Help!!! Player Problems

[Gorin Stonecleaver]

I need help dealing with players who always want to include exotic material from sources that I do not necessarily have access to. I have told them anything not in the core rules needs to be approved by me in advance. Then they show up with on their charactersheet that I have never seen. Expecting that I will just say OK so we can play. Any ideas or suggestions welcome.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Just say No, give them a set amount of time to remake their characters, and start playing.

Barring that, just say No, and any money spent on those items is lost. They knew the rules. They violated the rules. They pay the consequence.

Depending upon the players and your relationship with them, one of those two things should work.

RC

 

[Xer0]

Rule Zero: The GM is always right. If you don't want to allow it, say no.

Especially after you told them that it needed approval. It's just that simple.

 

[diaglo]

is this the only chance they have to get you to approve it to show it to you the day of play?

if it is: look it over and reject or approve it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sounds like you need to stick to your guns and tell them you'll just substitute anything not preapproved with Toughness and equally exciting core options instead.

 

[James McMurray]

If you say "tell me in advance or I'll say no" and they don't tell you in advance, your only recourse is to either say no or get used tot he idea that they'll walk all over you when they can. It's like negotiating with terrorists, not a door you want to open.

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

yeah, say that he needs to show you before the game starts. Nothing is more annoying to me as a DM when some player decides to get something Non-WOTC or something Fan Made approved by ambushing me in the middle of the game.

if they know the rules and break them there are consequences, and that is you are going to say NO!

 

[Henry]

That's pretty much it. Just tell them you need them to rework their characters to core, or pre-approve them by you beforehand. No exceptions. It's really about common courtesy, more than anything -- you need to show it to them by making sure they know the rules ahead of time, and once you've done that, they need to show it to you by following these rules.

 

[James McMurray]

yeah, say that he needs to show you before the game starts. Nothing is more annoying to me as a DM when some player decides to get something Non-WOTC or something Fan Made approved by ambushing me in the middle of the game.

Or even something from WotC but in a book the DM hasn't approved yet.

 

[amethal]

I need help dealing with players who always want to include exotic material from sources that I do not necessarily have access to. I have told them anything not in the core rules needs to be approved by me in advance. Then they show up with on their charactersheet that I have never seen. Expecting that I will just say OK so we can play. Any ideas or suggestions welcome.

Have you explained to them why you have that rule? (You reason is self-evident to most people on EnWorld, but it may not be to your players.)

Possibly if they understood your reasoning they would be more likely to do what they are supposed to do.

After that, they may see your point of view when you explain why them flouting the rule is annoying you and disrupting the game.