Fellow Player drives the group mad (Rant)

[TheAuldGrump]

I know what you mean. If it were me packing up and storming off, I'd be like, "You guys suck. I'm outta here." Shuffle shuffle, pack pack, "Uh, can you hand me my DM's Guide over there? Thanks." Grumble Grumble..."Uh, where are my dice? --I'm still leaving, by the way--oh, there they are, thanks." Grumble grumble...pack pack...zip zip..."Oh crap, who's got my copy of DUNGEON? Oh, never mind, there it is." Pack pack pack.

"NOW I'M STORMING OFF!"

But the opposite can work well. Start packing up, only saying you are leaving when they ask. I had to do this once in a game where one of the players just annoyed me to no end. (He said something along the lines that the DM does not have to enjoy the game just run it. This from the biggest munchkin in the game.)

Next game he was not there. The other players had gotten rid of him. (I had suggested it several times previously, but they kept giving him 'one last chance'.)

The Auld Grump

 

[Dougal DeKree]

...just don't try to soften it by saying something inane like "I/we still consider you a friend"

To quote Monty Python as an answer: "Could but won't!"

 

[Siobharek]

To quote Monty Python as an answer: "Could but won't!"

Well, please keep us updated on how it goes.

 

[Carpe DM]

There are more important issues here than just gaming.

First, with a problem player in general, the answer is:

"We don't want to kick you out, but we're not having fun because of your behavior. You have one chance. Solve the problem, or leave. End of discussion."

Second, I would kick him out right now for other reasons. The man sends emails to your wife, castigating her for not indulging in his sex fantasy? This should raise concerns beyond personal problems. Your wife sounds like a wonderful woman to laugh about it, but sexual harassment in gaming is not something to be tolerated, not even a little.

I hope it works out.

best,

Carpe

 

[Dougal DeKree]

Second, I would kick him out right now for other reasons. The man sends emails to your wife, castigating her for not indulging in his sex fantasy? This should raise concerns beyond personal problems. Your wife sounds like a wonderful woman to laugh about it, but sexual harassment in gaming is not something to be tolerated, not even a little.

I hope it works out.

best,

Carpe

Thanx, Carpe DM, for caring - i tried very thoroughly to use no gender-specific words in my starting post, simply to exclude gender from this discussion. So, the player in question is a woman and thus i am not really too worried about those "advances".

As an update on the issue: We used last mondays session, when said player was absent due to family reasons, to talk about what to do. The thing said player seems to want is to be in the prime spotlight most of the time - to be adored even. So ok, we will throw in a short Starwars-Interlude. Until now noone ever was allowed to play a Jedi. New she will be a Jedi. A known one even. And we will be the "helping hands". If during the running of those few evenings the old behaviour springs up even once, it's "byebye, mr(s).jedi!".
If not, we have identified the real issue and _then_ we will ask her, how this situation can be coped with. Since, of course, others want to be the heroes, too - that's why you play RPG's after all (IMO villains are heroes, too...in a way). I'll keep you informed.

Dougal