D&D 5E How to engage a "poke the bear" player?

[iserith]

That's a non-answer and completely unhelpful to boot.

I think a lot of people would disagree.

Why do you consider just talking to your friend of three years the last resort? Are you afraid of him?

 

[CydKnight]

OK, I've made it very clear in my OP that I want to hear about creative suggestions on how to engage a player in game and also made it clear that I'm not interested in "talk the player" responses. I know very well I can talk the player, this is a group that has been together for three years and I know the player well as a friend. I know I can confront him about it if that's necessary, but as I said, I'm looking for in game ways of engaging them.

If you can't respect that, then keep your -posts to yourself.

When you start a thread, it is my opinion that you open the door to responses that you may not agree with. It seems inappropriate to me to invalidate current and future posts that certainly seem to answer the question as titled. You merely implied it was not a "preferred method" not that it was off limits. I also feel it is important to point out that though you may have started the thread, others will find content in it that is helpful to them even if you do not.

 

[Warpiglet]

The new grapple mechanics are fun. They mean that you cannot make a crowd into nothing. A group of strong guards can overbear someone and put them in prison.

If you drop hints about the inadvisable actions and the character persists, take away their power for a while. Make it not as fun as being free. Perhaps let the other characters get a trinket or some information that the imprisoned character misses out on.

Do so in a way that does not scream railroading. Part of being in an imaginary world is CONSEQUENCES. Make some good ones.

If you are really skilled, hopefully more than me, make the really unpleasant consequences actually fun for everyone. Everyone in peril because of stupid aggression and a fun new side adventure starts.

But if you really want this nonsense to stop, drop the hammer. Everyone else learns of a small side quest and they are given a trinket to start it. Perhaps combat crazy guy can be informed and maybe they wait for him to get out of the clink, but he does not get the same bonus others got.

Have them in an area in which strict laws are known and ENFORCED. Let him eat the consequences.

Really, how often will someone repeat behavior that leads to less fun? Unless high level, he should not always be able to beat everyone! Even then, there is someone tougher. The extra hints you drop about consequences should preempt the Waahmbulance.

 

[jasper]

OK, I've made it very clear in my OP that I want to hear about creative suggestions on how to engage a player in game and also made it clear that I'm not interested in "talk the player" responses. I know very well I can talk the player, this is a group that has been together for three years and I know the player well as a friend. I know I can confront him about it if that's necessary, but as I said, I'm looking for in game ways of engaging them.

If you can't respect that, then keep your -posts to yourself.

Hey sweety, life is calling. The poke your bear player is not a friend. If he can't respect your game enough to play nice, he is not respecting you. You only had to deal with a goober player for 3 years. It took me over 20 years before I got a back bone and just said no to goobers at my table. Now the goober was welcome to Taco Tuesday but not game session where I DM.
You asking for ways to engage him in game is just you being a goober to the rest of your group.

 

[Seramus]

If you can't respect that, then keep your -posts to yourself.

Is it really a -post when it's the right answer? The most mature answer? The answer that helps countless other posters beside yourself?

Then here's another suggestion. There have been lots of great ideas in this thread, so talk to your OTHER players and see how they feel about the suggestions mentioned in this thread. You can even link them to this thread. Because you need to make sure they are willing to put up with you trying these suggestions out. They might be fine with it -- great! But they might also get even more frustrated that there are bears who exist for no other reason than to be poked by that player, when they would rather be doing other things.

Communication IS the right answer. If not with the Bear Player, then with your other players.

 

[cmad1977]

Bear eats player.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TheNoremac42]

Bears usually maul people who poke them. Involuntary planeswalking can be quite a gruesome mauling.

 

[jgsugden]

D&D is an RPG. A Role Playing Game. The players play charters in a story they write with the DM.

As a DM, you get to weave the story elements together. You can choose to tell the players what you want from them to weave into your tales, or you can take the threads they provide and find something that uses all of the threads.

Try to find ways to move the game forward with his pot stirring. If you think of popular stories, there are a lot of characters that cause trouble. Look at how they'rehandled. Give him a hero's journey to tame his feisty ways. Allow him to cause a fight the PCs can't win. Allow him to make himself a nemesis. However, don't do these things as punishment - do them as story opportunities and give him the chance to be the hero that overcomes his own demons.

 

[S'mon]

If a player is constantly looking for trouble they probably don't really care what happens to their PC, so letting them suffer horrible consequences will usually just amuse the player, who will then be right back with a new character and the same behavior.

He'll care if his new PC comes back 2 levels lower.

But really, if a player keeps playing the same disruptive character it may be time to kick him from the group. Other players shouldn't have to put up with it.

 

[Sadras]

Bears usually maul people who poke them.

Bears Beets Battlestar Galactica.

#Truestory