Derailed PC plot?

Veeky Forums, I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but I just want to vent.

We're playing D&D, and my character (a Ranger) has had a subplot where he was romancing a female Paladin he knew from a long time ago. The idea is that she lived in the same village as him, and she happened to be the group's liasion in the Border Marches area the campaign takes in. It's a detail from my PC's backstory, and the GM worked it in after discussion at charagen.

The thing is, in the most recent session, things went a bit wrong.

My PC is trying to charm this girl, and she's semi-reciprocating, but she didn't only show interest in my PC. She also flirted with the party's Sorcerer quite a bit, and waved off my PC's concerns as 'No, there's nothing between us, it's just silly'.

So this session, she tells my PC that her family has arranged for her to meet her fiancee. As it turns out, with her rank in the Order, they're nobility now and they want her to marry advantageously. My PC asks if she minds, and she says she doesn't, really. She's sure they'll pick someone she'd like. Then he asks about 'us', and she says that it can't possibly happen, now. She has responsibilities.

Obviously, I'm a bit upset about it at this point, but we go along to the meeting anyway. It turns out her fiancee-to-be is a knightly Fighter, of noble blood, and basically quite powerful himself. They hit it off really well, and there's actual chemistry between them.

At this point, my PC is obviously upset. But that guy is landed nobility, and he's clearly no slouch himself.

OOC, I ask the GM where this is going, and he says "Well, she's probably going to marry her fiancee eventually". When I ask him about the subplot, he says "I brought in the NPC, but the plot develops as the campaign does. Nothing's set in stone." He doesn't say anything about a 'way out'.

I don't know why this upsets me, but it does. Am I being too sensitive, here? It feels like the DM set up the whole thing to make me feel small and 'brush me off'.

Like, wasn't this one supposed to be my PC's subplot? It was an important aspect of my character, and he's just sort of being sidelined in his own story. It really, really irks me.

Does anyone else feel that this is unfair? Even earlier, my PC's love interest sort of had a wandering eye already!

This is what an entitlement complex looks like, OP.

Ohh, look at little missy here without enough shield to cover her cheaping out on upper leg armor.

Cute, but dumb. You can definitely justify just not having much or any armor there, but not with a pissy shield like that. Definitely not if you fight on your own.

It's acceptable if you are going all Hoplon or Macedonian Phalanx style, but then you have a lot of "BROTHERS/SISTERS IN ARMS PROTECTING YOU!" or a fuckload of pike.

It's standard sexy fantasy armor.

When you ask the GM to incoporate backstory into your game you kind of forfeit the right to creative control over what happens going forward. Personally, I think it's nice the GM is actually working it in a way other than just going "Oh yeah shortly after you left your village, orcs attacked and she died". He's adding your stuff in and making some kind of interesting changes (the person you thought loved you doesn't).

That said, this seems a little inelegant. My guess is he either wanted to give you a love triangle or he was just uncomfortable roleplaying your waifu so he's shutting down romance stuff early.

Either way, you're now going to a wedding, OP. So get ready--you know what's about to happen.

Or maybe the paladiness is thinking for herself, and doesn't actually want to fuck OP.

She's just not into you, man. You're not entitled to have a fantasy waifu just because you put one in your backstory.

People eat food when they get hungry.

This is the thread where we post obvious statements and expect to be congratulated, right?

Sounds to me like you wanted the GM to be your pretend girlfriend, but now you're upset cause he thought you wanted a romance plot with actual drama and adversity rather than handy under the table.

I feel like the Paladin finding someone else attractive counts as a love triangle even if it's only because one guy is forcing it.

Now I kind of hope OP goes full Nice Guy with this Lady Paladin. Preferably without even doing it intentionally--he's just that thirsty he actually starts treating an NPC like his actual high school crush.

To be completely fair, she's so much higher in social status than him, and she's obviously aware of that. His only claim is 'childhood friend' and she clearly doesn't give a shit about Mr. Friendzone.

Maybe your ranger should man up and fight for the girl he loves.

I hope he gets his ass beat. OP sounds like a faggot.

Personally I'm hoping the Lady Paladin's fiancee is actually a charismatic, good-natured bro who sincerely likes OP and treats him as a friend and confidant.

