How to Deal With Difficult Players? 5e

[Shiro Enya]

I've been playing, as a player, with a party for about 5 months. I play two campaigns with them, one that we tend to play 3 sessions a month, and the other only one session a month (it can vary depending on our Main DMs plans, as our main GM has other commitments). We've had a shift around in our DMs, where the main DM has stepped down to become a player, our other DM has become our main DM and I've stepped out to take the secondary Campaign.

As a Player, I've noticed some issues with a few players.

The first problematic player is a Power-gaming, Passive Aggressive player, who is known to be quite volatile. They often start arguments with other players and the GM to try and get their own way, to the point they'll spitefully try to claim something just so another player doesn't have it. He has created problems for both DMs, including being volatile.

The second problematic player constantly has targeted my characters, no matter who they are, what they are or what they done. An example of this was after a fight with a Dragon that had greatly put the party to the test. I play a Cleric in this campaign, and had Warded Bonded him, healed him and got him back up when he was downed, but he preceded to side with a volatile player who had done nothing to help him, and didn't need the item he was so desperately trying to spite my character out of. This player has created problems for the DM, such as the player often refuses to help the situation and make it worse.

The third isn't so much a problematic player, but is very quiet often shut out by the problematic players and I'd quite like him to be able to role play more, but I'm unsure how to get him out of his shell.

Do you have any advice on how to deal with these people? I'd rather not kick anyone out, as they're all decent people, just problematic players.

EDIT: I have DMed before, just not with these players

 

[psychophipps]

I would give gamer #1 the boot. We don't have time as adults to waste arguing over stupid stuff during game time. I'm not there to be browbeat, and neither is anyone else.

The second player is probably just feeding off the first. It happens when the second player is better friends with the jerk than the other players sometimes.

I would tell both of them to shape up or they will get disinvited from the group if the other players in the game also see it as an issue.

 

[Morrus]

Passive-aggressive, argumentative, and volatile? Sounds like a real charmer!

 

[Lwaxy]

Yeah, it's out of the door for that #1 guy - other than that, you would be better off looking for another group as the dynamic is unlikely to change.

 

[miniaturehoarder]

1. probably has to go.

2. A party should ALWAYS set ground rules for determining how to distribute magic items. There has been WAY too much grief in my own game because one of the more liked players convinced the rest of the party to go with informal group consensus to determine ownership of magic items found as treasure.

 

[Cody C. Lewis]

The way I look at problematic players is this:

I am an adult who has a plethora of responsibilities and a family that get the majority of my time (not complaining heh). As such, gaming is my 'me-time'. I expect people to respect my time as much as I respect theirs, to not be a jerk, and to 'play nice' because this is my hobby and how I cut loose. If I have to spend time babysitting, I am not going to do it for very long. There are too many options now that online tabletops have made putting together games just incredibly easy.

I always suggest to talk to the players as adults. Tell them "this is a problem, are you going to help me resolve it?".

If they don't, they are most likely not the type of player you are looking for. Notice I didn't say person. Sometimes it's hard to realize great friends don't always make great players for your gaming group.

TLDR
Address it with them, and let their future actions dictate their future in the group. Sometimes you just need to be selfish and do what is going to make you the happiest-little-GM-that-could.

 

[Zhaleskra]

I'm curious, why is this specific to D&D 5e? Problems with playstyles and GMing styles have been part of the game since all eternity.

 

[theSim]

Is this an on-line rpg group or does this happen at a local game table? If it's on-line, I'd boot the troublemaker simply because I find ppl on the internet tend to be less susceptible to critique than they are when speaking to them face to face. Also the way you describe your situation these players don't seem like decent people. :<

 

[pickin_grinnin]

When I DM, I set very definite rules for player conduct that everyone has to agree to before I allow them in the game. That makes it easier to call them on bad behavior later. If someone is making the game unpleasant for others, (s)he gets the boot (after a warning and a chance to change).