Having calmed down about it, i concur with TOZ, don't stoop to their level, you'll just add to your grief.
You know what I'd do? Here's what I'd f*~%ing do.
Ogay....say there's six guys, what 3000 gold or whatever? And they gave you 5 gold pieces?
No. F+#~ that.
F$*%. That.
I'd go, "okay. 3000 divided by 5 is 600 gold pieces. I buy plate mail!"
Just I don't care who says "BLURBLUR...you only have 5 gold BLURBLUR", the dungeon master or whoever; f!@*ing ignore them. Then say "or yeah. I buy two healing potions."
And then, when you drink them, give yourself the hit points.
Refuse to acknowledge the dungeonmaster when he says "YOU DON'T HAVE A HEALING POTION!!!! BLURBLURBLUR....."
All that matters is YOU have that 600 gold pieces.
Then.
"cure light wounds: 500 g.p. The doctor is in...."
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I've been thinking about this for a couple days. Now I know my thoughts.
Don't withhold healing. But...
Next time you have a combat have your cleric protect himself. That means physically positioning himself out of harm's way (possibly a double-move). That means casting buffs on himself. Maybe shield of faith, and some cat's grace and so on. Whatever you've got access to, USE it. Spend the entire combat buffing yourself. Flush your spells if you need to. If you take damage, heal yourself.
If anyone else lives through the combat and questions you, then you can in-character explain things. "I am under-equipped relative to the threats this adventuring company regularly encounters. I am expected to stay alive to provide such healing and repair services as my god rewards me with. I cannot do this if I am dead or incapacitated. Since I am without means to provide myself adequate protection, I am forced to request of my gracious god such powers he may offer me. Were I not struggling for my very survival I am entirely sure that I would be able to share his grace with you during a fight instead of only after it is concluded."
Basically PLAY THE GAME. In-character. There are two possibilities here. Either the group Gets It and respects your spine and in-character practicality and the problem goes away or... they don't, are a bunch of childish jerks and you can safely leave, knowing they're not the kind of friends you deserve.
I frankly predict the former. You're being tested. Don't whine. Don't complain. Don't beg the DM to intercede. Play the game. Play it well.
+1
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Seems to me that the DM is most likely the problem.
I wouldn't intend to go back because likely no matter what your character does it will work out in the same fashion. With both the other players and the DM out for you there isn't much to be done.
If you were to go back I would make a new character because your old one left after realizing how he wasn't making any money for the church or saving any souls. Make it a rogue or something with a really good sense motive. Make him/her very survivable and if it happens again I'd leave then and there. Politely, of course, tell them why and that it will continue to happen to all the future players if they continue their ways.
Ok...Ok, Mr. Fishy is here.
First and this is important, Do you like anything about this game? If the answer is no, then walk. No reason or call walk.
If the answer is yes there is a way...If you are brave...
You must be willing to face the group and smile. Not the polite smile of a victim the toothy grin of a Fishy.
Crush them...Destroy their party, from the inside.
Next time one goes down, cast bleed and lie. [pass a note]
When they are screaming for healing tell em to walk it off.[channel only that heals the enemy too]
They are going to hate you. So you give them the choice. You walk or everyone plays fair.
This is not a easy path, tread with care. You can leave the table on fire or you can offer a olive branch. The group may just be hazing you or they need a lesson in Tier Fishy.
If they threaten you, kill one as an example. The worse they can do is remove you from a game you hate...oh darn.
Also screaming Tier Fishy is a great rant breaker.
"At least I don't have to play with Mr. Fishy" That should scare them.
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Tell them very simply: "Saying 'This is what my character would do' is not an excuse. You control your character, your character does what YOU want him to do. That means YOU want to cheat me, steal from my share of the treasure and actively hinder my fun. Now you either give me my share of the treasure and start playing fair or I walk. This isn't unreasonable, and strictly speaking the fact that I have to say this at all is RIDICULOUS. So what will it be?"
If they do anything other than apologise and change their behaviour, walk. Talk is cheap too. If they say one thing but don't change the behavour: Walk. Life's too short for bad games and worse players.
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I'm tried talking to them out of character but that doesn't work, I'm thinking of withholding healing, something which would go against my character's core, and probably result in a TPK but What else can I do?
Save the healing for yourself, loot their bodies while unconcious, then leave the party with their stuff. Then find a new group. Hazing like that doesnt win friends. And when the DM lets it go, they arent going to keep new players.
Okay so just to be honest I'm the new guy in this equation, anyhoo, I just joined a group who has been gaming for a few years, several people have had to move and so when I asked if I could step into one of the vacant slots they said yes immediately.
Now comes the problem, I am getting screwed by the rest of the party in a sort of haze the new guy way and i can't do anything about it. I'm a healer and I tend to have everyone leaning on me to survive only to be dropped in the last round. Then they will leave me stable but unconscious while they loot everything, this last time the GM laid out cleric specific items for the loot and when we made it to town the loot was sold and I got 10 gold while everyone else got 20000 that's right 20000!
Out of character I was pissed and I said something, they all just go that that is just something their character would do and I was lucky I was getting anything at all (same from GM).
