Author Topic: What do you usually ban in your games?  (Read 54674 times)

Offline muktidata

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What do you usually ban in your games?
« on: June 14, 2012, 11:10:56 PM »
I'm going to start an Age of Worms game soon. I haven't started looking through it yet, but its clout precedes it and I have faith in the community's assessment. I've not DM'ed before, but I have played DnD for years and am the most well-versed in min-max'ing out of my group. As I was laying out character creation guidelines, I started to make a banned stuff list. It's currently just two items:

Candles of Invocation
Dust of Sneezing and Choking

What else do you recommend? Here is the allowed source material:
(click to show/hide)
I appreciate the logical, cool-headed responses and the lack of profanity displayed by our community.

Offline Mister Lamp

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2012, 11:30:00 PM »
I personally very rarely ban anything, as few in our group besides me know about the ridiculous stuff. The "Wall of Cheese" is usually where I start, I glance over it and see what I don't want in the game.

I've never played Age of Worms, although I've considered it, so I don't know what power level you'd want to allow.
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Offline snakeman830

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2012, 11:37:18 PM »
The "store XP" function of Thought Bottles.
"When life gives you lemons, fire them back at high velocity."

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2012, 11:48:25 PM »
Rather than banning content which just makes players find a work around. I prefer something like a CoC or w/e.

1. Don't be a douchbag, or professionalism.
You can be that roleplaying tree hugging hippy and Bob can be the dice freak that RPs using terms like "teabag thar noobs!" for all I care. Make some damn effort to get along, don't grab Sue's tits as a 'joke', don't bite someone's hand for reaching for the chips. I mean, we're here to have fun pretending to be heroes and the world really does center on us. Not to play your therapist and hear about how you beat animals before going to sleep.

2. Don't be a douchbag, or gentleman's a agreement.
Being cool is awesome, but this is a team effort. There is no 'I' in team or 'U' so hardy hardy har share the spot light. Means if someone wants to be a fire focused Sorcerer, don't roll up a Wizard that brags about his Fire spells being better. Don't fall into the escalation trap, if Bob deals morei n combat from you setting up his SA don't go uber charger so I'm forced to throw spellcasters at you.

3. No surprises.
Me 'oking' your sheet has little to do with me sitting down and adding up your ability scores or checking the exact wording of your totally 'legal' feat you copied from a book I forgot to download. I'm looking at things like concept, focus, and traits as to better handle encounters. Finding up "I Win" was you're 3rd level feat and using it means you turn off the lights and attack fifteen times in a row is a surprise I don't want. It's not me vs you unless I'm giggling manically, so play nice with the DM too.

4. I hate commercials.
Kind of 2 meets 3 becomes 4 but aimed at everything. Don't become a walking advertisement trying to teach everyone to play a Truenamer or w/e class you think everyone should place. If Bob likes the Rogue, let him play the Rogue. If Sue wants to play a Barbarian who hates your Bard, don't sit there telling her a Cleric is better of why magic is better than mundanes in an attempt to convert them. Nobody likes Jenova's witnesses.

5. When in doubt, ask me.
I like intent, I like a world where NPCs can afford to live and don't craft gold to make gold, and choking on water doesn't heal you. You want a silly illogical game, I need alcohol. Otherwise try being reasonable, ask before your horrible interpretation causes problems. And if you disagree with me, don't bog down the game, just bring it up later.

Offline Libertad

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2012, 02:44:56 AM »
Stuff I don't allow:

Frenzied Berserker (not fond of the risk of PCs losing it and slaughtering nearby innocents or fellow party members; I prefer more heroic games)

Divine Metamagic (Clerics get more than enough stuff to be awesome)

Infinite Power Loops such as Pun-Pun and using Candle of Invocation.

bypassing experience and expensive material components by using spell-like ability equivalents (planar binding efreet nobles, anyone?)

Offline Nytemare3701

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2012, 03:15:14 AM »
Alright, so hear me out on this but...true flight.

Anyone in the game who can fly (Team Monster included) has to land between rounds. We haven't ever had an aquatic battle either, so our games essentially exclude 3D combat.

EDIT: This also gives martial characters a huge boost, as flying is just insane maneuverability instead of a "fuck you I'm in the air"
« Last Edit: June 15, 2012, 03:35:12 AM by Nytemare3701 »

Offline Soft Insanity

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2012, 07:55:20 AM »
Custom Item creation rules, or artificers...take your pick.  I usually go with artificers.
Any kind of leadership or playing multiple characters.  Want to see a game end?  Let anybody with half a brain have leadership.

Offline Rebel7284

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2012, 08:44:22 AM »
Custom Item creation rules, or artificers...take your pick.  I usually go with artificers.
Any kind of leadership or playing multiple characters.  Want to see a game end?  Let anybody with half a brain have leadership.

So you ban druid?  :P

Offline Unbeliever

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2012, 09:09:34 AM »
I rely on the Gentleman's Agreement.  And, I also state that anything where the rules seem bonkers is often subject to change.   As a player, for instance, I opted to change up Boomerang Daze's mechanics b/c it was silly after 1 session. 

Also, I like SorO's #3.  It leads to some long emails, but I like to explain exactly what the awesome bits my build can do are, that way there are no surprises.  That does mean that the DM doesn't have his banhammer ready and waiting for every awesome combo, though.

Offline strider24seven

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2012, 10:23:42 AM »
I have a very short ban list:
1)  Players who are douchebags.

