So, my group just blew up. >Playing something that's

>>54453910
Do you want to DM for our group instead. I can promise you that won't happen.

We do have a guy that breaks all immersion constantly to make dick jokes though.

>>54453910
I'm quite certain that you're telling only half the story, and if any of your players were here to tell the tale, your game would be shown in a much different light.

OP, if someone is at the highest rank of a skill, and wants to show off, that sounds like they want there to be rolls. While you may not want to drag out a practice spar, these little things can be the things that your players end up loving.

>>54453910
>and I'm not talking setting breaking ones, just competent NPCs.
Yeah, the NPC is at the PEAK OF HUMAN SKILL. He's JUST COMPETENT.

Like >>54454021
I think you left out something.

And it reeks of shit worldbuilding with "every NPC is stronger than we are".
I know this type, and it doesn't make good gams.

>>54453910
My friend it sounds like you're at a poor state right now so I won't shit on you like every motherfucker before me, so

If you could elaborate or if one of your players is here to elaborate in your place, now's a good time

>>54454347
Is there anything in particular you wish elaborated on? I'm not deliberately trying to be biased here, but a blind spot is almost by definition something you're not aware of.

>>54454188
Yes, he's an amazing swordsman, one of the best in the world. Ultimately, that doens't make him a setting breaker, and he (or just about anyone) can be dogpiled by a dozen or so pretty ordinary fighters and slaughtered. He's a great duelist, not an army-eating behemoth, and his ability to meaningfully impact the setting is just about nil.

>>54454498
What are some other NPCs that they would describe as being really powerful

'cause judging by your introduction you care a lot about them NPCs and having them be "real" so it's probable that your players take that in a negative, spotlight stealing, kinda way

>>54453910
Sounds like the nigger that broke the camel's back, there's a lot you're not saying no doubt.

>>54454776
>What are some other NPCs that they would describe as being really powerful

More or less in order of running into them, and drawing from either conversations had or just my own observations of how they act.
>Hevris, bodyguard of petty king that the PCs more or less work for; while system is classless he's kind of a fighter-mage, with a heavy focus on divination and stealth. By pure XP needed to legitimately build him, by far the most powerful character created for this adventure arc.
>Garn, a hobgoblin necromancer that held sway over an important stretch of desert caravan route (Killed by party in very difficult fight)
>Rabol himself (the swordsman)
>Merzol, Shaper mage who mostly makes potions, but occasionally can be prevailed upon to make a more substantial item.
>Stybba Female elf "druid", system does not have specific druids, but has a magical skillset very akin to DnD druidic magic. Rather wealthy caravan leader.
>The Sage; a fae extradimensional entity studying the plane, mostly interacts with PCs as an information broker. (Mostly there as insurance against the players missing out on a clue that they'll want later)
>Glob; two headed troll that's centuries old and of extremely nasty (and semi-legendary) repute. Players haven't interacted with him per se, but have heard a lot about him and have given his stomping grounds a wide berth.

Most of them have had only sporadic interaction with the party, and are generally much more important in local stuff than something that would affect the setting as a whole; but that's the list of people that the playergroup has either respected IC, or a least looked askance at.

A best-case scenario is that you've committed a "foul" of the storytelling art, and something about your method, style or manner has betrayed their sense of agency within the world.

A worst-case scenario is that your players are video-game spoiled brats brimming with a sense of entitlement.

>>54454498
One of the best of the world isn't "just competent".

For a PC, it is very unlikely to think that he can ever be killed, since when one of the player challenge him at the peak of human skill, he get a draw, no roll possible.

>>54455359
>For a PC, it is very unlikely to think that he can ever be killed, since when one of the player challenge him at the peak of human skill, he get a draw, no roll possible.
Have you ever tried not playing DnD? Or any other game where power is essentially intrinsic, and if you can't beat the guy in one sort of fight, you probably can't beat him in any kind of fight?

Because I don't know what your usual mains are, but we're playing a modded version of Dragonquest, and things very much do not work that way. Yes, Rabol is extremely good in a swordfight. You could easily kill him with a crossbow to the face. Or just have 3-4 reasonably strong people dogpile him and get those amazing +30 bonuses for attacking in the rear. Or attack someone in heavy armor which the small swords he's good with aren't effective against. Or, you know, do anything except fight him in the exact style he's a master at.

>>54456035
So in other words he's not an adventurer because he suffers from crippling overspecialization.

Well there's their answer.

>>54456207
It's also just a system where there's a fairly low ceiling on power. Even the absolute toughest guy in the universe with a bazillion XP sunk into maximizing every skill, weapon, and spell in the game will die to a half a dozen mid-level fighter types as a few of them work around to the back and stab him, or wrestle him to the ground while others stab him. You have a lot of positional advantages compared to the magnitude of the bonuses you get from leveling up.

Plus, I mean, this guy isn't even an enemy; one of the reason Chirune is at level 10 small swords herself is she's managed to rank up at about 70% cost overall because she has a very high level trainer in this guy. (Moreso at lower levels, less so as she went for the really high ranks). They don't need to "do" anything with him at all, barring the occasional social skill roll to try to get him to pass along information that he really shouldn't be but might because he likes them.

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53KB, 595x695px

>>54453910
There's nothing wrong with an NPC being statistically stronger than or as strong as the players, or better than they are at just the one thing that they're totally dedicated to. Having all sorts of people with all sorts of specialties is a way to make a setting more alive.

It's also a good reason for players to be motivated to make decisions as if their characters were really in that world. Not just by wanting to improve their skills, but acknowledging that hitting things and dropping fireballs isn't always going to work when your enemy is better at hitting things and dropping fireballs. Sometimes they need to get creative to outsmart the enemy, or scrape together enough allies to overwhelm them, or strike a deal with them to convince them to stop.

As for not being the ones saving the world, why would they? It's not like everyone that has a talent is going to use it for the singular purpose of helping people that they don't even know or fighting baddies. At least, these are my ramblings on the subject.