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2 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2011 - 8:51PM
#1
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So I’m in a game right now and I’m having trouble deciding how I should proceed. I’m not saying the other player is the problem by the way, I acknowledge that it seems to be only bothering me. Anyways I’m getting ahead of my self. The Player is currently roleplaying a serial killer/mass murderer (yes both, not only has he killed people over a long period of time he also recently killed 17 while we were away for an adventure) So the character not only doesn’t work with party he is actively not participating in adventures so he can spend the time killing people and covering his tracks. So this character also has an insanely high bluff so he can just lie all the time. So my problem is this… I feel like no matter how good someones bluff is that there should be a limit to what your character believes. I also feel like this guy is getting away with a whole lot while we can’t seem to make a single step forward in our investigation. Also the character only murders women in game. Before this guy joined my characters backstory was that he was searching for his son and his wifes killer, being a warlock who sold his sole specifically to avenge his wife’s death. So as a player and a character this is bothersome. My question boils down to what I see are my 3 options. 1. Quit the game 2. Find a spell, ritual, anything that can help me definitively root out the killer 3. Just let it go and pretend my character wouldn’t care and that I don’t.
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2 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2011 - 9:51PM
#2
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If the GM is letting this go unanswered, then my vote is 1. Some behaviors are just inappropriate, and this sounds like one of them to me. D&D is a game, not an excuse to play out your sociopathic tendencies.
You might want to talk to the other players, and the DM, and ask if this bothers anybody else. If it does, you can work with the DM to eliminate the problem character. If the player raises a fuss, then you can eliminate the problem player as well.
If it doesn't bother anybody else ... yeah, definitely bail.
Another day, another three or four entries to my Ignore List.
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2 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2011 - 11:15PM
#3
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A scry spell that so happened to be scrying on one of his victims can do the trick. Then they would have proof to track him down and convict him.
Option B is to take a vote and see if the rest of the party doesn't want him just plain out kicked.
Only back out of the game entirely if you are the only one bothered by this. There is no reason to ever run a game where people can't listen to reason.
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2 years ago ::
Aug 11, 2011 - 3:01AM
#4
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Date Joined:
Sep 21, 2007
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A scry spell that so happened to be scrying on one of his victims can do the trick. Then they would have proof to track him down and convict him.
Option B is to take a vote and see if the rest of the party doesn't want him just plain out kicked.
Only back out of the game entirely if you are the only one bothered by this. There is no reason to ever run a game where people can't listen to reason.
From an in game point of view, you don't have any problem with the guy as his character is so capable at lying (something that saves many murderers) but if the group were to dedicate themselves to tracking down this scum then the DM should support this with the NPC's because surely they'd want him found.
Using Scrying and Speak with Dead, and once the murderer comes into the limelight then there is a Zones of Truth Ritual(can't remember the name of it) that can be used on him. He gets convicted, his head gets cut off or he makes his getaway to become a good long term enemy of the group.
Out of game, as a DM I'd never agree to have a PC playing a serial killer unless it made for a great plot. I have turned a PC into an unwitting murderer in an Ars Magica game when he became possessed by a Demon and the PC would have black outs where he committed murder and even tried to kill some of the other player characters. However the character wasn't spending the whole time killing people for the hell of it, which is out of order.
Option 3 is clearly not for you as it is bugging you already but I'd discuss it with the group and see what there thought are and especially the DM should explain that he has reason for this being part of his campaign.
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2 years ago ::
Aug 11, 2011 - 3:28AM
#5
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Dealing with it "in game" may not play out the way you expect. It is, after all, a game, and the outcome of any of your actions toward player-versus-player highly uncertain.
My suggestions (in order of preference):
1) Voice your discomfort with this part of the plot with the Player, the DM, the group as a whole (in roughly that order).
2) Quit the game.
I would add that I would also find this a bit creepy, and would probably just go straight to (2) if I had easy options for other games. That might depend on my opinion of the other player - I might have more time for an immature player who thought he was playing Dexter as a fun concept. I'd be very creeped out by someone who'd played a lot and had some kind of serial-killer fetish, or who wanted to RP gory details of the killings.
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2 years ago ::
Aug 11, 2011 - 6:26AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Jun 30, 2008
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It sounds like this player would really like some kind of single-player campaign.
