Fraidy Cat Characters

[the_mighty_agrippa]

How do ya'll deal with big chicken fighters, clerics, etc? I've got one player that so dislikes taking HP damage that he's always 70 feet away from anyone - including his party members. I'm not talking about smart tactics, like setting against a charge or fighting defensively, I'm talking about being a big chicken.

Thoughts?

 

[Doc_Souark]

Thought you were talking about PiratePuss from the title, since Herself has put him on the diet he ain't as "fluffy" as he was , but he's not a fraidy cat !

 

[Lord Pendragon]

How do ya'll deal with big chicken fighters, clerics, etc? I've got one player that so dislikes taking HP damage that he's always 70 feet away from anyone - including his party members. I'm not talking about smart tactics, like setting against a charge or fighting defensively, I'm talking about being a big chicken.

Thoughts?

I would think the other players would eventually solve this problem themselves. Eventually they're going to get sick and tired of the "'fraidy cat" always hanging back and letting them take all the risk themselves.

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

I would think the other players would eventually solve this problem themselves. Eventually they're going to get sick and tired of the "'fraidy cat" always hanging back and letting them take all the risk themselves.

We've been at this for over 3 years.

Maybe I should have the next PC that dies because X character was too far away to help come back as a revenant of some sort.

 

[Laurel]

How do ya'll deal with big chicken fighters, clerics, etc? I've got one player that so dislikes taking HP damage that he's always 70 feet away from anyone - including his party members. I'm not talking about smart tactics, like setting against a charge or fighting defensively, I'm talking about being a big chicken.

Thoughts?

Though at times this can be a fun aspect for a PC, I do see the other characters getting upset and somehow making/forcing him into combat.
If the PC can do something from far away- use spells to beef up the others or hit the bad guys this could eliminate some of the 'he does nothing' hatred. It could also help with his confidence if going for the r-o-l-e way to get him more okay with battle and loosing HP.
Or just get a Martyr who wants to take the PC's pain all the time...

 

[blargney the second]

Try talking to him!

Do it out-of-game, player to player. Find out why he plays like that, let him know that it bothers you a bit.

Do it in-game, character to character. Let him know that your character is disappointed in his behaviour, and that you're afraid of being the one to reap the consequences of his actions.

-blarg

 

[Terry Edwards]

I reward players with Fate Points for heroic action. If a player wants to play it safe that's fine, even better if it's good roleplaying but heroes are made by taking chances not by observing combat from the nosebleed seats.

 

[DelayedReactionMan]

Physical abuse seems to work well. If he's afraid of imaginary pain, then make him fear REAL pain even more.

Seriously, put him in situations where he can't run away. Ethereal creatures who strike from underground are good (I had an umbral psion who was going to rule the world this way), as are flying or really fast critters.

Or start a campaign around his wussi-ness. Something like a tournament of the Gods, and the wuss character in question ends up being put on the spot.

 

[qaaral]

Give him a taste of his own medicine. Have the evil mage cast a wall between him and the rest of the party and then more monsters come through the door behind him. Preferably something that can beat him down to single hp's by the time he can kill it.

Something big enough to carry him off when it sees one tasty morsal that's been cut out of the herd should work fine too.

 

[cyrusduane]

As a DM, my intelligent Evil Npcs see "Fraidy Cat" Pcs as weak links.

When possible, they will try to pick them off or seperate them from the party.

If characters staying to the rear of combats is a problem, perhaps you should evaluate your tactics. Tigers attack the "rear" of a herd, your monsters should occasionally do the same thing, especially if they are motivated by hunger or any desire to make a simple or easy kill.

Also consider if the PC's schtick isn't combat. Most thieves and wizards can be considered "fraidy cats" simply because they stay away from combat, but they are fulfilling their role.

In the end, there are few game problems than an intelligent evil force cannot solve.

-Cyrus