Handling Cheating

[Silver Moon]

Kick them out of the group.

Yep, the only method to deal with cheaters is to use a devicel known as "The Door".

 

[Umbran]

Yep, the only method to deal with cheaters is to use a devicel known as "The Door".

I suggest you check out this new tool (well, not really new - it is older than doors) called "The Conversation". Proper use of this tool may mean you don't need to use The Door.

Really, the absolutism is rather astonishing.

 

[ggroy]

Oh, I prefer dice too. But one of the things I've learned over the years is that a lot of people's perception of probability matches "draw without replacement" (cards) rather than "draw with replacement" (dice). And that mental mismatch can cause issues.

Better known as the Gambler's Fallacy.

Gambler's fallacy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


(Many are not aware of the "law of large numbers").

 

[Silver Moon]

I suggest you check out this new tool (well, not really new - it is older than doors) called "The Conversation". Proper use of this tool may mean you don't need to use The Door. Really, the absolutism is rather astonishing.

Well, clearly the specific circumstances would enter in, and there may be extenuating circumstances if this were a one-time-thing, which could then be resolved through conversation. But the entire basis of RPG's is trust. If the Gamemaster and the Players cannot trust each other to play honestly, then what is the point? Ethicial gaming is a huge factor for me, either there is trust or there isn't.


I will admit that I do have a bias on this issue. Around 30 years ago I was starting up a gaming group. I was in a brief conversation with an acquaintance from high school who I had not planned to invite to the game. She told me about a recent D&D group she had been with and examples of the unethical things the DM had done. I told her that wasn't what the game was supposed to be about and invited her to join the new group to see how it should be played. Through the years gaming with the weekly group we became closer friends. Next month we'll celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary.

 

[kitsune9]

I played with one gaming group in which everyone except one player at the table was cheating. It was annoying and was in my 2e days. The players simply rolled d20 and called whatever number they wanted.

I quit the group and didn't come back to run anymore games for them. They got the hint.

In this case, I have a zero tolerance policy toward cheating or engaging in jerk behavior. If my players are caught cheating, they've played their last session. There isn't a sit down talk to shape up because we're adults. We shouldn't be doing it to begin with.

 

[The Red King]

Yep, the only method to deal with cheaters is to use a devicel known as "The Door".

I fully agree. But my circumstance involves a 12 year old. I like to give kids a few chances to shape up.

I played with one gaming group in which everyone except one player at the table was cheating. It was annoying and was in my 2e days. The players simply rolled d20 and called whatever number they wanted.

I quit the group and didn't come back to run anymore games for them. They got the hint.

In this case, I have a zero tolerance policy toward cheating or engaging in jerk behavior. If my players are caught cheating, they've played their last session. There isn't a sit down talk to shape up because we're adults. We shouldn't be doing it to begin with.

Again, unless they are kids, I agree. I will let him know I don't have unlimited patience for this, but wont boot him just yet.

Well, clearly the specific circumstances would enter in, and there may be extenuating circumstances if this were a one-time-thing, which could then be resolved through conversation. But the entire basis of RPG's is trust. If the Gamemaster and the Players cannot trust each other to play honestly, then what is the point? Ethicial gaming is a huge factor for me, either there is trust or there isn't.


I will admit that I do have a bias on this issue. Around 30 years ago I was starting up a gaming group. I was in a brief conversation with an acquaintance from high school who I had not planned to invite to the game. She told me about a recent D&D group she had been with and examples of the unethical things the DM had done. I told her that wasn't what the game was supposed to be about and invited her to join the new group to see how it should be played. Through the years gaming with the weekly group we became closer friends. Next month we'll celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary.

Congrats! My wife came to the game only last year, this December will be our 14th anniversary. Hope you have many more!

 

[Lexeme]

If there is one thing this thread has shown me, it's that people range the entire spectrum in how they handle this. We've seen responses all the way from "meh" to "GTFO."

While I think cheating can impact the fun of a game, I seem the most bothered by it (and honestly I think I'm the only one who has noticed - ah, to bee naive), I think so quickly using "The Door" would also impact the fun my other players are having. I'll be taking a more moderate approach of observe, encourage open rolls, and if I do see it, discuss. After that, I see "the Door" as needed.

 

[Elf Witch]

If there is one thing this thread has shown me, it's that people range the entire spectrum in how they handle this. We've seen responses all the way from "meh" to "GTFO."

While I think cheating can impact the fun of a game, I seem the most bothered by it (and honestly I think I'm the only one who has noticed - ah, to bee naive), I think so quickly using "The Door" would also impact the fun my other players are having. I'll be taking a more moderate approach of observe, encourage open rolls, and if I do see it, discuss. After that, I see "the Door" as needed.

I think I would quit a game if I played with a DM who did not at least try and solve an issue before booting a player out.

 

[The Red King]

If there is one thing this thread has shown me, it's that people range the entire spectrum in how they handle this. We've seen responses all the way from "meh" to "GTFO."

While I think cheating can impact the fun of a game, I seem the most bothered by it (and honestly I think I'm the only one who has noticed - ah, to bee naive), I think so quickly using "The Door" would also impact the fun my other players are having. I'll be taking a more moderate approach of observe, encourage open rolls, and if I do see it, discuss. After that, I see "the Door" as needed.

Thats my plan.

I think I would quit a game if I played with a DM who did not at least try and solve an issue before booting a player out.

Good point.

Plus if he were booted, his father, and brother would probably go with him. Thats 1/2 the group.

 

[Halivar]

In my old Friday night group of many years, we had a cheater who, because he was a good friend and our D&D game was pretty much our social group, could not really be kicked out (as in, no one at the table, no matter how miffed they were at the cheating, was willing to sever a friendship to stop it).

How we fixed it was with a severe handicap. I don't think he ever understood why his over-powered characters kept getting murdered in their sleep by the party, or why he never got any plot-spotlight by the DM. I don't even know if he cared. We were there to have fun, he was there to win. I think we got what we wanted out of it but I don't necessarily think he ever did.