I think with the roleplayer, this could be an issue of people not knowing each other well or working well together. I can definitely see scenarios where the bounty hunter roleplay was all great and the shifter comes back with something like "you didn't even attempt to talk with them! Werewolves are people, too!" And you could have a fantastic starting point for both characters to begin to grow by learning from each other.
The pregens for lost mine of phandelver are so good though. They even have built in connections to the story. One has an npc relative who's important to the story, one's a former bandit out for revenge, things like that. They're not just there to teach/show the mechanics of DnD, but to sort of ease people into roleplay too. You can name them anything you want, they don't have a predetermined gender, their looks and personally can be whatever you want. If you're curious the sheets are a free download. Personally, I wouldn't want a premade character for very long, but as a starter? Yes, please. Why would you want to build a whole new character for something that's only going to last a little while?
Magic player and D&D player here: Them getting the playmat and deckbox out 30 minutes in doesn't sound like it is a signal that they're not interested. The OP stated that the players will play Magic when their characters aren't involved, so it's possible that the Magic player was expecting not to be the focus of the DM's attention shortly. Although, if this is a common enough thing, then for it to rankle the DM must have been something above and beyond 'the usual.' I think the DM getting frustrated and killing the characters/ending the campaign was kind of a Richard Maneuver, but just some insight re: Magic
Story 5: 100% agree with your points. In a CoS campaign I played, the DM, who was brand new to DMing, requested pure vanilla PHB-only characters due to them not having any other books at the time, and they wanted to be able to know what we were doing with our characters. I love making homebrew content, and other players, including the group's forever-DM, had other options from other books they wanted to use, but we all acquiesced to those conditions, to help our friend learn the ropes of running the game. It's not a hard ask; if you're the DM, you're setting the parameters for what you want the game to be, and if those parameters are "You can only play as premade characters", then that's the game you're signing up for. If that's not for you, then play a different game. A good middle-ground, in my opinion, would be what my DM did: you can make a character, but they have to be PHB only, standard array, no homebrew. They don't even need to be limited to "no multiclassing, limited feats" or whatever. Just start them all at level 1 or whatever LMoP starts at and go from there. That, I feel, is a fair and satisfactory answer to the issue. If the other players are against that, then they can find another game.
Id like to throw in my personal fix for Eloquince bards: i do not let them take proficency or expertise in either deception or persusassion. Keeping thier minimum possible roll below 20 is key, because then when it really *matters* failure is still possible without artifically pumping up DCa for them arbitrarily. Assuming a +5 mid thats 16 from the begining, and caps at 18, when you have a +6 proficency. Still *very* passivly pursasive and deceptive while still falling short when under pressure, and they can always roll above a 10 so youre not nerfing thier possibility.
first guy, I think the AH was both. but when a player does not care enough to just get their stats figured out after a year long campaign, that player is the AH and deserved to be the dragon's target lmao. but when you start YELLING at a player... thats when you become the AH
I find people who run premade campaigns absolute superheroes! I run homebrew because running a premade is DAUNTING to me! I find it easier to remember things I've made up myself. :') My hat is truly off for all the DMs who can run existing modules!
Ahhh the peasant cannon... So dumb. Easy to shut down too. Let them do it, and then say, "okay the last person in line gets handed the item... And makes a regular improvised ranged attack roll, because there isn't really a mechanic for momentum, and even if there was, this wouldn't be using it."
Dm: hey, you need to stop being toxic or I'm asking you to leave. Toxic player: I'm not toxic, you're toxic! I'm leaving! DM: well, it's nice when the trash takes itself out
With the belmont roleplay I think you two missed the part where the characters were strangers to one another. At that point I would believe there was just a civillian in the middle of a combat, yelling for them to head for cover if they weren't a participant. The shifter was in danger and should have gotten out of there. Then that civillian comes up with your group claiming to have fought the werewolves off. I'd have a bad taste in my mouth with the "civillian" too. I don't believe they were calling the person a shifter, more so that's just how op referred to their character. Like how you see posts referring to wizard and fighter.
