Help with player with Foot in Mouth disease

[EPRock]

Here is a different way to handle it

Whenever the customer does one of these "foot in mouth" comments have the character roll a diplomacy / intimidate / charisma check.

Just because players are unable to articulate things, does not mean that the characters are not.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Whenever the customer does one of these "foot in mouth" comments have the character roll a diplomacy / intimidate / charisma check.

Just because players are unable to articulate things, does not mean that the characters are not.

I second that, but the roll should get a circumstance mod depending on how the player said it. If he came over all arrogant, it will be a malus.

Nonetheless, the boy needs a talking-to. If you tell him that he courts disaster with his words and actions, he might try to sound his statements better next time.

 

[Rel]

Whenever the customer does one of these "foot in mouth" comments have the character roll a diplomacy / intimidate / charisma check.

Just because players are unable to articulate things, does not mean that the characters are not.

I definately agree with you so long as the player makes his intentions known.

If the player says, "I want to joke around with the mercenaries in a good natured manner to set them at ease." and then proceeds to say something that might be very offensive to them, I'm inclined to let a decent Diplomacy or Charisma check smooth things over (or explain to the player that he would never had said such a thing given his intentions.).

If it is clear that the player MEANS for his character to be insulting then I'm going to let the chips fall where they may.

 

[Pielorinho]

The other possible use of a diplomacy check is to make it before the comment goes through.

Player: Where I come from, we don't sell our swords.
DM: Errr...give me a diplomacy check. You're looking for a 5.
Player: ?? Fourteen.
DM: It occurs to you that them's fightin' words, and if you say that, you're likely to be rolling initiative.

In other words, diplomacy partly involves knowing how what you say is going to affect folks around you, before you say it. For a socially-challenged player, this might be a godsend.

If he decides to go through with his fighting words, that's his decision.

Daniel

 

[NewJeffCT]

The other possible use of a diplomacy check is to make it before the comment goes through.

Player: Where I come from, we don't sell our swords.
DM: Errr...give me a diplomacy check. You're looking for a 5.
Player: ?? Fourteen.
DM: It occurs to you that them's fightin' words, and if you say that, you're likely to be rolling initiative.

In other words, diplomacy partly involves knowing how what you say is going to affect folks around you, before you say it. For a socially-challenged player, this might be a godsend.

If he decides to go through with his fighting words, that's his decision.

Daniel

Unfortunately, I think sometimes this guy insists on letting things stand - even if warned through a diplomacy or wisdom check - and doesn't realize the error of his ways until the proverbial cat is out of the bag. He has such a history of bad in-game decisions that he is almost neurotic about second guessing himself or not second guessing himself.

He honestly has a gift for doing the wrong thing - if he second guesses himself, his first action would have been okay... if he does not and digs in his heels, he should have changed his mind.

 

[mythusmage]

Ranger: We don't sell our swords where I come from.

Mercenary: Nobody makes an offer?

 

[Dirigible]

Ranger: No! we traded them for magic beans!

or

Ranger: No! we beat them into ploughshears... but that didn't jive so good wth our hunter-gatherer society.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Unfortunately, I think sometimes this guy insists on letting things stand - even if warned through a diplomacy or wisdom check - and doesn't realize the error of his ways until the proverbial cat is out of the bag. He has such a history of bad in-game decisions that he is almost neurotic about second guessing himself or not second guessing himself.

He honestly has a gift for doing the wrong thing - if he second guesses himself, his first action would have been okay... if he does not and digs in his heels, he should have changed his mind.

I fear the only cure for that is a very high constitiution score...

 

[Pielorinho]

Unfortunately, I think sometimes this guy insists on letting things stand - even if warned through a diplomacy or wisdom check - and doesn't realize the error of his ways until the proverbial cat is out of the bag. He has such a history of bad in-game decisions that he is almost neurotic about second guessing himself or not second guessing himself.

Y'know, it's one thing to second-guess yourself when you're really unsure of outcomes. But when you say something, the DM has you make a diplomacy check, and then the DM tells you that'd be a dumb thing to say, it's really a no-brainer. Is this guy really that non-brained?

Maybe somebody should brain him.

Daniel

 

[Rel]

I fear the only cure for that is a very high constitiution score...

"If we're going to keep being this stupid, I think we should consider ways to boost our hit points."