|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 8:08AM
#1
|
Date Joined:
Dec 18, 2009
|
There is a new player to our group that tends to want to charge right in and start a fight with anyone or anything that the group comes across. He has nearly caused a TPK in each of the two sessions since he has joined and we have lost 2 characters so far. The group is mostly LG so they feel the need to follow and protect him instead of just letting him die on his own. Our friend who is friends with him told him that his play is disrupting the group and his response was that he is roleplaying his barbarian the way that he wants to play him. But I feel that its just a cop out as he does no other roleplaying even when given the oppportunity.
Short of asking the player to leave and never come back do you have any suggestions?
|
|
|
|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 8:14AM
#2
|
|
|
Sounds like he has a very different playstyle. You should either make the break or adapt to incorporate his gaming preferences into the group's overall style. (In this case, that's probably best accomplished by reducing the presence/threat of bumble-traps and easily offended or slow NPC negotiations.)
|
|
|
|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 9:07AM
#3
|
|
|
There is a new player to our group...his response was that he is roleplaying his barbarian the way that he wants to play him.
Sounds like a selfish response to me, so not someone who is interested in team play. As such, no good addition for the rest of the group.
1) as so often in this forum, talk with the player outside of game night, ideally with no one else around so this doesn't turn ugly
2) tell him to change or **** off. Do not let one player ruin the fun of the group.
|
|
|
|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 9:19AM
#4
|
Date Joined:
Jun 19, 2004
|
2) tell him to change or **** off. Do not let one player ruin the fun of the group.
This
Currently working on making a Dex based defender. Check it out hereSpoiler:
Show
Need a few pre-generated characters for a one-shot you are running? Want to get a baseline for what an effective build for a class you aren't familiar with? Check out the Pregen thread here
If ever you are interested what it sounds like to be at my table check out my blog and podcast here
Also, I've recently done an episode on "Refluffing". You can check that out here
|
|
|
|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 9:24AM
#5
|
|
|
I would look at my game first and the player second. Is my game pacing too slow? Are the players' choices meaningful? Do non-combat scenes have enough compelling tension to keep everyone engaged? Some players are jerks, but some players are just bored. If I'm made to wander around talking to NPC merchants all night, for example, I'm going to want to start chopping heads off too. (This is D&D, not World of Darkness.) It's not an excuse for him to disrupt everyone else's game of course; it is, however, often an indicator of other issues that are within your control to change. It doesn't hurt to reflect on your game a bit accordingly.
In any event, an out-of-game conversation is required between you and him - face-to-face or over the phone, not in email or text or Facebook or whatever. Before telling him he needs to change, ask for his help in making the game better. Tell him everyone's concerns and listen to what he says. If he falls back on the "I'm just roleplaying a barbarian" meme without offering anything else, suggest to him that since how one roleplays is a choice and his particular choice is turning off the other players, that you'd appreciate it if he could suggest another way of roleplaying that demonstrates another aspect of his character. If he refuses, tell him he may not be a fit for this particular group in which you already have invested your time and effort. Invite him to a future game that may be more his style, and politely part company.
|
|
|
|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 10:36AM
#6
|
Date Joined:
Jun 21, 2008
|
The group is mostly LG so they feel the need to follow and protect him instead of just letting him die on his own.
Umm....why would they travel with an obviously insane person just because they're LG?
In reality, they would turn him over to the authorities.
|
|
|
|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 3:45PM
#7
|
|
|
I have exactly same player. Kamikazi warrior. His idea of fun is getting himself killed. Why, I donno. He gets excited when he gets hit hard, and gets pissy when he dont get hit. He was always weird like that in RL too, total negative, woe is me attitide. He refuse to change, so we dont bother. The rest of group lets him be. If he gets self killed so be it. Whats funny is, he rarely gets himself killed, just someone else in group lol.
|
|
|
|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 4:18PM
#8
|
Date Joined:
Sep 30, 2006
|
The group is mostly LG so they feel the need to follow and protect him instead of just letting him die on his own.
Umm....why would they travel with an obviously insane person just because they're LG?
In reality, they would turn him over to the authorities.
The op didn't say he was evil, which would be a bigger deal. But, its a pretty valid point especially if he's putting other characters lives at risk
There is a new player to our group...his response was that he is roleplaying his barbarian the way that he wants to play him.
Sounds like a selfish response to me, so not someone who is interested in team play. As such, no good addition for the rest of the group.
1) as so often in this forum, talk with the player outside of game night, ideally with no one else around so this doesn't turn ugly
2) tell him to change or **** off. Do not let one player ruin the fun of the group.
#2 sounds a bit strong, at least for starting off. There has to be some room for someone to play a character that others wouldn't, but I certainly sympatise with the sentiment when one person decides to run amok. I'm thinking there might be a middle ground to bring it to the attention of the player that he might be courting trouble. Add to that the other players may grow tired of having to hand hold him.