Okay you said it in the end. But I had already mourned and reflected on my sins that caused such a heart wrenching betrayal. I'm now lost in a void of happiness and the devastation of my sins.
Probably not the same issue but the second story made me think of my rl friends group. Some people you just cant talk to.. and while i just quit the campaigns i really thought about letting them die lol I tried DMing twice for them and had problems with several people, but one in particular. Slow play, not paying attention, pure chaos, pvp.. it was the gambit of issues. The lack of perceived interest was the biggest one for me though, I seriously thought I was the problem, because.. if they are not engaged well it must mean my storytelling / dming is bad.. right? First one I tried talking to her, gently, and she deflected blaming it on another person at the table. she doesn't handle criticism and i knew trying to be more direct would have been a fight.. so i just told them I needed a break. The second time we played online so i had my best friend in the campaign. We have been friends since we were kids and she knows i dont deal well with confrontation. My best friend tried to talk to her and she blew up, just like i expected her to do. needless to say that campaign also never got finished. That same person has been guilting me trying to get me to run a game for her even though she was always distracted, not paying attention and taking 10+ minutes on her turns. She has been for the past 6 months or so since she found out I as still playing (due to my roommate telling her in passing) been making passive aggressive remarks while also trying to guilt trip me into adding her into the game. I am a bad friend, and I am excluding her.. the list goes on. It is toxic but she is also friends with my roommates so its hard to cut her off completely. On a happier note, because of the other campaign I started while running that second game i didnt quit DMing, and its been two years now. I am starting to finally get over the fear of not being good enough that I had developed from my previous attempts. and the players in my current campaign are all wonderful!
I kind of want opinions on dating during a campaign. two people started dating in the middle of the campaign that's gone on for about a year now, with no end in sight. half the players are new in a 6 party group, the DM is new the DMing. Well the two people who are dating are the typical "good christian girl" and "degenerate playboy" stereotypes. She made it "facebook official" 3 months ago and he still won't even admit they're together... that being said, The cracks in their relationship are already starting to affect the group - the way they treat each other's characters in game, as well as a few passive-aggressive comments in the group chat, etc. So far it has not REALLY hurt the game, but their lack of communication in their relationship comes out in game a lot now, and it kind of makes it awkward. most of the people at the table, including these two, have known each other for over a decade (some for almost 2 decades now, middle school friends). My husband and I are in the same campaign, but we've been together 5 years now, not 5 months. I don't want it to seem like there's a double standard... but there's such a difference between a married couple who were married before the campaign, and a "situationship" that started smack dab in the middle of it. My thoughts: if they break up, they have to roll for who stays in the campaign. But I'm not the DM, so it's not up to me. lol
Ayoooo!!! I won't watch the podcast yet until I go to the gym later but here are my predictions for the podcast, two submissions OP will be the asshole and four submissions that's not the asshole, Jack will explain that he put the party in a tough situation that resulted in one of the party members doing something absolutely bonkers and saving the day, Margaret will cry, and finally, you guys will talk about bringing back class discussion and the first class you will talk about is Artificer (I asked the entity to take every left shoe of yours along with making your pillows permanently warm (jokes)).
I feel like it's really important to set expectations for the people at the table. I have attention issues that basically mean if I'm not actively doing something I will fall asleep. I tell anyone I'm going to play with or DM for that I will be cross-stitching or embroidering at the table otherwise I cannot play. I used to play games on my phone in airplane mode but a lot of people found that rude so I switched to crafts
I sent in two wholesome stories for my first time submissions! I hope you guys are able to read one or both out. I love my current players and can talk hoursss about them.
