I know everyone has a problem player every once in a while, so I'm venting as much as soliciting advice on the situation. Please advise me...
I've got a player that really gets on my nerves. They refuse to read the rules on the basis that the character builder on DDI prints out cards with all their powers and associated text. During the game, they sit there and doodle or work on other things until their turn comes up, then deliberate for minutes about what to do. I've asked this player to stay more involved in the game and pay attention when their turn isn't up, and after five months, there's been no change in the behavior.
In my campaign, I have a fairly strict, "you don't play, you don't gain XP" policy. I don't want casual players breezing in and out if they feel like playing this week or not, and it's the only policy I've ever found that effectively addresses the issue. Everyone misses a session or two here and there so it evens out, and most of my players feel like it's been a good policy over time. This player has been playing their character at second level for months while everyone else steadily gained levels, ignorant of their level gap until the party hit fifth level. The player was surprised that DDI's character builder didn't track this for them (although I still don't understand why they would think that a digital application would automatically update based on my campaign). This morning, the player flat-out asked me to bump their experience total to that of our highest-xp party member on the basis of their ignorance, citing the DMG's guidelines about keeping players on an even footing.
In short, the player is disruptive and has made it clear that they don't want to be bothered by reading their character sheet or the rules. This is just their game-related irkiness...
On a personal level, this player wanted to dicuss political issues until the group made it clear that we don't all share their opinion--at that point, the player got snotty and insisted that we can't discuss politics or religion when they are present.
The player is openly bisexual (which no one really cares about in and of itself), the problem is that the player openly discusses what they'd like to do with same-sex players when those players are not present. That's made everyone uncomfortable, but no one wants to say anything about it because they don't want to violate political correctness. I'm the only one who stood up to this behavior--when the player openly discussed wanting to do something with me and my girlfriend together, I told them it wasn't cool and almost kicked them out on the spot. I kinda wish that I had now...
This player has managed to piss off everyone at the table pretty severely. Every session, this player pushes a button or rubs someone the wrong way and it affects their enjoyment of the game. The other players have petitioned me to kick them out for months now, and I've basically either put it off with hopes of them improving, or viewed it as personality conflicts between players with abrasive personalities and thin skins.
Nothing has changed, and I'm basically at the point where I'm ready to get rid of this player rather than risk losing the entire group. Is that what I should do? Should I give a stern chat a chance? Try some other corrective behavior?
I've got a player that really gets on my nerves. They refuse to read the rules on the basis that the character builder on DDI prints out cards with all their powers and associated text. During the game, they sit there and doodle or work on other things until their turn comes up, then deliberate for minutes about what to do. I've asked this player to stay more involved in the game and pay attention when their turn isn't up, and after five months, there's been no change in the behavior.
In my campaign, I have a fairly strict, "you don't play, you don't gain XP" policy. I don't want casual players breezing in and out if they feel like playing this week or not, and it's the only policy I've ever found that effectively addresses the issue. Everyone misses a session or two here and there so it evens out, and most of my players feel like it's been a good policy over time. This player has been playing their character at second level for months while everyone else steadily gained levels, ignorant of their level gap until the party hit fifth level. The player was surprised that DDI's character builder didn't track this for them (although I still don't understand why they would think that a digital application would automatically update based on my campaign). This morning, the player flat-out asked me to bump their experience total to that of our highest-xp party member on the basis of their ignorance, citing the DMG's guidelines about keeping players on an even footing.
In short, the player is disruptive and has made it clear that they don't want to be bothered by reading their character sheet or the rules. This is just their game-related irkiness...
On a personal level, this player wanted to dicuss political issues until the group made it clear that we don't all share their opinion--at that point, the player got snotty and insisted that we can't discuss politics or religion when they are present.
The player is openly bisexual (which no one really cares about in and of itself), the problem is that the player openly discusses what they'd like to do with same-sex players when those players are not present. That's made everyone uncomfortable, but no one wants to say anything about it because they don't want to violate political correctness. I'm the only one who stood up to this behavior--when the player openly discussed wanting to do something with me and my girlfriend together, I told them it wasn't cool and almost kicked them out on the spot. I kinda wish that I had now...
This player has managed to piss off everyone at the table pretty severely. Every session, this player pushes a button or rubs someone the wrong way and it affects their enjoyment of the game. The other players have petitioned me to kick them out for months now, and I've basically either put it off with hopes of them improving, or viewed it as personality conflicts between players with abrasive personalities and thin skins.
Nothing has changed, and I'm basically at the point where I'm ready to get rid of this player rather than risk losing the entire group. Is that what I should do? Should I give a stern chat a chance? Try some other corrective behavior?
