RE: (TFT) I knew this guy (mechanic)

[paleryder1@verizon.net]

  David,

Sounds like you made good calls on those rulings. I don't see it as
stifling creativity when you rule against someone. Game rules are
primarily meant to restrain our behavior, not permit. My kids play
wargames without rules and everyone beats the other guy and no one
loses, no one is ever shot before he shoots the other guy first and they
can be very creative with WMD to dispose of any opposition. They want to
win. Nothing wrong with this.

The problem in role playing is that without boundaries, the DM is called
on to be a chemist, a physicist, a physician, a priest, etc... and is
required to explain why something can't be done. Sometimes the real
answer is "because it screws up the story" or "...you're not playing in
the spirit of the game"..."you just wasn easy XP and money." OTOH,
sometimes a WMD is the way the DM expects the scenario to end.

So he poisons sheep with reptile poison. Doesn't mean the dragon will
eat dead sheep. Maybe the carcass decays first or another animal eats it
and dies and the dragon figures it out. Maybe dragons can senses a
poisoned animal. I guess it's all a matter of the setting. If it's one
dragon and it's set up so the only realistic (non-suicidal) way to kill
the dragon is to poison him, then maybe this is accetable. But if the
guy wants to poison "Dragon Island" and kill hundreds of dragons, then
make him hump the poisoned sheep all over the island an plant them in
the appropriate spot- this must be really dangerous. Make them earn
their XP.

I'm ranting. I like creativity but I also don't like it when a player
takes advantage of a DM who cannot possibly anticipate everything or be
all knowing. Sometimes the answer is just "no'.

FWIW,
Aidan

On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 11:21 AM, David Michael Grouchy II wrote:

> I knew this guy.

B B B B  I knew this guy.B  He is a type of player That I call a
mechanic.B ... you how I ruled.

B B B B  Cluster bomb of molotovs:B  I let him spend as much money as he
wanted on
them.B  I made an encumberance/transport issue out of them, as they could
no
longer be clipped to the belt.

B B B B  Jet propelled boats:B  Gates can not move.

B B B B  Wall of pentigrams:B  His enemies attacked before the circle was
closed,
but otherwise approved as is.

B B B B  Feeding reptile poison to sheep:B  Approved of.

B B B B  Shooting summoning gems:B  Approved for line of sight only.B B  Over
a
wall
where you cant see the summoning hex  no.

B B B B  Telekinesis delivered petard:B  The person sent the petard into a
great
hall and killed all the occupants inside.B  I approved, and awarded him
the
full 3500 experience points for the kills.B B  I seem to remember he got
four or
five character points out of the deal.


David Michael Grouchy II

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