Help...player won't get his head out of the book

[lior_shapira]

I dm a group of three players, pretty ideal for me and the games are going good. Yet I have a problem with one of the players. He's relatively new to 3rd edition and D20 and it took a while to get him up to speed. Because of his insecurity with the rules and the fact that he never opens a book at home, he spends almost the entire session flipping through the player's handbook . It has become quite annoying to tell him to pay attention every few minutes, and I don't want to get angry with him. Any suggestions?

 

[tetsujin28]

There are two solutions: 1) Ask him to kindly purchase his own PH 2) Confront the PCs with challenges that have nothing to do with the PH, but rather to do with 'smarts' (however you and the players define it). 1) will have him looking at his own book on his own time, and 2) will make him realize that not all the answers are to be found in the PH.

 

[lior_shapira]

I don't think he's looking for anything related to what we're doing... simply browsing through spells mostly.

 

[shilsen]

Speak to him before the game and tell him it's irritating for you and the other players for him to be focusing on the PHB at the table and that it slows down play. Ask him if he can do that before the game and suggest that he just use it at the table to reference what's necessary at that point in the game, or even better, just ask you.

 

[BryonD]

Don't take this the wrong way, but he is most likely paying attention to the thing that mosts interests him.

Make the game more engaging than the book.

 

[tetsujin28]

Absolutely, Bryon! He's saying, "I'm interested in all the possiblities presented in this book. Challenge me!"

 

[Buttercup]

I'd talk to the player first. If that didn't work, I'd make a No Books At the Table rule for players. That way if he needed to look something up, he would have to borrow the DM's book for a moment and then give it back.

 

[Particle_Man]

If he has internet access you can tell him about the SRD if he just wants to look at spells on his own time.

 

[devilbat]

Ask to borrow his PHB, and then forget to give it back during the game. If he needs to check something, give it back, then ask foor it again. Repeat as needed.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

If he has the 'net, I think several of the online SRDs allow folks to make spellbooks. He could make a spellbook containing his spells, so he'd have less to flip through.

But here's the thing. When I'm playing, I tend to do the same thing. Is he really NOT paying attention or is it just annoying that it SEEMS like he's not paying attention?

I'm horribly flighty-minded, maybe a little ADD. I write, watch TV, and read three webpages at the same time, usually. It's one reason I like to GM, I think. Usually so much going on that it keeps me occupied. When I'm a PLAYER ... well, I need something else to do. I could usually bring my laptop, say, but I'd end up filling up all the bored moments that I really WOULD end up not paying any attention to the game. Paging through the book lets me refresh myself on any rules I'm about to use and keeps me from getting frustrated with how little is actually getting DONE.

Heck, when I'm on the other end of the screen I'm always looking for ways to pack more fun into less time.

--fje