Have you ever played Bahamut Lagoon, OP? Because that's where Ann Tee Arrrr comes from.

Perhaps that was the point of the fighter, to cuck the ranger and soon become a total bro NPC.

>to cuck the ranger

Can't cuck someone if he was never sleeping with the girl in the first place.

It's not NTR if you're not actually a couple. You're not being cucked unless she's actually your girlfriend or lover. It sounds like the DM decided to introduce an actual character instead of a fuck-puppet for OP to masturbate to.

Pretty sure OP is presumptive enough to feel cucked regardless.

>Why do faire ladies always go for Sir Chads who only care about having a fast horse and spending all their time at the training grounds?
>Real chivalry is dead
>I'm a Lawful Nice Ranger, and that's my problem
>We've been friends forever. I love her and she's my dream girl

Your GM and me seem to have a similar approach to plot progression, that said I do try and keep things like npcs the players like (or that their characters can't stand) in play or recurring. I am intrested in how this noble title is held? As the paladin achieved it by merit that would imply she holds it but her family had the know how to arrange the marriage.

OP here, my PC hasn't actually spoken to her fiancee. We were accompanying them to protect a relic on the way, and we've been given guest rooms in the castle. We're approximately Level 5 / 6.

I know how it looks, but this was supposed to be my character's sidequest. Another PC is dealing with his father's legacy and all he's doing is to follow up on the clues he has, it's not being taken away from him.

I have done my best to work with the GM, but he's not following the plot you would expect, because it's out of my guy's hands now. They grew up together and came from the same background, so there's a important bond there.

Sounds like you need to challenge him to a duel for her hand.

...

>Guys, my GM isn't handing a romantic subplot to me on a silver platter!

The extent of the relationship is casual flirting. No shit it didn't go anywhere. Your response to her engagement was "aww... Okay" and then come to btch about it on a Korean woodburn site? Man up, take charge. Perform a daring feat of heroism to ne granted a title, then duel Sir Chad for her hand.

It doesn't matter how poor your confidence is, it's an rpg. Do what it takes. Doing something is the important bit.

The other PCs don't want me to, they think it's a stupid idea because he's loaded to the gills with magical items including a flaming greatsword he used to kill a troll. I'm your Bow Ranger build, not really using swords.

We're in his castle surrounded by his men, it wouldn't be a fair fight.

When someone is inducted as an actual Paladin, the family becomes honorary nobility because everyone wants their children to inherit the 'spark'. There are knights, but actual Paladins are quite rare.

That bond doesn't magically go away just because some rugged, handsome, heroic knight is plowing your childhood crush in the room next to you. Just because she's experiencing the most volcanic, explosive pleasure she's ever had not ten feet away at the hands of some guy who is frankly better than your Ranger in every conceivable way doesn't mean she's out of the story.

>but he's not following the plot you would expect

This is not a bad thing. A good GM should surprise you. It's probably a good thing your Ranger still has feelings for her because that makes for drama. Just make sure the romantic angst doesn't become a plot tumor. I can think of a million and a half ways to have fun with this in your position. You need to let go of your attachment to this waifu and start thinking of her as an actual character.

Maybe you're so jealous your orchestrate Sir Chad's "accidental" death. Maybe you challenge him to an honor duel. Maybe you rape him to steal his virility and present yourself as the superior male. Sack up and think outside the box OP.

Then goad him into challenging you. You get to pick the weapon. Choose bows.

>We're in his castle surrounded by his men, it wouldn't be a fair fight.
I don't think you understand what a duel is.

His friends don't get to jump you like it's a fraternity initiation.

Five Options:
>Best Path:
Quest to become a better prize to marry your girl before the wedding.
Be the better man, damn it.

>Romance Path:
Romance the girl until she loves you more than a paladin loves their duty.
Between that and how the GM played her, I don't like your chances.

>Destiny Path
Trust in your GM and fate to being you and your love together.
"Nothing's set in stone."

>Let it go path
Your GM might be telling you something, like that they just don't want to roleplay this romance or that he is a spiteful twat.
You can choose to let this go and enjoy the rest of the game.

