Have you ever been a dick player?

[MortalPlague]

These are some entertaining stories.

I don't think I've ever been a dick player. Not really. The closest I came was the last campaign I played in; I played Pohtep, a high priest of the goddess of thieves, and he was utterly ruthless in his force of personality. At one point, we were trying to hole up in an evil temple for a much-needed rest (after about six tough encounters). He badly botched his first ritual to craft a magic circle, so Pohtep contributed some of his own components to aid a second attempt. An hour later (game time), the ritual was once again botched. Rather callously, Pohtep struck the wizard with a backhand slap and told him, in a voice full of contempt, "Show some competence.".

Of course, that sparked some in-party bickering, but nothing between players.

 

[Kaodi]

I briefly had a character who had a long term plan to backstab the party if they ever encountered the character's patron and creator, an ancient dragon. I suppose that made me a bit of a dufus. That same game though was also the one where one of the other players was a huge dick. The guy would sleep, play video games, and whatever at the table; hold up play, and had his characters aggressively threaten other characters. And after he got bored with his dwarf warlord, he changed to a halfling sorcerer who could probably kill any other character one on one. So it was a huge pain in the ass, what with my underpowered dragonborn swordmage (that was a hybrid defender/controller).

 

[Gentlegamer]

I was a long time DM for a group of players, all of whom I had taught how to play. They did the usual annoying things as players, so occasionally one would want to try DMing. And I would deliberately act like a dick player and 'grief' their session as 'payback.' Childish perhaps, but I think it taught them a lesson.

 

[SkredlitheOgre]

I don't think I was a dick, though one of DMs probably does. The reason being I argued a rule with him. Not "My interpretation is better than your interpretation" but the actual wording of the rule. Given that I was reading out of the 3.5 Player's Handbook and he was doing it from (faulty) memory didn't help him out any.

It eventually came down to the DM saying "We're making it a house rule, then! This is how it works from now on! Is that okay with you? (said to me)
I just shrugged and said, "Sure. It would have been easier if you had said that's what you wanted to do in the first place, rather than arguing the rule did what it didn't do." I ended up leaving the group a couple sessions later.

 

[Piratecat]

I was playing a one-shot at a con, where the PCs were taken from the GMs home campaign. It was fairly fun until I said I'd do something and the GM said, "No. That character wouldn't do that." I asked for clarification, and the GM again forbid my action because he didn't think it was how the character should have been played. It happened several times more during the game.

Turns out that's a pet peeve of mine, and something I'd never do as a GM. In retrospect I wish I'd have politely excused myself from the table. It would have been better than being pissy for the rest of the session.

 

[Kzach]

Turns out that's a pet peeve of mine, and something I'd never do as a GM. In retrospect I wish I'd have politely excused myself from the table. It would have been better than being pissy for the rest of the session.

Have you ever had that one moment in your life when you realised that your heroes were flawed and human?

This is my moment.

 

[Piratecat]

Have you ever had that one moment in your life when you realised that your heroes were flawed and human?

This is my moment.

Heh. That made me laugh.

Oh, and I was very pissy indeed. Self-righteous, even. I didn't torpedo the game because then I would have ruined the fun for everyone else, but man...

Another one. In an old campaign, my PC kind of became the central figure in the game -- he was a cleric, and the game centered around his God's church and their adventures. I eventually figured out that this meant the DM would never kill my character. Ever! No matter what stupid thing I did. Suicidally leaping into danger would result in a deux ex machina as I tried to see how far I could go.

Then I mentioned this to the DM, and he got better. I found out the hard way. And it was kind of glorious.

