Problem - As a DM, What Would You Do?

Herremann the Wise · Jul 17, 2003

Just wondering how you guys would deal with the following:

You are organising a new game and purchase a very good module.

One of the players finds out that you are going to be playing that module and starts posting on forums (you know his tag), most likely looking at spoilers and hell, for all I know he may of gone out and bought it as well to find out the information in the module.

Do You:
a) Blast him about it and tell him to find another group or wait for you to run a new adventure.
b) Do nothing.
c) Don't say anything but alter some of the things in the module.
d) Have a talk to him and say that you'll be monitoring his use of out of game info and penalising him if he plays on it.
e) Run a different module - even though the one you got fits really nicely into your campaign world.
f) Not be quite so paranoid about it.
g) Something else?

In the end, if he wants to affect his own enjoyment of the module by knowing most of the secrets, that's his problem. However, when it means it will be affecting everyone elses enjoyment because he's taking all the thought out of the adventure, you do have a problem that needs a solution.

Any suggestions?

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

ThoughtBubble · Jul 17, 2003

I would first ask myself if I trust that player. If I trust him, well it's not an issue. If I don't trust him, then it starts getting more interesting.

The key here is to talk with him. Be honest about your feelings on the situation, but don't be accusitory. Just talk to him and say that you're worried he's looking for info on the module. See what he has to say in response.

Ignoring it will only lead to problems. Inevitably, something's going to come up, and it sounds like you've got some suspicious anyway. If you ignore it, it just leaves the potential for the problem to fester.

Does this player have a history of this sort of abuse?

d4 · Jul 17, 2003

combination of d) and c).

let him know you know he knows about the module. (umm... did that make sense?

)

tell him you'll be watching him to make sure he doesn't use any out-of-character knowledge.

and then go ahead and change some stuff anyways. besides who doesn't change stuff in published modules? i've never run a canned module straight out of the box -- i always tinker with them first.

CrowRobot · Jul 17, 2003

Personally, if I found out that a player of mine has some special info that he/she shouldn't have (mostly because I sometimes like to "slip" info out). But I usually trust my players enough that they don't use that info too much ingame.

I would suppose that you are running your game because you want to have fun, at least I do, so what I would suggest is to sit him down and talk to him about it. But don't accuse him of anything, just tell him that, if he did get info about the module that he shouldn't try to use it in game. And if nothing else, change it up a little bit, there is nothing stopping you from changing it to your needs.

I hope my advice helped in some manner.

Blasphemonkey · Jul 17, 2003

I choose Option A, with no "or" to it. In other words: Good going, idiot...find yourself another group!

One would consider changing certain things about the module that would mess him up (example: replacing a fire elemental ("get those endure elements (fire) spells on, and let's get Ray of Frost ready!") with an earth elemental ("Arrrrggh!")), but then that will be punishing the other players as well, who did nothing wrong.

I hate metagaming, and I hate cheating even more. Kick him out on the street! (Hey, this would have made a good poll, hint hint...)

FireLance · Jul 17, 2003

I'd deal with it in-game. Let the character use whatever info he has picked up and explain it away as dreams, visions, mysterious intuition, etc.

Then, allow the bad guys to have the same sort of dreams, visions, mysterious intuition, etc. about his character's weaknesses.

Or just have them target the "prophet" as the most dangerous member of the party.

Remember, all actions have consequences.

Steverooo · Jul 17, 2003

Or, on the other hand...

...if you ask him about it, and he admits to it, you can use him to get the other PCs to the module area... His PC can be the last survivor of a previous (failed) expedition. The critters, meanwhile, have beefed up security, and things are now different than they were, so a lot of his information is now WRONG.

"Hey! There should be another corridor, here! This wall wasn't here!"

Of course, if you want to boot him, you can. No real reason not to (but I would talk to him, first).

Piratecat · Jul 17, 2003

Like d4, a combination of c and d. The trust issue is most worrisome; I'd want to talk to him about that, and ask why he's doing that. Then I'd run the module but change certain key elements and items, in order to make sure that his knowledge wouldn't spoil things for the others.

bloodymage · Jul 17, 2003

One of the players finds out that you are going to be playing that module and starts posting on forums (you know his tag), most likely looking at spoilers

If you can change that "most likely" to "cravenly" or verify that he actually has a copy of the module, kill him. Early. Outright. With a grudge monster. Send the player packing the first fifteen minutes of the session. If he wants to bitch, explain to him that you'll not interrupt the game for that discussion. "Bring a new 1st level character to the next session and we'll discuss it before we start. In the meantime, goodnight."

Too bad you're not playing HackMaster. We have a table for that!

David Argall · Jul 17, 2003

just have to change stuff

Ejecting him from the group is probably not a good option. The normal group does not have a waiting line of new players. In fact many have trouble getting enough together for a game. This is not something to get rid of a player over unless you already have too many players.

But you can't do nothing. Too much danger of his just riding roughshod, especially if there are puzzles and traps. [Tomb of Horrors is pretty much playable by 1st levels who can consult the book.] And talking with him on the subject won't change much.

You can just hope he just likes to know what is going on and will play fair. I do a fair job that way myself. Still, few of us can openly send our PC into disaster as he does something "stupid".

So the best thing to do is change stuff. After all, your system is likely a little different anyway, and there is always the change another player found out and was sneakier about getting that adventure. So some changes are an automatic part of an adventure.

Oh yes, how did he find out what you wanted to play?