>DM gripes thread Let it all out; I'll start: >Be

TLDR; I took utility feats and abilities specifically to find innovative solutions to scenarios as well as flesh out my character, and the lolbard got rewarded over me, leaving me with nothing for my troubles.

Sounds like you found a clever solution to a problem that (for no reason) the DM didn't think was hard.

>>49089360
You never mentioned the bard got a reward.

>>49089600
I guess I meant how his action solved the encounter, though I'm pretty sure thats not what he had intended

>Complex problem, obvious secretive conspiracy
>Solved with one roll
Your DM sounds like a cunt

>>49089738
He didn't even need to roll

>>49089344
Your party sounds pretty chill overall, if it was mine the elders would have gotten their heads chopped right away.

>>49089360
Taking utility powers and abilities is kind of silly in a game system that pretty much only has actual rules for combat.

For pretty much anything beyond dungeon-murder (and some related activities such as breaking down doors and selling treasure), your DM basically has to wing it because of how little guidance the system gives him. Sure you might get a number labeled "religion", or "persuasion", but it's anyone's guess as to what a result of 15 indicates. Not to mention that knowledge skills are useless if your DM doesn't know what you want to know, or else doesn't want to know. And 9 times out of 10, your DM is going to judge your social interactions by your IRL social skills and not the number on your sheet, so there's next to no point in investing character resources into it.

It's gotten to the point where I simply don't take knowledge skills or utility powers anymore. If your DM wants you to know something, he'll get it to you somehow. If he wants you to get somewhere, you'll be able to get there on time. In 5e, combat and its supporting functions (such as healing and looting) are all you really you need to invest in.

File: 1288661952520.gif (3MB, 260x195px) Image search: [Google]

3MB, 260x195px

>>49089344

>running a DCC game for some friends
>starting with character funnel and then using that to start a campaign
>one of the players I had run through the character funnel about a year before in a single session
>changed stuff enough so that he wouldn't be bored or know exactly where to look for things/added rooms/etc.
>he recognizes the module and proceeds to ruin the entire thing for the other players
>ask him "what the fuck dude?"
>"well you're the one reusing material"

fucking asshole. he didn't really make a big enough deal over it that we stopped playing but just proceeded to give away everything. going to just make an entirely different 2nd level now and will fuck him hard next session whenever I get the chance

>>49089836
We're all friends IRL and the campaign has been sorta beer (weed) and pretzels. If I wasn't a little medicated myself I might've put up more of a fight

>>49089344
>>49089344
OP here, one last gripe from same session.
>Inside the hole we of course refuse to come out and investigate a tunnel.
>Tunnel opens into a constructed hallway
>End of hallway there's a stone door with a ring and chain contraption next to it
>Bunch of cages hanging from ceiling
>trapsensesalerted
>Ask to roll Investigation to put 2 and 2 together, DM confirms trap, AND that the trigger is the ring contraption.
>TMI but ok.
>Want to do something useful, I had taken the Pact of Tome path and one of my cantrips was Thaumaturgy for fun
>One of the effects: You instantaneously cause an unlocked door or window to fly open or slam shut.
>Decide to try it, maybe the door is unlocked?
>My reasoning was there might be a secondary trigger or something else unsavory and there's no harm in using a cantrip
>Tell party to stand back
>DM: "It SLAMS the door open? Roll D20."
>Roll a 5
>"It slams open so hard it bounces off the wall and slams shut again, dislodging the ring."
>Cages slam down, blocking our path.
>Spend about 2 minutes trying to understand DM's logic, eventually cave in interest of moving on.
>Cast eldritch blast like a good warlock rest of the night.

>>49090300
In the OSR game I'm running, one of the rules is that if the players do something that might trigger a trap (i.e. you're not 100% sure if it would or not), you roll a d6, and 2 or lower means it's triggered.

>>49089404
I know why it happened, he hadn't prepared for infiltration and just wanted us in his hole.