D&D 5E Looting during combat wtf ?

[Baldurs_Underdark]

In general:
I agree that you should talk to the players. Personal preference is to do such talks at the start of a game. So, I would announce it to the DM that you need a little time at the start of a session.

Also, make sure you are not going to criticise your fellow players. Instead, describe a factual observation and how that makes you feel (as a player). If done well, that delivers the same message but does not push your fellow players into their trenches.

But specifically, regarding looting during combat:
Holy wow, I agree with the sentiment in the thread that it's amazing that these PCs don't get stabbed in the back, literally. As a DM, I would definitely punish that with in-game consequences: I would have some monsters sneak up to them and have a go at them with advantage. Also, I'd trap the chests (investigate, unlock, open&grab is at least three actions, if not more).

And also, are you a team, or are you a bunch of convenient allies that all aspire individual wealth and power and will eventually murder each other to steal their stash?

 

[Mordhau]

I would just bring it up when they start doing it in combat.

Why are you looting the bodies when we're still in the fighter? A little help here.
I'm just playing my character.
And when I drop a fireball on you for risking my life by not joining the fight I'll be playing my character too.

I don't know if that will work, but if it doesn't probably nothing else will either.

This really sounds like immaturity and the only real cure for that is too stick em back in the oven for a few more years.

 

[Larnievc]

Should I get greedy, start being careless with Fireballs n aoe’s … begin ‘searching the room’ while melee pc’s occupy the monsters?

I think you would be better off talking to them outside the game. At my table the treasure is split evenly. D&D is not normally a competitive game.

 

[TheSword]

I’d examine the reasons why it’s Happening.

Do you have a fair process for dividing loot or is it first come first served. The latter will drive people to start looting bodies the former makes it pointless.

Do you have an OOC convention about PvP, stealing from other players etc? If not, that incentives people to steal trinkets when no one is looking. If there isn’t one. Getting one will sort this right out.

Is is a player behavior/courtesy problem not something resolved by a DM attacking players. That won’t always be an option, and it just turns looting in combat into a risk/reward thing which putting the other elements I mentioned in place.

In my opinion these two things are essential for any successful party.

 

[akr71]

Yep, if that happened at my table, the monsters would focus their attention on the character(s) doing the looting. If a player complained, I would explain that 1) the monster knows you are distracted and an easy target; 2) if the opponents are even semi-intelligent they would be super offended by someone looting the still warm corpse of their comrade.

In fact, maybe the next time one of the party goes down, the monster would loot their body and run away.

I would talk to your DM first, then the rest of the party. Are you a band of adventurers working toward a common goal? If so, loot sharing should be the standard practice. Are you a bunch of cut-throat mercenaries who are looking for the most profit for themselves? If so, then carry on. Be stingy with those spare the dying and maybe rifle through their belongings and keep a few items for yourself before you heal them.

 

[Tallifer]

Perhaps ( I joke hopefully) the other players have played too many massively multi-player on-line roleplaying games: I know when I played Dark Age of Camelot years and years ago, looting during combat ( or at least in the brief pauses between combat) was necessary because the loot which the monsters dropped would disappear after a certain time.

On the other hand... <laughs> I will never forget when the thief in our AD&D game wandered off and started looting while the party desperately fought off the monsters. (I drew this picture of it for bonus XP)

(see more fun D&D illustrations in my webcomic Tales from the Gnomish Tarot )

 

[Dragonsbane]

Try this:
As you reach down and begin to search the body, suddenly you see he was not quite dead. The attack roll catches you unaware, it has advantage and you get no Dexterity added to your AC.

 

[DemoMonkey]

I am surprised no one asked yet:

Is the campaign one where the characters are SUPPOSED to be selfish amoral aholes out for themselves first?

If so, you may be the one out of line with the group expectations.

 

[Oofta]

As others have said, this is not normal and likely behavior that's the result of people coming from an MMO background or because it's a "finders keepers" game when it comes to loot.

Talk to your DM offline. They should be the ones that bring this up with the group (although you may need to). If treasure is distributed evenly the players may not even realize it's an issue. If the treasure is not being divided evenly, that's a different issue. I'd still have a sidebar conversation with the rest of the group. If they don't change, explain that until you get your fair share you won't heal them and if they go down you'll take what you believe is your fair share of the treasure.

Do not give into the temptation to "accidentally" fireball the party unless you don't want to continue playing with these PCs and potentially players.

Last, but not least, there are times when a group just isn't a good fit. It can suck, but if nothing works you're going to have to decide if the good outweighs the bad. Good luck!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Is this behavior occurs when there fight is still raging on or during the ''cleaning up''?

If its the later, you may also discuss at the table if the DM would be willing to wrap things up narratively if all that's left of the fight is a few mooks with 2-3 hp. If the players feels they can start looting because their injured companions are stabilized by you and there's no real threat remaining, that means that the combat has ended, even if there's still mechanically foes on the grid.

As always, if there's no risk of failure, skip it.