I'm tried talking to them out of character but that doesn't work, I'm thinking of withholding healing, something which would go against my character's core, and probably result in a TPK but What else can I do?
Why should your character provide free healing to the party when they stole your part of the loot and you can use those spells for your own benefit? Nobody heals someone that stoles him, no matter who, do you heal the enemies too?
And how do they expect you to heal them if you don't get the magic items needed to do so?You are going to do one of the following things:
1. Since they are not going to fix it talking to them out of character, stop wasting time with those guys.
2. Memorize a lot of combat spells, and just a few healing spells for your own use. When you are asked for healing say that your equipment sucks and you can't afford to memorize a lot of healing spells, which is true and what any character would do. Repeat until you get your loot back.
A lot of posters are saying "be a jerk in character!" and "charge them for heals." While the significantly petty portion of my mind would agree entirely, please don't.
Please, for the sake of gaming as a whole, don't be petty.
The issue is entirely between you as players, not as characters. I can't consider a single instance where you could group up with an NPC and it would be acceptable to expect them to stay and offer the insulting sum of 10gp for their efforts in combat. Explain to them, calmly and as nice as you can manage, that you're not having fun and that you don't understand why they're treating you like a collective class feature. Ask if you've created a character who is incompatible with the group, and ask if there's anything you can change to further your gaming experience as a whole. Also explain that withholding a person's share of the spoils after equal efforts is unacceptable both in character and out.
Do this before anything even kicks off, and do it face to face. Their reactions will tell you a lot about the group, and whether or not these are people worth your time. If it's an apology, or confusion, or an explanation of hazing, or even "dude, I thought you knew we were an evil party?" then see if you can resolve it (if you want to). If it's anything else, I fully advocate tossing up your fingers and cheerfully saying "This isn't for me. Die in a fire."
But please, please, don't be petty until you're really sure of what sort of people they are.
But please, please, don't be petty until you're really sure of what sort of people they are.
Given what he's posted it's pretty clear that they're playing a hazing game. How long it lasts is up to him. They've got the DM's approval and involvement.
He's already talked to them out-of-character. It didn't work.
My suggestion wasn't to withhold healing per se. I told him to find other things to do that are completely in-character appropriate. That's not being petty in my opinion. It's role-playing your situation. Under-equipped and under-valued? Act appropriately. I happen to think that's the only path likely to actually garner respect. I don't see this as descending to their level, but calling a bluff.
D&D is all about consequences for actions chosen. That's why my advice is what it is.
You have two choices walk or fight. If you want to be in this group you need to show them your teeth. If not, then walk.
Hazing is a time honored tradition. So is pay back. Tier Fishy!
Which ever you chose you are making a stand don't let them tell you different.
I can't see how the OP makes it clear that this is hazing any more than it makes it clear that it's not.
However, I've been a part of quite a few gaming groups throughout my years and I've never seen any sort of hazing going on in gaming groups. Lots of gaming groups are eager to have new players and since there's a huge social aspect to the game, it's usually a little awkward to be the new guy and most groups that I've been involved with are more welcoming to a new player, not less welcoming.
If that's their idea of welcoming a new player (and it seems like it's something you don't feel comfortable with), I'd strongly consider leaving the group. Gaming is suppose to be fun, it's a simple concept.
What else can I do?
My friend,
You first and foremost have my condolences for time already wasted. Now, what else can you do?As it has been suggested, you can fight fire with fire. But what will that do? Now, you are going to be in their book as a jerk, not just that guy that couldn't hang with the big boys. Also, if you were to withold healing and let the party TPK it would be less than petty: it would be meaningless. You said the DM is 'in on' the 'hazing'? All that would happen is that you would not play again and they would mulligan back to before they TPK'd.
You could address the group out of game and plead your case. "I am not having fun and feel that I am being treated unfairly." Again, pointless. Their play style is well defined. The DM *supports* their play style. What would they gain by paying attention to your concerns? "Haha. We kill the cleric and sell the body parts."
So, that leaves you one viable option. Tell them thank you for letting me hang out, but I can't keep playing.
If they press for 'why' then explain in whatever way you like. Keep it civil, "I have other obligations", make it honest, "I am not having fun playing with your group", or make it vulgar "I'd rather drink bleach." In any event I am sure you have a book that needs reading. A movie you haven't watched. A car you'd love to test drive. A new shampoo you'd like to try out. Anything you do that is more fun, more constructive than hanging out with a bunch of turds is going to be a better choice.
Enjoy your gaming, and *raises a glass* here's to better fortunes in the future.
GNOME
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I'm assuming you made a cleric because they needed one? Or do you just enjoy the class?
Like others before me, don't contain yourself to be just the healer! You are a CLERIC a full caster.
I would suggest the OOC approach, because honestly if they are that much of douchebags ingame, seems like they are out of game. If they don't recant, depart find a new group.
If you don't want to find a new group, have your character leave the party, why would your character hang out with such a$$holes! And bring in something else, perhaps a arcane caster or another Cleric with a different alignment and diety that will allow you to roleplay so many of the other suggestions posted above.
Hell play a true neutral Druid! When someone dies from a fight, why rez? It's the natural way of life. :D