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I have a bit of an issue with a player. He does not want to share the information that is on his character sheet. I have repeatedly asked him to post it, email it, or leave it with me.
I feel, as a GM, I am limited in making encounters because I do not know what to throw at the group. Last session, the party blew through everything I tossed at them. It wasn't much fun in my eyes.
Two questions:
First, do you require your players to share their character sheets? I do not feel I am out of line. I am not asking for the information to find ways to kill him. I just want to make the game a bit more challenging without a total party kill.
Second, what is the best way to approach this individual? Bare in mind, he told me nearly 2 months ago that he would copy the character, and now he does not return my phone calls.
Frustrated...
I have a bit of an issue with a player. He does not want to share the information that is on his character sheet. I have repeatedly asked him to post it, email it, or leave it with me.
I feel, as a GM, I am limited in making encounters because I do not know what to throw at the group. Last session, the party blew through everything I tossed at them. It wasn't much fun in my eyes.
Two questions:
First, do you require your players to share their character sheets? I do not feel I am out of line. I am not asking for the information to find ways to kill him. I just want to make the game a bit more challenging without a total party kill.
Second, what is the best way to approach this individual? Bare in mind, he told me nearly 2 months ago that he would copy the character, and now he does not return my phone calls.
Frustrated...
First: yes? As a DM you should be able to see a players character sheet at any time. (to me, this is a no-brainer answer.)
Um, for almost every game I have run in the past twenty some years, I have been part of the character creation. The years before that, helped me learn that I needed to be there for character creation.
After that, if I have any questions about a character, I ask for the character sheet. Copy/scan/scribble up my own copy of what I am curious about and continue on. I have never had a player refuse to let me see the character. Its a given, the DM/GM/Storyteller/Ref/Dude has the right to see the character.
So part A... YES.
And now on to part B, how can you rectify this.
Well, I would at the beginning of the next session ask to see everyone's character sheet and ask them each to make 4 d20 rolls. Start taking notes about the characters.
Use the rolls or not *shrugs* Personally, I like having a tablet of prerolled #'s for things like perception when I want a secret encounter. Asking everyone to roll perception and then saying " Well, no one noticed anything..." just kinda ruins the effect :P.
If contrarian player still refuses to hand over sheet, it becomes one of those hard choice times. I would ask him why he is reluctant to share his character's information with the person that is trying to make the game challenging and fun. And try to reasonably convince him. If that failed. Bye bye. Reschedule game without him.
Greg
I have a bit of an issue with a player. He does not want to share the information that is on his character sheet. I have repeatedly asked him to post it, email it, or leave it with me.
I feel, as a GM, I am limited in making encounters because I do not know what to throw at the group. Last session, the party blew through everything I tossed at them. It wasn't much fun in my eyes.
Two questions:
First, do you require your players to share their character sheets? I do not feel I am out of line. I am not asking for the information to find ways to kill him. I just want to make the game a bit more challenging without a total party kill.
Second, what is the best way to approach this individual? Bare in mind, he told me nearly 2 months ago that he would copy the character, and now he does not return my phone calls.
Frustrated...
Every character is subject to DM approval*. If you can't see it then you can't approve it.
*Most players know this, and if this one does not I would inform them. Either they would have shown me the character sheet or they would not play. If you want to be a jerk about it just throw something really high level at them. When they complain just say "how can I know what you can't handle if I can't see your character sheets." :)
I don't really prefer using the jerk idea, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
I always preview characters for use in my campaigns when I run. I often copy down vital info and hand it back. I would not allow a player to play if I cannot see his/her character sheet. I have GM'd for too many cheaters in the past. I played with one GM that would not let you keep your character Sheet between sessions.
I played with one GM that would not let you keep your character Sheet between sessions.
I've used that and had that used on me also, Kierato. And may just be a good thing to establish with this fellow.
Greg
Greg and Kierato have your answers. I always have players leave at least a copy of their sheet with me so on the night of the game, one player doesn't show up, another player runs his/her character to keep them caught up on XP and gear.
