1) I work long hours and mostly nights, so when other people have time to play I'm likely at work or sleeping.
2) I'm not in an English speaking country, and most the English speaking people I know are your classic meat head. Not a very conductive place to meet new people that play D&D.
3) When all the stars align and a group get together to play some D&D (and I'm part of the group) things tend to go wrong during or before 1st adventure, making nobody want to play D&D for a while.
Take the most recent group that I learned about that was just starting a campaign. I found out about it purely at random, because I was having trouble sleeping and decided to walk over to a not to distant vending machine to get a drink. There low and behold was a group just starting to roll up some characters. They invited me to join, and not wanting to miss the chance I told them that I did have to get some sleep, but if they didn't mind I would watch a bit and perhaps get in on their next game. Doing that I could also see what their party was missing, and roll up a character that would fit in with the group. Everyone agreed that would be perfectly fine.
So while people are finishing up creating their characters, I see that their party is missing a wizard and decide that's what I'll be playing. They go into the How I meant your mother part of the game... or I mean, why are these particular characters adventuring together.
As I'm getting my character built, I ask "What level are we starting at, one?" and they answer no, roll a 1d8. That's your starting level. Hum... odd, but I've seen odder. Not a problem. I roll a five.
Next question "It's been a while sense I've played, how much starting gold we get at level 5?" DM says take your constitution and multiply it by a percentile die and add that to the results of a blah blah blah. I ask, why constitution, that seems a bit random especially for a wizard. He replies "Just random, be glad that your getting starting gold at all"
Okay... that's a rather strange house rule, but what ever. I can't remember the equation anyways by the time I get back to my bed. Other odd thing I noticed was that someone handed me their ipod to use an app to create my character. The app was for D&D 3.5, and they had already told me that they had been going to play in 4.0. I happen to know that there is no point in trying to convert a level 5 character from 3.5 to 4.0 and it would be easier just to create one from scratch. So I inform the person that handed me his phone thanks, but I would just roll one up latter after I got some sleep. I do have books after all.
So I watch a bit more of the game, and I notice a few odd things. The dungeon master mentions to the players if they would like to start with some sort of special magic item talk to him and he'll see about working it into the story, also all characters have a phobia and some other things. All in all they sound like interesting house rules. Though I also see some bad things already happening and it's only prestory portion.
For instance, he's doing a bit of roleplayed introduction for the paladin and the rogue by having the rogue try to pick pocket the paladin. That seems like a good place to start for how the rogue could have meant the paladin, and the DM informs the paladin that while he's walking along an elf bumps into him and that he should roll a d20. Well the paladin rolls a 20. The DM informs him that paladin managed to avoid the bump before it actually happened, but that he should roll again. This time he gets a 4 and the DM says that the Elf decided to come back the other way and this time managed to pick his pocket when he bumped into him.
Now I'm a bit confused as last I checked, rolling a 20 shouldn't just mean that you avoided getting your pocket picked, but that you caught the guy in the act. Also last I checked people often just pick a new pocket if they fail picking the pocket of their first target. What ever it's just backstory right now, but mental note made... this DM if he wants something to happen in the story it will happen no matter what you do. There are some other clues that this is the case and I won't get into them.
Later after I've got some sleep, I think to myself well he might not be the best DM in the world, but few are. I'll roll up my wizard and offer it to him for approval. But because nobody was there to witness dice rolls I use the pick your stats from an array method. And because by this time I can't remember how to figure out what my starting gold is, I look in the DM manual and find that whole bit about three magic items and gold equal to the price of the smallest magical item. Ah well I'll do that, for now but as it sounds like he wants to do a campaign where magical items are more rare, I'm prepared to give up two of those items.
I then meat up with one of the players and show him the character I meant and he mentions the way everyone came up with their stats was to roll 1d20 for each stat. I've never heard of anyone doing it this way and I mention, well if he wants me to reroll my stats I guess I can, but I came up with them using the normal method.
So later on, I meet up with the player again and ask him "Hows the campaign going so far?" and the answer is "Oh it got trashed"
Being the ever curious person that I am I asked him why that was, and it turns out the DM started to hand out magic items like candy such as a ring that gives +50 to each stat at all times. I ask +50 Really? You aren't exaggerating and mean +5, and he says no he's serious that it really was a ring of +50 to each stat that made him convince everyone the DM had no clue what he was doing and trash the campaign.
