First time I'm posting on these forums, so hopefully this is in the right section. In a campaign I'm in where I play a Tiefling Divine Soul Sorcerer, with two levels in Celestial Warlock. My patron is the Raven Queen, mainly because I'm a fan of Critical Role and Matthew Mercer made her sound amazing and research into her just solidified that decision. I'm one of the few at the table that seems to do any role playing.
My character has the Haunted One background, due to the nature of his human mother's death during his Devil father's betrayal and fall from power. His mother was also a follower of the Raven Queen, to further my character's investment to that faith.
In our last session, we were fighting vampires and the last one surrendered. My character, being highly against undead, wanted to show no mercy to the vampire. But the Lathander Paladin and the Bard in the group wanted to seek to cure the vampire and make her living again (DM is allowing this). The ranger in the group was angry, but only because he was charmed and told to run away which was hasted. Though the ranger is an Urban Bounty Hunter and he too role plays. Very simple design from the ranger, he has a "Marvel Punisher" type of mindset because whomever his target is will die and will kill anyone in his way to do it. So the ranger was indifferent, the bard and paladin wanted to save the vampire, and my character wanted it dead.
The bard rolled a persuasion against my character and got a 27, so always honoring the dice rolls, my character backed down but the video game trope of "Sorcerer will remember this". They "locked" the vampire in a stone tomb until we finish our goal in the dungeon. Right after we sealed it away the group wanted to long rest to regain spells and lost hitpoints from vampire bites. My Sorcerer who was still angry about letting the vampire live didn't rest.
I was then insulted at the table for making the decision I did about my character on not resting and having him be upset. So I ask you all experienced and inexperienced players alike, did I make a bad role-playing decision in this circumstance?
First, we’re only seeing one side of this, so it’s very hard to judge. For me, a big red flag is someone rolling a persuasion against another PC. This is not a PvP game, and that simply should not happen. But we’re past that. To me, getting mad at a player for rp’ing their character is bad form.
Though not resting when the rest of the party did is pretty weird. What were you doing? Or did you not resting force everyone else to not rest? That would be a bit bad on your part if you didn’t allow the other the rest if everyone needed it. That’s just kind of petty, in or out of character.
As far as saving vs. killing the vampire, that’s a character choice. Seems to me like either way, there’s one less vampire in the world, which would meet your goal of destroying the vampire. But if your character doesn’t see it that way, that’s a personal call.
Overall, though, you might want to consider if you want to stay with the group. Again, this is based on only one side. But rolling a persuasion against another character is pretty bad form, and the character conflict spilling over into player conflict is another, much bigger, problem. I wonder if you and this group are a good fit.
There's a balance that you need to strike sometimes when "it's what my character would do" comes into conflict with the overall social contract of the game that assumes you will work together as a team.
When I'm in a predicament like this, I try hard to find a path forward that still makes sense with my beliefs. Clearly a Raven Queen follower would be against undead, but if you could make it not undead anymore then it would no longer be an affront to the RQ. In fact, finding and spreading a cure to vampirism would be a great way to end vampirism once and for all. Expressing your displeasure but pushing the narrative towards eradicating vampirism would allow you to stick to your beliefs while still being part of the team.
But part of this is on the DM too, as players shouldn't need to constantly be doing mental gymnastics to justify staying together. Particularly a party with a Punisher type and a paladin big on redemption are going to have problems in many situations. As a DM, I would do my best to keep those situations to a minimum and encourage one or both players to develop their characters further as the game progresses so they can better establish some bonds and common ground.
Also, I'd never allow the bard to roll Persuasion on a fellow party member. The dice don't get to determine how your character feels - that is expressly your job. But I also wouldn't let the Punisher guy say, "I run up and stake it through the heart before anyone can react." Intra-party conflict should be approached as just another challenge that your party needs to face and overcome together. Even though the characters are opposed, the players should not be - they should be working to figure out a compromise that would allow everyone to maintain the integrity of their characters.
The last thing I'd say is that it sometimes takes some effort to separate intra-party conflict from intra-player conflict. I don't have enough context to judge you either way, but I could see someone refusing to rest as a way to stick it to the other players more than what the character would do. Certainly your character's beliefs are important, but they probably also value their life enough to not endanger it by walking back into a hostile dungeon without any resources.
Thank you both for your wonderful replies, truly appreciate both of your insight on this matter. I would honestly say my character didn't rest because of protest of the other players or to be in conflict with them. But the idea that we literally rested almost melee distance from where the vampire was being kept and didn't trust the vampire to be honest in being compliant. It even said that it didn't know what it would do with its hunger being locked up. Also, them turning into mist, my character didn't fully trust that a stone tomb could fully contain it if it wanted out.
Truly appreciate both of your responses and I'll be more true in not allowing other player rolls against me, minus insight, to affect my character's decisions.
*edit* the original design of the campaign which was me, the paladin, and ranger was to be against undead. The ranger first foe choice was undead, I made my Sorcerer with a deity against undead, and of course the Lawful Good of the Paladin to destroy evil.
You haven't answered whether you stopped the other characters from resting or not.
Even assuming you didn't...it really depends on what the other people were saying about it and their intent. If they're just joking and having a bit of banter...then that's nothing to get upset over. Obviously, if they were being mean and ripping into you about it, then that's not cool. What their intention was is not something that we can know. They know, but it could be that you misinterpreted what they said or how they meant it...
Have a session zero and talk it out. If you're upset, then best to get it off your chest and deal with it. Just...be kind and forgiving. They're people too.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Oh sorry I see your question, no everyone else rested just my Sorcerer didn't rest. I wouldn't affect the party like that, now I used to do practical jokes that got ended but it was fun that I vowed I'd get the paladin arrested which was so much fun.