I have also done the "Let me see your sheets / Pre Roll" method.
If he balks at either, ask him nicely why as others have suggested. And if he still won't let you see his sheet, tell him, he can't see your game that night. Fair is fair after all. If he has a problem, boot him. Hate to be a creep but if he won't play by the same rules as the others, you don't need him.
Have Fun out there!!
~ W ~
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very weird.
usually I am all about oversharing things like that, since more eyes and more brains will often catch things like "You have Elven down twice as a language" or "You forgot you get 1.5x Str on your Greatsword" etc.
As GM, I reserve the right to check any PC's sheet at any (reasonable) time. I often assist in the pre-game generation of said PC and in the levelling up process as well.
So, A: yes, absolutely the GM should have (again reasonable) access to the PC sheet.
B: Ask him to see the sheet at the table (preferably away from everyone else), in a calm, rational tone. Avoid being confrontational, and explain that you are doing this to ensure that the challenges you design/place will be appropriate for all involved.
If he still refuses, advise him that you are incompatible as gaming partners any longer, and ask that he remove himself from the game. It is a hard thing to do, but someone who won't share even the details of his PC with the GM is someone who you don't want to play with.
There's only 1 reason (well, 1 rational reason) to keep that info from you, and that's because he's cheating. It's not worth your time to keep such a person in your group, so say good riddance and have a nice day.
Good luck.
I have played a campaign where the one player insisted on keeping his character details secret from the referee. It got to the point where he wouldn't even reveal how many hit points he had and insisted that his character had died during one encounter. The group wasted half an hour trying to get a straight answer out of him as to how much damage he had taken to see if he could be saved or not. It was at that point that I left the gaming table and didn't come back. Soon after that group folded and restarted without that player.
I believe the referee has the right to check the sheet of any player at any time during the game.
It is helpful but not essential for the referee to have up-to-date copies of each player's sheets.
A player refusing to show the referee their character sheet makes no sense unless they have something to hide.
Make clear from the outset of your game what your expectations as a GM are and that those who can't get on board with them should not play.
Character Sheets are the domain of the DM. Just like everything else at the table. if a Player hides his character sheet from the other Players, that is fine. A player will not share his sheet with the DM, there is an issue.
Others have effectively covered good options.
If he *is* cheating, BEAT HIM THEN BOOT HIM!!! No friendly no-comnpetitve game has room for a cheater.
GNOME
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I've never had this isssue, perhaps its the groups the play with. Please note i'm in no way dogging you group. I typically game with people who all have altering schedules or can be called away due to work in a moments notice.
Since I game with the above issue I hold onto the character sheets of all my players. This way I can just DM NPC the PC if I know the party will absolutely need that character the next session we game.
Honestly if I had a player outright refuse to relinquish his character sheet I would ask him why he won't. Unless I got a REAL good answer i'd ask him to leave. Or in my particular group..."OK man, but for those sessions I have to NPC you because you are unable to attend you won't be getting ANY xp, since after all it really won't be your character since I don't have the sheet."
I agree with pretty much what everyone else has suggested.
I really like the idea of first trying to get the whole group to give you their sheets at the start of a session for whatever reason. The 4 d20 rolls is a great idea since it puts peer pressure on him from the other players letting you see their sheets. It also means if he still refuses then his fellow players are on your side since the problem player is holding up the game by not participating.
The other big question I think is this: is this person generally a good player and just a bit overly possessive about his character sheet? Or is this just one of many disruptive things that he does?
If he is a fun player to have at the table except for the whole character sheet thing, then you just need to work out that problem. If the character sheet thing is only one of many bad habits the player has, unless he is a very close friend or you have a really hard time finding enough players, you maybe should just let him go. Its less trouble for you, and nobody in the game group wants to spend an hour every session as the GM tries to break one of the players of his bad habits.
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I have a bit of an issue with a player. He does not want to share the information that is on his character sheet. I have repeatedly asked him to post it, email it, or leave it with me.
