Times Your Players Hurt You

>>53409125
Guy sounds like a dick. Find better friends.

>>53409125
To be fair, this happened a while ago, and the guy in question apologized for it later
>Be alternating GM in my group, other GM is named Ian
>Ian is an absolute genius. Much better sort of GM than I am, and for the record, I think I'm a good GM, better than the average by a fair amount.
>But Ian's amazing, and in all honesty, I can't worldbuild or create NPCs that people care about the way he does; his campaigns were mostly walking through emotional blenders, he got you to really love some people and really hate others.
>But he would be subject to burnout, and needed a lot of time to plan games, so I wound up taking up my own campaigns, usually alternating with is.
>Running my own campaign
>Do a very different style to Ian, because I know I can't match him in his own game.
>Hey anon, why can't you make your games more like Ian's? They're way better than yours.
T-thanks.

>>53409206
Man, this hurt to read
That sounds like shit, I'm kinda same with someone else where I started, and I tried to do the same, but luckily mine caught on well with other players as well, and yeah
I'm sorry anon

campaign was probably shit, sounds like a noob

>>53409125
>Running a campaign
>Its taking place in a bar basically full of super powered mercenaries, before a big tournament that the players are participating in
>Most of the players are marvelling about the different variety of players
>One just goes over to someone after brooding in the corner, and does it by verbally saying "Well, I'm fucking bored, can we start playing dungeons and dragons now?"
>We were playing mutants and masterminds
>mfw

that pure mixture of sadness and anger

>get on the ground to grab some dice that fell off the table
>suddenly, thumbtack in my knee

Goddamn it Jan, clean up your fucking place you fucking pig.

>>53409125
sounds like a dog, tell him you're replacing him with one of your other friends desu

>>53409206
I know it stings and they were being callous, but it is an opportunity to grow. Talk to the other GM. Let him know how much you enjoy his work and ask him for advice. And when he puts his hand on your thigh follow your heart instead of getting scared.

>>53409638
>super powered mercenaries
>playing dungeons and dragons

Maybe he thought it was D&D 4E?

*badumpsh*

>>53409125
That's a bit sad, yeah, but I understand your friend's position. I have loads of friends who would want to play in any campaign I run and I don't have time to run games for all of them. These days I just try not to tell the excluded people that I'm running anything at all.

>>53409206
So you don't invite that guy back and be very conspicuous about the fact that you've left him out.

>>53409125
>"Can I get an invite?"
Were you raised in a fucking barn? YOU put HIM in the awkward position of having to turn you down because you invited yourself like some urchin raised with no manners.
If you were hurt by the rejection, you deserve it for your hamfisted attempt to invite yourself.

>>53409125

> First ever DND game
> local hobby store
> Roll wizard, want some of that Gandalf shit
> New game posted up on the stores board
> Ihavenoideawhatiamdoing.exe
> know the DM so sign up
> 11 in int
> 5 of us in total (plus DM)
> 16 in str
> everyone know everyone
> Every Combat: Cast 1 magic missile, and then hit things with my staff
> Unfortunately we get a THAT GUY and a Mary Sue we cant say no to because they 'know the owners'
> Kill so much shit with my staff, start making enema jokes
> our DM is a goth chick
> Derail sessions with stupid jokes
> instantly that guy feels he needs to offer his advise on running a game because she 'clearly needs help'
> One session, DM saw me coming a mile away.
> once again that guy tries to offer her 'advise' that horror games dont work well
> Some riddle to pass through a door, answer required a letter of the alphabet.
> Goth chick calmly says if That Guy thinks the game wont work he is free to leave
> Recited entire alphabet
> That Guy gets angry and ends up saying something along the lines he will stay in the game to make sure she 'doesn't do anything wrong'
> I fell unconscious
> Goth chick ignores hm and just covers the basics
> No one could wake me, so I convinced the dwarf to carry me to the next rest.
> Fighter solved the riddle
> Just antics and stupid shit
> Guys started another game, didn't invite me
> feels bad man, but don't blame them

I was That Guy all along ;_;

File: 11890920_1480546552269821_7181945888671254704_n.jpg (24KB, 625x626px) Image search: [Google]

24KB, 625x626px

>>53416947

>>53416947

Found the betanerd autist who never could pluck up the courage to say "Hi, can I play too?" to the other kids.

Your armchair social analysis is way off. Might want to work on that a lot more. Maybe leave the basement some time and talk to actual live people.

>>53409125

>All GM group
>All relatively good friends
>Great idea, let's take turns running our own game
>Remember the "Thieve World" writers rules?
>Can use but not kill or lore-break any other GMs NPCs or storylines
>Going good, meet about once a week and each "campaign" about five to eight weeks
>I've drawn forth rotation
>Finally my time to shine
>Take obscure area of map that was devoid of anything (literally a blank space)
>Build out nice crawl in ancient ruins and good story
>Everyone seems to love it except "Mike"
>Mike getting more and more pissed off and quiet
>Finally Mike rage quits and sits in a chair away from the main table stewing in his own shit
>Campaign ended that night, Mike is up next
>Week passes and we're all back and ready to play
>Mike refuses to run the game if I'm in it
>Says I "changed things too much" but I used empty land on the map and no other DMs lore or NPCs and changed nothing fundamental about the world
>Leave, whatever, I'm too old for this shit
>I am told later that I'm not invited back
>Mike is too intimidated by the amount of detail in my session
>Other GMs agree hard act to follow
>Tried to explain that I had the benefit of going fourth and Mike was fifth and had plenty of time to prepare
>It not you it's us
>Suddenly know how Tempus and Shadowspawn felt

The whole things made no sense as all of them had played in campaigns I had run at one point or another. They all knew how detailed I got about things. Just really disappointing because I thought the first three "campaigns" the other guys ran were great and I always thought Mike's CoC campaigns were outstanding. Really sucked.

>>53417680
It sounds like they just needed an excuse and it may have been something else, that reasoning is fucking retarded. Fuck em anon

File: jan-jansen.jpg (9KB, 149x207px) Image search: [Google]

9KB, 149x207px

>>53409658
thumb tack in the knee eh? Reminds me of how my third cousin Widdle Tump (my his soul rest in peace) found his first love in the libraries of Candlekeep. Oh how Widdle Tump loved books, almost as much as he loved that Ogre mage wife of his.

>>53409125
I sympathize a lot more with your friend than you because I have a few different groups of friends on the internet. One group is weebs trying to force their magical realms, anothers fairly normal people having a good time, and another is /pol/lacks spending more posts sperging about muslims than actually playing the game.

I wouldn't want any overlap between those groups for obvious reasons. I'm obviously projecting a bit, but for all you know he could be doing you a huge favor.

But to answer your question, no you're not in the wrong for feeling jealous.

>Always doubtful of my GMing
>Always ask how it was, or if people liked it
>Only one person answers honestly half the time, the others just either ignore the question, or answer it sarcastically
>Some time into the game, the person that answered honestly told me some flaws that I'd been having in the campaign (Bad at improvising, Tone would always clash, system we were using wasn't that good, etc)
>I promptly try to fix everything he says
>Everything is in chat, so I'll never gauge the true reactions of people
>This hurts even more when I put my backbone into important moments, but IC they react unimpressed and OOC there's not even a reaction

I just want to be a good GM guys, but I don't know if I'm even good enough

Man, reading these stories, I suddenly don't feel so bad when my players have unannounced absences from my game.

