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[BlackFlyme]

Eh, just noticed that I'm not quite a high enough level to turn it undead yet. But it will definitely become a thing. I'll probably just replace it with Craft Magic Arms/Armour for now. Or an Extra Revelation. Still need a few more feats for the parrot though, and I can't seem to decide.

What do you do when you're in a campaign with literal weeks to months of downtime? The only thing I can think of doing would be training stats up. Not much else to do when you are on a boat for months on end.

[SOLDIER First]

Spam class-related skills until level-up, use new skills to brutally murder annoying partymate.

[BlackFlyme]

Nah, problem player left a while ago.

His character was killed. So was another character, when he was rather brutally 'retired' by his player. In-game we decided that the story was that they tried to steal a lifeboat and make off with some of our loot, but the not-problem-player's new PC, who was stranded on an island, encountered them and turned them inside out. He then returned our lifeboat and we welcomed him aboard.

And we level up when the DM decides we can. Our party is still a bit larger than is normal for an adventure path, so he is going by the footnotes in the book that say "players should be level X by now" instead of giving us XP.

[Rolan7]

(as usual, I don't know if Pathfinder is different)
Ideally have Scribe Scroll or Craft Wand with good spells.  Failing that, Craft Wondrous Item with useful caster levels.  Failing *that*, skillpoints in craft (X) and cry as you realize it takes days to make shitty basic items or meager profit (half your check result per WEEK).  Or you can take Profession to earn...  Exactly the same as craft, without any of the meager benefits.

Perform is far superior to craft or profession, RAW, if you have enough ranks.  DC25 you early 1d6/day and gain a "national reputation" - far more than Craft.  DC30 you attract attention from other nations, extraplanar beings, and 3d6 sweet gold.
...  Yeah, downtime is really just for spellcasters and RP.

[BlackFlyme]

Unfortunately, being on a boat with no real options to stop anywhere because the plot demands it makes for poor play. Especially since the times we do stop aren't interesting. Just more exposition dumping with a side of uninteresting fetch-quests that host little, if any, combat or skill checks. Fine for roleplayers, though. Just not so much for me.

Not that I don't have skills or other things to contribute outside of combat. I also serve as a magic-item-maker-monkey. Though now my parrot's even better at skills than I am because Stupidly Smart Rogue.

[Stuebi]

So, I mainly have experience with "The Dark Eye", a originally german (I think) setting. Recently I wanted to get into Dungeons & Dragons, so I started looking for a group. "Luck" would have it that an old friend was playing a DnD Campaign and that people would let me join. We kinda fast forwaarded trough Character creation and he hauled me into a session pretty quickly, saying that I would "learn best by doing". That, at least, was probably true.

The group was lacking something meaty, so I went with a Barbarian. The group consisted of a noble (I forgot the class, sorry!), a halfling rogue, a magic user (What exactly he was remained a secret) and a Ranger (Or Archer, I'm not quite sure what all the Class names are yet, sorry.).

Now, the Noble was probably the ponciest ponce I ever saw in my entire RPG career. In fact, it was acted out pretty nicely IC. The guy would keep a safe distance from my guy, because of the "smell" and would make regular, very insulting, comments towards him. Now most of those were using a vocabulary too complicated too understand for someone who grew up in the wilds, so whenever that dude was talking, my character basically only heard that weird mumbling sound from Charlie Brown. So at first, everything was dandy.

However, it went sour pretty fast. After realizing his "clever" stoneman insults werent hitting home for lack of understanding, the Noble (De Facto the party leader) got a little more obvious with his attitude. First his insults got simpler, and were thus rendered udnerstandable for my country Character. Secondly he started treating him, quite literally, like an animal. There were cases were he wouldnt allow my Barb to sleep in caves or houses the party was resting in and would order him to sleep outside. Sometimes he would pay my Guy less reward after we fulfilled Quests or Orders, because he couldnt count good enough to notice on his own.

There'es a myriad more stuff, but you get the general picture. Now, usually I try to withhold character conflict that could turn out deadly for as long as possible, as I have amde bad experiences with it in the past. But I will be honest, all that stuff made me pretty motivated to just duke it out with the guy and polish his face with some fist (Which, imho, wouldnt be out of character for a wild warrior from beyond civilization). The halfling was pretty good friends with my Character at this point tough, and would usually defuse the situation.

Last session, it went bad. We were fighting in a mountain-region, relatively close to a cliff. Halfway trough combat the Noble falls over the Edge, just barely hanging on. I got a lucky shot on my enemy and my Character got a couple seconjds to scan the area.

I'm gonna be completely honest (as I was with the group), I had ample time to take the situation in, the noble hanging at the cliff was visible and basically anyone could hear him. So what does my character do? Runs over to help the Halfling with his enemy. The noble eventually fell down, broke quite a few bones (And flasks in his backpack), and was appearantly robbed by one of the Bandits. Who took the opportunity and stole his purse and broke his nose when the guy tried to stab him with a knife.