Story 1: I don't think that the DM is the asshole in this situation. Like you said, it's not hard to fix a sheet, especially considering that the DM has their stats ready to go; the DM could've probably even emailed or DMed the information to the player for them to fill out the sheet. Either way, it would've been simply taking half an hour or so to remake the sheet outside of game, or possibly having the player show up a bit early to a session to remake the sheet. The fact that the player didn't even bother to take what little time it would've taken to make the character, and instead just relying on the DM to do that work for them, is what kind of justifies the DM's frustration. Again, as you said, the DM has so much other stuff to worry about, so making them basically run your character on top of everything else while you just sit there and hang out is unfair, and it sounds like the DM targeted the player's character in a way that made it equally unfair to everyone around them with AoE's. The DM getting mad and yelling at the player is something they probably shouldn't have done, but I think it's justified if you've been telling someone for three weeks that they need to do this simple thing and they just don't do it. I'm guessing the player figured there was no point since the campaign was almost done anyway, so why bother when the character's just going away in four weeks, which as you said speaks to their attitude about the game as not being the same as the one the DM has, so the DM choosing to not play with that player going forward is a good call.
Third person: seems like the other player needs to set emotional boundaries between themself and their character. does not seem like they're experienced. i dont feel like there was an AH in that scenario
My rules are drinking is allowed, but if you go overboard and it affects the game it gets cut off, you're allowed to play games as long as you're still paying attention so Slay the Spire is okay but Helldivers is not (in my other campaign i play in a player was playing Helldiver's during the session). I trust the players in the campaign i DM to not do those things and in the 2-3 years we've played I've never had an issue.
2nd guy, I think there just needs to be a line drawn somehow. but honestly, if it is not negatively affecting the game, then i wouldnt say it's an issue that they play something else. however, it would annoy me, too. I know it would lmao!
I think with the roleplayer, this could be an issue of people not knowing each other well or working well together. I can definitely see scenarios where the bounty hunter roleplay was all great and the shifter comes back with something like "you didn't even attempt to talk with them! Werewolves are people, too!" And you could have a fantastic starting point for both characters to begin to grow by learning from each other.
Clogs clogs clogs (pause) clogs clogs clogs (pause) clogs clogs clogs (pause) and this completes the entity’s chant
The pregens for lost mine of phandelver are so good though. They even have built in connections to the story. One has an npc relative who's important to the story, one's a former bandit out for revenge, things like that. They're not just there to teach/show the mechanics of DnD, but to sort of ease people into roleplay too. You can name them anything you want, they don't have a predetermined gender, their looks and personally can be whatever you want.
If you're curious the sheets are a free download. Personally, I wouldn't want a premade character for very long, but as a starter? Yes, please. Why would you want to build a whole new character for something that's only going to last a little while?
Magic player and D&D player here: Them getting the playmat and deckbox out 30 minutes in doesn't sound like it is a signal that they're not interested. The OP stated that the players will play Magic when their characters aren't involved, so it's possible that the Magic player was expecting not to be the focus of the DM's attention shortly. Although, if this is a common enough thing, then for it to rankle the DM must have been something above and beyond 'the usual.' I think the DM getting frustrated and killing the characters/ending the campaign was kind of a Richard Maneuver, but just some insight re: Magic
For the second story the players were 200% playing Magic while the DM was dealing with other players.
Story 5: 100% agree with your points. In a CoS campaign I played, the DM, who was brand new to DMing, requested pure vanilla PHB-only characters due to them not having any other books at the time, and they wanted to be able to know what we were doing with our characters. I love making homebrew content, and other players, including the group's forever-DM, had other options from other books they wanted to use, but we all acquiesced to those conditions, to help our friend learn the ropes of running the game. It's not a hard ask; if you're the DM, you're setting the parameters for what you want the game to be, and if those parameters are "You can only play as premade characters", then that's the game you're signing up for. If that's not for you, then play a different game. A good middle-ground, in my opinion, would be what my DM did: you can make a character, but they have to be PHB only, standard array, no homebrew. They don't even need to be limited to "no multiclassing, limited feats" or whatever. Just start them all at level 1 or whatever LMoP starts at and go from there. That, I feel, is a fair and satisfactory answer to the issue. If the other players are against that, then they can find another game.