I feel, as a GM, I am limited in making encounters because I do not know what to throw at the group. Last session, the party blew through everything I tossed at them. It wasn't much fun in my eyes.
Two questions:
First, do you require your players to share their character sheets? I do not feel I am out of line. I am not asking for the information to find ways to kill him. I just want to make the game a bit more challenging without a total party kill.
Second, what is the best way to approach this individual? Bare in mind, he told me nearly 2 months ago that he would copy the character, and now he does not return my phone calls.
Frustrated...
This is a real simple issue, honestly, though I'm sure you think it more complicated than it has to be because you are personally involved.
But the GM gets to see the character sheet at any time he wants to, period.
The game rules are pretty explicit about this, and many GMs even keep copies of the player's characters if not the original sheets.
I would be kind, but firm on this issue. Ask him why he doesn't want to show you the sheet, and try to ease any legitimate worries... but make him understand that this is not a negotiable issue.
If he's unable to play by the rules of the game, he shouldn't be allowed to play.
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A player should always be willing to give his character sheet over to the GM. Characters are complicated and even the best player makes mistakes in their character build or math.
Make it clear that you aren't trying to catch cheating, only that you want to know what baseline his character is and to double check the math.
If he still won't share, ask him what he has to hide on his character sheet?
If he still won't share, then let him know that transparency is required from the players so the GM can run a fun game, if he won't accept that he's free to find another game that will let him keep his sheet (Good luck with finding another group though)...
I, and every GM I play with, regardless of system, use Google Docs for sharing character sheets. The player creates the sheet, shares it with the GM, the GM reviews it for mechanical and setting/campaign specific-correctness, then the player updates that sheet throughout the campaign.
Further, the GM maintains a separate Google Spreadsheet he references in-session, that is simply a tabular format of the most relevant combat-oriented stats for PC's, and the player's are required to keep it up-to-date. There is built-in incentive to make sure it is correct because the GM makes sure to let the player's know that the spreadsheet is what he references when he makes secret knowledge checks or Perception checks for the players. We've recently started even rolling initiative every round and each player enters his init in the spreadsheet, the GM calls off "everyone in?" and when everyone says yes he sorts the sheet by Init roll then goes in that order. If someone delays or readies he makes an note in the sheet. Works pretty well and returns some unpredictability to combats.
I have a bit of an issue with a player. He does not want to share the information that is on his character sheet.
Why, that cheating little weasel.
Until I get evidence to the contrary (notarised by at least two omnipotent beings and a man who is his own grandfather), I'll assume he's a cheating little weasel. Why else deny the GM access to the character sheets.
That's like a soldier telling his superior he's not allowed to inspect his locker.
I feel, as a GM, I am limited in making encounters because I do not know what to throw at the group. Last session, the party blew through everything I tossed at them. It wasn't much fun in my eyes.
So assume he has given himself 20 extra levels - and give 20 extra levels to every enemy. If that's too much effort, just use the advanced template 20 times - increase every roll by they make by 40, the AC by 80, and just multiply HP by 100.
If the player cries foul, insist that you play it by the book and deny him access to the book :)
Two questions:
First, do you require your players to share their character sheets? I do not feel I am out of line. I am not asking for the information to find ways to kill him. I just want to make the game a bit more challenging without a total party kill.
Of course. You're absolutely within your rights as a GM. Actually, I'd say a good GM has the duty to take a look at the sheets.
I'm not even accusing anyone of cheating, but I'd like to give it a short one-over, see if I find any glaring irregularities or things they missed from my house-rules (and such errors don't have to be to their favour, either. I'm a fair GM. Stern, sadistic and utterly without morals, but fair)
Second, what is the best way to approach this individual? Bare in mind, he told me nearly 2 months ago that he would copy the character, and now he does not return my phone calls.
