Tips for PCs: Helpful Advice (or What NOT To Do)

[Lord of the Vine]

We've all seen them. We've all had to experience them. Yet there is no avoiding them.

At some point, you're going to have that one player. You know the one. The Leeroy Jenkins of the table that will do that insanely idiotic thing that doesn't pan out for the rest of your group.

This thread is dedicated to swapping tales of these unsung morons...as well as to give advice to new players.  

[Remo Ernesto Rotondo]

I had to learn from a number of trails to not insult a Deity if you're apart of that religion. I've had to reroll a number of characters while learning this rule.

Meanwhile, there are some beginner PCs and sometimes advanced who will not play a certain character correctly based on the stats on the sheet. The only advice I would give based on this is simply: Build and play comfortably with what you feel like doing.

For the longest time in D&D 3 and 3.5, I played a Half-Orc barbarian for about 95% of the campaigns I was in. I did this for two reasons: the rolls supported such a character and I felt like it. I could've and sometimes should've played different classes but I knew it wouldn't be a good fit for me being out of my element and that's not always a bad thing.

They need to learn and hopefully they do but if they're not getting a clue, take a look around and adapt. Not being able to could expell you from a group.  

[Lord of the Vine]

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

I had to learn from a number of trails to not insult a Deity if you're apart of that religion. I've had to reroll a number of characters while learning this rule.

Meanwhile, there are some beginner PCs and sometimes advanced who will not play a certain character correctly based on the stats on the sheet. The only advice I would give based on this is simply: Build and play comfortably with what you feel like doing.

For the longest time in D&D 3 and 3.5, I played a Half-Orc barbarian for about 95% of the campaigns I was in. I did this for two reasons: the rolls supported such a character and I felt like it. I could've and sometimes should've played different classes but I knew it wouldn't be a good fit for me being out of my element and that's not always a bad thing.

They need to learn and hopefully they do but if they're not getting a clue, take a look around and adapt. Not being able to could expell you from a group.

I suppose it depends on what system. For 3.5, that certainly is a factor.  

[Remo Ernesto Rotondo]

Dion Necurat

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

I had to learn from a number of trails to not insult a Deity if you're apart of that religion. I've had to reroll a number of characters while learning this rule.

Meanwhile, there are some beginner PCs and sometimes advanced who will not play a certain character correctly based on the stats on the sheet. The only advice I would give based on this is simply: Build and play comfortably with what you feel like doing.

For the longest time in D&D 3 and 3.5, I played a Half-Orc barbarian for about 95% of the campaigns I was in. I did this for two reasons: the rolls supported such a character and I felt like it. I could've and sometimes should've played different classes but I knew it wouldn't be a good fit for me being out of my element and that's not always a bad thing.

They need to learn and hopefully they do but if they're not getting a clue, take a look around and adapt. Not being able to could expell you from a group.

I suppose it depends on what system. For 3.5, that certainly is a factor.

It's one of the reasons I love Pathfinder, Gamma World and to an extent D&D 4th Ed, it's not too much Power gamer like for the process of the characters and a little more with communication between players/party members.  

[Lord of the Vine]

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

Dion Necurat

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

I had to learn from a number of trails to not insult a Deity if you're apart of that religion. I've had to reroll a number of characters while learning this rule.

Meanwhile, there are some beginner PCs and sometimes advanced who will not play a certain character correctly based on the stats on the sheet. The only advice I would give based on this is simply: Build and play comfortably with what you feel like doing.

For the longest time in D&D 3 and 3.5, I played a Half-Orc barbarian for about 95% of the campaigns I was in. I did this for two reasons: the rolls supported such a character and I felt like it. I could've and sometimes should've played different classes but I knew it wouldn't be a good fit for me being out of my element and that's not always a bad thing.

They need to learn and hopefully they do but if they're not getting a clue, take a look around and adapt. Not being able to could expell you from a group.

I suppose it depends on what system. For 3.5, that certainly is a factor.

It's one of the reasons I love Pathfinder, Gamma World and to an extent D&D 4th Ed, it's not too much Power gamer like for the process of the characters and a little more with communication between players/party members.

True; however, for my personal taste, I try not to place too much stock in what my character's stats tell me about the character. For instance, I'm playing a paladin with an INT score of 8. I don't think he's a bumbling idiot; it just takes him a bit longer to piece things together.  

[Remo Ernesto Rotondo]

Dion Necurat

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

Dion Necurat

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

I had to learn from a number of trails to not insult a Deity if you're apart of that religion. I've had to reroll a number of characters while learning this rule.

Meanwhile, there are some beginner PCs and sometimes advanced who will not play a certain character correctly based on the stats on the sheet. The only advice I would give based on this is simply: Build and play comfortably with what you feel like doing.

For the longest time in D&D 3 and 3.5, I played a Half-Orc barbarian for about 95% of the campaigns I was in. I did this for two reasons: the rolls supported such a character and I felt like it. I could've and sometimes should've played different classes but I knew it wouldn't be a good fit for me being out of my element and that's not always a bad thing.

They need to learn and hopefully they do but if they're not getting a clue, take a look around and adapt. Not being able to could expell you from a group.

I suppose it depends on what system. For 3.5, that certainly is a factor.

It's one of the reasons I love Pathfinder, Gamma World and to an extent D&D 4th Ed, it's not too much Power gamer like for the process of the characters and a little more with communication between players/party members.

True; however, for my personal taste, I try not to place too much stock in what my character's stats tell me about the character. For instance, I'm playing a paladin with an INT score of 8. I don't think he's a bumbling idiot; it just takes him a bit longer to piece things together.

I never said he was or think that way. The half-orc barbar I played a lot usually averaged a Int score of 7. His speech was a little off but usually meant what he said and had two smithy trades for his background.  

