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#1 zombiegleemax Dec 16, 2004 10:45:23

It is striking is how complaints about problem with a game are so often indirect and generalized. Here are some thing you should you consider before complaining to improve the replys you will get. 1. State the rules you play with 1a. Stat buy method you use This can be very significant. 25 point buy or 4d6 and drop the lowest is the standard the entire game is based on. The DM should only really deviate from it if the campaign calls for more/less powerful PC's. The most important part here is that certain classes and features work better with higher stats. Characters that get more benefits from multiple stats will generally look better than those that don't. Everyone benefits from a High Dex and Con, most however only need to raise it to a point to get some persistent benefits. So generally, consider how your stat buy system might affect characters. 1b. Variant rules you use This ones obvious, but sometimes even the smallest of changes can ripple and effect things in ways you don't know. The simple removal of material components can mean you cast spells when you normally wouldn't be able to. Other rules might give you a scewed perspective of what others will see. 1c. Deviations from the guidelines you use What happens if you achieve more gold than the character wealth charts in the DMG suggests? Ultimately you should either face Higher CR challenges to get the same exp, or you'd get less xp from CR's that would normally be suitable. This kind of change is most likely to give you a skewed perspective of reality, as a pampered environment detracts from potential harsh realities, especially if you don't know they're happening. Many times a DM will switch things around to make the game more fun for the group. This can happen without word for the DM, he may not even know he's doing it himself. Generally, take stock of the core guidelines and look at what you've been allowed to do despite of these. 2. The campaign you play This is a critical one, because your campaign is rarely relevant to others. There's no clear way to play the game, and its a fairly simple to end up disfavouring a particular style unintentionally. In general, try to think about what's causing the problem and what are the real truths behind the issue. That may sound odd, but whilst you might not come up with a certain "This is true" statement, it might be easier to come up with a "This is not true" statement. An example would be that as you go up in level, the opposing CR's are generally bigger. This cannot be true because everything with advancement in the monster manuals could oppose you at any time. Sadly there's no de-advancement option for most creatures, though its fairly simple to create a monster that effectively has a lower than normal CR. You could face Super Advanced Werewolves at level 39 or just plain old Balors at 20th. Remember that the DM is in control of most of the opposing factors. Whilst obviously different campaigns will impact how certain issues materialise, the play style of a group will heavily impact what you want from a party. The diplomatic Bard may appear weak to a party where everyone can do 120d6 damage on average in a round at least once per encounter. Similarly a bizarre culmination of classes may not work with a group that wants a more tactful ally. You should really be able to accept and understand the uses for each class and understand why certain people would want to use them in that way. Don't dismiss something because it isn't powerful, and don't discredit something just because it is powerful, generally they will all have their uses and you do have the ability to ignore them if they don't suit you. 3. What your need or want to happen Sometimes you want something and it simply isn't provided by a similar function. I might almost be able to achieve what I want, but the closest thing to it doesn't work for me. This does not mean the "nearly there" feature is bad or wrong, it just means you should talk to your DM about changing it so it does fit your needs. If I wanted something of a linear Sorc like caster, and the Warmage has the right concepts (but I want enchantment spells), then there's nothing wrong with the Warmage or The Sorc if you can't get what you want. There's also nothing (technically) wrong with what you want, you just need to do some modifications so it suits your needs. Remember that your issues aren't always the issues of everyone else and your issues aren't always the fault of the immediate subject. 4. Your assessment of what's the "real issue" Analysing the core of the issue can often lead to a simple solution. Anyone can blindly complain about an aspect, but a more productive complaint would be to highlight what's doing the damage. Its rarely one thing or solely the blame of one aspect, but it can be a combination of the above. Many issues can be resolved by suggestions from your fellow posters that hinge on knowing the full complaint.