Tell him he's not welcome at the table until you had ample time to review his character sheet. That's not "I'll let you glance over it for 10 seconds". That's "I get it at least two days before the next session you want to play in, or more if I'm particularly busy during those two days. I also get to look at it again just before the session, and I can make random checks during the session. I'll also monitor your rolls, and if I find out you're cheating, you'll get the Stick of Pain."
A guy who's rudely telling his GM that he can't see the sheet, and will play deaf has lost his better-treatment privilege. He'll get a taste of his own medicine.
Some people get confused about the non-competitive nature of the GM position. I've had it happen on rare occasion. However, I ALWAYS get a copy of each PC sheet. Once at the beginning, and again at each level up. I craft the adventures around my PC's, so it's a must.
Perhaps he's a paranoid with control issues?
Why, that cheating little weasel.Until I get evidence to the contrary (notarised by at least two omnipotent beings and a man who is his own grandfather), I'll assume he's a cheating little weasel. Why else deny the GM access to the character sheets.
Sad to say, I have encountered more of these type players than cheaters. Then again, I wear pretty thick glasses.
And still, no one has ever denied me a character sheet as a DM. I have gotten, "why?" as they hand it over. But never a, "NO, Its mine Mine MINE!!!!!" Though, really, that could be fun. Gotta remember that one for the Kingmaker game I play in...
Greg
Why, that cheating little weasel.
That's not nice for weasels.
My group has always required that the DM be emailed an updated character sheet a minimum of 24 hours before playing. With the penalty for not doing so being a XP penalty normally, and some type of public humiliation :-).
I don't understand why you would let someone play in your game if they will not show you their sheet. How do you know that their character is built correctly? (I had the DM reminded me I had forgotten to add a feat or ability increase so this isn't a player cheating)
I would draw a line and set a time and date that all players need to send you a sheet by and enforce it (something like 48 hours plus before playing so you can really go through the sheets, and enforce with by saying until you get copies of the sheets you don't play).
The thing is if he is dodging your phone calls why are you playing with him at all?
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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I keep my characters real sheets. They get copies and only see the real sheets when they level. Certain skills I roll for them like opposed checks. So when I describe what they do/don't perceive/sense, they can't look at a dice and think they missed something or know the person might be lying to them.
Perhaps he's a paranoid with control issues?
I'm far too cynical to even consider this! ;-P
But I might have been a bit paranoid, too. So I only want it notarised by one omnipotent being, and the other guy doesn't have to be his own grandfather.
The OP will know best whether the guy has issues of paranoia (I'm not sure about this, but I think those guys can usually be spotted if you look a bit more closely, and I'm not talking about tinfoil and badly-printed newsletters about government shenenigans)
So, does he have a reason?
Innocent until proven guilty and all that...though I have MY opinion...
I'd have to say, that issue has never, to my knowledge, come up in our games. But then, we always play at my home, and all the character sheets are on our computer. Any of the three of us who alternate GMing can pull them up at any time, thought the only GM who doesn't live here doesn't usually ask to see them.
I don't object to showing my characters to anyone, especially the GM.
I object to showing them to my hubby when he's not GMing though, as he always complains they're not efficient. ;-P
Why, that cheating little weasel.That's not nice for weasels.
Nah, they actually consider this praise. Weasels are weird little buggers, but that makes them so endearing.
Eagles may soar, but weasels won't get sucked into jet engines.
paranoia (I'm not sure about this, but I think those guys can usually be spotted if you look a bit more closely, and I'm not talking about tinfoil and badly-printed newsletters about government shenenigans)
An example:
I keep my characters real sheets. They get copies and only see the real sheets when they level. Certain skills I roll for them like opposed checks. So when I describe what they do/don't perceive/sense, they can't look at a dice and think they missed something or know the person might be lying to them.
See, this is what I mean ;-P
The DM/GM should always be able to see the players' character sheets. As people have mentioned, every player forgets something. Some times that is beneficial to them, and some times detrimental. In either case, an extra set of eyes can often catch such minor mistakes.