[Lord of the Vine]

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

Dion Necurat

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

Dion Necurat

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

I had to learn from a number of trails to not insult a Deity if you're apart of that religion. I've had to reroll a number of characters while learning this rule.

Meanwhile, there are some beginner PCs and sometimes advanced who will not play a certain character correctly based on the stats on the sheet. The only advice I would give based on this is simply: Build and play comfortably with what you feel like doing.

For the longest time in D&D 3 and 3.5, I played a Half-Orc barbarian for about 95% of the campaigns I was in. I did this for two reasons: the rolls supported such a character and I felt like it. I could've and sometimes should've played different classes but I knew it wouldn't be a good fit for me being out of my element and that's not always a bad thing.

They need to learn and hopefully they do but if they're not getting a clue, take a look around and adapt. Not being able to could expell you from a group.

I suppose it depends on what system. For 3.5, that certainly is a factor.

It's one of the reasons I love Pathfinder, Gamma World and to an extent D&D 4th Ed, it's not too much Power gamer like for the process of the characters and a little more with communication between players/party members.

True; however, for my personal taste, I try not to place too much stock in what my character's stats tell me about the character. For instance, I'm playing a paladin with an INT score of 8. I don't think he's a bumbling idiot; it just takes him a bit longer to piece things together.

I never said he was or think that way. The half-orc barbar I played a lot usually averaged a Int score of 7. His speech was a little off but usually meant what he said and had two smithy trades for his background.

Ah; I read "play characters based on the stats" and thought to the letter.  

[Remo Ernesto Rotondo]

Dion Necurat

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

Dion Necurat

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

Dion Necurat

Remo Ernesto Rotondo

I had to learn from a number of trails to not insult a Deity if you're apart of that religion. I've had to reroll a number of characters while learning this rule.

Meanwhile, there are some beginner PCs and sometimes advanced who will not play a certain character correctly based on the stats on the sheet. The only advice I would give based on this is simply: Build and play comfortably with what you feel like doing.

For the longest time in D&D 3 and 3.5, I played a Half-Orc barbarian for about 95% of the campaigns I was in. I did this for two reasons: the rolls supported such a character and I felt like it. I could've and sometimes should've played different classes but I knew it wouldn't be a good fit for me being out of my element and that's not always a bad thing.

They need to learn and hopefully they do but if they're not getting a clue, take a look around and adapt. Not being able to could expell you from a group.

I suppose it depends on what system. For 3.5, that certainly is a factor.

It's one of the reasons I love Pathfinder, Gamma World and to an extent D&D 4th Ed, it's not too much Power gamer like for the process of the characters and a little more with communication between players/party members.

True; however, for my personal taste, I try not to place too much stock in what my character's stats tell me about the character. For instance, I'm playing a paladin with an INT score of 8. I don't think he's a bumbling idiot; it just takes him a bit longer to piece things together.

I never said he was or think that way. The half-orc barbar I played a lot usually averaged a Int score of 7. His speech was a little off but usually meant what he said and had two smithy trades for his background.

Ah; I read "play characters based on the stats" and thought to the letter.

Yeah, I know I pretty much contradicted myself back there. I do that sometimes.  

[DeathAdams]

Alright, seeing this made me want to tell the story of one of my most epic adventures.

I am normally the anti-hero of the group. I often collude with the Dm to screw with the group, and often make heros that aren't as stat healthy as they could be, in favor of the roleplaying.

In this adventure I'm sharing with you, the cast was a Dwarf Barbarian, a Elf Rouge, a Halfling Cleric, and me, a Chaotic Good Goblin Monk, with a Vow of Silence and Truth. Now, in this adventure I didn't actively try to mess up my group, since the fact I was a Goblin would prove difficult enough for the group to deal with. (Racisim was a heavy factor in this campaign). And if it wasn't bad enough, Razzk had a twin brother, that was a pyromaniac, and a clever alchemist. About a week before the party showed up in a major city, Trezzek had blown up not one, but three major government functionaries. Needless to say, Razzk was arrested on sight, due to their identical appearance. The party goes to court to get him freed, and successfully as well, only to find out that Razzk has been busted out earlier on.

And so this three week adventure continues on, up until the point that they find out that the goblin they thought was Razzk was actually Trezzk, and Razzk had been imprizoned months earlier in Trezzk's evil lair.  

[Rachetgirl11]

Oh god...all the stories of Munchkin are coming back...

Okay, let's make one thing clear: If the book says something, and it's in BOLD or italic, you shut the ******** up and roll with it, am I right? Usually, such rules are in their for game balance, or just to preserve the realism of the world. Munchkin, of whom I speak, did not know this.

We were playing Deadlands, Hell on Earth-basically, think Fallout mixed with some magic for flavoring. Physic characters known as Sykers, Radiation masters known as Doomsayers, and expert tinkerers called Junkers all exist in this system, and they are all "magic" as the system calls it. Now, the book says if you are a magic character, you pick ONE. ONE. Certain ways around this do exist (For example, a Doomsayer might have some latent Syker power-this is a very special case, and is heavily balanced out). Munchkin, however, did not like this idea, and instead, tried every single excuse imaginable to get not just two arcane classes, but THREE. The argument was horrid, and the entire party took my side, the side of one arcane power (he was already a Doomsayer, and was trying to get both Syker and Junker powers). The group broke up shortly afterward due to lack of interest, and we...well, we stopped inviting him. So the moral of this story is, do not argue with the book. The book is Law, and any DM who knows what he's doing is not going to let something that big be allowed.  

[Mamoru Shigehito]

In one of the campaigns I was in.... we had a new person to D&D and he decided to kill the sorcerer's talking raven. He crit failed and would have killed the bird if it hadn't been for the DM.... basically he screwed the sorcerer over cause the raven couldn't fly anymore....