Interparty RP Rules?

[wolff96]

This might belong in a different forum, so feel free to move it, mods.

I can't recall the location, but don't the 3.5e and 4e books have a few lines on using skills against other players? Mainly thinking of the social skills here... I could have sworn I've seen it before, but it might have been a house rule.

I have a player -- a Beguiler -- who likes to lie like crazy to the rest of the party. He hasn't hurt them -- yet -- but I know it's beginning to upset at the other players. At least one of them was so pissed after the last session that I heard about it later in e-mail... and he's generally not the type to speak up.

The Beguiler has spent a lot of resources (skill points, feats, and even magic) into becoming the self-proclaimed "Best Liar in the World". Healthy bonuses to Sense Motive checks abound, especially for anyone that has dealt with him before... but it is one of the focuses of his character and I don't want to completely invalidate his investment.

The obvious solution is to talk to him outside of the game and I'm going to meet with him later this week over a beer. Just in case he gets obstinate, though, I was wondering if there are any rules to back me up.

Thanks!

 

[bradfhancock]

I've just recently started playing D&D so I'm not sure if my answer is correct or not but I believe that if one character lies to another, you would roll against the Sense Motive skill of the opposing player who is being lied to.

And if all else fails, just say

"Oops, it looks like someone poisoned your ale with a 'never-tell-a-lie-any-more potion'. You can no longer lie to your party members"

 

[Nagol]

By and large, social skills like Diplomacy only affect NPCs as can be seen in the individual skill description:

Diplomacy :: d20srd.org

Players are allowed to dictate their reactions.

 

[weem]

I think it would be best to talk to the player (as you mentioned you were also going to do).

The thing is, even if there is a rule about how to use skills against other players, that won't make the situation any less abrasive to the other player(s). I suggest talking to the player about how this game (I assume) is about getting together and having a good time. The character can lie to others but when it starts becoming an assault on the other players characters, the game is less fun for the players themselves.

If the player gets upset and says it's just part of who his character is, you might remind him that the other players may then want to play the same card, tying his character up at night and beating him with socks full of rocks, or just leaving him behind one day... after all, their 'characters' might agree that his is being more of a liability than a teammate.

This situation would mean he himself is out of the game, and that's not the point of getting together to play.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Echoing weem a bit, I see this as a potentially self correcting problem.

Talk to the Beguiler's player and ask him to tone it down- don't demand that he stop lying, just ask that he lie less...because it's causing friction. Seemingly to the point that it may cause a RW rift in the group. (See also, "Wheaton's Rule.")

Simultaneously, talk to the others. Explain to them that you have no objection to their PCs acting in character...and having a "pillowcase party" or even turning him into the proper authorities if/when he does something illegal.

They are, after all, adventurers, a term used to describe dangerous and mentally unbalanced types with weapons and spells who are known to confront threats that others would flee.

 

[Janx]

While the player may argue their right to act like a dick as "roleplaying his character", the fact is, he is violating the trust that the PLAYERS not the PCs bestowed him in allowing him to join the group because he is also a PLAYER.

If a new player shows up to the table, most tables will let that PC joing the party so the player can participate. Regardless of PC.

If a new NPC shows up, most tables will carefully consider whether to allow that NPC to join the party.

Players of dickish PCs are abusing the hospitality of playing with the group.

Therefore, barring the group explicitly approving this kind of behavior before the game starts, the dickish player is in the wrong.

 

[Morrus]

There aren't any rules about basic social interaction between players of a game. The writers of D&D trust you to be able to do that yourself.

This isn't a game issue, or a D&D issue. It's a social issue. If a group of people are doing something together for fun and one of them is spoiling it for the others, the game rules are the last place you should be looking.