How do you make a player play a normal character?

[Tsyr]

Ok, here is the problem.

I have a player who just can not play a totaly normal character. Ever. And almost all of them are extreamly campy to boot.

It's really hard to put into words, because most of them are something that if you looked at from outside, just at the character sheet and bio and stuff, they would seem fine. Until you know this player.

All of his characters have to have strange hooks. All of them. Even if this makes them completely unworkable for the campaign. And a good third of his characters tend to be rather... unsocial. Even homocidal, even with the rest of the party.

Some examples:

His six-shooter-toting, semi-truck-driving, getto-apartment-living, country-music-listening Shadowrun character.

His insane Euthanatos mage, in Mage: The Ascention, who was only half-trained, didn't know what any of the traditions were, talked to himself, and would kill anyone who tried to ask him about his background, or who tried to even really talk to him on anything more than a "how are you doing" level. He only lasted one session, because it was impossible for him to interact with the rest of the party. The party couldn't think of a reasonable excuse TO interact with him, and when they tried, they barely escaped with their life. (I was a player in this one, I'm one of those who barely escaped with their life).

Another one I was a player in: In a Dark Sun game, he was playing a person who was found in a trunk out in the desert, with no shoes, and a scimitar. No memory of who he was. He had no BACKSTORY, for this, mind you... it was something that had a lot of potential maybe as a plot hook... but he just pulled the concept out of nowhere when he was making his character.

And he loves this concept so much I think he's done it in every system: An old guy who for unexplained reasons came out of retirement... you know, one of those "Been there, done that, you young wipper-snappers don't know how good you have it", type characters.

*pulls his hair out*

I mean, I like the guy. He's one of my best friends. He loves roleplaying. Gaming without him isn't really a viable option. But I just can't figure out what to do about the guy. I even tried running a game where I assigned characters; no good, he puts his own spin on the characters and they become just about the same as the ones he creates himself.

I don't think he honestly sees what he is doing could be a problem; He's not a person who would deliberatly try to cause a problem. But I've tried explaining my feelings to him, and he just doesn't understand why I have a problem with the way he plays characters.

Any advice?

 

[John Crichton]

Put an NPC (or if playing a PC) in there that acts crazier than he does.

I've had similar experiences with someone that used to game with my old group. He was always very disruptive with his characters, but did stay in character. At this point, I actually refuse to play with him because he always hurt the game, even though he is a friend (not a close one, but still a friend). I would try talking to him again and explain your frustration. If he is a close friend he'll at least give a good listen and maybe things will start to get better.

What do other members of the group think, BTW?

And if that doesn't work, well it may be time to give him da boot. It's a completely last resort and should be handled with care but if he is making things less fun or unplayable, something has to change.

 

[Celtavian]

Re

I know exactly what you mean. I don't think there is anything you can do without making the player unhappy.

 

[Joshua Randall]

What about challenging him to play a completely normal character, as a test of his role-playing prowess?

For example, challenge him to play one of the Iconic characters. You get to write up the background and personality notes; he has to play the character. Tell him it's like being an actor, an actor who didn't get to choose what role he's playing.

You might also sit down with him and explain how frustrating it is for you and the rest of the group that he can't fit in. If he is really a good guy, he will be willing to modify his playing style in the interest of group harmony.

 

[Fenes 2]

"Normal" is relative. That six-gun toting country music loving semi-truck driver would have been absolutely normal in my first SR campaign, and almost plain in my current campaign (where we have a razorgal from Texas, riding a Harley, carrying a replica of a Colt SAA (the fampous "Peacemaker") and listening to Country.)

From what you posted I can not discern any problem with the ex-retired character either, or the problem with the Dark Sun scimitar guy.

If it is only the absence of a reason or background that disturbs you, then ask him to provide some, or let the DM fill in. I would have no problems when presented with such a PC - I would just fill the background myself.

Now, anti-social PCs, those are bad. I just tell the players that their PCs have to get along somehow - and they should interact outside of combat as well.