>Evil Path
Manipulations, machinations, and murder.
Raising youself up above your rival, it may be difficult.
It is far easier to bring him down to below your level, perhaps even six feet below.
But then you'll be trying to win a paladin after doing this, so there's that.

I would HIGHLY recommend explicitly asking your GM if you have a shot of any of the above resulting in you getting the girl or if "Nothing's set in stone." just meant he didn't have to do nuthin'.

> His friends don't get to jump you like it's a fraternity initiation.

I mean like, it's his home ground, the referee and the crowd will be on his side. It's not an advantageous situation.

>I brought in the NPC, but the plot develops as the campaign does.

>but he's not following the plot you would expect

Yes. Yes he is. You clearly havent engaged with the plot enough, so now he's throwing in his big complication hoping for you to get your shit in gear already.

Literally any dramatic action in this matter from your PC is preferable to coming to Veeky Forums to complain he hasn't given you a pretend blowjob yet.

This guy has tons of ideas if you're too sheltered to have seen any romance media in your life.

You sound like a faggot.

>This guy has tons of ideas

Quick correction, destiny path is hot garbage. Passive characters make no story and if you drop it your GM is gonna drop it too, engage or inform him you officially pussy out.

If he's a knight of honor like you said it won't make much of a difference. If he loses fair and square and admits defeat there's not anything his buddies can say about it. The disadvantage to this though is it might make your waifu even wetter when he acts so honorably. And it'll make you look kind of presumptive and mean for challenging a guy in his own home and then beating him up all over a girl who's not even into you.

If he's secretly a jerk and cheats to get you to lose, then the resulting SHAMEFUR DISPRAY might make Waifudin feel like she's making the wrong choice. Or it'll give him an outlaw bad boy edge, at which point she'll probably get so turned on she'll be dehydrated.

The DM doesn't sound like he's going to let it happen unless OP takes drastic steps. From my reading, it sounded like he thought "Okay, this NPC is worth including" but didn't automatically jump to "OP's cocksleeve" as her role in the campaign.

Which is why he needs to somehow arrange for NobleGuy to challenge him to a duel. Customarily the challenged gets to pick the weapons to be used.

OP is a ranger. He picks bows.

>Quick correction, destiny path is hot garbage.
Yeah, that one's pretty much like counting "Off" a speed on your 5-speed blender in this case.
But it is technically an option, so I included it.

The thing with the duel though is it's transparently a ploy for Waifudin's attention and affection. She sounds like she's pretty independent, so this might not impress her.

I'm still totally for it though. It does sound like something a Nice Guy up against the wall would pull to win m'lady's heart.

This could actually turn out pretty fun. Nice Ranger keeps pulling stuff like this and eventually Waifudin just starts hating him. Then it leads to either open antagonism between her and the party or they're forced to reconcile when something big happens.

OP here, next session is this Sunday, so I'll see how it goes over Golden Week.

That's exactly my point, if OP doesn't step the fuck up and make a plot out of this she's just gonna be a background NPC in a political (if pleasant) marriage.

And the internal monologue of someone who gives up their love for politics is A) really a long shot to pull off if the group doesn't frequently have actual monolinguing or deep heart to heart scenes between characters. And B) Is kind of pointless if that romance isnt already built up as something painful to give up on already. And it sounds to me like OP's been twiddling his thumps waiting for this NPC to suck his dick cause he's a nice guy.

I'm just putting it out there since for the reasons above it's not suited for most groups in this medium. The rest, good or evil are all valid and fun plots. (Or at least drop this to focus on more compelling plots.)

Yeah even a pitiful failure to both impress her or beat him could still be a compelling development. A loud failure now could leave a lot of interesting threads to pursue later on, both antagonistic as you suggest or lead to some triumphant return to speak up just before they marry.

The sheer thwarted thirstiness op is displaying is a thing of beauty.

From what you said it sounds like you're DM begrudgingly allowed your back story as a side plot, and then developed a way to negate said side plot.

