boxstop7
First Post
So I just started this game at home, and I have a situation with a player already. Preliminary information: all of my players are either good friends of mine or family members, so a happy solution is necessary. All but one of my players is relatively new to D&D. The problem player has played D&D once before but plays CRPGs extensively, so bear that in mind. Also keep in mind that I accept full responsibility for allowing this to happen in the first place; I'm now seeking a peaceful resolution...
I started my game at 8th level. I have a Wizard 8, a Fighter 8, an Air Genasi Rogue 7, and an Aasimar Favored Soul 7. Those characters (and their respective players) are fine. My problem player has a thing for dragons. A really, really big thing for dragons. He begged me to let him play a half-dragon. I warned him of the potential drawbacks, as the template has a level adjustment of +3 and at 8th level, that could have a huge impact. He said he understood, and that he didn't care, and plowed ahead to create his half-dragon. Then he tells me he's basically hell-bent (sorry Eric's grandma...) on playing a front-line tank and really wants to play a Samurai. I said okay, so long as he understood that playing that character class meant strict adherence to a bushido, and that any deviance from or failure to follow said bushido would mean he can no longer take Samurai levels and would lose all Samurai-related abilities. He said "no problem, I'm thinking along the lines of the Klingon for his bushido" (remember that, it'll be important later). After it's all said and done, he's got a 5th level half-dragon Samurai with 46 hit points. Only the wizard has fewer hit points, and this guy is supposed to be a front-line tank.
So our first "session" two weeks ago was just nonstop combat, to introduce the newbies to how combat works. I decided to throw a young adult black dragon at them. The other tank (straight Fighter 8 with 68 hp) was holding his own and taking his blows like a good tank should. The half-dragon Samurai waited two rounds to engage the dragon in any type of combat (remember the Klingon comment the player had made?), attacked and missed in round three, and missed again in round four, whereafter the black dragon promptly beat the tar out of him, bit him in half, and sent his torso about 200 yards south by southwest with a tail slap (all in round four). So the player sits there for the rest of the combat (half an hour or so) twiddling his thumbs.
For our session this week, I threw together a simple dungeon crawl to get the players used to working together, and to introduce them to the non-combat aspects of D&D. The party ran into a room with 4 goblin clerics (all level 7), and one heck of a battle raged on (lasted almost 8 rounds). Once again, every character held his/her own and played his/her role to perfection, except for the half-dragon Samurai (surprised? you shouldn't be.) Again, he delayed 2 rounds before charging in. He strolls into the room, and gets nailed by an inflict moderate wounds spell. Next round, he fails his save against an unholy blight spell. The following round, he fails his save against a poison spell. In 3 rounds, he hasn't taken a melee hit and is down to ONE hit point. Yes, ONE. He promptly backs out of battle (remember the Klingon comment the player had made?) and hides in a corner, where he proceeds to taunt the remaining goblin clerics...for four more rounds. A minute later, the secondary Con damage kills him. Anyone see a pattern yet?
So after the session, I had a little talk with him about my concerns regarding his character. The +3 level adjustment, the whole "not at all following his bushido" situation, the lack of hit points compared to, well, everyone else...the list goes on and on. Basically, I was trying to tell him nicely that his character is totally useless to the party. He's a liability and little else. He started crying about "bad rolls" and what not. But if he hadn't sacrificed hit points for a bonus to strength, those bad rolls wouldn't have been a big deal. So then I addressed the issue that he's basically playing his Samurai like a giant p***y (again, sorry Eric's grandma), which is decidedly un-Samurai like. He went off about how he was sure that somewhere in the bushido it says that self-preservation is paramount so one can live to fight evil and be honrable another day. I basically told him that was a lame excuse and a load of bunk, because I can't think of anything that would disgrace a Samurai more than fleeing from an enemy (remember the Klingon comment the player had made?). Honor in life. Honor in battle. Honor in death.
He asked if I wanted him to create another character. I balked and said something like "that's up to you" (even though I do think this is the best option). I told him I had an 8th level dwarven fighter lying around that he could use if he wanted, and he made a comment about how, if he created another character, it would "have to be" a Fighter/Saumrai type.
