Ever had a player in your group throw a tantrum or worse? Most uncomfortable moment?

[Schmoe]

The funniest hissy fit I ever witnessed was a guy who styled himself the "Car Wars God". I think he may have written or contributed to some of the Uncle Albert's Catalogs back when Car Wars was a big deal.

God, I love Car Wars (wipes away a tear)


Anyway, I've been extremely fortunate to never have any real weirdos or uncomfortable situations. In fact, I probably caused the most awkard situation I've been in. We were all gathered round and laughing at some joke. One of the guys was ribbing me good naturedly, so I tossed a ketchup packet at him (not very hard). He got up behind me and slammed the ketchup packet on my head, where it exploded in a red, gooey mess. I could tell he hadn't really meant to do that, but I got mad and punched him pretty hard in the arm. Then, because I was still mad, I did it again.

After a few awkward moments, we both apologized and I went to go clean the ketchup out of my hair. It helped that we were both friends outside of the game, but then, if we hadn't been friends he probably wouldn't have slammed that ketchup on my head.

 

[Henry]

We haven't had any (that I can recall!) in our current gaming group, but in years past I've known a few foul tempers and thrown dice, and rants -- none of which I feel comfortable sharing, except my own.

My first profanity uttered was in a D&D game. I used to be a very reserved person who was brought up with the "profanity is the act of a loser and a last resort" philosophy... until it went out the window when my wizard (after a long rules argument on initiative) couldn't stop a lone kobold from cutting a suspension rope and dooming the whole party. I let the four-letter words fly, an act which surprised my friends who had never heard me curse since they knew me at age 15.

 

[diaglo]

I let the four-letter words fly, an act which surprised my friends who had never heard me curse since they knew me at age 15.

wing?
fowl?
duck?
bird?


what are the four letter words associated with flight?

 

[Henry]

wing?
fowl?
duck?
bird?


what are the four letter words associated with flight?

It walked like a duck, and more importantly sounded like a duck....

 

[Brain]

As a tangent to the character ripping theme, I once played in a game and my character died. The GM insisted that I destroy my character sheet. This was my first time playing with that GM, and it took me by surprise. I didn't want to destroy the sheet, but the others said it was tradition, so I let them burn it in the fireplace.

I remember a fist fight at a MTG tournament once. One annoying guy was playing an annoying deck that killed with Mirror Universe, and the opponent got mad about the guy's mana-burn tactic and got physical about it.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

wing?
fowl?
duck?
bird?

I think you have all the parts, you just messed up the assemply

I played in a group where one player just loved his character. When the character was killed the DM took his character sheet and ripped it up right in front of him.

I'd rip him up for that. Unless he supplied me with the sheet, it's still my sheet. Maybe I'll get the character raised. Or put that sheet away to look back at it in 20 years and think about the good ol' days.

And beyond all that, it is, again, my sheet.

LOL, yeah man! Some of these stories are priceless! It's a fuggin' GAME!! That's ALL! I love stories of unstable people.

Yeah, it's just a game. Until someone gets mad at it and hits you for real. Your nose will bleed even if your character wears a helmet!

 

[Greg K]

#1. We had a new player and forgot to tell him that in character arguments happen. I forget what the new player had his character do despite being warned by the other characters- it may have been repeatedly stabbing a dragon that the party had kiled, because dragon's have acidic blood in the game we were playing.

Anway, the mage goes off on how stupid the character is for not listening to the warnings the other party members gave him. An argument ensues and initially everybody thinks that it is an argument between characters. Suddenly, the new player hurls an insult clearly aimed at the wizard's player. Its only at that moment, that we realize that the new player has been mistakenly believed the wizard's player's comments were directed at him and not the character. It took about ten minutes to calm the new player down and explain to him that everything was in character and not to be taken personally. He eventually calmed down and apologized.

#2 I was guilty. The DM had my character with no rolling not notice an ambush and also automatically fail a poison save that resulted in my character being drugged and unconcious. Normally, I would have been annoyed, but gone along with it. However, I was on a drug with a known but unlikely possible side effect of causing personality and mood disorders. I got irrate and walked out ruining the session for everyone.
A couple of days later my boss called me into the office and asked if I was on drugs, because he noticed I was acting out of character and had been talking to myself the past two days. When I mentioned the meds the doctor gave me, we called the doctor, who immediatley took me off the meds.

 

[lukelightning]

I have witnessed one real tantrum: this sketchy player freaked out that the DM let another player have a drow. He slammed his books, shouted, complained it wasn't fair, all that good stuff...."you never said I could play a drow..."

The DM tried to explain A) The should have asked when he made his character, and b) The DM was letting him play a tiefling, a race the DM had actually never heard of before (this was in 2ed).

Another time I've also witnessed what I thought was a tantrum, but it turned out that this other guy was just RPing his character.

 

[Treebore]

Guess I have been lucky. I have only had one "bad" experience. Throwing dice was kind of commmon, and often laughed at.

The worst was a player who, despite being told no evil was allowed in my games, had a neutral character "go evil" and killed and robbed other party members. He got very upset when a considerably higher level, and well established, NPC friend of the party investigated their strange deaths. He got so upset when he was revealed as the murderer and thief, and was easily captured, imprisoned, and executed, that he stormed out of my house never to be seen by us again.

We didn't mind.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

The worst was a player who, despite being told no evil was allowed in my games, had a neutral character "go evil" and killed and robbed other party members. He got very upset when a considerably higher level, and well established, NPC friend of the party investigated their strange deaths.

Man, you're lenient. When I say "no evil" and a character goes evil, he becomes a non-player character on the spot. Never happened, because I don't have the kind of player who does this stuff (one's a border case, but he's not a regular player, we only have to endure him for a couple of weeks each year). But I would handle it like that. They knew the limits, and if they decide to go against it, they decide to lose their characters.