GameDoc
Explorer
Okay, this is meant to be as much for humor as it is for catharsis, so please, don't flame me and get this off on a "you're being unfair to the player" discussion.
What tired, overdone, cliched player behaviors really get under you skin?
Here's mine: Haze the new character by making your first meeting a conflict.
We've all seen it. At some point most of us have probably perpetrated it. But the bottom line is that it's been done. And done. And done... Nothing new. Not creative.
So, my fellow DMs, what cliched player behavior is your pet peeve?
What tired, overdone, cliched player behaviors really get under you skin?
Here's mine: Haze the new character by making your first meeting a conflict.
Last night, a new player joined my game. He's a friend of a few of the regulars so that's how he wound up joining. Picking up from last time, the group had just defeated another band of warriors that ambushed them in the forest and were interrogating their captives. The rogue goes off the scout the area. So the new guy's character is traveling by and sees them. He approaches to see what's going on. He makes no threat or hostile action, introduces himself, and starts to converse with the others. Upon his return approach from scouting, the rogue sees the new guy and decides to sneak around and attack him from the back.
Amid groans and admonishments form the other players for bad roleplaying and a cocked eyebrow from me he says "well we were just attacked so my character doesn't trust any strangers now, so I am going to subdue this guy." Hello? No hostile actions - he is clearly engaged in civil conversation with your allies. He's not an orc or hobgoblin or member of a typical "enemy" race.
So I spend 20 minutes trying to get this resolved and all the while the dialogue from "Summoner Geeks" plays in the back of my mind.
I also have to add that this is not an inexperienced, adolescent gamer who might be given leeway due to immaturity. The dude has been around the game table for a long time.
I have seen variations of this over the years. Typically it's a thief or rogue who just HAS to sneak attack, mug, or pickpocket another character. Usually with absolute compulsiveness if it's a paladin. On occasion it's the barbarian who has to pick a bar fight or perhaps a rakish bard trying to manipulate another into embarrassing himself. It occurs in the first session when the party meets for the first time, or is employed when a newcomer joins. Sometimes directed at the newcomer, but sometimes the newcomer does it as a means of inserting himself into the plot.Amid groans and admonishments form the other players for bad roleplaying and a cocked eyebrow from me he says "well we were just attacked so my character doesn't trust any strangers now, so I am going to subdue this guy." Hello? No hostile actions - he is clearly engaged in civil conversation with your allies. He's not an orc or hobgoblin or member of a typical "enemy" race.
So I spend 20 minutes trying to get this resolved and all the while the dialogue from "Summoner Geeks" plays in the back of my mind.
I also have to add that this is not an inexperienced, adolescent gamer who might be given leeway due to immaturity. The dude has been around the game table for a long time.
We've all seen it. At some point most of us have probably perpetrated it. But the bottom line is that it's been done. And done. And done... Nothing new. Not creative.
So, my fellow DMs, what cliched player behavior is your pet peeve?
Last edited: