Red Flags of Gaming

[Tadanori Oyama]

The players are having to crack open their books to recheck information more than once or twice a round. Goes hand-in-hand with players (and the DM) not knowing the rules.

[dragonshaos]

The players are having to crack open their books to recheck information more than once or twice a round. Goes hand-in-hand with players (and the DM) not knowing the rules.

I think an exception to that is when both players and DM are trying a new system/game.

[Tadanori Oyama]

The players are having to crack open their books to recheck information more than once or twice a round. Goes hand-in-hand with players (and the DM) not knowing the rules.

I think an exception to that is when both players and DM are trying a new system/game.

Oh, indeed. Not all red flags apply to all situations. I bring it up because I have players who've been playing 4E D&D with me for some months now and still operate almost entirely out of source books rather than off their sheet.

[Corrosive Rabbit]

Oh, indeed. Not all red flags apply to all situations. I bring it up because I have players who've been playing 4E D&D with me for some months now and still operate almost entirely out of source books rather than off their sheet.

That's one of my biggest pet peeves -- specifically players who play spell casters, but don't actually read up on what their spells do ...

CR

[dragonshaos]

Oh, indeed. Not all red flags apply to all situations. I bring it up because I have players who've been playing 4E D&D with me for some months now and still operate almost entirely out of source books rather than off their sheet.

That's one of my biggest pet peeves -- specifically players who play spell casters, but don't actually read up on what their spells do ...

CR

I Haaate when they don't read their spells. 

They'll tell me
"I cast Icy Terrain!"
 "Ok, what's it do?"
 "Uhh...damage, and enemies slip around on ice." 
"...I hate you... (jk)"

[Corrosive Rabbit]

I Haaate when they don't read their spells. 

They'll tell me
"I cast Icy Terrain!"
 "Ok, what's it do?"
 "Uhh...damage, and enemies slip around on ice." 
"...I hate you... (jk)"

Yup -- I've actually been playing in a group where a bard/druid burst into a fight, and cast Daze on an ogre.  The ogre fails their saving throw, and the character gleefully runs up to it on their next turn and swings at it.  Of course, the effects of the Daze wear off at the end of the bard/druid's turn.  The ogre then crushes the bard/druid with one hit (who knew that a bard 2/druid 1 with only 12 hit points shouldn't go toe-to-toe with an ogre?).  Anyway, the ensuing exchange between the player and GM stuck in my mind ...

Player: That's not fair!  I cast daze on the ogre!  It's dazed!!!

GM: That spell only lasts for one round.

Player: Well, how the hell was I supposed to know that???

I kid you not, the player actually stormed out of the game session over this, after stating that it was the "GM's job" to let her know that charging into melee with the ogre might get her character killed, and since he hadn't done that, her character should be miraculously brought back to life.  This is the same player who referred to herself as a 15 year RPG veteran, and constantly tried to tell other players what they should be doing with their characters during combat ...

Anyway, I'm seeing that I've sown an entire field of red flags with that anecdote ...

CR