File: 200 percent sad.png (483KB, 497x732px) Image search: [Google]

483KB, 497x732px

Not a GM but
>get into a character more than I ever have before
>put my absolute heart and soul into this character
>break character like twice in a 4 hour session
>wrapping up and GM awards those dumb goodboy points because 5e
>I am the only one who didn't get any
>that includes two people who said a total of 20 words over the course of the session

>Playing campaign with some guys
>Built and planned it for two years before running it
>Ran for three years with these guys
>Campaign ends in a satisfying way, time to start the next one
>Make it clear this new campaign, while set in a different time and location in the world, is the same setting as the first
>That guy asks me "What are the dwarves like in your setting?"
>There have never been dwarves in my setting
>Humans are the only non-original race in my setting
>He had made two characters over the campaign
>Players encountered at least 2 NPC's from every race
>He just paid so little attention or was so obsessed with his new character idea that he never knew
>All this for a guy whose sole character trait was his mildly amusing name

I've been bothered by players before, but this is the only time I've ever been hurt. Fuck you, you selfish, unintelligent, uninteresting, uncreative, waste of a human being.

>>53420104
OP here, and I know what you mean, I also ask for feedback a lot, but my players (being the ones who pay attention and interact) usually give me some good feedback, even the players that don't normally have a tonne of interest give feedback

I find it best not to keep second guessing yourself, and to just commit. Nothing will ever be perfect, and you'll be your own worse critic.

>>53420113
They hurt and can be frustrating as much though, I've had problems will that recently. but, you know, there isn't much you can do, its the nature of the beast that some people live different lives and shit

File: 1357337419262.jpg (39KB, 440x293px) Image search: [Google]

39KB, 440x293px

>>53409125
Shit, I've got a story that's not too far off from that.

>Couple years ago, about six months into GMing my first game
>Me and five players
>Cracks starting to show
>One player passive-aggressively hates me for whatever reason
>Meanwhile, private drama brewing between three other players
>Eventually the game falls apart
>Oh well, shit happens
>Fast forward a couple weeks later
>Starting up a new game to get back on my feet
>Figure I'll just run it on the same day of the week as the old game
>Best friend, one of the players from the original game, apparently has a thing that day
>Have suspicions, decide to ask
>Turns out they started running a game
>Right after mine died
>On the same day
>Basically the same players as my old game, plus one new guy
>Thought about inviting me, but wanted to wait until I was over my game dying
>In the mean time, the new guy and the old player who hated me said they wouldn't play if I was in the game
>Old player who hated me is also a really good friend of theirs
>Two players versus one, easy call

We're still good friends to this day, but I never really got over it and I never figured out what those guys' problem with me was. One of them I'd only ever talked to once or twice, but he spectated our OOC and IC chats, so who knows. That game is still running a year later, and I'm always torn between wanting to ask about it and be a supportive friend or just wanting it to crash and burn already so we can put the whole thing behind us.

>>53417020
how did you jumble this up

>>53420104

Record one of your sessions. It does wonders since you can take the self improvement into your own hands and it helps alleviate that awkward moment where players don't want to give harsher feedback since they don't want to feel like a dick.

It's been really helpful for me the couple of time I've done it.

>>53421092

> Le upboat

This is some top-tier advice anon, I've done it myself, and how much my sessions improved is simply astounding.

>>53420271
>Best friend, one of the players from the original game, apparently has a thing that day
>Turns out they started running a game
>Right after mine died
>On the same day
>Basically the same players as my old game, plus one new guy
>Thought about inviting me, but wanted to wait until I was over my game dying
>In the mean time, the new guy and the old player who hated me said they wouldn't play if I was in the game
>Old player who hated me is also a really good friend of theirs
>That game is still running a year later, and I'm always torn between wanting to ask about it and be a supportive friend or just wanting it to crash and burn already so we can put the whole thing behind us.
I don't know why the fuck you're conflicted. If my supposed best friend did that to me, he'd be on really thin fucking ice. That shit is not okay.

I'm probably going to have to tell one of my friends that I'm running a game that I don't want to invite him to in the near future. What's the best way to let him down politely?

To be fair, I'm not inviting anyone from my current group because I want to run a game that's different to their preferences, but he's the only one that's most likely going to ask to come along, and I don't want to come off like a dick.

>>53421472
Honestly, if its really, really outside of his preferences, I'd just sit him down and explain that.
I'd consider being level with him and seeing his response to your premise if you explain it to him, and if hes keen or not keen you can decide from there, maybe it's something he will enjoy but not know it yet

>>53417020
English, do you speak it mother fucker?

>>53421530
Thing is, I already ran a game like the one I want to run with this group, and it didn't really work. It was a sandboxy game with low power levels and high lethality combat (GURPS low-tech on 100 points, if you want to know) with a focus on interaction rather than combat and with an overall serious tone. In the end, the group didn't enjoy it, so no biggie, we moved to a more traditional fantasy set up with dungeon crawling and more linear style and a lighthearted tone, which went over pretty well in the end. Since then most of the games I've run for them have been like that, combat focused linear experiences.

Thing is, I still want to run a less curated experience, which is why I looked for a different group that is (hopefully, we'll see, if not I'll keep looking) up for it.

My problem is, even if I tell my friend that this game is really not up his alley, he'll insist that he enjoyed that first game, even if he visibly didn't. That in and of itself isn't much of a problem, but I also want a game away from him personally since he tends to make snowflakey characters that are a handful to deal with and his roleplaying style borders on That Guy-ish. He's still my friend though, so I'm happy to run games for the group with him but I kinda want to try a more serious game for a change of pace.

I guess I'll just have to talk to him and hope he understands that "I want to spend some time apart" doesn't mean "I don't like you anymore."

My players ambushed me in a dark alley and forced me to DM for them.

Then they go on /tg/ and shitpost about how bad the campaign is.

>>53421664
Seems like if it doesn't really involve your old group he doesn't really need to know if it has no impact on him.

>>53421744
It's not like they wont find out, since eventually they'll get around to asking what I'm doing on Saturday nights instead of hanging out or something.

>be running a chronicle
>two of my best friends as the players
>concept is gud, i ask for feedback and they respond positively overall
>one day guy uses a power that requires me to focus on him for a while, storytelling
>other friend gets bored and it's obvious but there's nothing to be done until this is resolved
>friend starts complaining of boredom
>explain that there's only two people in the game and that im fully aware of the boredom with intent to solve it asap
>things cool down after a while
>same friend who complained about being bored starts debating systems with me
>debate systems so much it seems like we do that more than RP
>friend becomes irate because he interprets system incorrectly and then literally disowns me, never to speak to me again
>we were friends for several years, but it ended over a tabletop game

>>53421465
One bad call isn't worth throwing a friendship away over. Yeah, it was a really shitty and stupid thing to do, and they admitted as much, but it's at least an understandable mistake that ended up escalating. I think we've all made dumb mistakes that have snowballed into bigger mistakes, it's not worth burning bridges over. If anything, I can at least pat myself on the back for being a good person about the whole thing.

>>53421472
Just tell it to him straight, man. Just say, "Hey, I really think this game isn't going to be something you'd enjoy, and I'd like it if everyone into the game was into the idea". If there's some other reason you don't want him in the game, hopefully he'll at least get the hint.