Cue table flipping, screaming and what not. Whereafter I plainly stated that this what he had to expect after all the stuff he had been doing. I got the usual excuse. "It was IC!". Yeah? So was mine. So up yours.

Havent talked to the guy since. The group is pushing for me to make the first step and apologize, so we can play on. But to be completely honest, I dont wanna. Imho I was right, and he ahd it coming. And I'm not about to pretend I'm sorry to such a scumbag who throws a hissy fit over this.

Am I wrong?

[scriver]

It's always sour when ic conflict turns into player conflict. It sucks, and "but I'm right" is a pretty bitter prize. I do think you were right in this matter, and I personally really dislike the kind of players who don't know when to stop pushing or take it personally when you finally push back. So yeah, you were right and it was a completely sensible thing to do, both in character and from you as a player. But if you value the rest of your group composition then you might want to be the bigger man and approach the player anyway. You can always make sure the other guys know that you're doing it for their sake and so you can continue playing together, and not because you think you were wrong, and that you won't necessarily put up with similar behaviour from problem guy in the future.

[Neonivek]

Yeah sometimes being the bigger man means taking the blame or the indignity of apologizing for something that isn't your fault.

[highmax28]

Update on tyson-chan:

The gnome just kicked the shit out of a minotuar with her fists... And tore off his horn and beat him with it while still alive

[Sergius]

(stuff)
...
The group is pushing for me to make the first step and apologize, so we can play on...
...

F-that. The guy is the one that flipped out OOC, so he is clearly being the disruptive one, even if not counting the disruptive IC crap he did. He harassed you IC, which IS an OOC player (not character) problem. You didn't harass him, just refused to help him that one time. Reap what you sow and all that. He's 100% hypocritical about the entire situation, and he has ZERO defense of his actions as being "IC and thus good roleplaying" when he flips out OOC when you just do the thing that makes sense IC.

I wouldn't try to get in the "good graces" of a group that thinks that you owe him an apology and he owes you nothing. Ego aside, that just means they don't have your best interests in mind at all.

Yeah sometimes being the bigger man means taking the blame or the indignity of apologizing for something that isn't your fault.

That robs the other person of the opportunity to grow as a human being, so no.

[kilakan]

Aye I am in agreement with Sergius, in these sorts of situations if you apologize to said individual he'll think he was in the right and the attitude will continue.  As a bit of an ass myself sometimes I admit that I fail to notice when my assery is actually upsetting and when it's IC fun, and it does let you grow as an individual to be told honestly in a not-attacking manner that you were in fact in the fault.

[highmax28]

What was your barbarian's alignment?

Regardless, I think that the guy deserved more than that. Hell, if I was playing a chaotic neutral barbarian or an evil aligned one, I would've actually kicked him off the cliff. Otherwise, as a barbarian (and treated like a rabid animal) you would probably attack the enemy first. Also, why are they putting it on you when the others could have just as easily went and saved the guy as well? I think buddy is over reacting a bit.

I had a character like that where he treated half of the party like shit, and he even hit me in the head with a mordenkrag twice for almost setting a building on fire... WITH DAILY POWERS. I have the HP to take it since I was a berserker, but I said in character, I deserved the first hit, ubt the SECOND ONE was uncalled for, and I even said if he did it again, I'd fucking kill him. Throw in the fact I was regenerating and I can do more damage to drop him before he could get a third hit in and still have plenty of HP left over, I could have killed him easily, but for the sake of him being a player I didn't. Ten minutes later, he beats another player to near death, and we all decide to kill his character.

Some people take RPing too seriously, and not only need to be toned down to remember there are other players who are playing

[Rolan7]

That's kinda why I had to leave my group last week (still reeling from that, we had some amazing times.  Many more than I even shared here).  Fricken OOC in IC.  This player's personal charisma and long winded speeches kept winning in-game concessions for his 12CHA barbarian (no points in social skills).  He bossed the party around too, according to a bizarre set of behaviors I didn't understand OOC much less IC.  It finally came to a head when I tried to introduce yet *another* new character, and...

Okay so my character is a volunteer guard in the last bastion of good on the planet, a camp of elves druids and fey around an enchanted wizard tower.  I'm actually neutral, because the barbarian character is evil as hell.  He denies it in and out of character, but he's half-possessed by a devil worshiper and has to eat a sentient creature every day to survive.  He does nothing to remove either curse.  He's evil evil evil argh it feels so good to be able to say it, because mentioning it at the table always sparked so much bullshit outrage.  "Beyond morality" my ass.

So yeah there's no way I can join them as a good character, so I went with neutral again.  A hardened veteran from the waves of rogue necromancers who periodically try to overwhelm the tower's sanctuary.  I patrol the energy barrier (which weakens undead), leaving the corpses outside the edge.  Then I see the party.  They're chasing a young boy on the edge of town.