Here's my thoughts on this as a cursed, forever DM, you're lucky your backstory was considered at all. You're DM has a reason for doing what he is doing. I myself do not allow players in my groups to dictate the way I develop side plots, main plots, or any plots. You need to accept that things will likely not turn out the way you want. You're ranger may not be hooking up with the paladin, its your DMs choice really.

seems to me like he has plans. he brings in an NPC to act as a romantic rival to yours, then says that nothing is set in stone.
clearly you still have a chance. my guess is that this suitor is an obstacle for you to overcome, or he's gonna turn out to be a villain

>clearly you still have a chance

That's probably what OP told himself as the days counted down to prom.

Personally, if I were the GM I'd introduce another potential romantic interest. Sort of an inversion of the typical Taylor Swift song. Where the longtime childhood friend isn't interested and isn't really a good match anyway, but the new girl is interested, sincere, and much more to OP's taste. Good way to play with the typical rom-com fantasy.

>Sounds like you need to challenge him to a duel for her hand.
>I don't think you understand what a duel is.
>If he's a knight of honor like you said it won't make much of a difference.
Listen to these anons.

>I mean like, it's his home ground, the referee and the crowd will be on his side.
"Boohoo! I won't get cheerleaders."
Fight for your love anyway.

>The other PCs don't want me to, they think it's a stupid idea
"Boohoo! Peer pressure says...." Fight for your love anyway.

>because he's loaded to the gills with magical items including a flaming greatsword he used to kill a troll. I'm your Bow Ranger build, not really using swords.
This is actually good, you pants ass coward.
How honorable is that duel?
Either he kills or nearly kills you, and has dishonorably crushed a weaker foe, or he doesn't defeat you and you technically win.
Pic related

>Then goad him into challenging you. You get to pick the weapon. Choose bows.
>Which is why he needs to somehow arrange for NobleGuy to challenge him to a duel.
Or listen to these anons.

Why enable Captain Thirsty?

For my own selfish satisfaction at having another silly greentext for the colllection, I want to see your fedorian ranger go full psychopath on this seemingly decent nobleman.

For the sake of your game, I'd recommend you not do this. But hey, your PC, your call.

>tfw cucked by Gary Stu

Maybe above user is a sadist, hell I know DMs who would do torment OP.

It's like that scene in Re:ZERO where Subaru gets his ass beat.

Basically what says.

OP's revealing some pretty flawed assumptions on storytelling, women, or both. I just couldn't pass up a chance to mess with a guy like this.

be as a god op, render the fighter impotent by slaying dragons, banishing devils and generally being a stud.... or be a weak bitch and get ntr'd.

>I would HIGHLY recommend explicitly asking your GM if you have a shot of any of the above resulting in you getting the girl
Just gonna go ahead and repeat this bit.
Direct communication trumps stumbling around in the dark.

Don't be stupid. Listen to this guy. It's hardly interesting or even worth mentioning if she just shows up and falls in love with your character because reasons. Make a story out of it, that is the fun part of D&D.

Win her over, challenge her fiancee to a duel for her hand, or become the sour character who reminisces about the one who got away. Maybe you never marry because of it, maybe you become the cool uncle to the kids and mentor them or maybe she dies and with her final breath she tells you it was always you.

Just because it doesn't immediately go your way doesn't mean there is nothing being developed. Quit crying, if you want fanfic you dm and make your own story.

You're an autist
This is an opportunity to fight for her honor and win her hand
You twit

Why is he going to fight for her hand if she's straight-up said there's nothing between them and she's actually hitting it off with her arranged fiance?

Does his PC's happiness overrule hers?

>female paladin from your village who flirts a lot and is marrying a cool dude for political duty
Your waifu is shit but the story reminds me of the first chunk of Spring Snow for some reason so it's not all bad (except in that the woman actually liked the main guy). I'd usually prefer higher ranking Clerics and Paladins to be celibate and disconnected from the worldly to a more notable degree than those lower, but that's just preference. If she was the kind who would just flirt with anyone you dodged a bullet anyway if you ask me, but if your character still loves her you have to do something unexpected: sneak to her window and get a bard to play her a song while you hold him up. Try and win her heart back stealthily with notes or learn more about the fighter and challenge him to a duel, or maybe prepare to but openly state that you realize this isn't what she would want, so you're conflicted: how selfish is your love? Maybe ask her forgiveness in a confession to this. This is a huge opportunity for growth as a character. Maybe just set out to ruin her life in jealousy or let being rejected turn you into a jaded women hating neckbeard. Maybe use it as an excuse to drink more and flirt with other women to try and get over her. There's so much you can do with this.