>>53421759
You're not wrong, but this would be something that you would talk about when and if it happens, Like if this one guy isn't the only one whos been left out of this one then It won't exactly be a massive issue I think, but Idk your friends so yeah

>>53421840
>>53420271 here. Believe me, not telling the person is just going to make it a whole lot fucking worse when they eventually find out. Now you've started a game without them AND intentionally hid it from them. Not a good idea.

>>53421864
That's fair, It depends on person to person, and I just had a thought that bringing it forward to them can make it seem like you may be rubbing it in or wanting to make a scene
Its one of those things that varies hard imo

>>53421840
>>53421864
>It won't exactly be a massive issue
Well I sure hope that's the case. I'll just casually inform the group as a whole when we hang out before I actually start the game and see where it goes from there.

>>53421664
Don't tell the player, tell the whole group. That way it won't feel personal.

Start by assessing if they like or not the previous game, ask if they prefer what you are playing not with them or that other style. Don't tell about the other game yet, tell it's for feedback and improving.

When you know for sure (and they have stated themselves) that they prefer one style over the other, tell them you will be running this other style with other people because you want to try it without bothering them with a game they won't like.

>>53421472
pretty much what >>53421664 said

>>53421932
Fuck me, meant
>>53421905

>>53421905
Also, if after this they still want to play tell them you will run this kind of game for them once you have improved on this style. That the other group is already full and another game will be too much for you at the moment.

Make clear that it is not their fault you are doing this and that you won't stop playing or hanging with them for this.

File: ss+(2016-10-25+at+10.36.10).jpg (80KB, 584x770px) Image search: [Google]

80KB, 584x770px

>Forever DM
>Want to be a player at least some of the time; I enjoy DMing but it grows tiring; I want the experience of influencing the game world from the other side of the table; being able to make anything happen doesn't make it satisfying or fun
>Over the years, players try a few times to DM; none of them have the player rules fully down, let alone put in the effort to properly learn DMing, and they all fizzle out due to scheduling or them hitting walls
>Continue to forever DM through thick and thin, running several campaigns and countless player antics and events that make me really question how much attention they pay, effort they put in, and what they get out of it
>Players make decisions that force us on hiatus to conform to seasonal group members
>They keep trying to DM, because people from their other friend circles are curious about D&D but I'm far too busy entertaining all of my friends already
>Some of them finally buckle down and start learning, relying on me for advice with rules, gameplay, and specific campaign ideas/details
>None of them want me to play because I know too much or they're full up with the other group members
>The one who does want me to play has godawful scheduling due to a screwy domestic life and can never actually play either way

>I try to join a public group at FLGS, and it's a clusterfuck with a game I don't like in a wank setting with a group that feels like every /tg/ meme and stereotype made flesh
I relish this special hell I'm in

>>53422355
Which game you don't like that can be worse than DnD? Are they playing FATAL?

>>53422438
3e

>>53417020
I'm getting like
3 to 6 different stories here, are you just making word salad

>>53417680
Tell them that they are huge pricks
Mike especially, holy shit fuck mike
And fuck your "friends" fuck em all

> Complain about combat heavy, crunch focused 4E campaign (Specifically said they want to play it despite my grognarding because they like MMOs).
> Complain about remembering shit / consequences in story heavy setting and sprinkled non-combat encounters when we run two separate campaigns (Pathfinder / VtM)
> Complain about both elements when i create a consequence free high fantasy setting perfect for murderhoboing.
> Complain when i get burnt out and don't want to DM after 1.5 years of this shit every fucking fortnight.

Just gonna pack it in get drunk and play boardgames at this point.

One mate runs a campaign but it's literally once every 3-4 months 2 hour drive away.

>>53409125
Your friend's the sort of guy who'd fuck a man in the ass without the common courtesy to give him a reach-around.

>>53422717

I bet he can suck a golf ball through a garden hose.

>>53420170
Maybe the GM expected more from you.
I always encourage my slightly socially disabled players.
And have higher standards for the better ones.

File: 1492979432018.png (869KB, 986x797px) Image search: [Google]

869KB, 986x797px

>>53422505
Don't do this to yourself anon. You're better than that.

>>53420271
This is like NTR in roleplaying friendship form. You got your best friend and your game stolen by some passive-aggressive SOB and a literally who and didn't do a thing to stop them.

>>53421788
>Yeah, it was a really shitty and stupid thing to do, and they admitted as much, but it's at least an understandable mistake that ended up escalating.
Sure. Everybody fucks up. The real problem here isn't that he did something shitty and stupid, but that's he's still doing it.

>In the mean time, the new guy and the old player who hated me said they wouldn't play if I was in the game.
"Then hit the fucking road, because this guy is my best friend and I won't exclude him." Or put more diplomatically: "I'm sorry, but this guy is a good friend of mine, and he included me in his game, so I can't very well exclude him from mine. I hope you'll change your mind and stick around, but if you decide to go that will be your decision, not mine."

Good fuck, some of the shit in this thread is absolutely misery.

>>53409125
While he should have said from the get-go that he already has a full group in mind, he's totally within the right to not invite you.

>>53420245
He probably just assumed they were hiding underground.

>>53421472
'I have a full group, don't wante to invite any more people'.

>>53422955
(They are probably not very good friends).

>>53423039
That could be. It could also be that the other guy just isn't a very good friend, period.

>>53423033
thats a can of worms, because obviously he will inquire further than that

>>53423128
>anon: "he is my best friend!"
>friend: "he is a guy I play games with"

>>53409125
>planning a horror home brew that's set in rural Minnisota with a friend
>it's designed to only have 4 players
>I've got a god awful stutter so he'll GM while I play
>super excited
>start getting the crew together
>two guys from our other campaign, myself, and my ex-girlfriend
>not happy about the inclusion of the ex, but she's a great player so I don't bitch about it
>suddenly legendary player from an older campaign moves back to town
>friend says we need him in the game and I agree
>that puts it at 5 which will break the game
>suggest we scrap my ex
>friend can't do it because she just got him a job
>eventually we decide to draw straws and leave it to random chance.
>I pull the short straw

Fate was not kind to me. After all that planning and all the excitement I had built up towards playing in the setting we'd built it all vanished because of a straw pull.

>>53422971
This. DM'ing is a lot of sacrifice and work. It's sad to see people that just take it so easily for granted. Fuck 'em. To all you DM's that have suffered, I recommend just taking your game online. You'll have to chew though a lot of shitters but you'll eventually strike gold.

My own story isn't nearly as bad as anything here, more of a common sense warning. When I was in high school, I ran a long lasting game. It was great fun, my friends loved it and we were all able to commit to it. Come college our time started to get fragmented and I was eventually able to give it a satisfying ending. Good.

Lesson learnt, don't drag things out.

College to uni, I start another game but intend it to be a lot shorter because I know how busy we'll all end up becoming. Ideally the games would be short, then we'll start entirely afresh and try new systems and settings.

>Run first campaign.
>People loved it. Fantastic!
>Create second campaign.
>Players half-arse it, want more of Campaign 1.
>Do a small story for Campaign 1.
>Players love it.
>Try Campaign 3.
>"Fuck that, more of 1! More of 1!"
>Eventually relent and put all my effort into bloating out 1.
>It becomes huge, I poured a ton of effort into it with mapmaking, art, the lot.
>..and then the players have a massive fallout and the entire group crumbles. The handful who still want to play eventually become too busy as I predicted long ago.

