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The Defence Minister
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
218 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Jun 2010 : 14:58:43
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When you're running a game, do you usually GM just for friends/people you know or do you sometime agree to do it for groups of strangers who dont know each other? If the latter, do you often get problems with people falling out/arguing/not getting along? Do you often get at least one rather unpleasant person, or person who keeps arguing with you? Finally, if two PC's want to fight it out to the death 'in game', do you let them?
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- TDM (Candlekeep's most popular, experienced and handsome member) |
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Cleric Generic
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
565 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2010 : 15:39:00
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Most of the people I currently DM for were strangers when I picked them up from the uni's geek-soc. I met them all at the pub a couple of times to try and filter out any loonies, which seems to have been successful, as we've yet to have any major incidents. A couple of people have disappeared under peculiar circumstances, but that's about it.
As for deadly PC duelling; yes, I'll allow it, assuming they're not just being silly and it would not otherwise be too disruptive. |
Cedric! The Cleric Generic and Master of Disguise!
ALL HAIL LORD KARSUS!!!
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Kilvan
Senior Scribe
Canada
896 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2010 : 16:08:27
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| I play with friends. On two occasions, while I was looking for new players (because one of my current players didn't have time for D&D anymore) I accepted a friend from one of the players. On both those occasions, those new players became close friends. There have never been any conflict at my gaming table (except RP related of course). I can't even imagine two of my PCs wanting to kill each other (in game or otherwise...) but I certainly would not allow it, I would kick them out until they get along. |
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woodwwad
Learned Scribe
USA
267 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2010 : 03:55:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Cleric Generic
I met them all at the pub a couple of times to try and filter out any loonies, which seems to have been successful
This is really a big piece of gold for a new GM trying to start a group. I do the same thing, although, not being a drinker I use a Borders book store cafee. I'll usually bring 1 or 2 of my other players to get addition oppinions on the person. Ask the person a lot of questions. A typical interview for anyone we meet with goes for about 2 hours. We've found people that were great & added them to our group. Also, we've found people that were crazy, people we thought would be poor quality players & people we thought for other reasons we'd pass on.
To the other thing you mentioned, as a DM don't ever tolerate someone that keeps arguing with you. It bogs down your games & may kill your energy to run the game, drop that player right away.
As to PvP I've had that happen before but not for a good long time, & yes, if someone gets killed that's on them. |
Check out my reviews on youtube of Forgotten Realms and other rpg products. http://www.youtube.com/user/woodwwad?feature=mhum |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2010 : 04:41:08
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I had insanely good groups (and was blessed to have been taught by an Ed-like GM who was simply amazing), and I had annoyingly bad groups (one of which the same person kept rolling-up character after character and then attacking the party).
I try to always run for friends, but that hasn't always been the case, and I've had everything from very disruptive people to one guy who refused to leave the town and "go adventuring" (he didn't want his character getting hurt!) I've also played under at least 2 DMs (that I can remember off the top of my head) that basically let their girlfriends play and do whatever the hell they wanted.
Unfortunately, RPGing is full of The good, the Bad, and the Ugly.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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BlackAce
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
358 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2010 : 05:27:30
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I've DM'ed for strangers before, in fact quite a few of the (now) old timers in my group started out as strangers who simply saw what we were doing and asked to join in. We originally used to meet in a pub adjacent to the college. I did a deal with the upper floor bar manager and we would basically occupy a snug for an afternoon every week, when we all had a free period.
As you'd expect, for every good player who was eager to join in, we'd attract either a weirdo or a disruptive idiot. After we'd got five decent regulars we made it a closed group and would only let people join if one of the current members vouched for them. Worked pretty well but I'm not sure I'd ever do it again and I certainly wouldn't try and run a serious game that way, at least not untill I had half-decent players. |
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Darkmeer
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2010 : 05:45:39
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I've GM/Played with friends and strangers.
Currently our game is set in Golarion, and I'm playing with (mostly) strangers. There's a lot of people I've met through gaming, and most every one of them has been great.
There are a few of them that have been less than pleasing, and the only person I've banned from a game was a friend (he took everything much, much, MUCH too seriously and blended reality/fiction lines in ways that made everyone uncomfortable).
Anyhoo, that's about it for players.