Come for the clogs. Stay for the nerfing
Id like to throw in my personal fix for Eloquince bards: i do not let them take proficency or expertise in either deception or persusassion. Keeping thier minimum possible roll below 20 is key, because then when it really *matters* failure is still possible without artifically pumping up DCa for them arbitrarily. Assuming a +5 mid thats 16 from the begining, and caps at 18, when you have a +6 proficency. Still *very* passivly pursasive and deceptive while still falling short when under pressure, and they can always roll above a 10 so youre not nerfing thier possibility.
first guy, I think the AH was both. but when a player does not care enough to just get their stats figured out after a year long campaign, that player is the AH and deserved to be the dragon's target lmao. but when you start YELLING at a player... thats when you become the AH
All I can picture is mags in the pit with her (not special carved twitch dagger) just cleaning out the pit😂 all jokes afoot
I find people who run premade campaigns absolute superheroes! I run homebrew because running a premade is DAUNTING to me! I find it easier to remember things I've made up myself. :') My hat is truly off for all the DMs who can run existing modules!
work clothes, coffee. I'm with Mags on this one, Alucard
There's no stopping the clogs Mags
Ahhh the peasant cannon...
So dumb.
Easy to shut down too. Let them do it, and then say, "okay the last person in line gets handed the item... And makes a regular improvised ranged attack roll, because there isn't really a mechanic for momentum, and even if there was, this wouldn't be using it."
Me when I start cloggin all over the place.
Dm: hey, you need to stop being toxic or I'm asking you to leave.
Toxic player: I'm not toxic, you're toxic! I'm leaving!
DM: well, it's nice when the trash takes itself out
Jiggery pokery is now going to be my new favorite way to describe the game that looks like cheating magic
Alucard could pull off clogs, but Trevor could not - I think that answered that question 😌😂
Great episode of the Eldritch CLOGblast
With the belmont roleplay I think you two missed the part where the characters were strangers to one another. At that point I would believe there was just a civillian in the middle of a combat, yelling for them to head for cover if they weren't a participant. The shifter was in danger and should have gotten out of there. Then that civillian comes up with your group claiming to have fought the werewolves off. I'd have a bad taste in my mouth with the "civillian" too. I don't believe they were calling the person a shifter, more so that's just how op referred to their character. Like how you see posts referring to wizard and fighter.
"Pen.... Second to last"
Okay crush my dreams 😢
Okay you said it in the end. But I had already mourned and reflected on my sins that caused such a heart wrenching betrayal. I'm now lost in a void of happiness and the devastation of my sins.
Probably not the same issue but the second story made me think of my rl friends group. Some people you just cant talk to.. and while i just quit the campaigns i really thought about letting them die lol
I tried DMing twice for them and had problems with several people, but one in particular. Slow play, not paying attention, pure chaos, pvp.. it was the gambit of issues. The lack of perceived interest was the biggest one for me though, I seriously thought I was the problem, because.. if they are not engaged well it must mean my storytelling / dming is bad.. right?
First one I tried talking to her, gently, and she deflected blaming it on another person at the table. she doesn't handle criticism and i knew trying to be more direct would have been a fight.. so i just told them I needed a break.
The second time we played online so i had my best friend in the campaign. We have been friends since we were kids and she knows i dont deal well with confrontation. My best friend tried to talk to her and she blew up, just like i expected her to do. needless to say that campaign also never got finished.
That same person has been guilting me trying to get me to run a game for her even though she was always distracted, not paying attention and taking 10+ minutes on her turns. She has been for the past 6 months or so since she found out I as still playing (due to my roommate telling her in passing) been making passive aggressive remarks while also trying to guilt trip me into adding her into the game. I am a bad friend, and I am excluding her.. the list goes on. It is toxic but she is also friends with my roommates so its hard to cut her off completely.
On a happier note, because of the other campaign I started while running that second game i didnt quit DMing, and its been two years now. I am starting to finally get over the fear of not being good enough that I had developed from my previous attempts. and the players in my current campaign are all wonderful!
