Good form and bad PCs

[Ranes]

I just want to echo what several other posters here have advised you to do. I've been in a DM in a multi-DM game and never again. Apart from anything else, it just leads to things like this.

Lance the boil. Have the DMs come together and explain to the player that his PC simply has to change. Tell him why it has to change and how it has to change. Collectively accept a proportion of blame for the situation. Keep in mind what someone said upthread; it may mean that other PCs will require modification also.

Take heart; it sounds like everyone in this thread has been there.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Rocks fall, everyone dies?

 

[Storminator]

You said at one point you didn't want to gang up on him, but you probably should. Are there a lot of people at your table that are unhappy, or just the one DM? Everyone that's unhappy about his PC should be there chipping in about how they are unhappy.

PS

 

[Greenfield]

Jumping on someone, as a group, is what you do if you want the player to leave.

Arbitrarily picking on a player's character is the coward's way out. It's saying, "I haven't got the guts to say this to your face, so I'll just abuse my power as a DM and hope you get the message."

And if you're dealing with a true power-gamer mentality, they won't get the message. Or at least not the message you're trying to send. You're sending, "Stop grabbing for power." What they hear, however, is "You need more power than that to beat my monsters."

 

[Grogg of the North]

Power games don't fear death. Death means new characters. Instead, hit them with negative levels.

Though if you go the route of sitting the player down and talking about here are a few suggestions/ground rules for the one time this ever worked for me:

1) Use phrases like "I feel". It will let you get your point across and doesn't immediately put people on the defensive.

2) Speaking stick or something equally silly like a teddy bear. You can't talk if you don't have it.

3) Make sure everyone gets plenty of time to talk, don't cut the sit down short because you want to get some game in before it's time to leave.

 

[ImperatorK]

The DM effed up. He should deal with it in a mature way, either by sucking it up or by talking to the player and banning the PC.

 

[Greg K]

I think everyone who DMs eventually ends up witht at PC you wish you'd said "No" to. (Not just no, but Hell No!)

Hasn't happened to me in a very long time.
As with Celebrim, players must use the allowed sources or they don't play.

I talk to the players ahead of time about the campaign (and new players go through an informal interview to try and weed out players that are not a good fit). I give them a campaign overview, house rule/setting guideline documents.

In addition
1. Players must follow the campaign setting guidelines on creation (which includes appropriate races, classes, the campaign deities (and their domains, tailored spell lists)) or they don't play
2. Players must discuss their concept with me before creating their character
3. The player's character concept must be approved and we discuss how the player intends to mechanically represent the character which must be approved.
4. Only after the above are completed can the player build the character
5. The, mechanically, built character has to be reviewed and approved. No showing up with a character at the last minute. No "I didn't hear that".

If a player has a difficulty abiding by the above, they don't play in the game that I am running. As for your "problem child", he would been given the boot and I would feel no guilt about it. Just because we are gamers does not mean we should be gaming together (even if we are friends).

 

[aglondier]

ask to take the character sheets to help tailor the next adventure to the characters. create a new sheet for each character sans equipment. ensure all new character sheets comply with approved sources.
use GM fiat at beginning of next adventure to throw PCs through a portal, or be captured by slavers, or whatever...resulting in the players being handed the new, fresh copy of their character sheet.
allow them to recover or acquire gear equivalent to their old gear during the adventure, but ensure it is all sourced from approved sources. gear similar to the problem character's gear, but of approved source, replaces the weird gimmicky stuff.
problem character is now sourcebook approved. rest of party have had any little indiscretions fixed. adventure continues.
since everyone went through this it is less of a case of singling one player out, and more of a case of ensuring the game is not being unbalanced.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Or do what the latest game I've started playing in did. Roll up your character, pick one item you want. Don't worry about the rest of your stuff because the building you're in is on fire! It's similar to what [MENTION=6747071]aglondier[/MENTION] suggested. Though I have the sinking feeling that your problem child would try to brave the flames to save his shinnies.

 

[N'raac]

Though I have the sinking feeling that your problem child would try to brave the flames to save his shinnies.

Perhaps his next character, who begins with no magic items and/or NPC level wealth, will show greater wisdom.