Players with no patience

Quasqueton · Apr 30, 2003

Some players just can't stand not being able to do things during a battle sequence. From what I've seen, this is more of a player thing, than a character thing. Usually it is the same player who acts this way, regardless of his or her characters. You know, those guys who seem to go totally stir crazy when their character is paralyzed, unconscious, or held. Or start running around the dungeon randomly when they are cut off from the action. I've seen it in many players over the years.

A couple of examples from some combats with an old group:

Against wraiths attacking our camp in the middle of the night, one PC couldn't stand the idea that he had nothing to do. [The wraiths were making "pop-up attacks" then dropping back into the ground for a couple rounds.] Two other PCs had magical weapons, and another had lots of magic missles. The "useless" character wanted to body-check or grapple a wraith so maybe his +2 breastplate armor could hurt it. We talked him out of attempting it (but it was a hard sell). He kept calling to the other two PCs to give him their weapons. He ran all over the battlefield all combat long, doing essentially nothing but taking time for his turn.

Another player, when cut off from the main battle by a ill-placed wall of fire, and a dead gelatinous cube, started running down unexplored corridors looking for another fight. Each round he'd open a door, saying aloud that he hoped to find more enemies. When it was apparent that the area was clear, he started searching a fireplace. (The battle could have been over much faster had he not forced the DM to draw in the other passages and rooms, and roll search checks.)

What is the funniest or most annoying instance of a player who has no patience?

Quasqueton

diaglo · Apr 30, 2003

they turn on the TV or playstation/Xbox

Fenes 2 · Apr 30, 2003

I'd rather ask what is the most annyoing trait of a DM that lets a PC be useless and a player bored in a fight when said player clearly wants to do something else than just wait until the others are done.

Why not give the PC something to fight, or do? If the player is not having fun something is wrong.

Liminal Syzygy · Apr 30, 2003

"I'm tired and I don't like this role playing stuff so I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when combat starts."

Liminal Syzygy · Apr 30, 2003

Good point Fenes, but if this is a rare occurence in the game, it's probably not a problem. If it is happening a lot, especially to the same player, the DM needs to rethink their strategy.

Norfleet · Apr 30, 2003

Well, instances where a player abruptly becomes unable to contribute to the game in any way always makes for an interesting mental image. I have this strange image of a more "patient" player spending his time sharpening his weapons and picking his nose while the rest of the group is fighting around him.

DanMcS · Apr 30, 2003

diaglo said:
they turn on the TV or playstation/Xbox

That would actually be a good solution, as long as it was in the next room. Particularly if you had something like tetris for it that they could play for a little bit and drop instantly when there was something to do.

Our dm likes to do little scenes for individual characters occasionally, and I enjoy seeing what the other players do, but I worry that they're bored while I'm doing mine, you know? I always end up trying to rush through it so we can get back to whole-group gaming. If we had a PS with a little fun game they could blow off steam on if they got bored, that would be a load off my mind.

gfunk · Apr 30, 2003

"Screw you guys, I'm going home!"

Quasqueton · May 1, 2003

Fenes

I'd rather ask what is the most annyoing trait of a DM that lets a PC be useless and a player bored in a fight when said player clearly wants to do something else than just wait until the others are done.

Why not give the PC something to fight, or do? If the player is not having fun something is wrong.

I was not the DM for either of the my above examples, and the DM was not at fault for the PC being hectic with impatience.

In the first example I was one of the two players who had "purchased" a magic weapon instead of magic armor.

In the second example I was playing a PC who also was trapped on the wrong side of the wall of fire/gelatenous cube (but in a different hallway than the impatient player). I waited patiently and cautiously for the way to clear, rather than waste real time doing unnecessary actions -- I let those who were actually in combat on the other side use the time.

And neither situation was the DM's fault. In the first example, it was a random wilderness encounter in a "dead lands" environment (we knew there'd be undead about). In the second example, the wall of fire was put up by another PC (who didn't think through her placement of the wall).

As for "a DM that lets a PC be useless", what do you suggest? Ban hold person and sleep spells? Ban tactics by clever enemies to seperate or neutralize some PCs? Even if the DM designs every encounter to allow every PC some impact, a PC could do something to make a fellow PC "useless" (as in the second example). Or perhaps the DM should just make up more enemies so the temporarily useless PC has something to do?

DM: "OK, 10 orcs come running up from behind."

Player: "I thought we cleared out those rooms behind us."

DM: "Yeah, but Tom is bored because he can't hurt the golem, so I'm adding in some more enemies that he can fight."

Instead of blaming a DM, why can't players be patient for 5 minutes? Or perhaps find a way to be useful, like set up flanking, or draw attacks, etc.

So don't get all up on a high horse. The fall will hurt when someone pushes you off it.

Quasqueton