There's also the friend of mine who took up GM'ing because he loved the high school game so much and is now in a group where the players all love the game but hate each other.

>>53423210
Sucks, but at least you weren't kicked specifically unless foul play was invovled. someone had to bite the bullet

>>53409125

>Be forever GM
>Running Mekton for a change of pace on Saturdays
>Enjoy the game, players seem to enjoy the sessions as well
>New GM shows up in town
>One Saturday, during game
>"Hey anon, we're all playing in New GM's game, he's running on Saturdays"
>Scheduling conflicts mean Saturday is the only day that works for players
>New GM ain't got room for old GM in game

I don't fault the New GM, I'd just like to hear from the players that the game was trash, rather than this passive-aggressive garbage.

Okay, so there's this group of people I hang out with and excessively wargame with for years. I'm talking 6-8 hours a day for maybe 4 days out of the average week. We do some other stuff on the side, but it's mostly wargaming.

It's a bit more exciting than it sounds because we're creating, tweaking and developing the system, which is a pretty innovative cooperative deal, and there's a decent bit of collaborative storytelling involved with setting up the scenarios (and on a good night, we spend almost as much time on that as with the actual battles). But after a while, I start to get tired of the game. Some of it could just be how often we play it, but our campaigns start to lose some of their heart too. People are no longer as concerned with the story, and we just start throwing scenarios together that undermine any sort of plot and lead to bad match ups of characters. Since I was the last one to join this group, the others have a bunch of preexisting characters and since they don't believe in retirement, they start pushing to revive old campaigns. I'm out voted, so I end up having to make a dimension travelling character who jumps from campaign to campaign, never really knowing what's going on or what abilities everybody has (and frequently being overshadowed in terms of power to boot).

Anyway, due to this a bunch of other factors, I eventually get to the point where I feel like playing is doing math homework. It's just no fun for me anymore, and I'm unable to get people to change their approach or preserve the integrity of the campaigns I really care about, so I'm forced to take a step back. Now, I did not by any means expect everybody to stop gaming out of concern for me. What I did expect was that maybe the group would significantly (but not dramatically) increase the other things they did so we could still hang out fairly frequently, and that they wouldn't drop me like a hot potato. Sadly, that was not to be the case.

>>53422355
If you're going to suffer, at least entertain us with cringy stories of this 3e group.

>>53423396
No big deal. If you're not enjoying it, don't do it. As with >>53423251 my post there about the other GM, you end up with a group of people who can't stand each other but like the game. The game alone isn't going to magically make everything better if there is no chemistry.

Move on, find something new and good people. Don't end up stagnant and incestuous because you depend so heavily upon one thing for entertainment.

>>53423396
So I end up being effectively isolated from this group of people I apparently mistakenly thought were decently good friends of mine. I mean, we hung out all the time and joked around and had fun, but I guess in the end, it was all just about the wargaming. We do end up watching some television as a group, but I'm given backseat priority to wargaming. We'd agree to watch, and I'd go over there, and then have to wait around for hours because they started a battle half an hour before they knew I was showing up. But I had spent basically all my time with the people and didn't have a lot of other folks to hang out with as a result.

But whatever. I'm bitter about it, but I adapt to the way things are. Meanwhile, I look forward to the times when my best friend comes up from out of town to stay with me a few days and role-play. We had previously played together in bigger groups when we lived in the same town, but circumstances being what they were, we were just playing one-on-one shit at that time. But that was okay. We had a great dynamic, and since we got together only sporadically, we could put a lot of detailed prep into things, and it was really fun.

Anyway, my best friend was also friends with folks from the wargaming group, and I knew how much he'd dig out on the game, so I started feeling a bit guilty for effectively keeping him all to myself. Since I really had no interest in jumping back in to the wargame, it would mean less time to hang out and role-play with my best friend, but I felt like it was the cool thing to do. Sometimes you have to think of your friends. Since my friend normally came up for 3 days, I figured I'd maybe lose one of those, but we'd still have two good days to do stuff.

You see where this is going, right? So friend is enthused about the wargame and ends up playing into the wee hours of the morning (while I head home after one battle). Now, he's staying with me, so he comes back to sleep, but gets up the next day and...

>>53423480
>Now, he's staying with me, so he comes back to sleep, but gets up the next day and...
Tells me that they've got plans to play some more. But he tells me we'll be able to hang out later on. Only that never happens. So I hardly get to spend anytime with him.

And the next time he comes up, it's the same thing. He's staying at my place, but going over there to game. He says we'll hang out later, but he always ends up playing another battle. And to make matters worse, he knows I was rather bitter about the way things worked out with the group, because I had previously vented to him, so it's not like he could claim to be somehow oblivious to this all.

So that time is a bust for me too. Cut to the next time he's arranging to come up and he starts going on about how awesome it is going to be to wargame. So I'm looking forward to yet another occasion where he will come up and sleep at my place, but ditch me to wargame. I'm really depressed about this and decide I have to say something. I'm not accusatory or anything, I just try to tell him that I feel left out. He gets pissed because he apparently thinks I'm trying to manipulate him and makes a point to aggressively correct me when I say I talk about being excluded, saying "you mean you chose to exclude yourself." And I'm not talking about a friendly, "dude, I'm sorry, I feel bad, but you kind of chose to exclude yourself" or anything like that. This is more a dismissive, "fuck you" sort of thing. But I shrug it off, and continue to try to explain where I'm coming from.

But he keeps doing the same thing, and it's starting to really piss me off. I mean, I think it's pretty fucking shitty to come from out of town to visit your best friend and sleep at his place, but fucking ditch him to go do shit with other people, but I'm not calling him out for being an asshole. I'm just trying to get him to recognize how unhappy I am with situation.

[almost over]

>>53423554
Anyway, after a while of him being dismissive and hostile towards me, I boil over and start responding in kind. Long story short, I don't have to worry about him staying at my place and going off to game with other people. I get cut out of the loop entirely, and he comes into to town to wargame without ever seeing me. Apparently, none of the friends I thought I had were worth a damn, and the only thing keeping my depression over this in check is my anger at how I was treated.

File: 1495377340075.jpg (269KB, 403x600px) Image search: [Google]

269KB, 403x600px

I feel bad about it but I'm not inviting my old DM into the game I'm running. He's like never available and he gets to run all of his games/characters as a fotm as possible. It's a really frustrating experience and I just don't want to deal with it in my first time DMing.

Am I a bitch for pretty much ghosting him on the subject?

File: image_1.jpg (15KB, 236x161px) Image search: [Google]

15KB, 236x161px

>DMing for some friends I've known for years
>One keeps making stupid decisions and doesn't care about the plot or NPCs at all
>Another is barelly aware of what's going on in the game
>Third one tries to push shit forward as much as possible because "waaah it takes too much time" when the game has been running for more than 1 hour
>4th one plays well but skips sessions a fucking lot and only informs me like 20 minutes before the session is scheduled
>the rest skips sessions on those days as well because he informed them, but not me, beforehand

>>53423657
I think you are just in a no-win scenario, the only thing I can think that MAY work is that you are practising and you dont want him to see all of the holes or issues that come with first time DMing. Can always fall back on schedule thing, because this is a commitment that he has to agree to and if he cant then so be it

>>53409125
It feels like you put this guy in a position where he had to hurt you rather than him intentionally trying to do it.

