Pesky Players

[Snoring Rock]

So I invest in a setting and all of the books, maps, and extras. I have 6 players. 2 newbs and 4 veterans. They start off well then one of the veterans begins meta-gaming and second guessing (wrongly so) every single monster ability and rumor they hear. Now the entire group is scared le$$ to go anywhere there might be danger. So now at 6th level the group is off the track of heroic world-saving, out hunting orc scalps. There are no orcs for 1,000 miles. I need a good orc fortress to throw in. Any ideas? Then I need to figure out how to get the campaign back on track. Maybe just that one player....

 

[DQDesign]

I would suggest 'the forge of fury', included in 'tales of the yawning portal'. you should work a little bit on it, though, because it is an adventure optimized for 3rd level characters...

 

[GlassJaw]

Take that player and talk to him. There is a disconnect between your goals and the player's. Everyone at the table needs to be on the same page about the style of play.

 

[Snoring Rock]

Take that player and talk to him. There is a disconnect between your goals and the player's. Everyone at the table needs to be on the same page about the style of play.

I am giving this some thought. Without any intention here, this player kind of naturally leads the group. They look up to him. So far no one ever questions his take on things.

 

[Snoring Rock]

I would suggest 'the forge of fury', included in 'tales of the yawning portal'. you should work a little bit on it, though, because it is an adventure optimized for 3rd level characters...

I have "Tales of the Yawning Portal" and I will look that over. I half feel like I should leave it 3rd level. The group seems to feel like they should completely over-power everything always. Maybe some easy killing and low treasure rewards will get them thinking in another direction.

 

[iserith]

So I invest in a setting and all of the books, maps, and extras. I have 6 players. 2 newbs and 4 veterans. They start off well then one of the veterans begins meta-gaming and second guessing (wrongly so) every single monster ability and rumor they hear. Now the entire group is scared le$$ to go anywhere there might be danger. So now at 6th level the group is off the track of heroic world-saving, out hunting orc scalps. There are no orcs for 1,000 miles. I need a good orc fortress to throw in. Any ideas? Then I need to figure out how to get the campaign back on track. Maybe just that one player....

One thing you might address with the players in general is something I put in my Table Rules:"'Metagaming,' defined as using player skill or knowledge that a character might not necessarily have, is fine as long as it's fun for everyone and helps contribute to an exciting, memorable story. Assumptions can be risky though so it's skillful play to verify your assumptions through in-game actions before making choices based on them."

Under such a policy, your veterans can "metagame" all they want (after all, it's not up to the DM to decide how someone makes decisions for his or her own characteR), but at least the rest of the table will know they might not necessarily correct. The smart thing to do is try to see if the "metagaming" the veterans are doing is actually correct. If they are not, then the players might make bad decisions as a result or miss out on good opportunities. Presented this way, you're telling your players how to be more successful at the game and I've yet to meet a player who doesn't want to achieve that goal.

Further, if the veterans are "metagaming" in a way that is making the game less fun for everyone (and that includes the DM), then this needs to be addressed on a personal level in my view to refocus the group on the goals of play. The whole point of the game is to create a story together of brave adventurers boldly confronting deadly perils and having fun. (It says so right in the rules.) Not doing that misses the point of the entire exercise.

 

[5ekyu]

What i do not know is this - how much of that setting snd all that investment you have is aimed at or synced with the PCs themselves?

Hard to imagine they would be off hunting orc scalps (is there a reward for those even tho they are not local) when old college buddy of the bard is having trouble in a nearby village (sorry man, got orcs to scalp for coppers) or that dead hobgoblin they found off the road was clutching the cleric diety's symbol and a cryptic message or the elf learns an elven shrine is about to be attacked etc etc etc.

You hook your players into that investment of yours by investing your hooks in their character stories.

 

[Satyrn]

I have "Tales of the Yawning Portal" and I will look that over. I half feel like I should leave it 3rd level. The group seems to feel like they should completely over-power everything always. Maybe some easy killing and low treasure rewards will get them thinking in another direction.

It's an "experiment" worth trying.

You might also find it exceptionally fun to run low powered monsters.

 

[S'mon]

I had a campaign destroyed this way.

Hm. Can't help you, but good luck!

 

[KarinsDad]

I had a campaign destroyed this way.

Hm. Can't help you, but good luck!

I did something different for my current campaign. I started them out at level 8 and then picked up Dungeon of the Mad Mage. It starts at level 5, so I told them that it started at level 5 and that they probably shouldn't blow through a lot of spells in the first few levels of the dungeon, but use spells whenever they want because not using spells can be boring. The first session, they acquired 6% of the way to level 9. In the second session, they went to the second level and acquired 20% of a level. So, the first two sessions were really easy, but the group gradually discovers how difficult a given level might be while at the same time, discovering more and more of their PC abilities in relatively non-threatening encounters. None of the players are worried about encounters yet, but as things get more difficult, they get to adjust organically.

By the time they get to level 4 of the dungeon, encounters should be moderately difficult, but the players should be more familiar with their PCs as well.