D&D 5E GMs of EN World: What player behavior annoys you the most?

Fauchard1520 · Sep 27, 2017

My pet peeve is pictured right here. How about the rest of you guys?

iserith · Sep 27, 2017

Mine is undoubtedly when players can't find a reason for their characters to trust and get along with other characters and/or can't imagine why the character would want to pursue the adventure hook or participate in particular scenes.

It's an offshoot of the "It's what my character would do..." issue. Well, sweetheart, maybe you should start making characters that do get along and trust fellow PCs and do participate.

I combat this issue by helping the players establish ties between their characters and the adventure scenario so as to create the necessary context for said players to participate in good faith.

Warpiglet · Sep 27, 2017

iserith said:
Mine is undoubtedly when players can't find a reason for their characters to trust and get along with other characters and/or can't imagine why the character would want to pursue the adventure hook or participate in particular scenes.

It's an offshoot of the "It's what my character would do..." issue. Well, sweetheart, maybe you should start making characters that do get along and trust fellow PCs and do participate.

I combat this issue by helping the players establish ties between their characters and the adventure scenario so as to create the necessary context for said players to participate in good faith.

This is maddening. A broader problem for me is players who simply have no concern about the fun of the group (being self focused only) and dominate and push their weight around. For me, this is worse when they have some sort of uber powerful character that is not plausible from any reasonable story perspective. The old quadruple prestige class juggernaut of yore...or from the old days a similar attitude with nearly all 17s and 18s well beyond what others have for scores.

Funny...it is rare that the super powerful character is rarely supportive. Of all motivation they always end up pushing others around despite alignment or game/story origin...or as above, their game/story ties and "personality" mesh with selfish play.

jasper · Sep 27, 2017

When players more experienced than me, don't know their pc abilities.

lowkey13 · Sep 27, 2017

*Deleted by user*

robus · Sep 27, 2017

Mine is confusing the DM for the NPC - i.e. assuming that just because the NPC is unconvinced by their argument that I'm just trying to be annoying/petty.

Irda Ranger · Sep 27, 2017

Repeatedly violating the Action economy. "I do this, and this, and this, and this..." Whoa there, buddy.

Caliban · Sep 27, 2017

Sitting there like a lump, not responding to anything or showing any interest in the plot hooks, story line, or campaign world - just doing the bare minimum to get to the next combat encounter. It's like their character doesn't exist outside of combat.

Tales and Chronicles · Sep 27, 2017

When a player feels like his character should be more powerful than he really is considering is build and level. Like, I have a player who always describe how her character do awesome stuff in combat (great roleplayer) like grabbing a animated statue by the neck (one handed) and throwing it 20 feet to the other side of the room, and then she gets mad when I say: ''well, you cant really do that, the guy weights like 400 lbs''. Hey, its not my fault she's a level 4 tiefling fighter with 14 str who's 65 years old, I get that she wants to imagine her PC as a real bad*ss from the start, but the game is built over 20 levels, give it some time.

That and ''...step aside everybody, I got a spell for this and that situation, just be ready to be my meatshield and healbot''. God, I hate the one-man-party mentality.

Li Shenron · Sep 27, 2017

On the top of my list of worst behaviours I would put either rules lawyering, or wanting to play a character that can do anything... "jackofalltradeism"?