D&D 5E Sudden changes to the party dynamic

[Flexor the Mighty!]

yeah, It seemed like he was younger. 12-14 or so What the image in my head. 20? Not so much.

I did think it was funny you said his dad was in the game and his brothers to but they voted to not let him in.

made me laugh. I mean yeah your dad and brothers are playing but dude..we ain't got room for you. Maybe that is when you need to look at some of your habits lol.




*Maybe table flipping on every nat 1 roll isn't as funny to everyone else.

The Dad and the Dad's two brothers. Little Timmy's uncles. Apparently they don't like him anymore than I do.

 

[CydKnight]

One is in game stuff easily worked around, one is real life personal interactions not as easily worked around.

OK, I can understand how that could be true in some situations, perhaps even a majority when talking about a private group.

Personally, I think the best solution to all of these scenarios of in-game change discussed in this thread are best solved by keeping an open dialog and an open mind within the group. As a DM, I can say that I wouldn't bring in a new player even for a session or two without letting the players know first.

I have even discussed the possibility with them beforehand just in case I ever run into someone that I feel may be a good fit. All agreed that this would be something they would welcome as long as I believed it fit with what was trying to be achieved by the group. We also know each other well enough that they would trust my judgment with something like that anyway.

It has come up that a player really wasn't happy with the character he chose but also didn't want to just abruptly pull the player and replace it with a new one between sessions. So his character died gloriously during a boss battle in the next game session and the player got to roll up a new character that he has now been thrilled to play for quite some time now.

It won't always work out this way. Sometimes someone is going to be dissatisfied with the game no matter how much the others in the group try to accommodate. Being flexible helps as long as you don't feel like your settling. The best way to head off potential issues, or soften them when they occur, is still going to be constant communication with each other.

 

[jasper]

Zymurgy65 let see if I got this straight.
1. Regular player has swapped PCs.
2. DM let in new player without asking the group.
3. New player’s pc outshines yours.
1. Sorry you don’t get to tell other players who, what and when they can change pcs. The group will have to change combat tactics.
2. This totally up to your group’s social contract. Have fun.
3. See 1. Or change pcs.

 

[Blue]

What kind of game was this? I mean if its a game of friends and one guy wants to bring in a family member and the group said no too many players I would find another group.

A dad wanting to share the hobby with his stepson getting turned down would set off huge red flags to me. Frankly I DM almost all the time and I would never do that, even if the group was about to burst with too many.

if the group decided that I would just leave and start a new group.

I love D&D but it's just a game, Family comes first.

A similar issue came up in my game though it was the son of a player who was interested in getting involved in RPGs and he approached us, not the dad including him without consulting.

We don't run a PG game - lots of darkness, faustian choices, blood sex and rock-n-roll. One player specifically clams up RPing in front of kids because he has to self-censor himself instead of just letting his character be his character which has come up before when we had an audience.

It would have dramatically changed the tone of a two year campaign to add him, and would likely have lost the player who clams up.

I don't mind running a different game that includes the son, and talked to him about starting one. I'm for introducing new blood and can run an age-appropriate game that also introduces roleplaying concepts and rules at a reasonable pace, plus has suitably heroic quests and a lack of character death. But that's different then breaking an existing game that isn't a good fit.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Little Timmy: So, can I play Daddy?

Dad: No, sorry son, the group took a vote and ... well, you can't play. Sorry, buddy, maybe some other time.

Little Timmy: Oh noes ... but there's only six players! I mean, c'mon dad ... you, your brothers ... the three of you couldn't convince one other person to vote for me?

Dad: .... the vote was unanimous.

....the remainder of the car ride home is silent, broken only by the sounds of Little Timmy's Heaving Sobs ....

/fin


I gotta ask ... is it Flexor, the Mighty? Or ... FLEXOR, COLD AS ICE!


(Just saying - that family treats Little Timmy like I would treat a Gnome Paladin that just defecated on my bed)

Flexor had kindness in his heart once. Long ago.