I kind of want opinions on dating during a campaign. two people started dating in the middle of the campaign that's gone on for about a year now, with no end in sight. half the players are new in a 6 party group, the DM is new the DMing. Well the two people who are dating are the typical "good christian girl" and "degenerate playboy" stereotypes. She made it "facebook official" 3 months ago and he still won't even admit they're together... that being said, The cracks in their relationship are already starting to affect the group - the way they treat each other's characters in game, as well as a few passive-aggressive comments in the group chat, etc. So far it has not REALLY hurt the game, but their lack of communication in their relationship comes out in game a lot now, and it kind of makes it awkward. most of the people at the table, including these two, have known each other for over a decade (some for almost 2 decades now, middle school friends). My husband and I are in the same campaign, but we've been together 5 years now, not 5 months. I don't want it to seem like there's a double standard... but there's such a difference between a married couple who were married before the campaign, and a "situationship" that started smack dab in the middle of it. My thoughts: if they break up, they have to roll for who stays in the campaign. But I'm not the DM, so it's not up to me. lol
Ayoooo!!! I won't watch the podcast yet until I go to the gym later but here are my predictions for the podcast, two submissions OP will be the asshole and four submissions that's not the asshole, Jack will explain that he put the party in a tough situation that resulted in one of the party members doing something absolutely bonkers and saving the day, Margaret will cry, and finally, you guys will talk about bringing back class discussion and the first class you will talk about is Artificer (I asked the entity to take every left shoe of yours along with making your pillows permanently warm (jokes)).
Thanks for making those points Jack!
Jack has points to make
Could have done Slaogh turd and done an episode on sheogorath
I feel like it's really important to set expectations for the people at the table. I have attention issues that basically mean if I'm not actively doing something I will fall asleep. I tell anyone I'm going to play with or DM for that I will be cross-stitching or embroidering at the table otherwise I cannot play. I used to play games on my phone in airplane mode but a lot of people found that rude so I switched to crafts
I sent in two wholesome stories for my first time submissions! I hope you guys are able to read one or both out. I love my current players and can talk hoursss about them.
Cloggin time
Cloggin' it up 😎
It's clogging time!
Cloggs for miggs!
Story 1: I don't think that the DM is the asshole in this situation. Like you said, it's not hard to fix a sheet, especially considering that the DM has their stats ready to go; the DM could've probably even emailed or DMed the information to the player for them to fill out the sheet. Either way, it would've been simply taking half an hour or so to remake the sheet outside of game, or possibly having the player show up a bit early to a session to remake the sheet. The fact that the player didn't even bother to take what little time it would've taken to make the character, and instead just relying on the DM to do that work for them, is what kind of justifies the DM's frustration. Again, as you said, the DM has so much other stuff to worry about, so making them basically run your character on top of everything else while you just sit there and hang out is unfair, and it sounds like the DM targeted the player's character in a way that made it equally unfair to everyone around them with AoE's. The DM getting mad and yelling at the player is something they probably shouldn't have done, but I think it's justified if you've been telling someone for three weeks that they need to do this simple thing and they just don't do it. I'm guessing the player figured there was no point since the campaign was almost done anyway, so why bother when the character's just going away in four weeks, which as you said speaks to their attitude about the game as not being the same as the one the DM has, so the DM choosing to not play with that player going forward is a good call.
Third person: seems like the other player needs to set emotional boundaries between themself and their character. does not seem like they're experienced. i dont feel like there was an AH in that scenario
Ouuuuh it's Alucard 🦇
Nah nerfing me is the old censoring me .and reddit is the ass😂
Mags is 100% right: it’s Alucard 🙌🏻🙌🏻
My rules are drinking is allowed, but if you go overboard and it affects the game it gets cut off, you're allowed to play games as long as you're still paying attention so Slay the Spire is okay but Helldivers is not (in my other campaign i play in a player was playing Helldiver's during the session).
I trust the players in the campaign i DM to not do those things and in the 2-3 years we've played I've never had an issue.
2nd guy, I think there just needs to be a line drawn somehow. but honestly, if it is not negatively affecting the game, then i wouldnt say it's an issue that they play something else. however, it would annoy me, too. I know it would lmao!
Algorithmic boost
Podblast time!
4th person, I would not stay in that campaign. Sorry. They are preventing you from playing.
:D