Bad RIFTS GM

[SkyeFyre]

Agreed.

Oh, and Annihilation is a book legal spell that costs like 600 PPE or so and does like 2D4x100 damage. In other words, even using it ONCE is a challenge.

[GreenGhost]

.....lol...I couldn't help but laugh the whole time.......worse GM award fo sho!!

You can say that again!

[Dog_O_War]

Your friends' take on the rules isn't that bad - how he runs his game though was awful. I cannot believe you stuck it out for more than 4 character deaths - even noobs know when they've been had by then.

From the rules stand-point, if you had been more versed at the time you would have realized that infact going first is the worst thing you can do - see the simoltaineous attack thread as to why. As for getting all your attacks at once, well that was clearly wrong - sort of. Under certain circumstances you can do that as well (again this is simoltaineous attacks' fault). I assumed you meant dodge instead of parry when you were speaking of the Juicer parrying bullets, and you were right.

When he offered that getting full bonuses for ranged attacks as burst and such, this is not a bad ruling; it actually makes more sense than the current set-up (like burst-firing a pulse laser weapon cuts your bonuses in half for no reason other than multiple laser blasts come from the barrel - faster than your eye can perceive them).

But the guy was being a rooster - you gotta sit your friend down and tell him that if he were a good friend he wouldn't force you to run your game his way, and would play so that the entire group was having fun - not just himself.

[SkyeFyre]

keep in mind this guy is 32 years old and thinks he is a warlock in real life.

...


...


...

Earth, Air, Fire, or Water?

[Library Ogre]

Earth, Air, Fire, or Water?

HEART!

By your powers combined...

[Dustin Fireblade]

keep in mind this guy is 32 years old and thinks he is a warlock in real life.

Until you said his age I would have guessed that he was more like 12. Anyway it sounds like he has some issues to say the least. I'd suggest that you inform him the "friendship" is over, tell him not to come by your place and block his phone number if you can.

[Cybermancer]

This person is extremely insecure.

To them, roleplaying and GMing is a way to feel superior (without justification) and to also to feel in charge.

Even as a player, they want to control things by telling you how to run your game.

They have repeatedly tried to manipulate you for their own selfish gain.

Absolutely do not give in. Absolutely do not let them have their way, not even a little bit. Do not compromise and be quite firm in your stance. Leave no room for doubt in their mind that you are inflexible in this. If they can't abide by your rules and the conditions you set, refuse to discuss it with them. Period. There can be no room for flexibility when dealing with this person.

If it were me, I would toss them out of the game and discontinue my association with them. They sound like very damaged goods and not the sort that is healthy to be near.

By the way, it sounds like you may be beginning to become a pretty decent GM in your own right. It seems that your bad expereince has taught you very well what not to do. Once you've mastered the rules, you'll be able to see more clearly where they need to be tweaked and improved upon (as opposed to ignored outright).

Carry on and keep up the good work.

[Novastar]

If it were me, I would toss them out of the game and discontinue my association with them. They sound like very damaged goods and not the sort that is healthy to be near.

Drugs could not make me that unhinged!

Dude, run away from this guy. Hell, you might want to call his family, and see if he's off meds...

[BookWyrm]

The disruptive player/GM should be taken aside, asked the simplest Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot is-he-doing question, and if he doesn't give a satisfactory answer, he's booted. Gone. Outta there. No more Rifts for you! Until he plays *smartly*.

Until then, give him a taste of his own medicine.

[Vrykolas2k]

I had a similar problem a years ago.
I led the other players in a revolt: we started by quoting rules right out of the book, ignoring anything harmful that his villains did to us, outright saying said villains were just dead and continuing on, and ended with me taking over the game after making him leave almost in tears with that behavior.
Actually, it was that gm and two others that made me the rules lawyer I am today.

[Spinachcat]

Hearing these stories about Bad GMs is very sad and probably responsible for why our hobby has suffered such losses in popularity. However, as an agnostic I would have to get my popcorn bowl and watch the Warlock vs. the Christians battle it out over "truth."

Being a GM is hard. It's a tough line between keeping the player's challenged vs. boring cakewalks vs. uninspired dice rolling vs. TPK so I have a lot of sympathy for GMs, but this nutjob was obviously not a team player.

My rule on gaming groups is very simple - everyone is there to have fun with one another. If someone is there with a different agenda, they get ejected or I leave.

No gaming is better than bad gaming.

[runebeo]

You don't know what you got till it's gone! Our GM went away for for the summer a few years back I took over for him, but I didn't enjoy it at all way too much work for me. Sometimes its hard find someone who wants to be a GM so I say either replace him or learn to like his style, its not an easy job from my experience.

[Crazy Lou]

Earth, Air, Fire, or Water?

HEART!

By your powers combined...

That had to be the best possible response!! That made my day (sad, I know...)

Anyway, I'm glad everything's cleared up it seems, and grats on the new campaign.

[Fyrpower]

Earth, Air, Fire, or Water?

HEART!

By your powers combined...

Mark you should be banned for really bad jokes!

[Library Ogre]

Earth, Air, Fire, or Water?

HEART!

By your powers combined...

Mark you should be banned for really bad jokes!

I ain't leaving so long as Riko is allowed to roam free.