Or you just mistook him discussing it for him trying/building up to inviting you. You're not obligated to be a part of everything your friends do, nor are they obligated to be a part of everything you do. I think this is even on that 'Geek Social Fallacies' list.

>>53423577
They were never your friends. They were using you for their own benefit. They didn't care about you. But we do anon, and we know you can get a group of actual friends who, may or may not like gaming, but will like you for who you are.

>>53423687
>what's going on in the game
>>Third one tries to push shit forward as much as possible because "waaah it takes too much time" when the game has been running for more than 1 hour
I have the reverse problem in my games. People won't shut the fuck up stupid stuff shit so nothing gets done. What should take an hour gets extended into 3+.

>>53423833
Won't shut up about stupid stuff*

Jesus, my grammar is awful this morning.

>>53423833
I'd be fine with at least some extension
Like, he's pushing shit so fast nobody actually has time to loot the place they just cleared
Of course, a plan to counter his shit has been put in motion, chaoric stupid player nr.1 is unsuprisingly on board with shitting in player 3's cereal, while also doing random shit like "I want to hunt for something while we camp on the road" and the like, just to drag the sessions longer

>>53423687
The third guy sounds like fucking cancer
Like, don't get me wrong, I'm sorry about everything going on but fuck that third one
I'm glad >>53423858 is happening and someone is at least on your side

>>53423878
See, I know players 2 and 4 well enough, to know they'll jump on board with this as well, without me specifically asking them to join on the plot, so I'm kind of using player 1 as a tool for my plan, but hey, as long as mr speedy speed boy learns to stop being autistic, it's all worth it

File: 8YRvOaw.jpg (161KB, 500x500px) Image search: [Google]

161KB, 500x500px

>running Ops and Tactics campaign
>all but one player seems to be at the very least somewhat invested
>This player is quiet even in situations where reactions are warranted
>throw silent hill esque monster at them (in a game where they were mainly fighting soldiers and cops)
>not much reaction
>other player ran a MAID game a month or so back
>The quiet player ends up being the most vocal and entertaining characters in the game
I'm not sure if it's because I'm a relatively new GM and we've got 7 players or if he's not into the game. And to be honest I'm scared to ask.

>>53423932
Sounds like he clearly has a preference anon
If he wanted to quit he'd bring it up
If you got 7 of the niggas and everyone is having fun, I'd count this a fucking phenomenal first DM attempt. Look at some of these horror stories in this thread and count yourself lucky

>>53423822
Oh my (now former) best friend and I were once tight, but people change over time and it seldom seems to be for the better. But I appreciate the sentiment.

>>53423932
The path ahead is obvious here:
Operator maidos.

>>53423932
It could be a bit of both.

When I'm playing in my boyfriend's game I don't participate a great deal. I'm not a fan of his setting and his friends are a bit odd.

File: 1494008621407.png (2MB, 840x1120px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 840x1120px

>>53423997
It could work.

Reading about heroin addicts is less depressing than this thread. Playing this shit for 8 fucking hours 4 days a week? Holy shit what the fuck is wrong with you. You people need some perspective. I used to play gurps dnd robotech ravenloft and a whole bunch of other shit I forget. This was in middle school, high school a bit. Playing anything past a few hours is probably going to get someway stale. But that's not important. What you should be asking yourselves those of you who have online "friends" you play with.... are they really friends as in the flesh and blood version? No they are not. They cannot be until you meet in real life and have some sort of bonding experience. Playing children's games with them online is not it. This shit is like some horrible drug to some of you here. An outlet to the only social contact or conversations you have. That is sad and you know this. Those of you who are older with real lives... there is still something drastically wrong devoting so much time to what in reality is not a lasting creative achievement. Playing make believe with other supposed adults is not a healthy activity. No wonder you're all so easily hurt by these interactions.

This is a waste of a life and this thread proves it. It's like watching addicts justify horrible shit. Just horrific actually.

>>53420170
I never get any inspiration points either. Our main DM doesn't use them, and the others have so far given them for doing something absurd.

I guess it could be a fun mechanic, but overall inspiration just seems to encourage people to play wacky characters. Well, I guess the point is to have fun together.

>>53424007
Umm...I know this is a bait post but I was wondering where you get that all of these events are online from?

>>53424007
>are they really friends as in the flesh and blood version? No they are not. They cannot be until you meet in real life and have some sort of bonding experience.

I know this bait but
You make it sound like you and your friends touch dicks or something and say its not gay because its bonding

>>53424052
Inspiration points are cool for some settings

I DM M&M and I think it gives people incentive to do stuff that is less optimal and more cool for in combat because there is a reward for it. Same goes for roleplay as well.

>>53419690
Honestly this. People make different friends for different reasons, and mixing groups can often be embarrassing or disastrous.

>>53424057
>>53424053
It's not bait, I'm politely letting you know that you're more pathetic than hard core drug addicts. These are manbaby activities that any normal person would rightfully call you out on. Deep down you know I'm right too.

File: 18685689_1338860466150282_1536239942_n.jpg (27KB, 625x626px) Image search: [Google]

27KB, 625x626px

>>53424116

>>53424007
+1 for effort

>>53424084
Yeah, but I suppose DMs have enough stuff on their plate already, so handing out inspiration seems to slip their mind pretty easily.

>>53424007
I've been running online games for about ten years now and I've made some fantastic friends from it. They've been kind enough to let me visit them and I've brought them over here as well. Technology is a good thing and we should embrace it. Sure, you'll get a lot of shitters online (Although going by personal experience, not nearly as much as in person since the goobers in the game store aren't literate enough to Role Play online), but there are indeed diamonds in the rough.

>>53424004
>>53423932
I believe there's a one page RPG made for smashin together MAID with guns. Tactical Waifu, could be fun for a one shot.

> throw together a game for my first timer friends
> it's out of town, so we only have a limited amount of time to play
> try to get all the busy work out of the way before we play
>it's hard to pin people down to do character creation
>do it the day of, it's not ideal
>about an hour of getting ready
>finally get the game started
>throw in lots of silly role-playing and character backstory
> give them a simple "go clear the dungeon" job
> include an ambush that ties into a later mission I have planned
> they finally get to the dungeon
> rogue does some scouting
> other players fall asleep (we've been playing for three or four hours now)
>I decide to call it a night
> sleeping player says "That's it? After all that work?"
> the same player that couldn't be bothered to do character creation early

I worked so hard on Giving them a simple and fun first game and that's the thanks I get. Made me feel like a real asshole.

>>53424282
I had similar issues with two of my first timer players from my current group, but I didn't know these people well before the night; I'd forced character concepts out of them a while before by pestering them on facebook and then I literally stood behind them reading (appropriate sections) from my PHB till they were ready.

Made sure to throw the fuckers in at the deepend, and was pretty forceful with them actually playing and learning; that went for I think six hours with attentive players simply because I took the 'I don't know these shitheads outside of this so I can be dickish, no water off my back if they quit'. Worked pretty well, we're five sessions in of similar, if not longer, length as the first. They're shaping up great. Just put a lot more force and control into the preliminaries and then be as rules light or heavy as you like in game.

You can do it anon, start handing out verbal bitchslaps if you gotta.