 

[Meatboy]

Yep! In hindsight its another "I should have left the game earlier things." But they were/are my friends. Usually I DM but one of my pals said he had a campaign all set up and asked us to play. Being friends we agreed and so started to play. The problem is around every corner the DM found some way to mitigate or creative thinking.
In the campaign we were supposed to escape this odd demi-plane where we had all be trapped. We were told , via npc, that the answer were below the city so we followed the directions to a sewer grate which was surrounded by explosive wards that we managed to remove, set off and survive and enter the tunnels. We then found ourselves under attack by dire rats with sneak attack, we only level 2, doing 3d6 damage per hit. Fleeing into the tunnels from the R.O.U.S. we came to a fork. One we just couldn't go down for everytime we did we heard music and then woke up back at the fork. So we took a candle from or packs and stuffed our ears with wax and tried again. We make it to a bad playing some form of pipes who threatens us so we attack him. But much to our dismay the DM won't allow us too. We get dominated or something and find ourselves back at the fork. By this time I am getting annoyed, put it mildly, and am starting to regret my character. So after taking the 2nd path we come to a gorge with only a narrow rope bridge across it. I decide to throw my character into the pit. But no despite being unable to see the bottom from the top I live. At this point I believe I said something to the effect that, "I can't even die when I want to in this MOTHE... game." When I was told I heard some thing shuffling in the darkness in the pit I threw my weapons to the floor and attempted to grapple whatever it was. It may have been an otyugh. I think the DM got the hint and let me die finally. When I got around to making a 2nd character it was a huge half-orc Barbarian that attacked any NPC on sight when they started talking to the group. Yeah that was me being a dick. I left the game after that session. We are still friends to this day but I went on at great length about why I was so choked.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I have ridden the line between being a dick as a character or as a player fairly often, and all but once I had a talk with the player who was getting my goat before taking action in-game.

An example: Gurps Western game that was starting up and everyone chose to play a character that was on the run from the law. We all talked about this openly and ensured the GM and group where on the same path. One of the players agreed to the idea and rolled up his character.. a Marshall who had been falsely accused of murder and was on the run...

I think only 1 of the 8 people at the table told him to rethink this idea, to no avail. First session, first encounter we get into a bar brawl as a way to bring the disparate adventurers together. Said Marshall stands up in the middle of the room brandishing his Peacemaker and badge.
Hm. I was the first to take a shot at him.... its amazing how much damage a Winchester .357 does!

The case where I didn't talk to the guy in advance directly... we were playing an Aliens game (FASA) as Marines, complete with ranks and platoon structure. The two non-military players were playing the high ranking characters (Lt and SGM). The Lt was doing an excellent job of roleplaying a green LT, right down to being stupid. He sent our demolitions expert who is known for being a bit zealous in his activities to clear a warehouse... all by himself. It wasn't a small warehouse. It was going to be destroyed in a couple of hours by a natural event, and we knew there were not any friendlies in it. So Tony 'cleared' it. Guaranteed there was nothing alive in it short of a cockroach.
Lt proceeded to chew him a new one over unsecured radio and informed Tony that he would be brought up on charges when this was over and that he had to report back to the ship and turn in all his weapons immediately.
In a short conversation over the same unsecured radio {with the player standing between us}, Dennis and I decided to 'grease the butter bar' and even gave him a count down to his death.

It was definitely something we would do in character, given the situation. I just wish it hadn't resulted in the SGM deciding to try and TPK the party {and very stupidly pulling the pin on a grenade and tossing it at Tony's feet... you really have to let those things burn off a couple seconds if you don't want them tossed right back!}

So can I be a dick? Well, I think my screen name is proof enough!

 

[Greg K]

I'm very strongly in the camp that supports curbing attitudes, behaviours and preferences at the table that are disruptive or inconsiderate to other players. I take great pains in creating characters that are fun for everyone, not just me. I'm very strongly against creating 'lone-wolf' style characters or rude characters or selfish characters because at the end of the day, it's a group game, not a solo game.

As a DM, I have no problem with rude or selfish characters in my games provided the idea is that, from the onset, we are going to see the character transform into a likable team player. Even then, later conflicts are okay. I find the idea that everyone has to get along and be a well oil that gets along from the beginning to be boring. Some of the best rp moments have been when the players got into in-character arguments or characters parted the group (temporarily or permanently) when character goals or beliefs came into conflict.

What I am against are players bringing out of character grievances into game and taking them out on one another in game, players killing one another, players torpedoing a game they don't like rather than politely bowing out, players cheating, etc. These, are examples, in my opinion, of being a dick player.