Dealing with powergamers

[Al'Kelhar]

Sorry, I disagree with you telling Oryan to learn to play. The two are apparently approaching the game from different styles of play and, therefore have different assumptions as to how the game should be played. That does not make the powergamer better at the game.

I can't speak for Corinth, but I suspect there was intended to be a certain irony to his comment.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[prosfilaes]

It's just that it would be nice if she had it in the back of her mind that, "I chose a build that uses a crapload more arrows than normal, so I might need to be selective with what I attack with my bow to conserve my arrow usage just in case" rather than "I'll fix this problem to become even better", like the powergamer does with his PC.

Why? In character, many people aren't going to go "I need to conserve my arrows"; they're going to go "how do I solve the problem of running out of arrows?" I'd rarely if ever play a character whose solution to the problem was conservation; it's much more fun to me to play a character who's always on the attack and always in the action.

 

[Ozmar]

Anyway, we can nitpick & make assumptions all day about whether or not things are "incredible" in the game. You'll just have to take my word for it that I feel it's above the powerlevel of an average moderate player.

Fair enough, but I think it's kind of hard to offer concrete advice without concrete examples. I am not entirely sure whether the solution is for you to "lighten up", or to boot out the player, or something in between.

I have solved some problems in my game by adjusting my own expectations. For example, I used to run my game under the assumption that the PCs need to be objectively threatened (rather than subjectively threatened) in order to feel "challenged". I would run most combats with half the party being killed or unconscious before the party was victorious. I've since come to realize that this is overkill. The players actually have more fun if they can easily handle most challenges, and only occasionally suffer casualties.

On the other hand, I have also had unreasonable players. I couldn't accomodate their play styles because it would disrupt the game to the extent that I and other players wouldn't have fun. So I asked them to leave.

To me, it is a matter of degree. If I can adjust my game to meet my player's tastes, I try to do that. If not, then either they need to adjust to my game, or decide they aren't having fun and go elsewhere.

In your case, I am not sure what is the degree. Are you opposed to all optimization on principle? I'm admittedly sympathetic to the optimization mindset - I like to make strong characters with lots of options and cool powers. But I am also an enigmatic role-player, who doesn't mind inflicting my character with self-imposed diseases and running into the front of battle to test a theory. (He's a mad necromancer.) So I can understand if your player is driving you nuts, but at the same time, I think he has a valid desire to make the most out of his character, and that you should try to accomodate that if you can.

Ozmar the Moderate

 

[Ozmar]

Learn to play? Haha, ok, but what game...yours or mine? Maybe he needs to learn to play. Maybe he should hone his roleplaying skills to my level so he doesn't get himself killed? Last session we played he wanted to storm a Sahuagin city because he doesn't roleplay well, so he doesn't think about the fact it's a Sahuagin City. Luckily, the other players do roleplay well and told him if they follow his plan, they'll all die....and they would have. D&D may be exactly like playing chess at your table...but please don't try coming off all snooty as if that's how I'm supposed to play.

That doesn't sound like an RP issue. That sounds like a tactical issue. Maybe he's not as much of a powergamer as you think?

Ozmar the Tactical Observer

 

[iwatt]

That doesn't sound like an RP issue. That sounds like a tactical issue. Maybe he's not as much of a powergamer as you think?

Ozmar the Tactical Observer

Nah, you powergame to win despite bad tactical decisions...

 

[Slaved]

Nah, you powergame to win despite bad tactical decisions...

Powergame so that you can purposefully make bad tactical decisions and come out ahead?

I like it!

 

[Ozmar]

Powergame so that you can purposefully make bad tactical decisions and come out ahead?

I like it!

Like a necromancer charging headfirst into a room of undead fighters, getting whacked down, and still somehow surviving?

Yeah, kinda like that...

 

[Slaved]

Like a necromancer charging headfirst into a room of undead fighters, getting whacked down, and still somehow surviving?

Yeah, kinda like that...

With a maximized, empowered, invisible double hitting fireshield(holyshield?) of undead destruction?

This is a great character

 

[Ozmar]

With a maximized, empowered, invisible double hitting fireshield(holyshield?) of undead destruction?

This is a great character

Ha! If only! Actually, I had a shroud of undeath, but the undead fighters didn't believe my cries of "I'm one of you, lets be friends!" and brought me to -9 hps in one round. :\

-Ozmar the Foolish

 

[Slaved]

If you are down and bleeding they proved you wrong.

Those hazing rituals will kill you.