But there is also the time that Brother of Flexor, who is less mighty, punched little Timmy in the face. I think LT should have known better than to get his hopes up.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Little Timmy: So, can I play Daddy?

Dad: No, sorry son, the group took a vote and ... well, you can't play. Sorry, buddy, maybe some other time.

Little Timmy: Oh noes ... but there's only six players! I mean, c'mon dad ... you, your brothers ... the three of you couldn't convince one other person to vote for me?

Dad: .... the vote was unanimous.

....the remainder of the car ride home is silent, broken only by the sounds of Little Timmy's Heaving Sobs ....

/fin


I gotta ask ... is it Flexor, the Mighty? Or ... FLEXOR, COLD AS ICE!


(Just saying - that family treats Little Timmy like I would treat a Gnome Paladin that just defecated on my bed)

Cold as Ice! Willing to sacrifice for fun!

 

[Kalshane]

While I haven't seen the Gunslinger in play at an actual table, I wouldn't worry too much about it outshining another character (unless you roll stats and the newbie rolled better). A lot of Percy's (the Gunslinger on Critical Role) ridiculous damage comes from a combination of super-high stats and the player's ridiculous luck. Mechanically, I think the drawbacks (misfire chance) outweigh the class' benefits. (Though if the newbie took the Lucky feat to help insulate him from misfires, that might be another story.)

Having two stealthy characters in a party is actually useful. It greatly reduces the chance of the party scout getting killed because they're ambushed while out on their own. (I've played in groups with a solo stealthy character and ones with multiple, and always felt the groups with multiple stealthy types had more options for handling situations than those with a solo sneak.)

 

[BoldItalic]

Any suggestions?

Yes. Forget about combat tactics for a while and think about the other two pillars of the game. It's not your place to decide the party's combat effectiveness. Who put you in charge of that? No-one. Your job is to contribute your fair share to the development of the campaign narrative; to make the developing story interesting and fun for the others.

Tell us about the party dynamic. Tell us about each PC's persona. Tell us how they interact on a personal level. Do they like each other? If so, why? Do they mistrust each other? If so, why? What brought them together as a party? What are their shared goals? What do they talk about, sitting around the campfire? In the tavern, who buys the first round? Do they support each others' ideals? Do they compensate for each others' flaws?

You said the player of the dwarf fighter was bored with the character. What had your character done to befriend his character, bond with him, make him feel valued? When did your character last ask him about his family? Spend downtime carousing together? Listen to his grumbles? Laugh at his jokes? Lend him your tin of armour polish? Date his sister?

Now, if you are going to tell me: "we don't do that stuff", then there's your problem.

 

[Harzel]

Yes. Forget about combat tactics for a while and think about the other two pillars of the game. It's not your place to decide the party's combat effectiveness. Who put you in charge of that? No-one. Your job is to contribute your fair share to the development of the campaign narrative; to make the developing story interesting and fun for the others.

Tell us about the party dynamic. Tell us about each PC's persona. Tell us how they interact on a personal level. Do they like each other? If so, why? Do they mistrust each other? If so, why? What brought them together as a party? What are their shared goals? What do they talk about, sitting around the campfire? In the tavern, who buys the first round? Do they support each others' ideals? Do they compensate for each others' flaws?

You said the player of the dwarf fighter was bored with the character. What had your character done to befriend his character, bond with him, make him feel valued? When did your character last ask him about his family? Spend downtime carousing together? Listen to his grumbles? Laugh at his jokes? Lend him your tin of armour polish? Date his sister?

Now, if you are going to tell me: "we don't do that stuff", then there's your problem.

We don't have any real evidence that the OP doesn't "think about the other two pillars of the game", but even if he in fact doesn't, that's still not badwrongfun. I think you have taken what might have been a worthwhile suggestion with quite a few good examples and made it not very helpful by beating the OP around the head and shoulders with it.