DnD Boiling Point: Here's What I Did

[Derulbaskul]

Another option is to really ramp up the power-gaming level and switch them to Oathbound. Let them play whatever they like provided they use the Savage Species rules.

And then kill them. No, not in one session. Let them be really powerful but in a place where everyone else is really powerful and possibly more powerful. Don't treat it as a one-shot; sketch out a campaign arc (preferably with horror themes) that will take them through a few sessions... and then engineer a TPK consistent with the world and the storyline.

I'm doing something like that right now. You want a computer game, you can have one....

After that, see if you can persuade them to start in Midnight as my esteemed colleage, Ash, mentioned above. Ther next step would be to start them in your homebrew world on your terms.

As an added bonus, you will probably have a new enthusiasm for your own world by this stage.

 

[deadboydex]

Don't run for these people, because they obviously don't want to play the game you want to run. If you insist on running, stop being such a goddamn pushover. If they want to play high-powered characters, run a high-powered campaign *by the book* and make it clear you won't rewrite the rules around them.

 

[Nifft]

One vote here for Exalted. It's a great setting to base a home-brew off of, or to just use "canned" if you get the modules.

Very flexible in setting and system.

-- N

 

[bloodymage]

Yeah, and I could come in here and push Kalamar or HackMaster and Garweeze Wurld. Or point him to the Castles & Crusades engine soon coming out. Or try to hustle him on any number of other "canned" solutions. The man made clear that, if he's gonna do it, it's gonna be homebrew!

Harlock's advice was the best. And if your players run amok all over you, the ones who said give 'em what they want, then just be better at it, had a good point. You don't need to switch systems or worlds to do that. Try to get 'em "into" your world and if they refuse, slaughter 'em. And keep up the slaughter until they come around or stomp out in a huff!

'Course, you could always look for more mature players like Croth suggested.

 

[GuardianLurker]

I *know* the Harrisburg area has people. So does York.

I can't help much on York, but New Cumberland is just up 83 from Lewisberry and has (or used to have, it's been a while) a small hole-in-the-wall gaming store. (Moyer's?) Anyway, the store owner was quite active in the small con scene.

Advertising should work. But if you absolutely *must* seek gamers in person, I'd suggest plugging yourself into the SCA/RenFaire scene up there. Or check out the local colleges - most should have a gaming club of some kind.

Trust me, the gamers *are* there.

 

[Nightfall]

As I said, I don't live there but I know the area too. There has to me SOME one in Harrisburg you can stand!

That being said, Ash quit poaching my prospects! Anyway serious note could try Midnight but from the sounds of it they'd probably make themselves drunken Night Kings within the week.

 

[Orius]

Well, I suppose it's fine if one player in the group wants to be a wizard (of course, I'm a little biased here, as I prefer to play wizards myself ), but you could insist on a limit of magic-wielding characters in the party.

As for goofy PC races like half-celestials or mind flayers, as DM you're in your right to restrict race selection to the PHB races, or whatever you choose. I don't really blame you, as I don't really like players slapping together a bunch of template PCs. And in a low magic campaign, really weird races will likely meet with fear. Perhaps loading up on the villagers with pitchforks and torches could help.

If you don't find it too much work, track the PC's spell usage if they're cheating. If they're not mature enough to use the honor system, police them. Once they run out of spells, tough .

Get the good player to back you up on your calls too. Or you could offer to let the munchkin DM a session, and then play a PC that is horribly horribly munchkined out. Maybe he'll learn his lession. Hell, it's worth a shot.

 

[Aaron L]

It's not the game, it's your group. Explain to them that the way they act and play in your games is so far removed from what you enjoy that they are ruining your fun and sapping all joy from your hobby. If they won't change then ditch them.

 

[Li Shenron]

I have been DM too and I know how nice is to plan your own setting. This makes you (the DM) have the whole world exactly as you want it to be, but it's not going to be the world that your players want. For the players, it could be either better or worse or just the same as many other settings.

If you have planned your world in details, you surely love it but the players are surely missing all the thoughts behind your choices. Therefore if you stick to your own setting and plan to always game with it, it's very likely that every player who wants to try a character idea which doesn't fit with the setting will be frustrated, and he'll probably try to push that idea even if it doesn't match with the campaign at all.

What can I say? Keep brewing your own setting but don't restrict your RPGing to that alone. Tell the players that you will run a few adventures in your setting and other adventures in different settings (with totally different PCs), so if someone wants to play a Mind Flayer, let him know that now it's not good, but it will be possible in the next setting.

Of course running more settings instead of one is harder for a DM, but it can only help if the players don't all want the same game.

 

[Terwox]

Boot the annoying munchkin. You'll be happier.

Gaming with two players and a DM can be really fun. Just... kick him. Who cares.

If he's friends with the other guy, boot him and just play with the one guy who is ok.

But like they said -- there have got to be more gamers out there. But don't game with people you aren't having fun gaming with.

Why play with people who aggravate you? This is supposed to be fun!