Disruptive players how long?

[shadzar]

How much time will you deal with a disruptive player, as a DM or player, before you "ostracize" or single them and their behaviour out as not being welcome to the group?

As a side, should the DM or the other players be the first to try to deal with the players behaviour when the time comes?

 

[ggroy]

Depends on the particular disruptive person, and how disruptive they are. I've walked out of games after 1 or 2 sessions, with too much disruptive stuff.

For example in one game, there was one player that was always smoking marijuana at the table, and was doing all kinds of disruptive in-game stuff like beating up on the other player characters. After that session, I just told the DM it was either him or me. I didn't go back, when the DM said this marijuana guy was his good friend and that he doesn't want to kick him out.

It turn out I wasn't the only player to walk away after that session. The game basically died after the next session.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

20 minutes? Maybe 30... Depending on how disruptive the behavior is.

With a few exceptions, the DM should be the arbiter of player behavior, as well as character behavior. Pointing out behavior that you find offensive, however, should fall to everyone.

 

[fba827]

totally depends on the situation, the people involved, the disruptive activity, etc -- everyone's threshold is different and, by extension, every group's norms and values are different. so it's hard to say how long without having experienced the situation in question for myself.

but if it reaches a point where it seems disruptive to the group but managable, i usually err on the side of the dm has a private conversation with the person

if it's disruptive to one person but managable, that person affected should speak with the other person, or, if for some reason he/she can't, then politely ask the dm if he/she is willing to mention it on his/her behalf

if it reaches the point where it is disruptive and no longer managable, then the dm says it's time for the person to not come back.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

20 minutes? Maybe 30... Depending on how disruptive the behavior is.

With a few exceptions, the DM should be the arbiter of player behavior, as well as character behavior. Pointing out behavior that you find offensive, however, should fall to everyone.

I disagree, but only because as the GM, I'm usually the disruptive person.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I disagree, but only because as the GM, I'm usually the disruptive person.

I'm sure that you get all due blame.

 

[kitsune9]

How much time will you deal with a disruptive player, as a DM or player, before you "ostracize" or single them and their behaviour out as not being welcome to the group?

As a side, should the DM or the other players be the first to try to deal with the players behaviour when the time comes?

It depends upon what they do. If they tell annoying jokes or interrupt me, it's not really a big deal other than, "Quit it!" But if they are playing chaotic jerk characters just to derail the adventure for their own fun and making everyone else miserable, they've played their last session.

I'm a big believer in the social contract. I give it out to new players and people who don't know me so they get an idea of what I'm about and the expectations I have. If they break the rules outlined in the social contract, there's no warning, there's no probation, it's goodbye. People are adults and need to behave as such.

I know that gamers are an "eccentric" bunch and there's much I tolerate (nerdy conversations being one of them), but boorish behavior in any situation is a big no-no for me, particularly when their enjoyment is derived from everyone else's misery.

 

[haakon1]

It depends upon what they do. If they tell annoying jokes or interrupt me, it's not really a big deal other than, "Quit it!" But if they are playing chaotic jerk characters just to derail the adventure for their own fun and making everyone else miserable, they've played their last session.

Nod. That's how I run it too. The one player I got rid of was in the first session of a new campaign, with one new player and two "experienced" ones (including the jerk).

His character wouldn't quit being a jerk -- killing prisoners the others (a paladin and a newbie) didn't want to kill, and then attacking other PC's when they tried to stop him. At this point, they had met up with some Viking berserkers NPC, who were traveling with them briefly. The Viking lord told him "Touch the other party members again and you'll answer to me." So he mouthed off and started another fight. The Vikings and other PC's piled on, no subdual about it. Something like -20 hp in one round.

We didn't invite him again. Luckily, the newbie didn't quit, and still plays to this day (15 years later).

 

[Gilladian]

The last time I needed new players, I started a game at the local game shop.

One of the players was a guy I knew years ago from another activity. Somehow, despite my unique name, he didn't recognize me. He was a jerk back then, and still was at this time. He spent the whole first session trying to run the character of the 12 year old newbie who was sitting next to him - so badly that even the kid wouldn't listen to him!

And then when he started a) telling his wife (who wasn't playing but was present doing her own thing) to bring him drinks and such and b) telling me that I didn't know the rule for a given situation very well and that "in x other game" he was a rules master (but NOT THIS GAME), I knew he wasn't going to last.

We rapidly relocated the game to my home instead of the shop (which was my plan all along) and did not invite him along. He had his wife call me 3 different times, asking why he wasn't invited. I finally told her that the reason was that he was rude to her! She never did figure it out.

I was later told by the kid's father (kid and dad are now long-time players in my game) that if "that guy" had stayed, they would not have kept coming to the game. I'm SO glad I was proactive and didn't put up with him.

 

[slwoyach]

The sooner you bounce them the better. In 22 years of gaming I've never seen one disruptive player change.