't need a longbow (or even composite longbow) when a shortbow can work, too (especially as a back-up ranged weapon on level 1)
You don't need a chain shirt when a studded leather jack is only slightly worse, but costs a quarter of what a chain shirt costs.
Those two already saved over a hundred bucks.
The equipment isn't ideal, but you won't hold on to it that long, anyway: Even if you're not going to get medium or heavy armour or some of the exotic stuff, you'll want masterwork armour so you can get it enchanted later (or buy magic armour to start with)
You do probably get the type of weapon you want to use throughout your campaign (unless you go for expensive exotic stuff), but there, the masterwork part is still going to be a problem.
I do agree that the starting gold can be limiting. But you work with the GM on stuff like that, not against him.
But, as I said: You'll replace most of the combat gear you start with, anyway. If you don't want to do that, you'd have to give them enough starting gold to start up with the kind of weapon and armour they want to start with.
And that can be quite expansive, with some weapons costing over 3000 gp (adamantine) before magic, and armours a good deal more expensive.
I usually use my own system for starting money: You get a bit more than what is usually possible (sometimes even a good deal more - it won't matter after a level or two, anyway), and you don't have to sweat the small stuff: No need to calculate the cost for every rope and backpack and piece of chalk. In fact, you don't even have to make a list of that. "Standard gear" in the equipment section of your sheet is enough.
This could possibly be an issue I hadn't thought of. MCAU spellcasters prepare spells each day, but then cast from that prepared list as a sorcerer would. Furthermore, spell slots can be combined to make higher level slots, or divided to make lower level slots, and spells can be cast with higher or lower slots for different effects.
If they have played 3e before, but haven't played Arcane Unearthed/Evolved, you should pay attention to it - not because of possible cheating, but because of the differences between the system, which are much more subtle than the similarities.
I'd be more worried high school kids can't do basic arithmetic. Maybe they need to spend more time doing homework and less time gaming.Or maybe they need to play more games. ;)
Agreed. Playing's a great way of learning. In fact, that's what playing is actually for: Learning for life.
Of course, it all started with playful tussling preparing you for fighting for your life either defending against predators or being predators or defending your territory. But learning to add up numbers by calculating your attack bonus and using said bonus to kill enemies to take their stuff works, too.The best way to teach is to get people interested.
In fact, my English wouldn't be nearly as good as it is if not for D&D.
Is his PC a fighter type? Because all he really did was get necessary equipment: armor, shield, 1 melee weapon, 1 ranged weapon. Without those, he'd be kind of useless.I don't disagree in general. However, if you're working on a budget, you don't need to start with the expensive stuff:
You don't need a longbow (or even composite longbow) when a shortbow can work, too (especially as a back-up ranged weapon on level 1)
You don't need a chain shirt when a studded leather jack is only slightly worse, but costs a quarter of what a chain shirt costs.
Those two already saved over a hundred bucks.
The equipment isn't ideal, but you won't hold on to it that long, anyway: Even if you're not going to get medium or heavy armour or some of the exotic stuff, you'll want masterwork armour so you can get it enchanted later (or buy magic armour to start with).
+1
Studded leather (25 gp), wooden shield (3 or 7 gp depending on light or heavy), shortbow and 20 arrows (31 gp), sword (15 gp for longsword), and dagger (2gp) covers the armor and weapon basics for 76 or 80 gp. That leaves plenty (45 or 49 gp) for additional items (backpack, rations, torches, etc.).
My advice is to make the corrections, but don't specifically call out the player at this time. If the behavior persists, then confront the player.
|
|
I'd be more worried high school kids can't do basic arithmetic. Maybe they need to spend more time doing homework and less time gaming.Or maybe they need to play more games. ;)
OP: The least aggressive path is always best. Go with solution 2. In regard to "balancing the treasure", I would say let it slide. Longbows are expensive, but how often does their advantage compared to a crossbow (fast loading, better crit) make an appearance before level 2? Just make sure everything is fair when the treasure is divided.
I would agree, but...
Editions after 1e were kind of "dumbed down" with respect to the level of intellect needed to engage the game. There is no analogue to "Appendix N" in later editions (which is why I love the idea of "Planet Stories", it's in the same spirit as the list, but without having to go find the book), and there is less focus on anything outside of what is right in front of the players. 1e made me want to read everything I could get my hands on to make my game better, 3x didn't, it just made me spend my research time building stat blocks.
Most of the people I knew who played when I was a kid got better at reading, writing, research, math, as the game encouraged it. Now, this may be because Atari sucked, and wasn't as addictive as the 360, so we had to fill our time in different ways, but I do think that the level of engagement players need to enjoy the game has been diminished in later editions.
|
|
Editions after 1e were kind of "dumbed down" with respect to the level of intellect needed to engage the game. There is no analogue to "Appendix N" in later editions (which is why I love the idea of "Planet Stories", it's in the same spirit as the list, but without having to go find the book), and there is less focus on anything outside of what is right in front of the players. 1e made me want to read everything I could get my hands on to make my game better, 3x didn't, it just made me spend my research time building stat blocks.
Most of the people I knew who played when I was a kid got better at reading, writing, research, math, as the game encouraged it. Now, this may be because Atari sucked, and wasn't as addictive as the 360, so we had to fill our time in different ways, but I do think that the level of engagement players need to enjoy the game has been diminished in later editions.
Your point is valid. It comes down to the cause and effect. Definitively D&D has become less engaging (as you put it). Is this because it has to in order to survive? Or is it the inevitable degradation of any creation? Would the younger generation buy into the old way if it was encouraged?
I'd be more worried high school kids can't do basic arithmetic. Maybe they need to spend more time doing homework and less time gaming.
I've always found playing RPGs good for improving basic skills like literacy, numeracy, and mental arithmetic - I know they helped me many years ago, and my daughter (aged 9) who hates her homework is quite happy working out her to hit, damage, and save rolls etc as we play.
Practising these skills in a fun way, such as playing RPGs, is IMHO a much better way to reinforce school and academic learning than just doing more or extra homework (although obviously you should do your homework first)