Originally Posted by
dehro
on a different note:
I don't see why a DM should justify why they are banning a class or race and why "I don't like'em" should not be considered a valid enough reason. If you really insist on playing that race or class, it's on you to find someone who will accept them in their game.
with so many alternatives at your disposal, you should be able to find something else you like playing.
Case in point, as a player, I dislike the notion of monks in a "classic" fantasy setting, because they're styled after shaolin monks, which is such a well defined trope that to me it just feels out of place with the rest of the setting.
Moreover, this is true mechanically as well, since they introduce limitations and powers based on ki, traditional martial arts styles and a few of the weapons that come with... now, if we were playing a wuxia setting, I'd be all for it; but we usually are not, so I completely agree with my DM banning them.
Likewise, I've personally always associated psionic powers with science fiction rather than with fantasy.
Yes, you can refluff all you like, but I often take inspiration from the fluff to determine the background, motivation and identity of my characters.. also, it's one thing to refluff, one to have to also adapt the game mechanics of psionics to make them mesh with whatever the setting dictates.
Put simply, it's a pointless complication of things, that is predicated on your mage and/or cleric somewhat forcibly ignoring that the very existence of a psionicist doesn't fit with how he "knows" the world to be put together..
Anyhoo, I'm just a player, and I realise by reading this thread that there are a number of things that my DMs do that I don't really like and wish could be done differently.
For instance: there's a lot of rolling for basic stuff.
"I'll tie the rope so that you can climb down it.."
"Roll for use rope."
seriously? how about after I tie the knot I try it out by pulling at it with all my weight and if it doesn't come lose, it won't come lose 30 seconds from now? I'm not in a hurry, I'm not trying to fashion a hammock or tying down a ship in a storm. It's a basic knot.
"I'm going to ask the innkeeper for directions..."
"Roll diplomacy."
Dude, I'm a 22th level cleric of Bahamut..I'm basically the right-hand man to the highest priest of Bahamut... we're in Celestia, why on earth should he not want to give me an answer?
"roll for diplomacy."
All considered, this thread discourages me from starting to work on my own campaign. I know for a fact, thanks to previous experiences in running other gaming contexts, that I'd be just fine with the narrative side of things and with keeping the story interesting and the options open.. but the numbers side of things scares the crap out of me.
I have no idea how to balance an encounter.
I'm crap at putting together my own characters, let alone running multiple npcs, and the players I'd be having are more of a rollplaying ilk than I am, which would play badly against my particular shortcomings.