GRRRRR.
I just want to play some D&D. I thought with this 4th of July that pure luck might have let me get in a single low level adventure, but that turned out not to be the case. Now everyone that was involved in that campaign is a bit irritated because nobody knows how to DM or is to busy to DM.
Such as myself... I would love to DM for this group, but with my schedule I wouldn't be able to give anyone a weekly game, meaning people would quickly loose interest. Never mind that I don't have much skill with DMing.
As I say this has just been me venting. Heck while I'm venting, I may as well mention that I can't even get to most web pages from work, something about them not wanting me to be thinking about D&D while I'm suppose to be working.
Perhaps when I get back to the States I can get a normal work schedule and find a group that plays at times that fit my schedule. Also perhaps I'll get lucky and that group won't have a DM that has no idea what the word balanced means, or a player that doesn't understand what the word cooperative means.
Try an online MapTools game at rptools.net
No thought drugs were involved?
As I say, this was just me venting a bit. When you are in an area where D&D games are rare at best, you sort of hope that those rare games are fun even if you only get to witness them from the sidelines.
As green_girl says, sometimes no D&D is better than bad D&D, but it doesn't change your emotions when you haven't played D&D in a while and you see an opportunity to play it, only to find out it was an opportunity for bad D&D. But hey, I'm one to turn a bad situation into a good situation. I grabbed up a bunch of the people I saw at that table that had been disappointed with how things turned out and said I would be running a game soon myself if they wanted to join in.
Though I must say, I'm a bit surprised at how many people are coming out of the wood work now. I think the number is up to 8 people that want to play now that I've hinted that I might be able to DM. Then there are a few more maybes. Perhaps I'll get lucky and someone that comes will be a better DM than me, so in future games I'll be able to play.
What's a player to do when you want to be a player and not a DM, but nobody else has stepped up to the DM plate despite the number of players?
Once you get back to the States, you'll have more appreciation/understanding for a DM's workload and outlook, which can only make you a better player. It sounds like you already know the game well, and will be a good teacher for the rest of the folks there.
You might even be able to teach that wacko DM something about the game, and maybe you'll inspire him to start DMing again, without d20 stats and d8 levels and +50 magical items.
What IS up with that anyhow? Did the guy never read the book, or was he trying to make things "uber cool" (in some horrific new definition of the term)?
A suggestion - much as you may want to take on everyone who wants to play, 8 players is pushing it, and the best idea would be to break that into two groups - which you state you don't have time for. So sooner, rather than later, start teaching someone else to DM. With any decent luck, a couple good DMs will come out of the group. You might not even need to be DM for more than one or two adventures.
Spend a lot of time talking about game balance while you're helping folks roll up characters, as it seems that's one of the big messages they need to hear. You might want to take the Chris Perkins Penny Arcade approach and explain as much as possible as you go along, so that the players (and hopeful future DMs) learn the game.
Most of all, have fun!
You don't have to be the constant DM, but it does seem like this group needs some leadership - and that means you'll need to step up and coordinate.
What's a player to do when you want to be a player and not a DM, but nobody else has stepped up to the DM plate despite the number of players?
Now, I got the perfect solution for you. Watch your players. If one of them seems like they know what they are doing, and seem like they could dm given the chance, give them that chance. Alternate games. Have him do maybe, 1 session a month. If he doesn't know how to set up a game, let him know about the many free modules out there.
That's how I managed to be a player.
Also, don't have the attitude of, "Its my game so I can do what I like." The DM is not the master. The DM is not the owner of the game. The game is owned collectively by all. When the DM has the idea that it is their game, what happens is the above situation: everyone leaves. A giant warning sign are statements like, "You are lucky you are getting gold at all." This is a sign that the DM thinks of the game as him vs. the players rather than the PCs vs. antagonists.
So I would say give DMing a try. Use a premade adventure (you can download some for free!) to minimize your prep time. And hopefully the other players and the DM learned something. When the game gets too crazy and random, no one has fun.
DMing is really not as hard as people think; you can put as much or as little time into it as you want. The trick, and this seems to be a big trick based on the number of posts I've read with this issue, is to: just play the game. This may sound crazy, but just have your players make level 1 characters, using the rules from the book. No wacky houserules, no altering stuff because you don't get it or because you don't like it. Just stick to the book. Once you play through a campaign, then you can ask your group, ok, what would you like changed?