I've had two PC's want to assassinate other PC's, and they succeeded, but were cursed in some manner for what they did. One was a Green Ronin Assassin (who killed the party Paladin), and the other was a druid of some sort (who killed a very mean rogue). That pair left the game shortly thereafter (the paladin and rogue), and the assassin's player left as well. This was sad, but it was a bad mix of personalities.
/d |
"These people are my family, not just friends, and if you want to get to them you gotta go through ME." |
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Knight of the Gate
Senior Scribe
USA
624 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2010 : 06:37:04
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quote:
Unfortunately, RPGing is full of The good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Hey, MT, I resemble at least two of those remarks!  |
How can life be so bountiful, providing such sublime rewards for mediocrity? -Umberto Ecco |
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Sian
Senior Scribe
Denmark
596 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2010 : 15:16:06
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| which one ... the good and the ... eh ... drawing a blank on the other one :p |
what happened to the queen? she's much more hysterical than usual
She's a women, it happens once a month |
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Saxmilian
Learned Scribe
USA
157 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2010 : 23:54:45
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I wont punish my players if their characters feel the need to duke it out. I had a decent campaign ruined when the elf archer chick wouldnt stop instulting the half-orc barbarian who finally (after suffering many insults) snapped. It divided the party, who all took sides, except for the warforged who stomped off mumbling about stuipd humans. In the end two were severly wounded and two were dead.
Gruop made new characters but had the option of using their originals...I cant see (as a DM) telling (forcing) my players what they can and cant try, if they duke it out and someone dies at least they played in Character and thats the most important thing at our table. Now if i could just get the rogue to stop looting his "friends" while hes on guard duty... |
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woodwwad
Learned Scribe
USA
267 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2010 : 02:22:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Darkmeer
I've GM/Played with friends and strangers.
Currently our game is set in Golarion, and I'm playing with (mostly) strangers. There's a lot of people I've met through gaming, and most every one of them has been great.
There are a few of them that have been less than pleasing, and the only person I've banned from a game was a friend (he took everything much, much, MUCH too seriously and blended reality/fiction lines in ways that made everyone uncomfortable).
Anyhoo, that's about it for players.
I've had two PC's want to assassinate other PC's, and they succeeded, but were cursed in some manner for what they did. One was a Green Ronin Assassin (who killed the party Paladin), and the other was a druid of some sort (who killed a very mean rogue). That pair left the game shortly thereafter (the paladin and rogue), and the assassin's player left as well. This was sad, but it was a bad mix of personalities.
/d
If your intent was to punish the players that killed the other characters, that's something you need to be very careful about. It can give not only those players a bad taste for your game but everyone else there as well. As they'll feel highly constrained & of course the people you did that to likely felt unfairly targeted. This is if I understand your comments correctly. |
Check out my reviews on youtube of Forgotten Realms and other rpg products. http://www.youtube.com/user/woodwwad?feature=mhum |
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woodwwad
Learned Scribe
USA
267 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2010 : 02:39:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I had insanely good groups (and was blessed to have been taught by an Ed-like GM who was simply amazing), and I had annoyingly bad groups (one of which the same person kept rolling-up character after character and then attacking the party).
I try to always run for friends, but that hasn't always been the case, and I've had everything from very disruptive people to one guy who refused to leave the town and "go adventuring" (he didn't want his character getting hurt!) I've also played under at least 2 DMs (that I can remember off the top of my head) that basically let their girlfriends play and do whatever the hell they wanted.
Unfortunately, RPGing is full of The good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
I've met or seen well over 1,000 gamers in my life & while I have met a lot of good one, the vast majority of the ones I've seen play are what I would consider bad.
I've seen the girlfriend problem a few times. It does suck, especially if the game is good, I've only ever had one GM were that was a problem but it was a small problem & he was a great gm & she was a real solid player but it did get annoying at times. What was much worse was having to play with a couple were the guy was really trying & the girl who was clearly only playing for her bf was doing everything she could to get every one else killed & causing any problem she could. I've also seen 3 different gay dudes that ran games, at game stores, seemingly only for the reason of having a vechicle for spending time with & trying to pressure young boys into giving them favors, for play time, xp, magic items, ect. Not to go on to much but I saw more than one disturbing thing from these games.  |
Check out my reviews on youtube of Forgotten Realms and other rpg products. http://www.youtube.com/user/woodwwad?feature=mhum |
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Some questions