"Stop!  What is your business here?" I ask.
"What is *your* business here?"
"I protect the sanctuary from necromancers.  Are you necromancers?"  They are being followed by an NPC who totally is a necromancer.
"Maybe *you're* a necromancer!"  The wizard readies an action to cast a spell
"But... I just killed all those other necromancers.  I clearly live here."
"Whatever, we're going inside"
"I can't let you do that until you explain your business!"  I draw my ceremonial shortsword, mercy enchanted.
I die to finger of death.
We decide that I clearly cast Death Ward on myself before each patrol.  I'm a shugenja, I certainly have enough castings.
"You just tried to kill me!"
"You started it, you drew your sword!"
Some bickering later, I manage to learn that they want to defeat the cultists who have occupied Highcrest, the last major city with living people.  Formerly a bastion of paladins, but we sure screwed that up...  They need someone who's good of heart to hold an artifact, hence their attempt to recruit a child.
"The devil worshipers?  I hate them passionately.  We got off on the wrong foot, I'll help you find someone."
"Cool.  Also we're responsible for the recent disappearance of an entire continent, which caused massive worldwide flooding."  I don't even remember how this came up.  It sets off alarm bells for my character since he was basically granted his powers to restore the wounded planet.  Instead of killing them, I decide I need to follow them to find out what happened and how to fix it.  Maybe it was an accident.  IDK, I was trying hard to justify joining the party.
"That's... interesting... I'm going to need to accompany you.  I believe you're going to fight the cultists, but I can't just let a kid from the camp leave with some strangers."
"You don't trust us!?  But you attacked us for no reason!"
"I - what?  I drew my sword!  You were about to walk by-"
"Hey wear this collar, it... protects from mind control"  The collar allows you to be voluntarily dominated.  It does protect against mind control, through mind control.  Later the barbarian's player swore he wasn't lying, even through omission.  Such BS.
"Wow, no.  I find that highly suspect.  You just cast finger of death on me.  I'll just accompany you-"
"You're acting super suspicious we're going to ignore you now!"
I follow them into the settlement.  There are several unicorns and pixies around, casting detect evil.  A pixie runs up and accuses them of being evil.  Another chance for me to earn their trust!
"Don't worry, they're with me."  To the party: "Don't worry, I kinda suspected you were evil.  But I don't care, as long as you're working against the devil worshipers-"
"I'm not evil!  That pixie's racist!"  This would be interesting IC except that the player rants about this OOC a lot.  He actually believes the character isn't evil, in-universe concepts of morality be damned.
"Er, sure.  Okay.  Ha, yeah they are kinda annoying."

Suddenly the DM has the favored soul of Pelor, a twelve year old kid we've met before, arrive and try to join us.  I think he and I both wanted to move things along.  This is perfect!
"Hey Jason, where's your mother?" - the evil half-ogre barbarian
"I dunno, can I come with you please?"
"No, we need to ask her permission first.  Family is important" - the barbarian who just yesterday bought a human slave from ghouls and ate him.
I speak up.  "Uh, I don't know if his mother will go for that.  But she doesn't have to know.  He wants to come along, and I'll be there to keep an eye on him-"
"Whaaaat?  You want to *abduct* this kid?  Are you a necromancer!?  You're definitely not following us."  the barbarian's player is openly mocking me.  It's pretty funny, which is why people are laughing, it's just also really shitty.  I start to lose my cool.
"Psst, look - Jason only wants to follow you because I'm hiding the fact that you attacked me.  I don't trust you, and you're not taking him without me!"
"GUARDS, THIS IMPOSTER WANTS TO ABDUCT THIS CHILD"
fuck it.  That's when things devolved to shouting, followed by sad apologies.  But this shit was just so typical, reliable even.  I just couldn't stay.  I was metagaming to get the group together, he was making a joke of me and my character.  And as usual, justifying it as "You don't understand my character, stop policing my roleplay!!"  He stood by all that stupid stuff his character said, claiming he had every reason to be suspicious.  Based on all those sense motive rolls - OH WAIT we only rolled one at the start, and it confirmed I was a concerned guard.  But screw that, clearly his character would still suspect mine because he felt like it.  His bullheaded "roleplay" cares not for game mechanics, IC knowledge, or other players.

I feel like the only proper IC response would have been to say "You're insane!" and stop them.  Which...  You just can't DO that in a party based game.  Not when you're using so many splatbooks, building a decent character takes like 4 hours minimum.