Also, don't have the attitude of, "Its my game so I can do what I like." The DM is not the master. The DM is not the owner of the game. The game is owned collectively by all. When the DM has the idea that it is their game, what happens is the above situation: everyone leaves. A giant warning sign are statements like, "You are lucky you are getting gold at all." This is a sign that the DM thinks of the game as him vs. the players rather than the PCs vs. antagonists.
So I would say give DMing a try. Use a premade adventure (you can download some for free!) to minimize your prep time. And hopefully the other players and the DM learned something. When the game gets too crazy and random, no one has fun.
Nor is DMing as easy as some people claim it to be! In other words, DMing is actually hard for some people, just as it is easy for some people.
DMing is really not as hard as people think; you can put as much or as little time into it as you want. The trick, and this seems to be a big trick based on the number of posts I've read with this issue, is to: just play the game. This may sound crazy, but just have your players make level 1 characters, using the rules from the book. No wacky houserules, no altering stuff because you don't get it or because you don't like it. Just stick to the book. Once you play through a campaign, then you can ask your group, ok, what would you like changed?
Also, don't have the attitude of, "Its my game so I can do what I like." The DM is not the master. The DM is not the owner of the game. The game is owned collectively by all. When the DM has the idea that it is their game, what happens is the above situation: everyone leaves. A giant warning sign are statements like, "You are lucky you are getting gold at all." This is a sign that the DM thinks of the game as him vs. the players rather than the PCs vs. antagonists.
So I would say give DMing a try. Use a premade adventure (you can download some for free!) to minimize your prep time. And hopefully the other players and the DM learned something. When the game gets too crazy and random, no one has fun.
When you have a DM who doesn't put any time into DMing most of the time no one has fun. I agree with sticking to core stuff, no house rules, level 1, don't be dm vs player etc, but I'd still be hesitant to call DMing easy. Yeah, you can half-ass a campaign if you really want but that doesn't change the fact that you're also in charge of managing the session and making sure everybody has a good time. Obviously not all the weight falls on the DM but you'll always have the rest of the world to play/react with based on what the PC's do.
We're on an island, surrounded by a living wall.
No animals to hunt for food.
Prices for common items are ridiculously high. Meaning we have to do errand quests to get money to survive for a week which prevents us from getting on with the main quest.
The main quest is long and grueling.
No one is able to help us with hints or anything like that. So we have to blindly wander around and hope we stumble upon something that may help us with our quest.
Our boat that we used to get to the island was destroyed so we have no way to leave.
Our quest is stuck behind another living wall, all attempts to skip the quest so we can move on have been thwarted.
I currently have a DM that doesn't get the hint that an area isn't fun.
We're on an island, surrounded by a living wall.
No animals to hunt for food.
Prices for common items are ridiculously high. Meaning we have to do errand quests to get money to survive for a week which prevents us from getting on with the main quest.
The main quest is long and grueling.
No one is able to help us with hints or anything like that. So we have to blindly wander around and hope we stumble upon something that may help us with our quest.
Our boat that we used to get to the island was destroyed so we have no way to leave.
Our quest is stuck behind another living wall, all attempts to skip the quest so we can move on have been thwarted.
Ick. I think it's time to stop -hint-ing and start -tell-ing the DM what's going on.
Seriously, the game belongs to the group, not the DM. I had my DM (who I pretty much really like gaming with) make an on-the-spot houserule without saying it was a houserule. Thinking he had misquoted the rulebook, I reached for my PHB, he looked at me and snapped, "My game. My rule." I was ready to walk right then and there, despite largely enjoying the game (especially moreso since he started DMing).
It's a group endeavor. It's the group's fun, and it's the group's game.
I currently have a DM that doesn't get the hint that an area isn't fun.
We're on an island, surrounded by a living wall.
No animals to hunt for food.
Prices for common items are ridiculously high. Meaning we have to do errand quests to get money to survive for a week which prevents us from getting on with the main quest.
The main quest is long and grueling.
No one is able to help us with hints or anything like that. So we have to blindly wander around and hope we stumble upon something that may help us with our quest.
Our boat that we used to get to the island was destroyed so we have no way to leave.