I do have a very extensive list of what "douchebag" entails though. 

Basically, I let my players have whatever the hell they want.  As long as they show me beforehand, I give them a blank check- even if I don't have the source myself.  Dragon Magazine, Serpent Kingdoms, even Kingdoms of Kalamar.  Candles of Invocation and Thought Bottles too.

I can do this because I only play with mature (game-wise at least) players.  No one I play with would use the Candle to summon an Efreet for wish-spam, because he or she understands the dick-measuring contest that usually follows:

1)  Player does something super-cheesy without good reason
2)  DM applies the nerf-bat
3)  Player feels like he or she is being singled out and does something else super-cheesy without good reason
4)  DM applies nerf-bat
...
5)  The game devolves into an argument between 1 player and DM, making the game fun for no one involved. 

I see no reason to deny players the freedom to do what they want, but (and I'm beating a dead horse here), with great power comes great responsibility.  I expect the people I play with to either know what they are doing and play as part of a team, or know enough to ask someone who does- either me or another player. 

If I want to play with mature people, I will play D&D.
If I want to play with less-than-mature people, I will play Sorry or Uno.  If anything at all. 

Offline TravelLog

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2012, 01:36:03 PM »
I rarely if ever ban things outright. I operate on the principle of respect. As long as my players don't go out of their way to break things, nothing get banned. Hell, I even allow things most people would ban as long ad the players are reasonable about it, including planar shepard, etc.
Too much sanity may be madness and the maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.
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Offline zook1shoe

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #11 on: June 15, 2012, 01:57:02 PM »
Stuff I don't allow:

Frenzied Berserker

hey....i had a FB in a game once... some of the most fun i've EVER had  :cool      but that was an experienced group, which may have helped 'control' me along with a forcecaging DM

... back on topic....

1- Thought Bottle (and other 'bypassing XP' tricks)
2- Gestalt (besides the Gladiator stuff i'm involved in)
3- Leadership (and similar feats/abilities, not including familiar/mount/animal companion)
4- most third party material
5- Pun-Pun, more because its not fun... you go infinite.... now what?
6- animate dead armies
7- evil in most games, just due to DM inexperience
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Offline Azremodehar

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #12 on: June 15, 2012, 07:51:23 PM »
For me, it changes from game to game, depending on the nature of the given game. Instead of banning things, I prefer to give a set of parameters for a given game. I tend to make things as broad as possible within the kind of game I have in mind, and reserve veto on anything ridiculous. Though since I enjoy exercises in creativity, I'll honestly allow almost anything (short of, you know, Pun-Pun and similar *cough* builds), if the player can come up with a decent background for it.

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #13 on: June 15, 2012, 07:56:59 PM »
I would probably ban things like love's pain but my I don't really get powergamer players.

So in the end, I let them play high tier classes, even bending some rules in their favour, they enjoy it and don't look too hard for ways to abuse them. The game balance is maintained, as their increased power means I can throw more interesting encounters, that would otherwise be cruel against non-powergamer players.

I am not a big fan of Tome of Battle but that's only because I consider it out of genre ( I love anime, but not in my D&D)
I don't actually ban it but prefere it when there is some explanation for more spectacular stuff, like a guy specialising in desert wind being a fire genasi.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2012, 07:58:51 PM by Braininthejar »

Offline betrayor

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #14 on: June 15, 2012, 08:27:34 PM »
I don't ban anything,my players aren't good optimizers,I ussually have to offer some advice to make their character better.....

Offline Mushroom

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #15 on: June 15, 2012, 08:29:03 PM »


I am not a big fan of Tome of Battle but that's only because I consider it out of genre ( I love anime, but not in my D&D)

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10832

Offline Libertad

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #16 on: June 15, 2012, 08:40:10 PM »
To be fair, the writers of Tome of Battle said that they got their inspiration from Japanese anime fighting shows and Chinese Wuxia.

But most of the flavor text for Disciplines and the classes are versatile enough to fit in "standard D&D."  The Crusader can easily serve as a "holy warrior knight," while Iron Heart can be used to make a convincing "everyman hero."

Offline Mister Lamp

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #17 on: June 15, 2012, 08:55:08 PM »


I am not a big fan of Tome of Battle but that's only because I consider it out of genre ( I love anime, but not in my D&D)

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10832

That link just made my day. :lmao
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Offline Braininthejar

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #18 on: June 15, 2012, 09:09:28 PM »
Quote
To be fair, the writers of Tome of Battle said that they got their inspiration from Japanese anime fighting shows and Chinese Wuxia.

But most of the flavor text for Disciplines and the classes are versatile enough to fit in "standard D&D."  The Crusader can easily serve as a "holy warrior knight," while Iron Heart can be used to make a convincing "everyman hero."

Yes. Most of it does work. My concern is access to blatantly magical effects through purely martial study.

In short (cause once again I started typing a post at 3 A.M.)

- Gutts is ok. Zoro is not, unless he has some magic from other source flowing in his veins.

Offline Unbeliever

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Re: What do you usually ban in your games?
« Reply #19 on: June 15, 2012, 10:05:35 PM »
- Gutts is ok. Zoro is not, unless he has some magic from other source flowing in his veins.
Which he could without doing any violence to the usual D&D paradigm, viz. Warlock, Sorcerer, Drow, etc. 

A Shadow Hand-oriented Swordsage Drow would fit in most standard D&D campaigns, flavoring the more supernatural maneuvers as extensions of their innate magic.