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Arbitrary Restrictions

 
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Verbannon



Joined: 30 Sep 2013
Posts: 398

PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 9:52 am    Post subject: Arbitrary Restrictions Reply with quote

Ok now there are differeing but valid styles in roleplay. Then there is just arbitary restrictions for pretty much no good reason.

A player just brought to my attentiom a perfect example. He wanted to make his bear form a panda bear form. Now its clearly silly and maybe should be restricted to Senzokuen druids. But other than that, it fits any reasonable requirement. They look like bears, walk like bears, claw and bite like bears. Maybe a bit on the small side, but thats not really an obstacle.Add 'larger than average' to the adjective and done.

But the player said his request was denied because Pandas are lazy and non violent. AKA, they dont act like bears. Newsflash! There is no restriction in Druid RP requiring them to act like the animal they are polymorphed as. Otherwise Imms should be coming down hard on all the tigers that decide suddenly they like curling up on laps.

This is the kind of arbitary ruling that is just bad. Bad DMing, bad for player morale bad for everything. Restrictioms in RP should never be Arbitrary, Unilateral or unduly burdensome.
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diego



Joined: 30 Jul 2011
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 12:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for sharing. We can always rely on your for your opinion and in the end, that is just what it is, an opinion. The imm's are the DM and if you don't like their DMing you have the option you have when playing table top, accept the decision or take your play elsewhere. I choose to trust the Imm's decision and if the druid wishes to take it further they can appeal to the imm's,

In the end I do not think this is arbitrary, but this is my opinion as well and counts for as much as yours. The imms have an overall view of the world our chars live in and the right to make sure our chars fit in. If not we will have mages that think they can train warriors with star wars devices or making matrix moves to avoid damage in combat where they have no fighting skills or stats to support.
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Nienne
Immortal


Joined: 17 Nov 2006
Posts: 2764
Location: Aussieland

PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This particular item was decided because combat-based shapeshifts are predators - a creature with a natural inclination to regular aggression. It wasn't supposed to be arbitrary. I did discuss this with the player in question already, quite a long time ago. Honestly I don't really care either way on this one as it could theoretically work, we just had to draw the line somewhere as the number of requests for alternative shapeshifts were getting a little out of hand (and in some cases, a bit unrealistic as well).

Please have a little more faith in us Verbie, I can understand some of your queries but many are based on a very limited perspective without having the whole picture. We try to avoid making arbitrary decisions for this very reason; people get upset. But there's also usually bigger fish to fry. We have a limited volunteer staff and a lot of demands Smile
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Verbannon



Joined: 30 Sep 2013
Posts: 398

PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@Diego, Bad DMng is detrimental to the game.

@Neinne

What makes it arbitrary is that its not a principle that is applied in other situations. Your stated principle that "Combat forms must be predators" is a principle with a lot of associated properties. The most important of which are the associated principles that form the premise justifying this principle. Which I do not know but I can conceive of very few possibilities. Only one actually and that principle that forms the premise for this principle is that Druids should manifest the nature of the creature they are polymorphed as.

Thus if you are to restrict the beast forms to predators by envoking this principle then you must enforce Druidic behavior in other areas so that it stays in line with their creature forms. At the very least a soft ban on animal forms entering taverns and cities.

A failure of even enforcement makes the enforcement here an arbitrary and ultimately unfair ruling.

Secondly

Your argument that you needed to draw a line somewhere sounds like to me a failure of dictation. Everything can be defined and supported with reasoned arguments. As if you can see a difference than there is a difference and that difference can be defined. Identify examples of what is absolutely unacceptable, then dictate the specific reasons why those examples are unacceptable. And there you have the line without any need for subjectivity.
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Uriel



Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Posts: 145
Location: Chicago

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Verbannon wrote:
@Diego, Bad DMng is detrimental to the game.



Give it a try Verb and let me know what you think! It is a lot of work and everyone has complaints Smile

Please keep in mind that everyone is trying very hard to do a good job and make it fun for everyone.
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