>>53424282
> sleeping player says "That's it? After all that work?"
> the same player that couldn't be bothered to do character creation early
Did you explain the problem to him (you had to take up valuable time hand-holding them through character creation, and then people start falling asleep after just a few hours), or were you too pissed?

>>53424393
Sounds like a situation where he just saved his breathe

>>53424322
This. The people who are actually interested will make a clear effort to learn, adapt and understand. People who aren't will just be watery and disinterested anchors around your neck. They'll bring down you and everyone else. Sink or Swim.

>>53424198
Yes, there is a lasers and feelings hack called "tactical waifu".

>>53424282
That will teach you too use easy and rules light systems to introduce new comers to the hobby.

File: vlcsnap-00115.jpg (40KB, 1280x720px) Image search: [Google]

40KB, 1280x720px

>they started a game I couldn't join and it quickly became apparent an extraneous person was turning everyone against each other

>said extraneous person doesn't even play games, they just hang out and talk shit.

Now I don't have enough good players for a group, and my two best players hate each other and split into two groups.

>both groups are running games that are sequels to a 2 year long game i ran years ago that really brought us all together.

S.P. and ABC live on in my heart eternally, but I'm scared to try and bridge the gap between estranged friends of mine, because of thorny personalities.

I'm sad, really sad.

File: 8c6.gif (443KB, 480x238px) Image search: [Google]

443KB, 480x238px

>>53424116
Take it and go

>>53416947
This actually worked for me once. However, I wish I didn't because the DM turned out to be on a level of autism that would make me look like a well-adjusted member of society .

File: 1467319369811.gif (304KB, 104x152px) Image search: [Google]

304KB, 104x152px

>>53422932
It started out as giving the game a shot so I can say that I've read all the things against it and actually experienced it; it became the feeling of watching a horrible train crash in slow motion and wanting but not being able to turn away.
>>53423445
I'm sticking with it until it collapses to type it all up, but here's the cast of characters. I'm still not entirely convinced this isn't a weekly fever dream.
>All of the important NPCs are the DM's former characters, most of the time immensely above our level
>DM's girlfriend playing an elf. Druid. With an animal companion. That's special and requires DM fiat.
>The guy who is a living rules compendium and calls out and little change or fudge the DM makes and cites the book and chapter; carries combat solely on his back
>The Full Attack, stare at facebook memes for rest of round guy
>The dudebro paladin who has no idea what RP is and murders everything while spouting FOR [god]
>Halfling thief who steals everything not nailed down, some things that are [DM: Oh, you want to play something like that? Well, halflings in my setting are like kender...]

I still haven't figured out what walking meme I am, but with a group like this I guess I have to be.
I know the DM lurks either here or leddit due to his lingo, if you read this know it's nothing personal but trying to play with your friends is a madhouse

>>53409206
If you dont mind me asking. What game did he run? This is Ian.

>>53420271
Why the new guy didn't want to play if you were in? Sounds like they've been badmouthing you behind your back.

File: 1491526946194.jpg (71KB, 750x714px) Image search: [Google]

71KB, 750x714px

>first time GM'ing, game size massively explodes due to other people inviting other people
>final size is like 7 or 8 + me
>session goes about as well as it can, everyone seemed to have fun
>get real busy for a month, can't GM
>everyone started playing a different campaign and never told me
And then I never played tabletop again.

>>53423999
Yeah, I mean I too have people I respect as as DMs but are fond of settings, game systems and themes that just don't click with me and I have a hard time getting invested, or even staying invested.

File: 1490895185147.jpg (11KB, 270x270px) Image search: [Google]

11KB, 270x270px

>>53427658
>Well, halflings in my setting are like kender...
This was the worst one.

>>53409148
What? He was running it for a specific group. He might not have wanted to introduce someone who only the DM knew or the group might have already had too many people. If your group already has six players adding more won't help.

>group of friends since elementary school
>have all moved away from home, try to keep in touch
>they all want to do 5e roll20 campaign
>other friend is gming
>I talk to him about character idea, what would be cool with him, etc
>I'm the only person of the players to do this or even read the manual
>come the night of
>I text and ask if everyone is ready
>gm worked a long day and completely forgot about the meeting
>pretty much everyone but me and one other guy had forgotten
>it's understandable so I don't mind
>we settle on the next night
> I work a longer day than usual and forget the meeting, similar to what happened to everyone else the day before
>suddenly remember a couple of hours later
>everyone already started and finished
>nobody thought to text or anything
I know it was my fault for forgetting, but it just hurts that nobody even thought to say "oh has anyone seen if anon is joining" even though I had to do the exact same thing the night before.

>>53421465
This happened to me, except the player that had an inexplicable hate-on for me started GMing the very same campaign he'd bullied me out of.

Those friendships crumbled in a few months, and I quit GMing for years after the incident.

File: 1409536061407.png (17KB, 900x900px) Image search: [Google]

17KB, 900x900px

>>53409125

>DM putting my char/party through the ringer, countless npcs betray us or turn into villains, overall campaign is grim, bleak, dark, railroady and miserable
>tell him I'm not having any fun with this shit and he's railroading us out the ass
>he takes the criticism in stride and thanks me for it
>few sessions later puts the campaign on hiatus do to lack of enthusiasm/ideas

did I hurt my dm?

>>53420104
Break some rules. Just let the Troll grab a PC and slam him to the ground. Pinning him in a Grapple/Prone combo (without damage dice but 1 + STR damage). Add a spellcannon to a Golem. Let homebrew lavamonsters drag them into lava. Let an NPC constantly lie to them until they realize it.

Create a list of names and surnames for yourself so you can quickly create NPCs on the fly. Get prices and tavern names as well.

Stop trying to do it perfectly and just do whatever. It's a risk, but sitting in the malaîse of snarky players isn't worth licking their boots for. Stop thinking in good or bad GMing, you're not a good or bad GM. You're just a GM. That's it. Try new stuff every session until you got something you like to be.

>>53427888
If you're really Ian, our last adventure took us to an old lab where we had it out with the guy we stole the banner from. You can provide the proper names if you're familiar with them.

>Get invited to play D&D with some friends
>We are told to make like youngish characters from the same small village
>Make snotty bard who wants to go have adventures
>Lucky for my the first session ends with the whole town minus us getting magically kidnapped
>We decide to go to a nearby city to get help
>City guards make us pay bribes to get into city
>No one is remotely helpful
>We do every random thing NPCs ask us for, still no help
>Every NPC is just rude to us no matter what
>My character getting more and more jaded
>Distrustful of people we meet since everyone we have met since leaving our village is an asshole who tries to screw us
>Very loyal to the party but doesn't trust anyone else
>One day GM just blows up at me
>Tells me my character is unpleasant, and is ruining the story

File: 1423211655928.jpg (43KB, 544x346px) Image search: [Google]

43KB, 544x346px

>>53432955

>Game is supposed to be fun and lighthearted and I'm just an asshole
>My roleplaying is shit etc
>Ends the game because it's ruined now
>I feel terrible
>Other players tell me i was fine but still
>Don't try RPGs again
>Still hang out with these people, GM will happily tell anyone who listens what a shit player I was
>Mutual friend asks if I want to play in the game they are starting
>Super nervous to play but whatever fuck it
>Still playing with them 2 years later
>Old GM complaining last time I saw her about how she can't find any players and never gets to play RPGs anymore
>Mfw

>>53431482

Does your name go by the name of Detective?

