Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site unc.unc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!mcnc!unc!oliver
From: oliver@unc.UUCP (Bill Oliver)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Tempting Choices.
Message-ID: <76@unc.unc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Aug-85 20:53:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: unc.76
Posted: Thu Aug  1 20:53:40 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 4-Aug-85 04:47:03 EDT
References: <3081@pur-ee.UUCP> <239@fear.UUCP>
Reply-To: oliver@unc.UUCP (Bill Oliver)
Organization: CS Dept, U. of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lines: 58

In article <239@fear.UUCP> robert@fear.UUCP (Robert Plamondon) writes:
>> >I think that the proper response to having your character's
>> >personality changed is to rip the character sheet into confetti, and
>> >start looking for another campaign.
>> >		Robert Plamondon
>
>In article <3081@pur-ee.UUCP>, mazina@pur-ee.UUCP (Der Kaiser) writes:
>> 	This is outrageous silliness. You should NEVER attempt to blackmail
>> a DM like that! "Don't do XXX or I'll quit!" is the statement of a MUNCHKIN!
>> You can make your dipleasure known, but you shouldn't quit unless it was 
>> really unjustified, like out of nowhere. The proper response is to try and
>> play the character as someone who has a complete change of heart, with the
>> attendant soul searching, mental trauma, and partial relapses common. If you
>> do it well, it can be a LOT of fun....
>
>I guess most of the trouble is that I haven't played D&D in a long
>time, having switched to other game systems that make realistic game
>action and characterization fairly easy.  I've gotten into the habit
>of developing my characters carefully; putting a lot of time and care
>into them.
>
>In such circumstances, a GM who dictates that my character undergo a
>personality change is being cruel.  He's *KILLING* my old character,
>and expects me to play a monster inside my old character's skin --
>and *LIKE* it!
>
>
>
>		Robert Plamondon
>		{turtlevax, resonex, cae780}!weitek!robert

A few years ago, I played under a DM who had a very good way with this.
Basically, if a character was too strong or was inappropriate for a 
campaign, he would force a drastic change. The player then would either
play the changed character, or opt to roll up another one.  It was 
generally understood that this was a mechism for restoring game balance.
For instance, I played a m-u/cleric who out survived the rest of the
group for about two generations of characters, and ended up an
6/7 character hanging out with a bunch of third and fourth level
characters.  I was put in a situation where I lost, through magtical
means and the loss of an imp familiar, all of my magical abilities,
and ended up a cleric only.  

This was in contrast to players the DM was basically trying to
discourage from playing at all.  These folks just kept dying and
dying, and dying.


Thus, the DM was essentially giving the player the option of
`toning` down the character he had developed to match the 
current group level, as opposed to rolling up a completely
new character and losing all the background, development,
etc. of the old character.  Of course, this DM mostly toned
down abilities and levels this way, but didn`t make us
change alignment. 

Bill Oliver