Beyond that, I always write down my players' important reactive modifiers (such as Perception, Sense Motive, and Saves), so that I can make some of those rolls for them and/or go down the list of d20 rolls from the start of the session. It helps keep immersion, and avoids any cases of metagaming ("Roll Perception" "<low number>" "You don't see anything" "I cast <spell> and start looking for an ambush").
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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paranoia (I'm not sure about this, but I think those guys can usually be spotted if you look a bit more closely, and I'm not talking about tinfoil and badly-printed newsletters about government shenenigans)An example:
I keep my characters real sheets. They get copies and only see the real sheets when they level. Certain skills I roll for them like opposed checks. So when I describe what they do/don't perceive/sense, they can't look at a dice and think they missed something or know the person might be lying to them.See, this is what I mean ;-P
Hehe, try GMing a bunch of military intelligence people. I play with players who use psy ops, interrogation, and intel analysis on a daily basis at work. They can't help but metagame. It has been programmed into them. The worst was NPC interaction when I was running a group that had 4 military interrogators...
I still have nightmares and wake up in a cold sweat!
First, do you require your players to share their character sheets?
Absolutely, positively YES.
Second, what is the best way to approach this individual?
When he does happen to show up, suggest he find a new gaming group.
Hehe, try GMing a bunch of military intelligence people.
I do try. I always invite the guys who have me under surveillance over for a game. They always pretend they're not there (when I address them directly when they're listening in on a phone call) or pretend they're ordinary people when I talk to them on the street.
Hehe, try GMing a bunch of military intelligence people.I do try. I always invite the guys who have me under surveillance over for a game. They always pretend they're not there (when I address them directly when they're listening in on a phone call) or pretend they're ordinary people when I talk to them on the street.
Demmit, Kae. I told you it was an MP3 player, I was not reporting on your activities to my superiors. It was just music. yah, that's the ticket...music.
Greg
I just feel the need to pipe in with "how utterly bizarre," though I know I'm very late to the party.
Funnily enough, I usually ask to see my players' sheets for reasons to their benefit--I want to see they're well stocked with healing before I send them into negative energy death land or something (so that it's a challenge, not instakill). Or because I think a character's not actually performing up to what they should be and want to make sure things are being calculated right (I had a barbarian player relatively new to the game who was never hitting. We discovered she was only rolling her base attack bonus without adding her strength).
This guy's probably screwing himself over when he thinks he's "protecting" himself.
It's already been said, but a good long talk about "the GM is not your opponent" is in order, followed by if only necessary, "If you can't play nice, then you can't play at all."
I agree with most everyone here, that if the Game Master asks to see a players sheet the player should be willing to let them do so.
Personally however, as a Game Master I've never asked my players for their character sheets through many will give them to me for safe keeping or to have backup copies. All of which I stick in my game folder and will most likely never look at unless the player asks me check over the sheet. Additional I have players make their own skill checks and saves, asking for them in advance if I want the results to be secret.
On the other hand; as a player I have issues with my character sheet and who can get their grubby hands on it. I don't like to let my sheet out of my control and if the Dungeon Master must have my sheet I will make him a copy but I keep the original. Call me paranoid if you want, but like many of my gaming issue it comes from being exposed to bad Dungeon Masters.
The one Dungeon Master would take (not ask, take) away everyone's character sheets at the end of a session. That's how we knew the session was done, he would reach over and snatch your character sheet away. He rolled all our saves and opposed skill checks for us, which if they were honest rolls than he was the unluckiest son of a gun alive. For one game he built our characters for us based on a ten word description and rather than playing from the sheets we would tell him what we wanted to do and he would look at the hidden sheets, roll, and then tell whether or not we succeeded.
As bad as that was, the straw that broke the camel's back was when I caught him making changes to our sheets. He insisted that we use a character generation program on his computer to make our characters and then print it off for him. Between sessions he was printing off new sheets with different skill totals and feats and insisting that they were what we had chosen.