I don't like to force my players into something they don't want to do. But I also told him that I'm more than slightly concerned that his character will be dead within two sessions once we start the campaign. He said he'd think it over, and has commenced sulking. What should I do? What would you do? What can be done? EN World, I leave this in your hands...
Thanks,
- Jason
I started my game at 8th level. I have a Wizard 8, a Fighter 8, an Air Genasi Rogue 7, and an Aasimar Favored Soul 7. Those characters (and their respective players) are fine. My problem player has a thing for dragons. A really, really big thing for dragons. He begged me to let him play a half-dragon. I warned him of the potential drawbacks, as the template has a level adjustment of +3 and at 8th level, that could have a huge impact. He said he understood, and that he didn't care, and plowed ahead to create his half-dragon. Then he tells me he's basically hell-bent (sorry Eric's grandma...) on playing a front-line tank and really wants to play a Samurai. I said okay, so long as he understood that playing that character class meant strict adherence to a bushido, and that any deviance from or failure to follow said bushido would mean he can no longer take Samurai levels and would lose all Samurai-related abilities. He said "no problem, I'm thinking along the lines of the Klingon for his bushido" (remember that, it'll be important later). After it's all said and done, he's got a 5th level half-dragon Samurai with 46 hit points. Only the wizard has fewer hit points, and this guy is supposed to be a front-line tank.
So our first "session" two weeks ago was just nonstop combat, to introduce the newbies to how combat works. I decided to throw a young adult black dragon at them. The other tank (straight Fighter 8 with 68 hp) was holding his own and taking his blows like a good tank should. The half-dragon Samurai waited two rounds to engage the dragon in any type of combat (remember the Klingon comment the player had made?), attacked and missed in round three, and missed again in round four, whereafter the black dragon promptly beat the tar out of him, bit him in half, and sent his torso about 200 yards south by southwest with a tail slap (all in round four). So the player sits there for the rest of the combat (half an hour or so) twiddling his thumbs.
For our session this week, I threw together a simple dungeon crawl to get the players used to working together, and to introduce them to the non-combat aspects of D&D. The party ran into a room with 4 goblin clerics (all level 7), and one heck of a battle raged on (lasted almost 8 rounds). Once again, every character held his/her own and played his/her role to perfection, except for the half-dragon Samurai (surprised? you shouldn't be.) Again, he delayed 2 rounds before charging in. He strolls into the room, and gets nailed by an inflict moderate wounds spell. Next round, he fails his save against an unholy blight spell. The following round, he fails his save against a poison spell. In 3 rounds, he hasn't taken a melee hit and is down to ONE hit point. Yes, ONE. He promptly backs out of battle (remember the Klingon comment the player had made?) and hides in a corner, where he proceeds to taunt the remaining goblin clerics...for four more rounds. A minute later, the secondary Con damage kills him. Anyone see a pattern yet?
So after the session, I had a little talk with him about my concerns regarding his character. The +3 level adjustment, the whole "not at all following his bushido" situation, the lack of hit points compared to, well, everyone else...the list goes on and on. Basically, I was trying to tell him nicely that his character is totally useless to the party. He's a liability and little else. He started crying about "bad rolls" and what not. But if he hadn't sacrificed hit points for a bonus to strength, those bad rolls wouldn't have been a big deal. So then I addressed the issue that he's basically playing his Samurai like a giant p***y (again, sorry Eric's grandma), which is decidedly un-Samurai like. He went off about how he was sure that somewhere in the bushido it says that self-preservation is paramount so one can live to fight evil and be honrable another day. I basically told him that was a lame excuse and a load of bunk, because I can't think of anything that would disgrace a Samurai more than fleeing from an enemy (remember the Klingon comment the player had made?). Honor in life. Honor in battle. Honor in death.
He asked if I wanted him to create another character. I balked and said something like "that's up to you" (even though I do think this is the best option). I told him I had an 8th level dwarven fighter lying around that he could use if he wanted, and he made a comment about how, if he created another character, it would "have to be" a Fighter/Saumrai type.
I don't like to force my players into something they don't want to do. But I also told him that I'm more than slightly concerned that his character will be dead within two sessions once we start the campaign. He said he'd think it over, and has commenced sulking. What should I do? What would you do? What can be done? EN World, I leave this in your hands...
Thanks,
- Jason