>>53434243

your DM go by*

Sorry, had a long day.

>>53432955
>>53432999

What the fuck, your DM is a fucking cunt. I'm glad that rotten bitch can't find any players.

>>53420170
Haha, it's all good man. My dm does the same thing to me, but he pretty much told me flat out that if he awarded them to me using the same metric he does for the others I'd be drowning in inspiration. But also he only hands them out in the fly and and rather sparsely at that. Maybe ask your dm what he's looking for and suggest perhaps they be more spontaneous?

>>53432955
>>53432999
>game is supposed to be fun and lighthearted
>every npc is rude and unhelpful
Where was the fun supposed to come from? Has your old DM ever explained what you did wrong in her eyes or did she just remain a massive bitch?

>>53434266
>>53434243

No sir.

>>53434481

I never asked about it, and she has never given any actual reasoning for why what I did was bad. I just try not yo talk to her about RPGs, we obviously have different views of how they are played, and I don't want to make it more of a thing by dredging it back up. The weird part is, outside of games she was always very nice.

>>53434302

I will admit that I get a certain amount of satisfaction hearing her complain about how she isn't able to get a game going. It doesn't help her that she will only play 3.PF, which limits her options for players a good amount.

>>53434652

Alright, I was about to apologize for being a shitty GM.

>>53434685

Good man.

>>53434685
>>53432955
>>53432999

Sounds like she had one particular solution in mind for your problem, and you guys never stumbled onto it. It's a common folly, and it frustrates everyone involved.

The DM is frustrated because there is probably one skill that they want one of the players to use to pick up the bread-crumb trail and they just aren't using it. The players are frustrated because every plan that should work isn't working at all. Soon, the party feels like the DM is just being a dick, and the DM feels like the players are mentally damaged. In my own experience, it tends to happen more with systems that have a huge list of skills and an inflexible DM.

She was probably making all the city NPCs act like total assholes because she was trying to 'subtly' tell you guys that you were on the wrong path. Instead of, you know, having a guard point you in the direction of ye old wizard who lives on the edge of town, and who might be a bit off their rocker.

>Guy at work wants to play DnD
>Been reading into 5e a lot, want to give it a try.
>Wanna keep the group small because last time we played, it fucking got too big for me to keep track, people didn't show up, ect. ect..
>Agrees, only one or two other people.
>Got another guy who wants to play.
>Great.
>Ask them what kind of setting they want.
>Get it to a playable, but flexible state.
>Got a map made.
>Got the first session ready to go.
>All we need is to make characters.
>Session zero is planned twice, but never comes to fruition.

Fuck. I'm ready to goddamn grab a bunch of randoms and run this fucking thing.

>>53424007
Why are you even on this board?

>>53416947
>"Can I play in your game?" is not the same thing as "I'll be there".

File: The Best RPG Ever.pdf (163KB, 1x1px) Image search: [Google]

163KB, 1x1px

>>53423932
Run this next time.

>>53427658
Dear god. Anon you are a far braver man then I.

>>53428359
>i abandon my commitments and are annoyed when they people don't ask me to commit to a game
Fuck you, if you can't maintain an agreed upon schedule 90%+ of the time, don't fucking play. Thats your problem.

File: IMG_0572.png (45KB, 744x651px) Image search: [Google]

45KB, 744x651px

>>53435894
That's pretty unforgiving, anon. Have you never had any sort of emergency more important than your hobby?
Honestly, it sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder, and are remembering some past injustice and taking your anger out on this guy. Try to calm down a bit.

>>53435894
>Anon believes his pretend Elf game takes precedence over anything else and gets triggered when other people put their lives first.

File: 1368861717530.gif (499KB, 500x281px) Image search: [Google]

499KB, 500x281px

>Have RP heavy session with people finding information, meeting new NPCs, forging alliances
>One player is quiet for most of the session (we're on roll20)
>Later on laughs about how he was asleep the entire time, didn't care at all

>Party gets kidnapped by a cult, locked in cells
>Have the newest player get some help
>Think the others will try to think outside of the box
>Player that fell asleep just sits in the cell and waits to be rescued

>Gets to the point where I have to remind my players of what their main goal is in the campaign
>Ask them what they want to do in towns, what they feel up to
>Met with stone silence until I suggest something

and the worst part is, I ask after every session if people have problems, criticisms, or concerns, and they don't say a fucking word to me

>>53436417
I know that feel. I've had groups with such little initiative I've had to essentially narrate the game for them.
>Describe room. "What do you do?"
>...
>"Do you want to search the room or something?"
>..."Uhh... Sure."
>"Alright what do you search?"
>..."Uhh. I dunno."
>10 minutes of listless stares later. "Fuck, do you want to search the bookcase?"
>..."Uhh... Ok."

Group soured GMing for me for years.

>>53436508
>me and one other dude in my group of 7 are the only two players who ever take initiative to do shit
>I usually play annoying meme characters
>he usually plays special snowflake guys
>we're also the main two DMs
When I DM he's the leader of the party, when he DMs I'm the leader of the party. Both of us are annoyed with it.

>>53436508
Why are you even playing with those guys?

>>53435998
Not that anon, but what really bothers me is: flaking out on your friends is bad form. Nobody likes it. Not in tabletop, going to the movies, going a hike, whatever. A person agreeing to do a thing, then not showing up for the thing is irritating. Double if everyone else suspects the person just didn't want to show up.

Like some examples of group social interaction, tabletop REALLY needs everyone to show up. It's like sports. If that person doesn't show at the last minute, suddenly the entire dynamic is different.
>Guy doesn't show up for first viewing of new Star Wars? "Pfft, whatever. His loss."
>Guy doesn't show up for DnD? "Fuck. How are we gonna cover is ass? Just pretend, I guess."

90% IS a bit steep, but if you're having an emergency on the same day every 10 weeks, you should probably rethink a few things.

>Used to Gm a player driven sandbox game.
>Setting full of detail, i worked my balls off to allow them freedom.
>Players have fun.
>really felt and enjoyed the freedom that the pc's had.
>They chose their adventures, friends, and enemies.
>eventually game ends, both of the players Gm new games.
>Their games are railroaded to hell and back.
>I could just put all of our characters in both games on autopilot and full attack every round; The result would be the same
>One of them says to me "Well I am just a better GM than you because I have more experience"

Fuck you, I worked hard to create fun for all of us. The enjoyment we had in each game is night and day, mine we were having a blast every night and yours we just went through the motions 9/10 times.

>>53436712
Remember that GMing is not just "showing up." I can think of quite a few instances where I wouldn't be able to properly GM because work or school got overwhelming, for example.

Also, I'd assume that >>53428359 didn't just flake but told everybody he wouldn't be able to GM for whatever reasons he had.

Shit happens, sometimes life gets busy and you have to triage your responsibilities. The shitty part here isn't that they started a campaign without him, is that they didn't invite him to it.

>>53436679
It was the early 2000s when Roll20 wasn't a thing and you played 3.5 or nothing.

>>53409125
I'd refuse to GM for him in turn. Fair's fair.

>>53414342
You're a godawful friend.

>>53419690
>>53424088
That's called being two-faced.

>>53423717
Snubbing any of your friends makes you a jackass. It's entirely that guy's friend for talking about the game to him and then snubbing him. You don't talk to your friends about something they'd like to do then tell them to fuck off because you like other people more.

