From: CX6L@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CX6L000)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Medieval Pain-in-the-Arse
Date: 16 Nov 92 17:22:36 GMT
Organization: McGill University

In article <1992Nov16.140531.27569@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> jackal@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Philip R Hammar) writes:

>In article <1e2j8rINN9kb@charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu> tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn) writes:

>>mr_peanut@triryche.UU.NET writes:

>>>Hello.  I am posting for the very first time.
>>>What can I be that will irritate the poor GM and still fit
>>>right within all his standards for the game?

>>Hm?  This is flame-bait if I've ever read it.

> Let me turn up the heat a little by making some unsubstatiated
>assumtions about mr_peanut's character.
> There is very little that irritates me more, either as a player or
>as a GM than a player whose sole purpose is to have a character, who by its
>very existance, must dominate game play.  Whether it is a moor travelling with
>a bunch of christian knight, the half orc who hangs out with elves, or the
>simpering, ne'er-do-well who is always getting into trouble, diverting the
>group from participating in the meat of the campaign.  Not just a
>pain-in-the-ass, but the ass itself.  I can't stand it when someones ego
>needs to be stroked like that.  Man, I hate when that happens.
>   Have a good one,
>   Phil

Hm. Well, nothing burns *me* more than a GM who has the audacity
to assume that (s)he, merely by being the GM, somehow has more
say in what tone the campaign will have than *anyone* else. I
mean, the GM is just another (small "p") player, and the game is
for the amusement of both the GM and the Players. If the GM picks
scenarios that he knows some or all of the players will not be
able to enjoy roleplaying in, it is the GM's obligation to either
drop the scenario or allow a radical departure from what had been
planned! I am a "career GM", and I *still* agree with this, and
have no problem when my players decide it's time to go crazy and
bend the plot.
     Any GM who writes the script for his players, and constrains
them to playing "approved" characters in an "approved" manner, and
only allows the PCs to act within the scope of the planned
adventure, is killing the spirit of roleplaying in his group. I
think players *should* be allowed to play bizarre characters:
it is artificial to do otherwise. Moreover, if players want to
deviate from the plot and start their own adventure, why should
they not be allowed to?
     The most disgusting perversions of free-spirited roleplaying
have got to be: "quest" campaigns, where the campaign can only
continue if all the PCs pursue the quest, despite the ludicrous
assumptions that makes about human nature; "prophecy" campaigns,
where the actions and role of the PC are predestined, and the
player has no option but to accept the given role; and "historically
accurate" campaigns, where the PCs have to all be of allowed social
classes and backgrounds and follow the general thread of real
history. Yawn.
     The thing which reveals most a GM's lack of skill and maturity
is the insurmountable plot device, which the players are going to
be forced into dealing with no matter what.
     Games which share any of the elements above basically force
players into certain roles, and then force them to play the roles
in certain ways, expecting the players to respect the GM's wishes
and plans without requiring the GM to adapt to what his players'
may be!
     To the original poster: try playing a Zoroastrian magician,
or an African tribal doctor, or something equally weird. It's
not a sign that *you* are a bad roleplayer! (Contrary to the
response above.) If the GM can't deal with it, it is a sign *he*
is a terrible GM.

From Kromm, who plays murderous necromancers who have no respect
for the laws or people of *any* fantasy world he plays in!

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