My option would be to let him have his fun as a killer but to really make it clear to the player that D&D is a group game and that while pursuing personal goals as a character is all good but the ultimate focus should always be on the adventure you are on together. If he does not participate in that adventure he really shouldn't be in the group with you.
I personally wouldn't mind being in the same party as a serial killer as long as the adventure itself doesn't suffer from it. Try to talk about it with the whole group or the GM first.
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2 years ago ::
Aug 11, 2011 - 1:08PM
#7
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If the GM is letting this go unanswered, then my vote is 1. Some behaviors are just inappropriate, and this sounds like one of them to me. D&D is a game, not an excuse to play out your sociopathic tendencies.
You might want to talk to the other players, and the DM, and ask if this bothers anybody else. If it does, you can work with the DM to eliminate the problem character. If the player raises a fuss, then you can eliminate the problem player as well.
If it doesn't bother anybody else ... yeah, definitely bail.
i echo Salla. I wouldn't even make a public announcement of it; I'd send a private message to the GM telling him/her of my distaste and offering my resignation.
I'd contact other players individually to discuss starting a separate campaign. I'd use that method to selectively invite those I wish to play with.
If I may suggest another approach to the killer, it is that having a high Bluff skill should provide little to no safety from being found out and really should not matter (unless you are, in fact, having the characters talk about it in-game and asking each other whodunit). Watch a few criminal investigation shows; I think you'll agree that the killer is rarely found out based on their lack of lying. It has to do with cleaning up the evidence and connected clues.
D&D provides a number of useful rituals that can aid an investigation. Other posters already made mention of that.
Personally, i wouldn't even dignify this other player with a discussion and vote; I would make my own decision independently and alert the GM of my feelings and decision. If the GM wants me, he/she can address those concerns directly and invite me to return.
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2 years ago ::
Aug 11, 2011 - 1:59PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Sep 30, 2006
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the dm shouldnt just let him roll bluff and ease everyone's suspicions. if someone has even a small amount of evidence against him a few lies from the prime suspect wouldnt throw them off the trail.
it sounds like the player is a weirdo and the dm is being too accomadating to him and not handling the situation realisticly.
in a world with magicly aided detective work there is no such thing as a perfect crime. if he's murdered 17 or more people i guarentee he's made mistakes.
get creative and really focus on finding holes in his storiesand smart ways to exploit them. at best his pc will have to answer for his crimes and at worst you'll get some experience in creative problem solving before quitting.
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2 years ago ::
Aug 11, 2011 - 4:11PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jan 30, 2007
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Here's what I would do (or, rather, what I did in the same situation):
1. Message the DM about my concern. "Dude, I'm having a hard time roleplaying this situation. PC X (don't mention the player, but the PC), isn't coming adventuring with us. Why would my character want to stick around/have this guy as an adventuring ally.
2. Message other players you trust, and ask them if they also have a problem with it. "Hey, what do you think of Jack's character?"
In my case, my DM was like "it's what he wants to do" but the rest of the players were like "we're playing two games: the party, and Jack." So, the players as a group pretty much had an intervention where we all said "hey, why do we bother having Jack's character around? He's never with the rest of the party."
Granted, Jack's character wasn't a mass murderer, just a thief that was always out stealing stuff from the local nobles. But it still had a similar effect to the party: it was obvious Jack didn't want to play WITH us. He ended up quitting after being told that D&D is a group game, not a solo thing.
Salla, on minions: I typically use them as encounter filler. 'I didn't quite fill out the XP budget, not enough room left for a decent near-level monster ... sprinkle in a few minions'. Kind of like monster styrofoam packing peanuts.
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2 years ago ::
Aug 11, 2011 - 4:14PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Jan 30, 2007
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And also, if the DM doesn't know how to handle the situation, people mentioned it before in this thread: Speak with Dead/Zone of Truth. Unless this PC was so amazing that nobody ever saw his face, ever. Scry, if you guys are high enough level, or even if you are low-level and the local nobles want the murderer caught enough.
Talk with your DM, talk to other players, see what reactions are.
Salla, on minions: I typically use them as encounter filler. 'I didn't quite fill out the XP budget, not enough room left for a decent near-level monster ... sprinkle in a few minions'. Kind of like monster styrofoam packing peanuts.
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