While I get a good laugh out of it now I was furious then. When I confronted him with it he called me a liar, a cheat and an alternative word for a female dog. I was about to get physical (I admit with shame), when one of the other players calmly informed the Dungeon Master that the game was over, and since we played in the other players house, to leave and not return. After seeing the old Dungeon Master out, the other player came back, sat down, told us to roll some new characters up and that was the start of one of my favorite campaigns.
I learned about bad Dungeon Mastering from the first and almost everything about good from the second.
Anyway, sorry for the ramble. Yes, the players should be willing to share everything with the Dungeon Master, but also the Dungeon Master shouldn't abuse that trust.
I usually ask for my PCs sheets for things like sense motive, where if I ask them to roll it they'll think something is up.
I don't really ask for sheets otherwise, but I do sometimes do backwards math where I ask what they rolled, get their BAB, get their strength and ask about modifiers.
If someone ever told me 'no' I think the game would stop right there until they gave it to me.
I have two views on this.
1) The character sheet belongs to the PC. He owns it. I've been in games before where the DM thought they owned my character sheet. I didn't stay long.
2) The DM has a 100% unabridged right to see your character sheet any time- for any reason or no reason at all. This can be a "show me your sheet now" or a request for a copy of the sheet. In my current game in fact we keep all our sheets online so the DM can check them out anytime he wants.
This is important because the DM has to be the arbiter of the rules and of fairness. If I've given myself a 30 point buy when everyone else is using 15, the DM has the right- and the obligation- to fix it and change it. If I'm giving myself more skill points (or fewer) or.. really anything. Maybe he wants to make a secret saving throw for you so you don't know a particular effect happened.
The fact is- the sheet is yours but if you expect to play you have to let the DM check your math. Even good, solid, honest players make mathematical errors. Much better for it to be caught and corrected early.
So my advice to the OP? If the player refuses to let you check his character sheet out then he doesn't get to play. Period. No exceptions.
-S
What really puzzles me, is: "How do you GM for a PC you know nothing about?"
I mean, that's pretty much impossible isn't it?
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Why, that cheating little weasel.That's not nice for weasels.Nah, they actually consider this praise. Weasels are weird little buggers, but that makes them so endearing.
Eagles may soar, but weasels won't get sucked into jet engines.
you just made my day, KY
and almost made me replace a keyboard....mmmmm breakfast smoothie....
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I played with one GM that would not let you keep your character Sheet between sessions.I've used that and had that used on me also, Kierato. And may just be a good thing to establish with this fellow.
Greg
This has the advantage that if a player can't show up, the group has a copy of their character at hand.
As to the general topic, I've never had an issue like this, it, to me, was always assumed as GM I can see your character sheet, and when playing the GM can see mine.
There can be any number of reasons for this, wanting to see a skill # before I roll a check. Checking to see if a character is carrying an item that might trigger a gate without being obvious and saying "Is anyone carrying a vial of ink" or some other absurdity."
One of the most awesome things I saw was a GM who started a mid-high level campaign with the players just at the tale end of a prison revolt in hell. As they stood in the prisons gear room, the GM held their character sheets while the players mimicking their own characters panic attempted to name and then find their possessions from memory while a gate was slowly closing. The best part was the cleric never even looked for his holy symbol :)
So to the OP, I have to agree with everyone, you can find a sugar coated way of saying it, but essentially "give me your sheet or go home."
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Ok, let's try this post again...
In my game I keep all the character sheets for a couple of reasons. The last campaign when I was a player, everyone but the DM were noobs. When I would run someone else's char because they weren't there, I would find quite a few math errors throughout the sheets. We also would have random attendance by players. Seeing this, when I started my campaign, I asked if I could keep the character sheets. 1) If they don't show up, we still have them and don't have to guess at abilities, and if I don't show up, there wouldn't be a game anyway. 2) I can audit the sheets to make sure everything has been accounted for. I only make changes myself if they are minor, but if I find errors, I usually will point them out so they can fix them. 3) This also means that when they level up, we can do it at the table either at the end of or start of a session. That helps clear up some errors before they start.
