D&D General When Players Refuse to learn The Rules

[Reynard]

This is just a bit of a rant.

It absolutely kills me when players can't be bothered to learn even the basics of their characters, the game rules or (in this case) the VTT. And I don't mean new players that haven't engaged in RPG before. I mean players with decades of experience in general and at least a dozen sessions in this game alone. First of all, it slows the game to crawl when they can't figure out what button to click to roll to hit, or how to target enemy tokens and that sort of thing. More than that, though, watching them make suboptimal choices and then get frustrated with the outcome because they didn't know (just by way of example) that their rogue could use Cunning Action.

I know that for some, playing in a regular game is more about being able to hang out with friends, but come one -- at least learn the basics of your character and the VTT software.

Related: if you don't know the game and don't want to learn the game or even read your spells before you try and cast them, save us all the frustration and play a Champion Fighter instead, huh?

 

[commandercrud]

I had a rogue player that completed an entire campaign ending at level 12 and still never knew how many damage dice to roll when doing a sneak attack. I don't play with them anymore.

 

[jgsugden]

If I get a pick between a player that loves to role play and enjoy the story and has no understanding of the rules of the game or VTT software, or a player that knows every rule and trick in the software but treats the game as a MMORPG with no care to the story, and not a whit of personality to their character ... I'm take the first every time.

Suggestion: Don't give the 'rules loafers' the answer when they need a rule question answered. Instead, point them to where the rule or information is. I often give these folks 'cheat sheets' to simplify their PCs onto a 'menu' of what they can do with a section for Actions, Bonus Actions, Reactions, Move Replacements, and 'Ongoing Abilities' (like a paladin aura, darkvision, etc...). It helps to get them started.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

These are the kind of players the Champion Fighter was made for, but for some reason they usually insist on playing Wizards.

 

[Reynard]

If I get a pick between a player that loves to role play and enjoy the story and has no understanding of the rules of the game or VTT software, or a player that knows every rule and trick in the software but treats the game as a MMORPG with no care to the story, and not a whit of personality to their character ... I'm take the first every time.

Honestly, I will take either over the disconnected player that doesn't know it's their turn in combat or hasn't been paying attention to the talky bits. Because FG takes up a lot of screen real estate and not everyone has two screens, we use Discord for audio only comms -- which means people are on their own to stay focused on the game instead of reading Facebook or watching YouTube or (my favorite) playing another game which, yes Chad, it says you are playing Overwatch under your Discord ID, you potato.

 

[tommybahama]

First of all, it slows the game to crawl when they can't figure out what button to click to roll to hit, or how to target enemy tokens and that sort of thing.

To be fair, the character sheet on Roll20 could be designed a lot better such as highlighting the attack links so you're not accidentally clicking on the weapon in your equipment list which is right below the attack links.

 

[Reynard]

To be fair, the character sheet on Roll20 could be designed a lot better such as highlighting the attack links so you're not accidentally clicking on the weapon in your equipment list which is right below the attack links.

Sure, but after 6 or 10 weeks?

 

[Dragonsbane]

I try to help players like this, but when someone is playing a mage, and won't read the spells, we have tons of this:
Player: I cast XXXX
DM: Sorry, it doesn't work that way, it works this way.
Player: Well I do something else (15 seconds go by)
DM: Ok, let me know next round. Next player....

In the end, the player just hurts himself by refusing to read the spells (and declared he won't as it's too time consuming). He moved on.

 

[Ixal]

Oh yes....
I had one such player who justified it by "its your job as GM to translate what I do into rules".

 

[Reynard]

Oh yes....
I had one such player who justified it by "its your job as GM to translate what I do into rules".

"You gesticulate randomly and utter nonsense while throwing wads of bat guano and flowers in the air. Your idiocy provokes opportunity attacks." [to other players] "Any takers?"