 

[Tsyr]

"Normal" is relative. That six-gun toting country music loving semi-truck driver would have been absolutely normal in my first SR campaign, and almost plain in my current campaign (where we have a razorgal from Texas, riding a Harley, carrying a replica of a Colt SAA (the fampous "Peacemaker") and listening to Country.)

From what you posted I can not discern any problem with the ex-retired character either, or the problem with the Dark Sun scimitar guy.

If it is only the absence of a reason or background that disturbs you, then ask him to provide some, or let the DM fill in. I would have no problems when presented with such a PC - I would just fill the background myself.

Now, anti-social PCs, those are bad. I just tell the players that their PCs have to get along somehow - and they should interact outside of combat as well.

Like I said. It's hard to put into words.

It's as much the WAY he plays them as WHAT he plays. You know the guys who can't NOT play a rogue-type character, no matter what class they claim to be playing? He's kinda like that. No matter what he's playing, he plays it solely to be... strange.

And it's always campy-strange. Anything he plays feels like an over-exageration of every stereotype you could name about the character.

And a lot of it, too, I think, boils down to the fact that there is no reason why his characters should be where they are, in the type of game they are in. The semi-driver sounds like a fine concept, until you realised that the group was (except for him) entirely composed of ex-corporate types who went in for the tricky, stealthy type stuff... which he was no good at. Didn't stop him from trying though. Or the shoe-less guy (Who, for some reason, made it his life goal to find his shoes. Not get his memory back, or anything. To find his shoes), which might have been fine in some games, but didn't work when the rest of the group was playing what basicly amounted to nomadic treasure hunters. Not even going to go into the insane mage...

And he almost always seems to get obsessed over one little detail... his missing shoes, or always trying to find a way to listen to country music, or something.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Simple

Don't allow oddball crap characters. I have found as a DM and as a player watching other players that characters are like fashion.

Some people just have to have a strange, odd, cool trendy character. Unfortunately that character just like overly trendy clothes gets old and stale much faster than a normal character. They may think it is neat one day to have a character with a charisma of 5 and a bizarre stutter but give that player a month or two of playing the character and suddenly they will get bored with him and want to move on to something else.

 

[tabrumj]

I have two tactics that work for this fairly well, since one of my friends is almost exactly like this.

First of all as a DM say no to any character concept that seems at all wonky. Just flat out disallow it if you don't like it.

Second, make it clear to the PC's that if they don't like a character inn the group or that if another character doesn't fit that they don't have to continue working with them. If you set up a few situations where the odd PC is a liability they will drop him. Eventually your friend shhould learn to make reasonable PC's, esspecially if you asign an XP to any new PC's.

 

[John Crichton]

Youch....

The way I would handle the "off-genre" character thing is to make a prerequisite as to what kind of characters everyone is playing. Or even have him set down the ground rules for what everyone is going to play if they are willing. I actually liked JERandall's suggestion, too.

I'm assuming this guy has never DM'ed. Maybe he should give it a shot to see how things go. Or ask him what he would think of a player like himself in a way that he didn't know who you were referencing then slowly turn it around. It's not sneaky, just a way of making him see a point...

 

[Tsyr]

Youch....

The way I would handle the "off-genre" character thing is to make a prerequisite as to what kind of characters everyone is playing. Or even have him set down the ground rules for what everyone is going to play if they are willing. I actually liked JERandall's suggestion, too.

I'm assuming this guy has never DM'ed. Maybe he should give it a shot to see how things go. Or ask him what he would think of a player like himself in a way that he didn't know who you were referencing then slowly turn it around. It's not sneaky, just a way of making him see a point...

Actualy, he does DM. He's actualy a fairly good one. His games are always light-hearted, a bit silly... as you might guess. But overall fairly good.

I think he plays the same way he DMs... and while I enjoy playing in a silly game well enough, if that's what it's meant to be, I don't enjoy silly behaviour in an otherwise serious game.