This has worked pretty well for us for the last 8 levels, and I think they like that they don't have to worry about forgetting their sheets or losing them.
Also the story gets weird if he loses his character sheet which is a possibility.
Weird story. I have to say that in 33 years of playing, I've never seen a player actually refuse to show the GM his character sheet. I have seen a few try really hard to hide/obscure some things about their character and his actions from the GM, which always struck me as childish and silly. Frankly, most of the times that was either because they were cheating or because they were engaged in something nefarious in relation to the other players.
The worst was a guy who always played rogues who would regularly sneak looks at other people's character sheets, then roll privately to steal things from them and add their items/money to his own character sheet. When I discovered this, we got into a big argument as I informed him none of that had ever happened and he had to remove that stuff from his character sheet, while he whined about dictatorial DMs who didn't let people play their own characters. I ended the argument with a firm and loud explanation of the role of the DM at the table and informed everybody in no uncertain terms that if the DM is not informed of an action, it flat out doesn't happen.
Bottom line, I have no problem with a player keeping his character sheet from other players, but the GM needs to have ready access to it at any time to do his job well.
In our current group, like many others, people always leave at least a copy of their character sheet behind after every session, both so the GM can review it at leisure and so that if they don't make the next session, someone can play their character for them. We all have jobs, families and other commitments, so it makes sense for us.
I feel, as a GM, I am limited in making encounters because I do not know what to throw at the group. Last session, the party blew through everything I tossed at them. It wasn't much fun in my eyes.
I don't really think a GM should tailor encounters for his party in this fashion. It makes the player more justified in not wanting the GM to see his character sheet, imho.
You say you're not looking to 'get them' but this is a fine line. And in all honesty perception goes a long way here.
I'd suggest that this might be the reason the player has reticence in handing over his character sheet rather than anything nefarious.
What level is the party, the EL (and specifics) of the encounter, and how exactly did they 'trash' your encounter? Was it just not fun for you, or for them as well?
Many GMs fall into a 'storyteller' mode, which many players (including myself) abhor. I would rather have non-winnable encounters that I have a chance to try to avoid, than to have a GM 'challenge' the party. Your player might be thinking along these lines.
-James
While I agree with what I think is your basic point, James, that the DM shouldn't be seeking "weaknesses" to exploit in specific characters when he designs encounters, that still doesn't come near justifying refusing to show a character sheet to the DM, which to me strikes at the very heart of the player/GM trust necessary to have a good game. In short, if the player doesn't trust the GM to see his character sheet, then the GM probably won't trust the player to abide by all the rules (and not make honest mistakes) in character creation and building and during gameplay (how tempting it is for a lot of players to claim they made that crucial save if the DM doesn't know what their save bonus is). In short, if that level of trust between player and GM doesn't exist, the game is likely to suck - big time.
Hehe, try GMing a bunch of military intelligence people.I do try. I always invite the guys who have me under surveillance over for a game. They always pretend they're not there (when I address them directly when they're listening in on a phone call) or pretend they're ordinary people when I talk to them on the street.
Demmit, Kae. I told you it was an MP3 player, I was not reporting on your activities to my superiors. It was just music. yah, that's the ticket...music.
Greg
Oh yeah? It was music? Then why was that guy talking? I heard him. He was talking about my mother and my behind!
This guy's probably screwing himself over when he thinks he's "protecting" himself.
Possible. Of course, he could also be using the 18d1 stat generation method and use gestalt rules with every available class at once... ;-)
Why, that cheating little weasel.That's not nice for weasels.Nah, they actually consider this praise. Weasels are weird little buggers, but that makes them so endearing.
Eagles may soar, but weasels won't get sucked into jet engines.
you just made my day, KY
and almost made me replace a keyboard....mmmmm breakfast smoothie....
Well, I didn't buy all that Cherry and Logitech stock for nothing...