Sometimes a thing is worth fighting for, even if there is no likely chance of success.
Sometimes a losing fight should still be fought.
Sometimes when you care about someone and honestly feel you could both be happy together, you have to try.
Until she sees the best he has to offer, she doesn't know what she's missing.

And her happiness is never really at risk.
At worst, there will be an awkward moment for her, quick to fade into an unpleasant memory.

>Maybe you rape him

Do this

This would be hilarious to watch. I want to see OP get his shit pushed in.

>Does his PC's happiness overrule hers?

If the PC is operating under standard Nice Guy rules, then he's probably incapable of believing she's genuinely happy if she's not with him.

>Until she sees the best he has to offer, she doesn't know what she's missing.

I don't think picking a fight with her boyfriend is really showing her his "best".

Just save the realm. Either her or some other worthy woman will fall for your dude if he saves the realm.

> If she was the kind who would just flirt with anyone you dodged a bullet anyway if you ask me, but if your character still loves her you have to do something unexpected: sneak to her window and get a bard to play her a song while you hold him up.

The levels of cringe in this are amazing. OP's character is firmly in the dark realm known as the Friend Zone.

So this is another "always be contrary to the OP" deal right?

If this was posted from the GM's perspective all of the responses would be complaining about him inserting his cuck fetish into the game and fucking over his poor innocent player.

It's mostly because the OP comes off as kind of a faggot. The fact that the Paladin isn't glued to his dick is a bonus, because it sounds like he wrote up an imaginary waifu and is mad it's not going his way.

The thing is he admitted that his character's one thing is having a crush on his childhood friend. If that's all that defines the character then he needs to go full monty, and fight to the death for her. If he loses then he can just make a new character, maybe one that's not so one dimensional, or he can just find more things to define the character he already has.

>I don't think picking a fight with her boyfriend is really showing her his "best".
Well, nobody said his best wasn't still worthless.
Still better than living a long live alone with his cowardice.

sounds like he's given you a challenge my dude, gotta get the girl somehow!

why hello there onani master kurosawa

>If this was posted from the GM's perspective all of the responses would be complaining about him inserting his cuck fetish into the game and fucking over his poor innocent player.

True, lost it.

If the GM adds in Waifudin giving the Fedora Ranger awkward side hugs he might become my favorite GM ever.

>So this is another "always be contrary to the OP" deal right?
While there is some of that going on in the thread, my advice to him was genuine: Do Something.
His complaint is that he wanted the girl and the GM has thwarted his plans, which could easily be because the GM is a dick.
But he didn't do anything to get her.
He was coasting off his backstory.

>It's mostly because the OP comes off as kind of a faggot.
Also this.
Several times he provided excuses as to why didn't do "x" when presented with advice.
That made him seem like a whiny faggot.
But honestly, that's probably just perception and anons painting him into a caricature.

I hold out hope that he will listen and report back

This. OP got cucked in game by his GM and rather than stepping back and realizing its just a game, the OP decided to whine on Veeky Forums about it. What the fuck did he think was going to happen.

Here's my advice or OP, do not expect sympathy from trolls.

He didn't even get cucked. He got friendzoned. The fact it was by his own waifu makes it all the more hilarious.

The GM sounds like he's being quite reasonable about things, tho.

From what OP said, it seems he's only just begun this arc. Maybe the GM is being a jerk, or tactless, or indirect or whatever, or maybe there's actually chances ahead. The fiancee turns out the be a jerk, or dead, or gets kidnapped, or otherwise offends the paladin's sensibilities. Perhaps there will be a contest of honor the ranger can go Knight's Tale on, or maybe a quest that can earn a land and title that would make him the better man for marrying up.

>The GM sounds like he's being quite reasonable about things, tho
There's room for interpretation either way.