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Greetings All,
First time I'm posting on these forums, so hopefully this is in the right section. In a campaign I'm in where I play a Tiefling Divine Soul Sorcerer, with two levels in Celestial Warlock. My patron is the Raven Queen, mainly because I'm a fan of Critical Role and Matthew Mercer made her sound amazing and research into her just solidified that decision. I'm one of the few at the table that seems to do any role playing.
My character has the Haunted One background, due to the nature of his human mother's death during his Devil father's betrayal and fall from power. His mother was also a follower of the Raven Queen, to further my character's investment to that faith.
In our last session, we were fighting vampires and the last one surrendered. My character, being highly against undead, wanted to show no mercy to the vampire. But the Lathander Paladin and the Bard in the group wanted to seek to cure the vampire and make her living again (DM is allowing this). The ranger in the group was angry, but only because he was charmed and told to run away which was hasted. Though the ranger is an Urban Bounty Hunter and he too role plays. Very simple design from the ranger, he has a "Marvel Punisher" type of mindset because whomever his target is will die and will kill anyone in his way to do it. So the ranger was indifferent, the bard and paladin wanted to save the vampire, and my character wanted it dead.
The bard rolled a persuasion against my character and got a 27, so always honoring the dice rolls, my character backed down but the video game trope of "Sorcerer will remember this". They "locked" the vampire in a stone tomb until we finish our goal in the dungeon. Right after we sealed it away the group wanted to long rest to regain spells and lost hitpoints from vampire bites. My Sorcerer who was still angry about letting the vampire live didn't rest.
I was then insulted at the table for making the decision I did about my character on not resting and having him be upset. So I ask you all experienced and inexperienced players alike, did I make a bad role-playing decision in this circumstance?
First, we’re only seeing one side of this, so it’s very hard to judge.
For me, a big red flag is someone rolling a persuasion against another PC. This is not a PvP game, and that simply should not happen.
But we’re past that. To me, getting mad at a player for rp’ing their character is bad form.
Though not resting when the rest of the party did is pretty weird. What were you doing? Or did you not resting force everyone else to not rest? That would be a bit bad on your part if you didn’t allow the other the rest if everyone needed it. That’s just kind of petty, in or out of character.
As far as saving vs. killing the vampire, that’s a character choice. Seems to me like either way, there’s one less vampire in the world, which would meet your goal of destroying the vampire. But if your character doesn’t see it that way, that’s a personal call.
Overall, though, you might want to consider if you want to stay with the group. Again, this is based on only one side. But rolling a persuasion against another character is pretty bad form, and the character conflict spilling over into player conflict is another, much bigger, problem. I wonder if you and this group are a good fit.
There's a balance that you need to strike sometimes when "it's what my character would do" comes into conflict with the overall social contract of the game that assumes you will work together as a team.
When I'm in a predicament like this, I try hard to find a path forward that still makes sense with my beliefs. Clearly a Raven Queen follower would be against undead, but if you could make it not undead anymore then it would no longer be an affront to the RQ. In fact, finding and spreading a cure to vampirism would be a great way to end vampirism once and for all. Expressing your displeasure but pushing the narrative towards eradicating vampirism would allow you to stick to your beliefs while still being part of the team.
But part of this is on the DM too, as players shouldn't need to constantly be doing mental gymnastics to justify staying together. Particularly a party with a Punisher type and a paladin big on redemption are going to have problems in many situations. As a DM, I would do my best to keep those situations to a minimum and encourage one or both players to develop their characters further as the game progresses so they can better establish some bonds and common ground.
Also, I'd never allow the bard to roll Persuasion on a fellow party member. The dice don't get to determine how your character feels - that is expressly your job. But I also wouldn't let the Punisher guy say, "I run up and stake it through the heart before anyone can react." Intra-party conflict should be approached as just another challenge that your party needs to face and overcome together. Even though the characters are opposed, the players should not be - they should be working to figure out a compromise that would allow everyone to maintain the integrity of their characters.
The last thing I'd say is that it sometimes takes some effort to separate intra-party conflict from intra-player conflict. I don't have enough context to judge you either way, but I could see someone refusing to rest as a way to stick it to the other players more than what the character would do. Certainly your character's beliefs are important, but they probably also value their life enough to not endanger it by walking back into a hostile dungeon without any resources.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Thank you both for your wonderful replies, truly appreciate both of your insight on this matter. I would honestly say my character didn't rest because of protest of the other players or to be in conflict with them. But the idea that we literally rested almost melee distance from where the vampire was being kept and didn't trust the vampire to be honest in being compliant. It even said that it didn't know what it would do with its hunger being locked up. Also, them turning into mist, my character didn't fully trust that a stone tomb could fully contain it if it wanted out.
Truly appreciate both of your responses and I'll be more true in not allowing other player rolls against me, minus insight, to affect my character's decisions.
*edit* the original design of the campaign which was me, the paladin, and ranger was to be against undead. The ranger first foe choice was undead, I made my Sorcerer with a deity against undead, and of course the Lawful Good of the Paladin to destroy evil.
You haven't answered whether you stopped the other characters from resting or not.
Even assuming you didn't...it really depends on what the other people were saying about it and their intent. If they're just joking and having a bit of banter...then that's nothing to get upset over. Obviously, if they were being mean and ripping into you about it, then that's not cool. What their intention was is not something that we can know. They know, but it could be that you misinterpreted what they said or how they meant it...
Have a session zero and talk it out. If you're upset, then best to get it off your chest and deal with it. Just...be kind and forgiving. They're people too.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Oh sorry I see your question, no everyone else rested just my Sorcerer didn't rest. I wouldn't affect the party like that, now I used to do practical jokes that got ended but it was fun that I vowed I'd get the paladin arrested which was so much fun.