Fighting The Power Level

[Starfox]

You need to do one of two things:

a) Get equally wasted and don't bother prepping more than a series of fights

or

b) Walk away and don't look back.

Basically, I agree. You have to understand that there is nothing wrong with this game style. It is ok to bash in doors and kill stuff as long as you are all having fun. The problem is not the playstyle, its that you're not having fun. So either relax and "lower" yourself to their level, or start a new game, probably with at least partially a new group of players and play the game you like to play. That said, I, and I expect most people here at EN World sympathize with you ans share your views of what is a good game. This does not make us right and him wrong - it is merely a matter of taste.

And what about the current group? Can you abandon them? Yes you can. It sounds like a dungeon boardgame like Games Workshop's Warhammer Quest would fit them perfectly well, a game that really doesn't need a GM. Warhammer quest is old and no longer in the market, but I am sure there are more current games that do the same thing.

 

[DragonLancer]

You need to talk to them (before they get wasted) and explain that this isn't the sort of game you want to run. Get your point across, but be prepared to walk away and find another group if they won't compromise.

 

[Glade Riven]

Y'know, if he's just bashing his way through doors and shrugging off traps, the traps aren't deadly enough. Or annoying enough. Having him fall down a pit with slimy, mold covered walls for the 10th time to where his fellow players have to haul him out might start to encourage him to let the party rogue check out the door before he bashes it in. Poison darts that damage ability scores might work well in this situation, too.

Addendum:
It may help if you give him something that ties his character into the world - such as involve his family. Photocopy his character sheet and have his brother working for the bad guys as a paid merc, have his family be targeting by bad guys, throw in a love interest for his character as a damsel he rescues (his loot, in this case, is the girl - who may actually be working for the other side in secret al la Samson and Delila). If he's overshadowing the group, find a way to keep his character busy (perhaps with said girl?) while creating story elements targeted at another player.

 

[hopeless]

Okay part 1

Ok I really didn't have time to search through all the forums so if this is a repeated question then please direct me to the answer. Anyway I have not just a small or even moderate problem. This guy is a huge problem. QUOTE]

Okay haven't read throught the entire thread for this yet but I wanted to post my initial thoughts so I can see where else this develops.

Have you ever read Knights of the Dinner Table?

There's a youtube variant dealing with similar characters at least in the hack and slash mentality, the reason i put that up is that might have some hints you might find useful.

For example that npc you mentioned could have been delivering an important message that had to be told to them rather than with a note so that later on when they reach say a keep on the borderland style location they learn someone was sent out to recruit aid and when they realise he was looking for them which will be after someone recognises his gear being used or sold by them resulting in them being jailed since who else would attack a messenger?
They're then given the no option mission to resolve whatever adventure you had planned but with the provisor that they need to return with proof of completion to either earn their reward and freedom or to avoid having them becoming wanted as criminals which could also be fun where they eventually find themselves hunted by both sides and the only way they can get resolve this is if they redeem themselves.

Sorry will now go and read the rest of the thread before trying part 2...

 

[TarionzCousin]

Send them a link to this thread and ask them what they think needs to be done.

 

[Holy Bovine]

And what about the current group? Can you abandon them? Yes you can. It sounds like a dungeon boardgame like Games Workshop's Warhammer Quest would fit them perfectly well, a game that really doesn't need a GM. Warhammer quest is old and no longer in the market, but I am sure there are more current games that do the same thing.

This was my first idea as well. Grab a boardgame that mimics what they want - I'd recommend Descent with the Road to Legend expansion. A bit pricey at about $150 but well worth it imo.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Pick up a free internet copy of Labyrinth Lord. Design a five-level dungeon using the LL system, where each level is progressively more difficult, and where each level has progressively better treasure. LL is simple system, so creating even a large dungeon is pretty simple. Make sure that there are plenty of ways to delve deeper, if the players desire. Make sure to include a wandering monster table.

Assume the setting is for starting characters, but use the sorts of monsters for each level as suggested by the book.

Notice how the PCs can quickly get overwhelmed? Notice how, if the PCs fail to keep some "backbone", wandering monsters can cut off thier escape? Notice how not everything has loot?

Go and read some older D&D modules; pay attention to how finding the loot requires investigation. Try to incorporate this into your LL dungeon. Look at your encounters, and decide how investigation can give hints and foreshadowing of what is ahead.

Take a close look at what you've created. This is an analogue of the original D&D setting. Consider what would happen if your current PCs entered this space with their current attitudes intact. How would they fare? How would they have to change their tactics to succeed?

Now, translate that LL work to whatever edition of D&D you are currently running. Will there be a lot of encounters that are not level appropriate? One hopes so. But, if the players learn to consider their actions before acting, they should be able to avoid them. Will you be able to assume a particular wealth by level? No, but, again, the PCs will get rewarded based on performance in more than min-maxing characters and killing everything that they see.

You need to provide consequences for behaviour within the game environment -- both positive consequences for behaviour you wish to reinforce and negative consequences for behaviour you do not wish to reward.

Or you should just walk away from it and find a new group.

Life is too short for games you are not enjoying. Even more so if you are also doing the prep work & running the game.

Good luck.


RC

 

[athos]

I have to agree with all of those they say you are trying to make lemonaid with apples, it just ain't gonna work You have to either convert to their style or maybe meet somewhere in between your two styles.

If the group insists on hack and slash, and that is what they are used to and want, then they need a hack and slash DM. You can either give them that, or move over and let someone else. But, getting mad at them for their likes is not a realistic option, they have just as much right to game their way as you do to game your way. You might be able to get them to gradually change their gaming style, but I think they are probably more interested in the company and laughs, than the RPing side, so don't hold your breath on that one.

I like MonsterForge because it lets me whip out a random encounter in a couple minutes for 3.5, my game of choice. If you use something like that, you can prepare your encounters in minutes instead of hours and just sit back and enjoy the game with everyone else.

Want to spice it up a bit? Talk to the players, tell them you want to make a more exciting experience, if they agree, great. If they don't want change, respect that too and move on to another group. But if they are willing to try something new, when he crashes through the door, have a fully advanced half fiend phasm cast blasphemy on him. No save... hope the rest of the party gets to save him in time, assuming he is even within 10 levels . Then have the price of a true resurrection be the most twinked out item he has. He will get the message you want him to think before jumping in.

If the party thinks this is way unfair, then you can remind them they wanted a more challenging and exciting dungeon, and if they decide that this isn't what they want, once again, it looks like you won't have much choice other than to find new players. This would really suck, since there are only so many gamers in any given area. You could try to recruit more at your local game store, or even go online and try to make an online game. But when you are recruiting new players, make very sure you explain the amount of combat/action to roleplaying % to them before they join or they will leave just as quickly as they came.

Hope you find happiness and fun in your gaming regardless of how it turns out, gotta remember it is supposed to be fun, not a job, so have fun and relax and enjoy the company if you can.

 

[Ravilah]

If it turns out that you and your group have irreconcilable differences:

Have a final session where the Kings of seven Kingdoms, the Celestial Lords, the Fiends of Hell, the Guild of Arch-Liches, and Louis the Bartender all decide they've had enough of the party's shenanigans, attacking in wave after merciless wave of heinously overpowered monsters until every character is a bloody smear on the forest floor.

Then you walk away from the table and never come back.