Greedy player

[Pandamonium87]

Hello,

I started my 5E campaign some weeks ago and it's going fine (I'm writing a diary on ENworld at this link). We're quite satisfied with the new system and my players says that they're really enjoying these first sessions. However I have a problem with one of my PCs a Sun Elf (we play in the Realms) Wizard which is really obsessed by gold and wealth. This is not a problem per se, but from what he said to me about his character this things should not be relevant to him and I soon realized that coins, jewelry and treasure are very important for the player and not for the character.

He should be a researcher of ancient magic and curious about magic and old books, at least from what he told me, but during the game this things do not appear very often but instead he's asking for money all the time: if there's a chance of having 2 coppers he wants them.

Now, I don't want to tell people how to play their characters, it's their choice, but I would like if he shows other traits of the personality of his character and not just being obsessed by wealth and jewelry.

Yesterday I talked to him about this thing, he told me he would consider my words but then he played with the same style. What can I do to push him to go in detail about other things? He also has a nice background, but it seems to ignore it when it comes to regular playing.

PS: He's a relatively new player so that's why the matter is quite delicate and I want to be sure not to scary him.

 

[Hand of Evil]

The sidebar is the thing to do but you may want for him to have an interest / background table, each game session he rolls from this chart. You then reward him for character focus on the item during the game, lack of focus means no rewards and maybe penalties.

Example:

01-03 = no interest
04-07 = Greed
08-10 = Old Books
11-13 = Research
14-16 = Greed & Old Books
17-20 = Research and Old Books​

Soon the player will not need the chart as they become more familiar with the game.

Now, somewhere down the line...this can be part of insanity rules.

 

[pneumatik]

*shrug*

So his PC is someone who might like to say he's interested in magic and old books and whatever, but in reality he just wants lots of money. That's okay. Money is an easy hook for adventures. You can tempt him with monetary rewards in exchange for doing bad things, like working for criminals, helping out devils/demons, or betraying his friends. Or you can give him a bunch of money and see what he does with it.

If you're dead-set on getting him to change his character have things go poorly every time he does something for money. Adventures with money as the reward go poorly, whenever he leaves the party to do money-related stuff (banking, selling stuff for cash, whatever) bad things happen like he gets attacked or he misses out on something.

 

[MarkB]

This sounds like simply the sort of attitude a relatively new player may bring with him, which he'll grow out of in due course. I don't think it's a great idea to try and force him away from it, unless it persists over a really long time.

If you're playing 5e "straight" then magic items aren't generally available for sale, nor are they easy to sell at their full value, so there's a limit to the useful things the character can actually do with his wealth. Let him accumulate money if he wants, then find that it doesn't put him at any great advantage.

 

[Umbran]

He should be a researcher of ancient magic and curious about magic and old books, at least from what he told me, but during the game this things do not appear very often but instead he's asking for money all the time: if there's a chance of having 2 coppers he wants them.

Now, I don't want to tell people how to play their characters, it's their choice, but I would like if he shows other traits of the personality of his character and not just being obsessed by wealth and jewelry.

Is there any *mechanical* issue at hand here? If not, don't sweat it. Let it go.

The player can choose his or her motivations. Motivations can change over the course of play, anyway. If there isn't a mechanical issue, then all that has changed is that you now know you should use money to hook the character, rather than old books and magical oddities and puzzles.

 

[Ryujin]

I wouldn't do a thing to put him 'back on track' to his stated character ideals. I tend to reward people for role play that is in keeping with their character, especially when it works to their detriment. Depending upon the game this might be anything from bonus experience, to succeeding in a role playing based goal, to just plain stuff that the player would like the character to have.

In other words people who don't play the character that they've outlined don't get the cool stuff they want.

 

[Umbran]

In other words people who don't play the character that they've outlined don't get the cool stuff they want.

I'm not a fan of making the initial stated concept into a straight jacket. Character concepts sometimes don't really survive contact with play. Since this came up early in the campaign, I'd say you let the player go where they want.

Will they still get the cool books and magical metaphysics plotlines tossed at them? Probably not. But, since they don't seem to actually be interested in them, that's not a loss to the player.

 

[Wild Gazebo]

It's been my experience that characters are truly created during play: not before play.

My advice would be to let the character, and player, evolve naturally. I've been playing D&D for 35 years...I certainly don't play the same way I used to. If a play-style becomes problematic with the group, then, by all means, have a sidebar; but, if you are worried about actions not matching (your interpretation of) a write-up...just leave it alone.

 

[Ryujin]

I'm not a fan of making the initial stated concept into a straight jacket. Character concepts sometimes don't really survive contact with play. Since this came up early in the campaign, I'd say you let the player go where they want.

Will they still get the cool books and magical metaphysics plotlines tossed at them? Probably not. But, since they don't seem to actually be interested in them, that's not a loss to the player.

Well there are two ways that a player can deal with that sort of thing; radically alter the character concept without emotional inertia, or play the character's realization that the world really isn't how he'd imagined it. The first I abhor as much as I do power gaming. The second earns bonus points.

I hardly straight jacket my players. In my last 4e campaign when they completed an adventure that was as much metaphysical as it was physical, I had the characters end up in a primordial zone in which they were told they could be as they were, or become anything that they dreamed, and the universe would adjust to recognize them as the heroes that they were. In other words if they wanted to play something different when they got to Epic because they were tired of what they had played for 20 levels or just plain wanted to play something new, they could do so without losing any of the role playing benefits that they'd earned to that point.

 

[the Jester]

However I have a problem with one of my PCs a Sun Elf (we play in the Realms) Wizard which is really obsessed by gold and wealth. This is not a problem per se, but from what he said to me about his character this things should not be relevant to him...

That's up to the player to decide, period.

and I soon realized that coins, jewelry and treasure are very important for the player and not for the character.

Obviously not, if he's roleplaying his greed to the point at which you're posting a thread about it.

He should be a researcher of ancient magic and curious about magic and old books, at least from what he told me

It sounds more like his initial description was less accurate than he thought. But it's not up to you to decide what his interests should be.

Now, I don't want to tell people how to play their characters, it's their choice, but I would like if he shows other traits of the personality of his character and not just being obsessed by wealth and jewelry.

Give it time. When it comes up, those other traits may emerge. If not, don't sweat it- it's not your character. It's not your decision.

Yesterday I talked to him about this thing, he told me he would consider my words but then he played with the same style. What can I do to push him to go in detail about other things? He also has a nice background, but it seems to ignore it when it comes to regular playing.

Has a situation come up where these other traits are important? Have they met a wise old sage that he can talk wise old things with? Has he had the chance to play in a laboratory?

Really, it's his character, and he will play how he wants to play. I'd be very wary of telling him how to rp his character.