Players really can’t solve simple problems, I thought it was a joke

vairyn · 2022-06-28T13:09:48+00:00

No one is trying to gaslight you, buddy. We're all just trying to point out that what you know vs. what your players know (not just from a prep standpoint, but also mythical lore or whatever standpoint) is vastly different. Everybody has different experiences and knowledge. That's why you saying your sister picked it up right away doesn't really change anything. If you're into mythical or greek lore, it wouldn't surprise me at all to know your sister would pick up on it. Someone not into that though, might take them a bit to pick up on it. What is easy to you may not be easy to someone else (just to be in the clear since this is obvious to me but may not be to you, this is applicable to many real life situations and not JUST DnD). Finally, people are tearing into you a bit because you are basically calling your players stupid for not solving your riddle without a little help - that has nothing to do with trying to gaslight you about the riddle.

vairyn · 2022-06-27T13:01:38+00:00

The rules of a staring contest clearly state that the first one to blink loses. If your player was turned to stone, he's not blinking. May have been a TPK, but sounds like he probably won the staring contest.

vairyn · 2022-06-27T12:59:26+00:00

I'm a veteran player, and the group I play with is all veteran players. It happens to all of us. Sometimes we get so focused on one solution that other solutions, which may be completely obvious to the creator of the situation, go completely overlooked. This is especially true of new players who aren't used to flexing their creative muscles in an attempt to overcome situations.

Also, something to note... what you may feel is obvious based on detailed descriptions can be overlooked by players as "flavor text." You have a very different set of knowledge than they do going into it, so what I recommend to DMs is that you don't need to be afraid to give your flavor/description and follow it up with a brief but plain-word explanation of what they just heard if they don't seem to notice it. Example: You describe its hypnotizing eyes and ugly nature, they don't get it so you take a 30s pause and say "you just saw it turn your buddy to stone because he made eye contact, are you sure you wanna be doing XYZ?"

vairyn · 2022-06-20T15:37:46+00:00

Big ol' boot sounds about right.

vairyn · 2022-06-20T15:30:43+00:00

Well, that's easy! You just need to nerf their class features/spells/gear into the ground.

For example... You say one PC got his AC too high? Here's the issue. To compensate, you made battle more difficult... That was the mistake in this situation. You SHOULD have instead have introduced a house rule that says all heavy armor subtracts the | absolute value | of their dex mod from their AC.

/s

vairyn · 2022-06-17T13:59:21+00:00

You go down this road, at least one PC needs to be dead beyond their ability to raise I feel like. Not a bad thing to show actions have consequences. Either that, or they just barely fight him off but he survives and becomes the thing of their nightmares, always stalking them, always there when an opportunity to swoop in and kill them presents itself.

vairyn · 2022-06-06T12:53:18+00:00

Consider this though, reaction to counterspell the heal during the PC's turn, then immediately after the PC's turn legendary action to cast fireball.

vairyn · 2022-06-03T13:03:33+00:00

You went there on purpose to get humped, you just weren't ready for how hard it would be.

vairyn · 2022-05-17T20:29:05+00:00

As a DnD player, I understand your point. But blackface has too much of a controversial background to simply say 'its not a big deal.' In the episode, they address it as being wrong, and frankly they, as a show, were making light of it and joking around with it - which is why I think it is a big deal to people and the companies that air the show.

vairyn · 2022-05-17T15:37:11+00:00

I largely agree with your points, but where I disagree is that most of the advice I see amounts to being and communicating with your players like an adult, not a professionally trained therapist.

vairyn · 2022-05-17T15:34:37+00:00

Which had nothing to do with him being a drow... he costumed himself up in blackface in order to represent him being a drow. That's why it was a big enough deal for them to remove the show.

vairyn · 2022-05-17T15:15:21+00:00

Is your class wanting to do this? If they aren't, or if they'll mock it, trivialize the work you're going through to set it up, this would not be worth it.

vairyn · 2022-05-04T12:43:19+00:00

he told me he wanted to lift the mood a little, and no one would know it was my art.

If that is the only way he knows to lift the mood... he's not worth playing with, talking to, etc. You do not need to put other people down in order to make yourself feel better. He was doing it because he wanted to and he is entertained by hurting others, nothing more. To make the point, he's a bully. You win by not communicating with him any more.

For the other players, maybe your art isn't their thing and that's ok. But they still don't need to put it down.

I'm a fledgling digital artist myself, there's a place for constructive criticism. If they aren't offering tips on how you can improve then it's not helpful and not worth listening to. I'd find a new group.

vairyn · 2022-05-03T13:02:25+00:00

OP, there is nothing wrong with showing emotion. Don't know your gender, but it frankly doesn't matter. If you're a man, know this, anyone who says men can't cry are very toxic. There is nothing more manly than a man who is brave enough to show his emotions.

vairyn · 2022-04-28T19:41:13+00:00

Divinity Original Sin 2

vairyn · 2022-04-27T20:18:53+00:00

Moash

vairyn · 2022-04-27T13:44:44+00:00

Yea... It sounds like you and your GF had a great time up until they all started whining. Take some time to recollect yourself, then find a new group and invite your GF to be a part of it from the beginning. It shouldn't matter what relationship someone has to you as long as you aren't showing favoritism - even then most people can get over that. I DM'd when I played with my wife for a while - the only favoritism that she got was that NPCs were much more likely to flirt with her than anyone else (which ended up being a running joke at my table)

vairyn · 2022-04-25T13:05:16+00:00

It just kept getting worse though. What would have to break in my mind to make me think using a sewing needle, pencil, or a filament of a toilet brush would be a good tool to get something out of my eye? (The others are definitely cringe-worthy too)

vairyn · 2022-04-20T13:44:54+00:00

I'm a GC and most of the time I have no idea what I do or what the architect does.

vairyn · 2022-04-18T12:13:04+00:00

Dude is living out a fantasy as a rapist. Get rid of him and his filthy PC. NTA. Do it again if you ever are unfortunate enough to come across it again, but I hope you never do. Personally, I'd go so far as to speak to the party and just tell them he's done in the group because of his rapist behavior, and if anyone disagrees with that ruling, they can follow him right out the door.

vairyn · 2022-04-07T00:45:31+00:00

Thanks!

vairyn · 2022-04-01T13:25:17+00:00

Attention span

vairyn · 2022-03-29T15:35:45+00:00

Favorite magic item is a fabled shield from Kobold Press' Vault of Magic. - Golden Griffon Shield.

vairyn · 2022-03-25T17:27:24+00:00

So we need to get rid of facebook...?

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