Our quest is stuck behind another living wall, all attempts to skip the quest so we can move on have been thwarted.
Time to sit down with your DM and explain that you're frustrated.
Ask if there's some simple key thing you're supposed to be doing that you're all missing the point on. It's possible that there's some important plot item he thinks is glaringly obvious, but you've all missed.
If not, let him know that you feel scrambling just to make enough coin to eat feels unheroic and you'd like to get things moving.
I currently have a DM that doesn't get the hint that an area isn't fun.
We're on an island, surrounded by a living wall.
No animals to hunt for food.
Prices for common items are ridiculously high. Meaning we have to do errand quests to get money to survive for a week which prevents us from getting on with the main quest.
The main quest is long and grueling.
No one is able to help us with hints or anything like that. So we have to blindly wander around and hope we stumble upon something that may help us with our quest.
Our boat that we used to get to the island was destroyed so we have no way to leave.
Our quest is stuck behind another living wall, all attempts to skip the quest so we can move on have been thwarted.
Build a scaling tower, roll it up to the wall, drop the walkway (make sure that it is really long and extends way over the wall), drop some ropes, and slide on down! Last person over kicks over the ten barrels of oil on the top of the tower and tosses a torch as he slides down the rope. Be sure to say, "Ta Da!" when you make it to the other side.
Wizard A climbs up onto Disk B
Disk A raises up to match Wizard A's new location
Strong party member climbs onto Disk B, then to Disk A
Strong party member lifts Wizard B onto Disk A
As Wizard B is lifted, Disk B and Wizard A are raised to match Wizard B's new waist height.
As Wizard A raises because of Disk B, Disk A goes higher.
YAY We now have an elevator.
I currently have a DM that doesn't get the hint that an area isn't fun.
We're on an island, surrounded by a living wall.
No animals to hunt for food.
Prices for common items are ridiculously high. Meaning we have to do errand quests to get money to survive for a week which prevents us from getting on with the main quest.
The main quest is long and grueling.
No one is able to help us with hints or anything like that. So we have to blindly wander around and hope we stumble upon something that may help us with our quest.
Our boat that we used to get to the island was destroyed so we have no way to leave.
Our quest is stuck behind another living wall, all attempts to skip the quest so we can move on have been thwarted.
wait.. no animals for food? so this entire island is inhabited by farmers?
wait... a living wall? do you mean like a wall of stone that can move on it's own accord or an actual living, breathing fleshy and highly edible wall?
either way, talk to the players and see if they share your issues then talk to the GM as a group and let him know you're dissatisfied with the way the campaign is going.
worst case scenario, ignore the bear "only you can prevent cause forest fires"! burn down the island, make it one BIG signal fire for someone to rescure you. just like the leprechaun told me to do... hehehehehehehehehehehehe
I had a dwarf warrior that got absorbed into it after falling from a height.
So my new character is a naive young half-elf ranger. He'll grab an item even if it's obviously a trap.
The quest is that we have to find 7 stones and place them into a certain spot on the wall to kill it. We have 2 stones after 8 weeks of gaming once a week.
It's the Island of Icewind Dales but the weather is all messed up and each region has a different season or something like that because the arch-nemesis of our Samurai character established a base here and started corrupting everything. That's why there is no food.
The samurai character is well known on the island for saving a few villages by himself (while me and everyone else were rerolling characters) so he gets discounts.
I did have a talk with him and he agreed that the story is taking a lot longer than he thought so he's going to either let us find one stone per session or give us some magical item that will aid us. I was hoping for a boat and maybe someone telling us that the archnemesis was seen leaving the island so we can go explore more of the world rather than this wretched island.
We COULD leave the island if we could get the samurai character (who I forgot to mention is played by my brother) to leave too but he is bound by his sense of duty to his emperor and his murdered house lord to see that justice is done.
Edit: Some of those are good ideas, but my character is the naive newbie. That would be too good of an idea for him just yet. And don't think we havent tried going over the wall. We have a flask of entrapment that will contain a person inside and will release them when the flask is opened. I might just stick the samurai in the flask and chuck it over the wall. He's lvl 7 so he should be fine.
Japan, the home of Ninja and Samurai.
of giant robots women with green hair and more robots
In your circumstances you look like the internet option is your only choice.