steve@avsdS.UUCP (Steve Russell) (05/30/85)
Something pointed out to me several times as a new player
was the ammonition "Don't give the DM ideas!!!!"
This is probably best illustrated by the actions of the rather
chaotic party I was with while on the 'Search for the Heartstone'.
I way playing a lowly 10th level fighter (all the others were
12th-14th mu or cleric types) and we came upon some spiney-tailed,
flying nasties up on a ledge above us.
Being quick on my feet, I managed to dive to the base of the ledge
and avoid their (missle) spike attack.
I had just changed to my bow and was readying a shot when one of
the beasties launched himself at me from about 20 feet up.
Now, as I said the party was chaotic enough and, true to form, the
two high-level clerics desided on the same course of action.
However, after surviving TWO simultaneous FLAMESTRIKE's (100+ HP
makes a NICE cushion) I didn't have the sense NOT to ask,
"Gee, did all my goodies save?".
The result was having to spend a turn getting myself pried out of
my slagged-down armor (my beautiful +2 plate!). Fortunately, my
sword survived (seems it was under me when I got torched) and one
of the other members just happened to have some plus chain in my size
in his bag of holding, along with enough other supplies to re-outfit me
(when questioned about the Flamestrikes, the clerics explained that
they could raise the dead so THEY weren't worried about me!).
The question being, should I have said anything or not?
I think it added more to the game, making the party think out its
actions better and keeping more of the realism(realism?) into it.
steve avsdS:steve
AMPEXjohn@x.UUCP (John Woods) (06/03/85)
> Something pointed out to me several times as a new player > was the ammonition "Don't give the DM ideas!!!!" > > However, after surviving TWO simultaneous FLAMESTRIKE's (100+ HP > makes a NICE cushion) I didn't have the sense NOT to ask, > > "Gee, did all my goodies save?". > > The question being, should I have said anything or not? > > I think it added more to the game, making the party think out its > actions better and keeping more of the realism(realism?) into it. > Well, if you and the party think it improved the game, then you obviously did the correct thing. Having played with both roleplayers and munchkins, I tend to prefer the former, and don't mind prodding the DM to provide painful reality (especially when the DM responds favorably to suggestions that benefit the party). In munchkin games, where even the meta-roles are adversarial (i.e., "screw the party" versus "screw the DM", as opposed to "have a good time"), the players clearly don't want their +29 Sword of Nuclear Painful Injury turned into slag, and the DM isn't going to consider the possibility that the opposing MU's Staff of Power might explode if it fails its Fireball saving throw... -- John Woods, Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA, (617) 626-1101 ...!decvax!frog!john, ...!mit-eddie!jfw, jfw%mit-ccc@MIT-XX.ARPA "MU" said the Sacred Chao...
euren@ttds.UUCP (Leif Euren) (06/04/85)
Steve Russell writes: >"Don't give the DM ideas!!!!" : > "Gee, did all my goodies save?". > >The result was having to spend a turn getting myself pried out of >my slagged-down armor (my beautiful +2 plate!). If the DM forget something so important, he should handle it in a more subtle way. This sort of fix-ups spoiles the play. Instead he should have taken it as a lesson, a hard one cause he'll understand that his not that great a DM. Personally, I'd had ruled that "all goodies saved" this time, but roll for them all (with a slight negative modifier, he he) next time. No one would've felt cheated then. Leif Euren euren@ttds (...mcvax!enea!ttds!euren)