>>53436869
No, that's called having multiple friend circles. Most people have multiple groups they hang out with, and they don't all need to intersect. You don't need to include all your friends on everything you do.

>>53420271
He's not your friend and he's probably fucking you over in other ways too. Drop him.

>>53436894
No anon you don't understand. If all of your friends don't all hang out together for everything you're a terrible person. And you're probably also Hitler.

>>53424057
You say that like it's a bad thing.

>>53436894
Nah, intentionally splitting your life into two secret halves and outright lying about what you're doing is two-faced.

>DMing my first game
>Been playing for a month or two
>At my boyfriend's house, he's not playing
>He's in the other room on PC doing something
>People start to graduate towards that room to see what he's up to
>Despite their characters being in the scene the players initiated
>One by one they leave
>Last player is talking to a male npc he has been trying to befriend
>His character is a young elf maiden
>She bought NPC a gift, talked to him a bunch of times, and invited him to this new years party
>At midnight, he tries to kiss her
>Player says "I'm not doing this." and walks away.
>Sitting alone at a table covered in character sheets wondering what happened

I assume he got a case of the not-gays and panicked, but he could have just said he wasn't into any romance stuff and I would have had it not happen. Or have the character react and talk to the NPC in character. It's not like he was going to rape her. Instead he just dusted me.

>running an online game for friends and husband
>players are at a small college investigating supernatural occurrence
>player goes to the classroom where the mythology class is held
>'the room is empty, there's no class on right now'
>husband says to me irl that that's bad dming and I shouldn't put useless hurdles like that. 'Just let her talk to the guy.' etc.
>was literally going to have her just walk to his office which is right there
>why would the professor be standing in a random classroom when that class isn't happening
>husband argues that it's pointless and wastes time
>point out that I'm waiting on his reply in game anyway and HE is wasting time

just mad and there's literally nobody I can complain about this to

I wound up hastening their discovery of info and pushing them way ahead in their case since they hadn't made much progress. I just had the guy tell them exactly what the monster was, but then they left the library without looking up the fucking monster on some weird different tangent to learn about it ?? like just grab a book it's right there I just spent 10 minutes preparing a file to send you holy shit

now they know what it is but not how to kill it

what do ido

File: 1492449089882.jpg (176KB, 856x540px) Image search: [Google]

176KB, 856x540px

>>53435299

>Wandering off to watch something else during RPGs

>>53437241

I'm obviously a retard and responded the wrong person, was meant for >>53437020

>>53436809
We had VtM too!

>>53437231
Let them die

>>53437279
Yeah but VtM was that game you could never get your normie friends to try because that goth kid that smelled weird was obsessed with it.

>>53434243
I'm joining a game and I think this guy's in it. What was his problem?

>>53437279
>people playing Revised-era WoD

>>53437472
Revised era WoD was the best WoD.

>>53423964
Thankfully, it's probably just a matter of us having a lot of players so he feels a bit sidelined I guess. One bowed out from a lack of interest in the setting and the quiet player stuck around thankfully. All my other players are certainly seeming to be having fun so far though. The maid game had half the players and the others were really quiet, so he probably felt a bit obligated to take charge.

>>53423822
damn bro don't lie to him that's just cruel.

>>53436799
Then you don't play, which is fine. Bitching that THEY played when you couldn't is just being an ass.

>>53438303
He isn't bitching that they played when he couldn't. He's bitching that they didn't tell him they were playing.

Which is a dickish thing to do.

>>53438315
I don't feel obligated to tell my friends every time i do something that doesn't involve them/.

>>53438322
Except this did involve him. At the very least the should have told him so he didn't waste time preparing his campaign.

>>53438327
>anon can't play for an extended period
>his friends play a game
That game has nothing to do with the original anon.

>>53438359
You might just be the same kind of dick as anons friends.

>>53438369
You have a weird life if everything you do that COULD involve your friends, MUST.

>>53438509
Honestly man, if that's what you took away from my posts, you are beyond helping.

>>53438359
Anon can't GM, is not the same as can't play.
The problem is not having a game without him, but the fact that they didn't play with him anymore after that prior of time.

>>53438524
Are you advocating dropping the current game for the prior one?

>>53438518
It's what it comes down to. I say there is nothing wrong with playing a new game because the old one stopped being an option, you say they have to include the guy who caused the game to falter to begin with.

>>53438547
>you say they have to include the guy who caused the game to falter to begin with.
Your entire problem is that you do not understand what I am saying, exemplified by this sentence that has nothing to do with what I've been saying.

>>53438532
All I'm saying is that if a friend of mine have a rough month and can't GM for our group I would ditch him from the group and will try to find a way to play together again.

>>53420271
Holy shit are you me?

>>53427658
You are the straight man in this tragicomedy.

>>53437231
If they go into the situation unprepared, be prepared to let them hurt. If you don't prepare, it is going to come bite you in the ass afterwards: and you know what they say about people who have been bitten, right? Once bitten, twice shy.

>>53440052

Yea I have a consequence. They won't die but they'll be doing it wrong and they will get demerits etc.

>>53420271
>spectated our OOC and IC chats
Y tho

>>53431482
No, he just sucks at DMing because he has no idea how to do a campaign that isn't full of tweeests and betrayol.

File: mnight.jpg (11KB, 300x212px) Image search: [Google]

11KB, 300x212px

>>53443658

A campaign without tweests isn't a campaign worth playing.

>>53427658
You're probably the guy who sits there drinking, absent minded, having to be called back into this hell every time you find an alcohol infused happy place.

>>53443877
Agreed. But having them happen all the time makes you feel cheated out of a story. One traitor is cool. Everyone is a traitor all the time is boring, unless you're playing a well built "find the cultists in the room" campaign.

File: 1449774584329.jpg (61KB, 500x500px) Image search: [Google]

61KB, 500x500px

>>53437020
>>At midnight, he tries to kiss her
>>Player says "I'm not doing this." and walks away.

Hiliarously awkward as fuck.

>>53443948

Yea.... I thought that was what he was going for! Bought gifts etc? Constantly chatting. I thought she was trying to get in with npc using her charms. Friendship is fine too but just tell me and we can "x-card" or whatever.

Smh

>>53443948
>>53443994
>"I'm not doing this."
He/she could've said that IC too and it would've worked just fine.

I think the game was already ruined by that point though, and that was just the final nail in the coffin.

>>53443994
In my own personal experience, it's better to ask for clarification. Whenever my players do something that seems a little odd or off topic, I always try to ask them what they're trying to accomplish by doing that action... Sometimes, they're trying to solve the problem at hand by using tactics I haven't considered and might be effective.

>>53437020

Are you a dude or a chick?

>>53445118
Asking for intention is great gm advice. It solves so many problems by insuring both player and gm are on the same page. Whenever I'm a player I always present intentions alongside my actions.
As a result I am often the player whom resolves their actions the quickest with the highest chance of accomplishment (it helps that I'm also the defacto main character when I'm not a gm. someone mentioned it earlier and I can't be bothered to find the post, but that frustrates me as well).

>>53436893
That's really not what happened there m8.

>>53423169
Like what?
"Who?"
>list the other players
"There's room for one more"
>I don't want that many players this time.
"Y-you're a dick!"

Oh I guess you're a cunt and I'm glad we don't need to be friends anymore.