Sort of a rambley post, because I need to get this off my chest.
I have been playing and running TTRPG games for the better part of the last 8 years or so. Most of those with complete strangers on the internet, some of whom I now consider really good friends. There’s something I consider outright magical about communal storytelling that really speaks to me. This session, however was… unsalvageable. Easily the worst session I’ve had in all that time, and that’s saying something!
Let it be known, Fall of Plaguestone (the adventure we were playing) is the very first premade adventure published for Pathfinder 2nd Edition (the system we’re using.) Maybe the designers were figuring out balance, but this module is really out of control. Every single encounter feels like a struggle. The main enemies feel overtuned and present like 70% of all combat encounters. The inciting event is sort of a murder mystery, which can be very hit or miss in my experience. Truth be told I have only heard bad stuff about this module, so I should have known better, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this insane!
The group is also kind of a mess. One player overslept and never showed up. Another one showed up half and hour after starting time, just like the last 3 sessions or so. Also, he’s only half-paying attention to what’s going on, to the point where the GM has to reread the room descriptions straight from the book time and again for him. The other two players are actually quite nice; one of them is brand new to the system with this being his first adventure and… sheesh, I lowkey feel bad for him. The GM is cool, a newer person to the system. However he follows the rules and adventure to the letter with zero deviation, to the point where things feel… stiff. Considering the material he’s following it was always just a recipe for disaster.
Long story short, we spent all session in combat. My character went down during round two to a random crit, so I spent about four hours just… hanging out. Another player went down, leaving the brand new player and the dude who was only half paying attention standing against two ridiculous enemies. I cannot describe how dismaying it was to watch the newer guy try and save the encounter by pretty much listing his every option whenever it was his turn, only for every choice to be shot down by one thing or another. You could hear hope leave his voice and resignation setting in.
Midway through, the other player who got downed just started playing FFXIV (you could see the activity on Discord) while the two players still standing fought. Four hours I spent with my character down just passing my turns. In the end we only survived because the GM started fudging dice hardcore, but everyone could tell what was up. No one said anything, but the energy in the VC was just dreadful.
No TTRPG is better than bad TTRPG, is an idea I fully believe in, so come tomorrow morning I’ll politely leave that group. I feel bad for the GM, because he seems like he’s genuinely trying his best to follow every single mechanic (to a fault IMO, but that’s subjective) but the material he’s using is just dogwater. I also feel bad for the newer player because it’s his first experience with the system and he gets thrown to the wolves right away.
If you get anything out of reading this, I want it to be this: Homie, appreciate your fellow players and GMs. Be grateful if you’re able to participate in a good table and cherish every moment you get to spend telling these stories. It’s not easy to find a group where everyone can jell together and make magic happen, so if and when you find yourself in a group like that… treasure it.
Rant over. Feel free to share any similar horror stories here if you feel like it.