Flawed characters can be the best to play. One of my favorite characters was a Virtual Adept who was prone to forgetfulness and vulgar magick. So I’d have him cast all these outlandish spells and get craploads of Paradox, so the Storyteller always had something weird following him around. My character would also tend to forget who he had pissed off in the Technocracy recently, so they were always laying traps for him.
On the other hand, extreme flaws just suck. I have a friend who I refuse to game with, especially if I am running it. He invariably uses a character that is so antisocial that he blocks up the party at every opportunity. He just says he’s playing his character. Whatever dude. No, you can’t come to my Mage game.
“I’m just playing in character,” is, IMO, a piss-poor excuse for a lot of this behavior. I remember running a Call of Cthulhu adventure once where one PC literally just ran away from the adventure.
Me: You’ve been hearing rumors about strange lights, mysterious noises, and horribly odours coming from the old Whateley place.
Him: Okay, I go to work.
Me: Uhh, okay. Well, it’s Saturday, so you don’t have work.
Him: Yes I do, my character works weekends.
Me: Well, not this weekend. Look, are you going to the mansion or not?
Him: No, there’s monsters and stuff in there. My character wouldn’t go anywhere near there. I have to stay true to my character’s personality.
Me: Okay, asshole. You’re character is struck by a frozen chunck of airplane toilet waste and dies. Now roll up a new character who WOULD go to a haunted house.
And let me just add my favorite character type… munchkins. You all know who you are - the folks who design their characters in order to take advantage of every little loophole, ignoring the basic rule of character conception. That rule is: Your character can be as outlandish as you want it to be, as long as it makes some kind of sense and you can justify it. As long as you can give me a character background that explains your skillsets and makes sense, that’s fine! But don’t come to me with your barbarian/monk/wizard and expect me to allow it in my campaign. Don’t have your ranger charm every woodland animal we come across in order to build your own little army o’ animals and expect me to let you keep them for more than fifteen minutes (until I can come up with an amusing way to take them away from you). And SURE you rolled an 18, two 17s and don’t have any other characteristics below 15. As stated in an earlier post in this thread, role-playing isn’t necessarily about WINNING - it’s about enjoying the game, having fun and actually ROLE-PLAYING your character! Ever read Joseph Campbell? The mythic hero (which we’re essentially playing in our campaigns) always has flaws, and in some cases those flaws can be tragic. The hero can’t always win every battle, solve every problem and make everyone love him. Your character is a PERSON, and people ain’t perfect. Don’t try to design him that way. Sheesh.
I was recently given an offer that would make any power gamer drool. The perks of being an actual roleplayer. My ST told me to be a half celestial paladin. I may have to read the munchikin book to know how I can act.
sigh of relief
So, what you’re telling me, Podkayne, is it’s okay to be frustrated? I’m not an RPG elitist or somesuch 'cos I want more than dice-rolling and shoot-'em-ups, at least one-third of the time?
And, um, if you answer yes to that above query: Can I play with you?
See above.
Hallelujah! To drive this point home, we call our GM/ST “God.” Must be disturbing to folx out-of-game, but it does keep it simple and serve as a reminder that the person running the game is running the show, completely.
My own mini-rant: No, my character doesn’t have to be THE BEST at everything. Yes, I made a solo who didn’t have a combat sense of 10. Yes, I know that means she’s not the bombdiggity. I understand that your solo needs to have a 10 in combat sense and have a jillion guns attached to his person in every possible way. I don’t want to play your character.
OOC knowledge isn’t allowed in-game. Repeat. This isn’t limited merely to what you know about my character or my character’s kind (because you read all the books religiously), but also to what you know about the game’s dynamics and the preferences of the storyteller. When we’re all sitting around the table planning to blow something up, don’t say–in-character or out-of-character–“Well, if we bring 30 guns, God’ll hit us with 60 guns…” **ARRRGH!
Speaking of guns: No, I don’t have the stats for every gun available since WWII committed to memory.** I’m using that valuable brainspace for art historical references, my mum’s birthday and my unholy long Web address. Back off.