Kinda depends on how he meant "Well, she's probably going to marry her fiancee eventually".
If he meant what OP thought he implied: "...and there's nothing you can really do about it.", then he's a dick.
But there's no reason to assume that.

At the very least, the GM has poised OP on the precipice of the Friendzone by his waifu, doomed to fall to oblivion if he doesn't act.

I use the term loosely but friendzoned is a better phrase.

That could be true, however given OPs description of the situation it looks like the GM in this case has other plans for the waifu.

I don't think it makes the GM a dick if he effectively shut the OP down. The GM lays out a story and the Players react, moving the story along. I the GM has decided that the waifu is going to do something OP didn't expect, OP can react but ultimately it is the GMs decision as to the outcome.

i.e. not fuck the thirsty PC, you mean.

>implying a noble blooded knight would even deign to accept a duel from some filth encrusted commoner with a bow

Let jesus take the wheel, OP. See where your DM is taking this because its hard to make a dramatic ploy on love if she never loved you to begin with.

OP here, fuck this campaign. I'm done.

>I don't think it makes the GM a dick if he effectively shut the OP down.
If it weren't the core of his subplot, sure.
But the romance was the point of the subplot.

Oh? Thought your next session wasn't until Sunday. What happened, user?

Please share with us.

I forgot to account for timezones, it's Saturday (evening) here.

I was railroaded into a 1-v-1, a bow-specc'd ranger versus a Greatsword fighter. We weren't wearing armor, so he moved faster and Sundered my weapon, which meant I lost. The DM was just rubbing it in when he asked if I wanted to try another practice round.

I found it amusing that these two posts had such dramatically different takes on the same idea.

>The DM was just rubbing it in when he asked if I wanted to try another practice round.
How do you know this was his intent?

I've been trying to get a bead on your GM, but it's hard without concrete examples.

>I was railroaded into a 1-v-1
So the GM, out of the blue, said that you had to fight the guy with no alternatives? Or did you challenge the guy to a duel first?

>Mostly actually decent looking armour
>High heels
>No clothing

Why do artists always do this?

Have you stopped to think that he set this up to encourage you to do something to become a noble yourself? The fiance is likely a bad guy in disguise as well.

Find another Girl, OP.

Shit like this happens.

So the "honorable" Klingon defeated a Ferengi.
What happened when you pointed out that it was hardly an honorable fight when it was so unevenly matched?

I didn't want to challenge him to a duel because I had no reason, so I approached him on the practice field and asked if he wanted to spar for a round because he was going to spar with the Paladin.

So she hung back and watched. I said I wanted to use my bow, and one of the guards said that it sorts of defeats the purpose, but he said that it's only fair since we're training for war. So he uses a blunt greatsword and I used a longbow with sandbag heads.

Neither of us are wearing armor, and we're fighting on the practice field, so I shoot him until he gets close. He hits me once, then when I try to move away he AoOs and Improved Sunders my bow.

Then he says "Good match, want another bout?" like you'd say 'gg ez'. The girl starts clapping, and looks upset when I walk away.

That's not being railroaded into it, and the knight honestly seems like a nice guy. "Nice Game, let's have another" does not mean "nice game, it was easy, hah." You're sounding more and more like a dick, dude.

>the referee and the crowd will be on his side.
Not even the most crooked and biased of referees can declare the DEAD person the winner of an honorable duel, and who gives a fuck about the crowd? Are they all Bards? If not, their booing you or cheering him isn't going to give any combat modifiers, unless you've given your character some kind of "inferiority complex/entitled attitude" traits to match yourself, you enormous, cowardly faggot. If you don't have to balls to step up, then you don't deserve her.

There's also OPs probable path

>M'lady
Be as passive agressive as possible
Never actually do anything
After it's too late send a magic message lamenting the lost loving relationship that she never knew even existed

You went up to the guy and asked if he wanted to spar 1-v-1
You knew you wouldn't be good at using anything but your bow against a guy with a large sword
You brought it on yourself the same way you bring it on yourself to put your hand in boiling water
>and looks upset when I walk away
That was your cue, man
You done goofed and only have yourself to blame

maybe you should have rolled a face character if you wanted to be able to fuck your waifu, sorry not sorry