[highmax28]

Thats bullshit honestly. I had an incident like that with my second character in my first game ever. My party and even the DM HATED my first character because he always questioned people in regards to finding a man who would tell him where the dark tower is. He's not very smart, so he asked a lot of people who fit the description (literally every human in black robes) if they know where he could find it. It involved avenging his family, but this pissed off the party bard (and leader of course) because a) I owed a life debt to her because she saved my character from near-death at the start of the adventure and b) she was the only one allowed to reference anything (seriously, she goes out of her way to make like 100 references in her backstory and I make one and everyone hates it).

So I get killed and make a new character, who I made was the actual man in black that Urist was looknig for and the one who killed his family. He's a neutral evil artificer that was a demon worshipper. But as soon as I met the party, he joined because they found out he was following them in a dungeon because he was watching my first character and he finds his allies interesting (which the later he said). IMMEDIATLEY, the player of the bard steals my character sheet and reads it and says I can't join because I'm evil. In 4e, there is no detect evil and alignments aren't enforced as well, so when I approached the party as a friendly, she loses her shit IN CHARACTER and says I'm not allowed to follow. I was lucky her boyfriend, the 2nd in command sort of, manages to talk her out of character to let me join, and I do. So the rest of the time she goes on insulting me and sending me to do dirty work, which I do because as the way I'm playing him, he doesn't want them to know he has ulterior motives, etc. And so I suffer through it and then we run into the party avenger who is a warforged and broken apart. I repair him (being an artificer) and what does he do? He immediately drops a daily power and hits me! And what do I do? I fucking shoot him with an interrupt. He then turns invisible and prepares to attack me again, and the bard says to the avenger to stop attacking, unless he plans on killing me. So I'm already peeved at this and then the avenger asks who I am and then writes my name down on a list of people to kill.

I then spend the next few sessions getting harassed by the bard telling me what to do and the avenger kicking the snot out of me. So when it came to a part where I had to kill someone innocent to save my identity, I fucking lose it when the bard's player says I was a piece of shit WHEN I DO MORE HEALING THAN HER BECAUSE SHE RATHER DO STUPID SHIT IN RP THAN IN COMBAT WHEN WE'RE IN A COMBAT HEAVY CAMPAIGN. So because her boyfriend pinned me to a wall, he tells me I can leave, I can get killed or I can answer to the party. And because the bard's player said I get leave or die, I lose it and I insta kill her boyfriend with a poison that the party let me have. Immediatley, the bard says as if she'd let an evil character have anything of that sort, but meanwhile I ASKED her to extract it for me and I asked if anyone wanted them and she said no. So becuse the DM wanted her to calm down, I lost three doses of the poison out of my five doses, AFTER I WASTED ONE ON ACCIDENT. So she goes on the roof and laces her crossbow with the poison she stole from me and waits for me to walk out. Little does she know that I always have my signature black cloak on so she has NO idea what I look like without it and I ditch it and break some windows and escape the building. She starts losing her shit when she finds out that she doesn't see ANYONE that she recognizes.

So, I come in with my third character and the bard tells him to piss off at every chance she gets, and though the party is wary, he is going to where the party says they are going, so he asks to join them and the bard loses it. I'm actually playing a neutral good wizard who's a recently born revenant who has no idea about the world except Waterdeep. We're in Sigil, which is a HUB for interdimensional travel, so I even offer them plenty of gold to let me go with them, to the point I'm almost paying for the item to get me there, and she still tells me to fuck off.

So shit happens and they leave without me. Why? Bard is still butthurt over me killing her boyfriend (who is completely over it himself) and she didn't get to kill me.

So I miss a session and it turned out that when I was gone, the DM brought it on himself to have my old character hire assassins to kill the party in their sleep. What happens? He kills the other person who was there when I killed the bard's boyfriend. So when I show up next session, she's still angry at me because she blamed me for it.

I enter as an elf berserker and things are ok until I realize I hate this character and he was poorly made, so the DM let me make another since he already doesn't have anything and I take the magical item and in OOC, she says give it to the NPC who my character does not care about. I say I have it and I'm not gonig to give it up as a fuck you to her for her being a bitch. She loses it in OOC and says I'm leaving and I should give her all of my gear. I tell her IC that I hold ntohing to the party and I will be using it to make money to help look for someone. She throws a fit and some shit at me in RL and eventually I give her the fucking thing after her tantrum and we continue with me entering as a friend of my first character who was hoping to find him, but the bard actually said to him he's buried back in his home with his family (because she didn't want to say she threw his body in a garbage pit that was removed form existance). My guy calls her bluff and says his family HAD no grave, as there were no bodies (burned/MIA) and she loses it because she said she has 17 bluff and I should believe everything she says when I know facts.

So needless to say after more shit, I left the party, but that was after I got the shit beat out of me by the avenger (because its me) and I had to leave to go to rehab. But I'm surprised I still stayed after all her bullshit.

[NullForceOmega]

Wow, guys, I've had some bad experiences with players but holy shit that is just uncool.  I don't know how anyone can tolerate that level of bullshit at the table.