I’ll have you know that this is standard AAM practice in response to any museum visitor licking the artwork on display.
Oh wow, I haven’t played or GM’ed in over 10 years and then it was primarily AD+D and Space Opera. Also, 95% of the time I GM’ed even though I liked playing but I also really, really liked GMing.
Gripes (from a GM):
Work with me! I have to spend much time thinking and making up a universe for you to play in. This means I have to work up a plot/history. So, when I say the group needs to be of Good alignment generally, don’t whine and pout about not being able to play an assassin.
Don’t foul up my plot line. If you are a good group and seeking to destroy the evil, power hungry demon trying to take over the world then don’t announce that your turning evil or that you don’t care if he does take over the world and then try to find some other adventure. There is none. I spent many hours designing and if you don’t want to play, game over. On the other hand, I will give you flexibility and I think I was very good at leading you along my main plot path without you even realizing it was happening (I think that is why I was so popular). But no 180 degree turnings please.
Hi Opal.
I will not allow a group to split up and continue playing. Gaming time is scarce as it is. Only one group continues so if you have issues, deal with them. If you insist on splitting up, then one split group retires and rolls new characters and rejoins the group.
Death happens. Deal with it. Don’t get all pissy if a favorite character dies. Roll up a new one and keep playing. You’d be surprised how fast that new character advances in levels. If there was no chance of death then there would be no risk, no fun. And no, it is very difficult even in AD+D to raise a dead character. Those level clerics don’t grow on trees you know.
Be prepared. If you are not, you will die. When I make my worlds I do not put monsters somewhere just for you to kill. It’s a tough world and they are still alive when you meet them so they must have something going. Scout a little, Thieves aren’t so bad. Find out what defenses are in place instead of wading in at full charge.
No, you cannot wear Plate when it is 90 degrees outside! You’re lucky you can wear leather for heavens sake! I once made a player put on mitts and a parka and hood and run with me around the block 10 times when it was 95 out. I then asked him if he thought I was being to strict. To his credit he did run it and then agreed. He then took a shower.
Unlike other gripes earlier on, I do try to follow the rules. If I say it is +2 and it is actually +1 and you can find it in a minute or so (to not hold up the game), I will agree. If you find it later, when that bonus/penalty comes up again we will use the correct one. The rules are important and I want to follow them and will never pull the ‘I am GM/God I can override the rules’ logic.
Role play but don’t be stupid. If you play a stupid/quirky character and the group kicks you out, you’re done. Roll up a new one.
Don’t take memories from one character to another. If someone does something stupid and gets you killed, dont have your next character try to get revenge for him. I will kick you out of the party and force you to roll another character and you will be lucky I don’t kick you out of the playing group altogether.
I miss GMing/playing!!! I miss it much (whimper).
Hey, Medea: My GM (who is infamously tight-fisted with magical items) just gave my paladin a +5 two-handed vorpal sword of wounding. Now I’m losing sleep wondering what I’m expected to kill with the damned thing.
Obviously.
Either that, or you’re going to have to jump into something’s slavering maw. You know, I rather like the new swallowing rules in 3rd. There was this lovely example with a purple worm in a Dragon a month or two back.
Speaking as someone who’s never been happy with 2nd, I’m really quite content with 3rd. Got about three fourth of my house rules into it, and I love the “level of fighter” concept. Works even better in Star Wars.
Skeletons DO NOT have kneecaps!
Just because you’re a frigging halfling thief does NOT mean that you have to try stealing everything that isn’t bolted down, and YES, their hands are magically attached on.
If someone throws you, YOU WILL TAKE DAMAGE
Do not expect to fly 10 feet into a horde of waiting skeletons and not get a couple scratches.
Nimue, see, I would worry, but he did this on purpose because I rarely play combat chars. He’s trying to teach the pacifist that killing in game can be fun and easy. Its been one of his long term goals with me.
And he tries to give me cool presents for when I go back to my other ST (school and home gaming groups). (Though school ST may put his foot down about this one. He normally has a decent exchange rate about such things. Mwahahaha.)
