Dealing with a non-disruptive problem player

[Greybird]

I've been playing RPGs off and on for 35 years now, and GMing for most of the past two decades. I've dealt with problem players in the past. I've dealt with no-call, no-shows. I've dealt with people showing up stoned. I've dealt with straight up hotheads. They are easy to handle. They're black-and-white. Now I'm having a new kind of player: One who just doesn't match.

I've got a group of five players who are extremely dedicated, who give me requested information on their characters and plans, who show up early. They answer questions. They all roleplay and want to push that aspect of the game further. Then I've got one player who won't respond to questions outside of the game, who never gets requested information ready (like character backgrounds, for instance), and who shows zero desire to actually roleplay as anything except the same personality, regardless of what actual character or game he's playing. I've GMed him running the same, exact 'sassy' woman motivated by nothing but personal gain in the old west, in space, in the 70s, and in dungeons. His refusal to put any effort or thought into the game is making the rest of the players miserable, as they are being held back from playing. His refusal to put any effort into the game outside of scheduled game hours make it tough to run things for him, too (and I never ask for too much, and always give weeks to provide it.) Every story has to be address his 'mercenery' motivation or it doesn't happen. The party can never choose to be heroic, as he just wants to get paid.

The problem is that he's a nice guy. He doesn't start fights. He doesn't backstab the party. He brings snacks. He's just a poor fit for the group, and others aren't having fun because of it.

Has anyone else dealt with this sort of no-fault problem?

 

[jasper]

Dear Jasper, you is not a good fit for our rpg sessions. See you on taco Tuesday and bad movie night.
Now Jasper is not a nice guy if you have already spoke with him about his play style. So Jasper can either show up for other non rpg activities, or quit the group.
....
,....
However, playing the same character trope across the universe is not a problem.

 

[S'mon]

Every story has to be address his 'mercenery' motivation or it doesn't happen. The party can never choose to be heroic, as he just wants to get paid.

The problem is that he's a nice guy. He doesn't start fights. He doesn't backstab the party. He brings snacks. He's just a poor fit for the group, and others aren't having fun because of it.

"This is going to be an heroic campaign. If that doesn't suit you, I suggest you sit this one out."

Your primary GM responsibility is to your own enjoyment and that of the bulk of your players. Don't let one guy harm the game you want to run. Maybe run a different game with him some time where his
sassy merc lady can star. His PC sounds a good fit for some old-school treasure-hunting
dungeon crawling; if she's motivated by greed then a sandbox hunt-the-treasure-and-XP game
should work great. But your main game is better off without him.

 

[Lanefan]

His refusal to put any effort or thought into the game is making the rest of the players miserable, as they are being held back from playing. His refusal to put any effort into the game outside of scheduled game hours make it tough to run things for him, too (and I never ask for too much, and always give weeks to provide it.)

You don't make clear whether this player has the time outside the game, or whether his life is particularly busy. If he really hasn't got the time, that's some slack you'll have to cut him.

Every story has to be address his 'mercenery' motivation or it doesn't happen. The party can never choose to be heroic, as he just wants to get paid.

This one is simpler. The party can choose* to be heroic-but-unrewarded if they like and let Sassy either come along or roleplay herself out of the party, who then go and recruit his new character.

* - have some lawful type in the party insist on putting what the party does next to a vote.

And if Sassy does come along, you-as-DM can always make sure that there's a reasonable haul of treasure to be found in process of Doing Heroic Deeds. It doesn't have to be either-or.

Unlike [MENTION=277]jasper[/MENTION] however, I'd suggest having a word with him sometime about trying a few different character concepts as Sassy sounds like it's getting old.

Lan-"but remember, 'neutral greedy' is a perfectly valid alignment"-efan

 

[Greybird]

Thanks for the input.

I'm considerate of my players' outside lives. We play monthly, and I never ask for more than 15-20 minutes worth of work (usually less or none) over the course of a month.

 

[Blue]

Always step 1: Talk to the player.

It sounds like you'd still like this person to be in your group - if they were more in tune with the group. Get them alone (so it's not ganging up) and talk abotu it in a non-confrontational way. They also have things they are looking for out of a game and those are valid - brainstorm together how to get everyone more on the same page. Be willing to compromise in-game, such as if they were willing to bring in a different character let them come in at the current XP level (or whatever for your current system), but be firm about wanting everyone to have fun (including him, and you, as well as the other players).

Oh, not mine but topical:

 

[ccs]

As far as the background material?
Your player plays the same character game after game & doesn't care enough to write a paragraph or two. So just write whatever background YOU want them to have. I suggest paraphrasing the intro to Quantum Leap.
Over time add whatever other details you please. If this doesn't suite the player they can always chime in....

As to dealing with their mercenary nature? Summertime that for them as well.
"You've already agreed to do this job for x $/GP/whatever." This isn't negotiationiable.

Or you could just tell them they can't play until they provide you the info you asked for. If that means they sit there watching others play? Or miss a session? So be it.

 

[Morrus]

It doesn't sound like too much of an issue to me - one of the players is less involved than the others. My main question is why that makes everybody else miserable? Is there a dynamic going on there that I'm missing?

Generally speaking it's usually fairly easy to play with a mixed group players of different involvement levels. As long as he's not being disruptive - and you say he's not - it really just seems like something you could live with?

 

[Mortilupo]

The party need to kick him out of the group and rehire him as security. He's gets a set pay will have no decision making proplems, he's an employee now.

 

[Ovinomancer]

I've been playing RPGs off and on for 35 years now, and GMing for most of the past two decades. I've dealt with problem players in the past. I've dealt with no-call, no-shows. I've dealt with people showing up stoned. I've dealt with straight up hotheads. They are easy to handle. They're black-and-white. Now I'm having a new kind of player: One who just doesn't match.

I've got a group of five players who are extremely dedicated, who give me requested information on their characters and plans, who show up early. They answer questions. They all roleplay and want to push that aspect of the game further. Then I've got one player who won't respond to questions outside of the game, who never gets requested information ready (like character backgrounds, for instance), and who shows zero desire to actually roleplay as anything except the same personality, regardless of what actual character or game he's playing. I've GMed him running the same, exact 'sassy' woman motivated by nothing but personal gain in the old west, in space, in the 70s, and in dungeons. His refusal to put any effort or thought into the game is making the rest of the players miserable, as they are being held back from playing. His refusal to put any effort into the game outside of scheduled game hours make it tough to run things for him, too (and I never ask for too much, and always give weeks to provide it.) Every story has to be address his 'mercenery' motivation or it doesn't happen. The party can never choose to be heroic, as he just wants to get paid.

The problem is that he's a nice guy. He doesn't start fights. He doesn't backstab the party. He brings snacks. He's just a poor fit for the group, and others aren't having fun because of it.

Has anyone else dealt with this sort of no-fault problem?

If the player is causing others to be miserable, then he is, rather by definition, disruptive. Granted, it appears to be a playstyle issue rather than bad behavior, but that can still end games and be disruptive.