That being said if he's set and determined there is nothing saying that the rest of the group are required to go in after him after he's dove into the deep end.
|
|
|
|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 4:40PM
#9
|
Date Joined:
Aug 24, 2012
|
If you want to keep this player in the group, let his tendencies work for him and the game. Suggestions:
1. Have the player cursed/blessed with a transformation ability. In the heat of battle he transforms into a rage-filled beast which satisifies his slaying needs. After a few rounds the rage dissipates and falls helpless to the ground. This allows him to run in and do a bunch of damage on his own, while the rest of the party can slowly engage and mop up the rest. This also penalizes the player for this approach by forcing him to sit out the latter part of the battle.
2. Have the player's astral string tweaked by a mischevious extraplanar beast. Every time the player dies, he is auto-resurrected 10 minutes later but loses a point of CON. This takes the consequence for his death out of the hands of the rest of the party, while still penalizing him if he goes too far and gets killed.
3. Have one of the player's ancestors show a keen interest in helping with the adventure. Every time the player gets killed, his ancestor's ghost takes his place. He then switches to playing the ghost, with a much diminished set of abilities. 10 minutes later, the ghost goes poof, the player jumps back to his feet, but he loses a point of CHA in the process.
|
|
|
|
2 months ago ::
Mar 16, 2013 - 5:39PM
#10
|
|
|
There is a new player to our group that tends to want to charge right in and start a fight with anyone or anything that the group comes across. He has nearly caused a TPK in each of the two sessions since he has joined and we have lost 2 characters so far. The group is mostly LG so they feel the need to follow and protect him instead of just letting him die on his own. Our friend who is friends with him told him that his play is disrupting the group and his response was that he is roleplaying his barbarian the way that he wants to play him. But I feel that its just a cop out as he does no other roleplaying even when given the oppportunity.
Short of asking the player to leave and never come back do you have any suggestions?
Players do not have a RIGHT to be disruptive or to INFLICT their "playing style" upon all others at the table to the detriment of enjoyment of all others at the table. That's a fancy way of phrasing Wheaton's Law: "Don't be a Dick." This does include players attempting to foist the pathetic excuse of, "I'm just roleplaying my character," or, "But... that's what my character would DO!"
Not all roleplaying choices and character concepts are equally valid. You don't have a right to roll up a CE assassin when there's a Paladin already in the party. You don't have a right to have your character antagonize other characters just because YOU think it's funny or interesting or that it's somehow YOUR JOB as a player to have your PC be a pain in the ass. You don't have a right as a player to have your barbarian pull his axe and blindly, stupidly charge everything the group comes across just because that's YOUR idea of a fun time. There are other players at the table. If their characters are not dumb blind-charging brutes as well then you, AS A PLAYER, are being a serious Dick when they tell you AS A PLAYER to knock that crap off.
There is no compromise with this. Really there isn't. As a player you have an OBLIGATION to create and play a character who exhibits a REASONABLE degree of miscibility in his abilities and actions with the rest of the party. Of course there are exceptions - but they flatly DO NOT APPLY to a player who is recklessly and inexcusibly drawing other PC's to their doom simply because their players are unable or unwilling to be as equally rude.
This is not a character problem and there is no reason to attempt to deal with it in-game. This is a player problem. If you feel you have the patience, time, and cooperation of other players that is required to slowly guide him to a higher understanding of roleplaying and increased regard for those at the table with him then I salute you and your willingness to sacrifice your game to the cause. Most people, however, believe that no gaming is better than bad gaming. You have a far greater combined responsibility to the other players at the table to prevent this ONE player from dragging the whole game down with him than you do to providing the ONE player with UNFETTERED freedom to do whatever he damned well pleases. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one and all that. Are there Spock exceptions? Sure. But we're not talking about that. He has no special status of deserving his way over the enjoyment of others.
What I would recommend if you feel some particular obligation to keep him as a member of your gaming group is that firstly, he will be TOLD that he will toe the line and if that means he creates a new PC in order to manage it, so be it, but he WILL get in line. Secondly, he will be told that if he proves incapable of EARNING some leeway for his character to be rash and impulsive then you, the DM, are placed in the unfortunate, undesired, but absolutely necessary position of arbitrarily overruling his roleplaying choices. That is, the next encounter where he blindly charges in without thinking - regardless of its roleplaying authenticity - you will calmly say, "No. Your PC does NOT, in fact, do that. Choose some other action or I'll choose for you."
There is, I feel, at least a little bit of room for simply letting the other players also take necessary steps in-character in order to bring the barbarian to heel. Point out to the barbarian's player that while he may consider that it is simply dedicated roleplaying to act as he does it is also perfectly logical for the other PC's to come to the conclusion that they flatly WILL NOT adventure with him because of his reckless behavior. That would likely mean being kicked out of the party or in extreme cases simply being abandoned to die alone on the battlefield. That, however, should be explained to him as HIGHLY undesireable for obvious reasons that his own characters precipitate behavior is undesirable. All the unpleasantness can be avoided just by the problem player admitting that it is in HIS OWN interests as well as the interests of everyone else to be less of a Dick.
Old School: It ain't what you play - it's how you play it.
My 1E Project:
http://home.earthlink.net/~duanevp/dnd/Building%20D&D/buildingdnd.htm
"Who says I can't?"
"The man in the funny hat..."
|
|
|
