D&D 5E GMs of EN World: What player behavior annoys you the most?

[Caliban]

Why are DM's so forgiving and accommodating to players?

Because we aren't narcissistic s?

 

[Ovinomancer]

Lanefan told me that writing material is not available for people to learn to write with and now you tell me that there is so much writing material available that someone can run a printing press.

I am sure one of you is right.

Well, since I actually told you nothing at all, this seems more of an attempted device to dodge the question that any real inquiry on your part. I'll redirect:

Is it your position that literacy was common pre-printing press or not? Let's define literacy as the ability to read at a primary school level, and common as more than 60% of the population, and pre-printing press as before 1500 CE (or AD, if you prefer).

 

[CrimsonCarcharodon]

Why are DM's so forgiving and accommodating to players? It's like they fear players will abandon them. Players have just as much responsibility to contribute to the game as the DM does and shouldn't be given a free pass to do nothing and be carried just because "it takes me out of the moment", or some other garbage excuse.

Players need DM's more than DM's need players. D&D is a cooperative game, and the DM isn't solely responsible for the group's enjoyment. The DM already carries the vast majority of the burden. Asking the players to put in a tiny amount of effort, like knowing their characters abilities and doing a bit of notetaking to recall details about the campaign, is really the very least they should be doing to contribute to everyone's enjoyment of it.

Because my players are my friends first.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Because my players are my friends first.

So your friends have no respect for you and demand that you do everything for them with no equal share in responsibilities. Are you sure they're your friends?

 

[CrimsonCarcharodon]

So your friends have no respect for you and demand that you do everything for them with no equal share in responsibilities. Are you sure they're your friends?

All I expect is for my friends to show up and have a good time. They're pretty good at taking notes and paying attention. I just don't look at the game as something incredibly serious. It's just drinks and stories with my friends.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

All I expect is for my friends to show up and have a good time. They're pretty good at taking notes and paying attention. I just don't look at the game as something incredibly serious. It's just drinks and stories with my friends.

So in other words, the issue you're commenting on has zero effect on you but you felt the need to insert your judgement anyway.

 

[CrimsonCarcharodon]

So in other words, the issue you're commenting on has zero effect on you but you felt the need to insert your judgement anyway.

You asked a general question to DMs. I answered. Isn't that the kind of thing that happens on forums?

 

[gideonpepys]

I read a Chris Perkins article once where he advised DMs not to get irked when players whip out their phones. He said he regarded it as part of the challenge for the DM to keep players off their phones. I have a great group, but the players do spend a lot of session time staring at a screen, faces all lit up by something that has nothing to do with our game. Following Perkins I have so far resisted asking them to stop, and tried to persuade them to zone out by increasing tension, changing the tone of my voice, etc. But modern technology is hard to compete with. (Just ask my 4-year-old who would rather spend time on the ipad than do just about anything else.) It does get under my skin sometimes, especially when more than one player - sometimes three or four out fo a group of six/seven - has succumbed to the lure of social media. Especially since if I did the same myself the whole game would grind to a halt. I'm tempted to do so in a passive-aggressive demonstration ("See? How do you like it?") but as I only have an old-school Nokia, I'm not sure it would be terribly convincing. Anyway, just venting. As I say - my players a generally great: imaginative, engaged, regular and punctual. So it's more of a pet hate than a real grievance.

 

[robus]

I read a Chris Perkins article once where he advised DMs not to get irked when players whip out their phones. He said he regarded it as part of the challenge for the DM to keep players off their phones. I have a great group, but the players do spend a lot of session time staring at a screen, faces all lit up by something that has nothing to do with our game. Following Perkins I have so far resisted asking them to stop, and tried to persuade them to zone out by increasing tension, changing the tone of my voice, etc. But modern technology is hard to compete with. (Just ask my 4-year-old who would rather spend time on the ipad than do just about anything else.) It does get under my skin sometimes, especially when more than one player - sometimes three or four out fo a group of six/seven - has succumbed to the lure of social media. Especially since if I did the same myself the whole game would grind to a halt. I'm tempted to do so in a passive-aggressive demonstration ("See? How do you like it?") but as I only have an old-school Nokia, I'm not sure it would be terribly convincing. Anyway, just venting. As I say - my players a generally great: imaginative, engaged, regular and punctual. So it's more of a pet hate than a real grievance.

The devices are addictive and habit forming. Quiet moment, hey I’ll just check in and see what’s going on in the world. I don’t think people can help themselves. Best to call it out and say that it’s become a bit of a problem. Ask people to keep their phones in their pockets or leave them somewhere out of reach (and on silent).

My group has been great about keeping phone use to a minimum but if they weren’t I’d deal with it directly.

 

[Nevvur]

I read a Chris Perkins article once where he advised DMs not to get irked when players whip out their phones. He said he regarded it as part of the challenge for the DM to keep players off their phones. I have a great group, but the players do spend a lot of session time staring at a screen, faces all lit up by something that has nothing to do with our game. Following Perkins I have so far resisted asking them to stop, and tried to persuade them to zone out by increasing tension, changing the tone of my voice, etc. But modern technology is hard to compete with. (Just ask my 4-year-old who would rather spend time on the ipad than do just about anything else.) It does get under my skin sometimes, especially when more than one player - sometimes three or four out fo a group of six/seven - has succumbed to the lure of social media. Especially since if I did the same myself the whole game would grind to a halt. I'm tempted to do so in a passive-aggressive demonstration ("See? How do you like it?") but as I only have an old-school Nokia, I'm not sure it would be terribly convincing. Anyway, just venting. As I say - my players a generally great: imaginative, engaged, regular and punctual. So it's more of a pet hate than a real grievance.

To that, I say that Chris Perkins doesn't always give good advice! It's just not an issue I would compromise on. I can tolerate various disruptive behaviors that, in terms of time wasted, may be equivalent to mobile device usage, but they just don't get under my skin in the same way. That's what makes it a pet peeve, I guess.

While this thread was addressed to GMs, I'd be curious to read how people relate to the issue when they're on the player side of the table and other players are doing it. I speculate it wouldn't bother me quite so much in that situtation.