I've got a problem in my game! Help!

[Black_Swan]

Here's what I would do...

Scrap the next session. Use that time to re-write and rethink the module. Template or mess with Strahd..cause I'm sure his stats are everywhere. Rethink a few important items in the module to make sure the game is the same, but different.

So..yeah..it was a crappy thing to do, tell the rest of the group that due to the issue you're going to take some time to redo some things you had planned so that it's fun for everyone, including you. You're running a game, not reading a story, and by knowing what's coming you feel he has an unfair advantage that takes the excitement out of the game for you.

Either let go or do something about it. Don't keep fishing for an apology. He acted and now you decide what you want to do in response.

 

[Black_Swan]

If there's a game involved, NOTHING is worth ruining a friendship.

If the above is true then the cheater shouldn't have had any problems staying out of the thread. Knowing some spoilers isn't worth ruining a friendship.

 

[Jim Hague]

The fact that he's moving changes nothing. Friendship has no distances.
According to one of your first posts, you sent an email to a friend, and then that friend told Ben. You did not specifically ask Ben not to go there and he did not give his word. You just made a demand that I see as being inane and he ignored it. This isn't a case of picking a friend up at the airport. It's a misunderstanding dealing with a game that two friends are supposed to be having fun playing.

Wait...so doing something that affects the fun of everyone at the table isn't a problem? At the very least it's inconsiderate, and in this case it's tantamount to outright cheating. This person was informed and willfully ignored what was being asked of him - solely for the purpose of spoiling the module.

This is not a betrayal. It doesn't show that he's untrustworthy in the least. This didn't deal with anything that was truly important. Ben never gave his word on anything. For a betrayal to happen, someone has to break trust and a word of bond. They have to specifically do something that they knew would be a major thing to the other person.

You're dissembling, trying to create sympathy on a false point. The bond of trust here is between the GM and players - specifically, that the players won't go and dig up information on the module so it remains fun for everyone. The person in question specifically violated that trust, and thus the wider social contract of expected behavior. When he agreed to join the table and the game, that understanding became implicit; therefore trust was violated, because word was understood to be given.

If you ask someone not to do something and they know that they shouldn't, they tell you they won't, then they do it anyway, that's a case of a broken word. Betrayal. "Please don't date my ex. She's the mother of my children." "I would never do that."

Which is precisely what happened - a violation of the social contract.

If you have someone else send an email to someone about something dealing with a game and you request that the person doesn't go to a site he normally frequents to read something about a game that he's playing in, and he does it anyway, that's not a betrayal. No betrayal. Example: Read the last couple of pages.

Violation of social contract = betrayal. The understanding that players will avoid spoilers is inherent in the agreement when you sit down and participate in a game. Is it as bad as, say, selling a country's secrets to a hostile foreign power? Hardly - but on the interpersonal scale, it's pretty scummy.

It wasn't important. He never agreed to anything. Was it mildly annoying? Sure. Disrespectful. Maybe the tiniest bit. A betrayal of trust worth ruining a friendship? Only if you're a horrible person who puts ANYTHING to do with a game before a friendship.

Highly annoying, obviously. He agreed to certain rules, and violated them. And it's a betrayal of trust, certainly. But before you go insulting the OP, I would suggest you go back and rephrase what you just said.

 

[jontherev]

Well

I was interested in this thread because I currently have some drama at my table. Something I haven't seen yet that to me would be a simple solution would be to give the paladin a cursed item that basically gives him a -6 to his intelligence (or more if he's already got a super high intelligence). That would limit his ability in-game to come up with ideas or make good decisions, without really hurting the character's abilities all that much. Feel free to make the item have good abilities as well so that he doesn't feel completely shafted. I know his wisdom is probably high, so he might still *think* he's got a great idea. If he comes up with an idea during the game that seems rather suspect, you could always make him roll an intelligence check to see if he'd really be able to come up with that idea...but then you'd have to also do that for the other players to be fair. Adjust the DC appropriately. He seems like a good player who's interested in the game, so kicking him out seems way too drastic. At least you have a player...my friend is currently miffed at me because of work-related matters, so until his pride heals (hopefully!), we have an npc rogue to deal with. What's worse is that we decided to name him Dildo Faggins...we were trying to come up with the worst name ever and I think we might have succeeded.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

RPG Veritas

Im not trying to get an 'Edge' or anything.

Then why did you look at the spoilers? Also, did you read this material after you were asked not to?

As for "cheating" well I suppose that depends on your definition.

In my humble opinion, cheating includes acting dishonestly or deliberately violating a social contract. What's your definition?

Sure its cool to have the guy with uber stats once in a while ....

Although I could be wrong, I don't think the OP's perceived violation of trust has anything to do with your stats.

In closing, if you want to kick me out of the game or whatever on the PRINCIPLE of the thing, thats your call.

Based on the current evidence, I think he should kick you out. Heaven forbid that people actually stand by their principles.

-Samir Asad

 

[Zaruthustran]

I've got a buddy who, after reading the first chapter of a book, immediately reads the last chapter. If the last chapter is interesting/compelling, she'll read the rest of the book.

For me, the enjoyment is the journey. For her, it's only the conclusion. This drove me crazy. But then I got over it. Different people can enjoy the same thing in different ways.

One of the best bits of advice I've ever read about DMing is that you shouldn't be too concerned about keeping secrets. In fact, it's often better to reveal secret content to *players* so that they too can appreciate the big plots and mysteries as they unfold. Why? Chances are, they won't pick up on your subtle hints and all your effort weaving a giant plot is wasted/not shared--the players will just experience the seemingly random events and think nothing more of it.

So: my advice to the OP is to relax. The player says he intends to keep character knowledge and player knowledge distinct. Go ahead and game, and see if that's true. If it is, no harm done. In fact, you may find that the player's expanded knowledge makes the game more enjoyable for *you*.

-z

Ps: to play Devil's advocate, the player never agreed to your command. You asked him to do something, and he chose not to do what you asked. It's no worse than you, for example, asking him to wait and see 300 until you can see it together, and having him decline.

It'd be a different story if this guy betrayed your trust/if he said he'd do one thing, but then did another.

PSS: another way to look at it is that the player saw what is effectively a trailer of your adventure. I never watch trailers because they reveal too much of the movie: key fights, cool costumes, awe-inspiring settings, even the climax or main villain of the flick. I wait until after I see a movie to watch ts trailers. Other people I know spend hours scouring for script treatments, trailers, and production stills, and they've effectively seen the movie before they sit down in the theater. Personally, I don't understand how that could be fun--I remember the the big fight scene in Matrix Reloaded and the squidy assault scene in Matrix Revolutions as being amazing/awesome, but those that'd seen the trailer simply said "meh" and checked off another cool scene from the list of scenes they already knew about. Again: to each his own.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

RPG Spoilers = Cheating = Problems in Vegas

Ps: to play Devil's advocate, the player never agreed to your command. You asked him to do something, and he chose not to do what you asked.

So the culprit is justified because he chose not to abide by a reasonable moral suggestion (i.e., don't cheat)?

It's no worse than you, for example, asking him to wait and see 300 until you can see it together, and having him decline.

A movie is not a game. Although the perception of a film is mutable, its actual outcome cannot be altered through prior knowledge.

-Samir

 

[TwinBahamut]

I am really noticing a pattern in this thread.

Those that condemn the player use the term "cheating" quite a lot.

Those that don't think the player really did wrong don't use that term.

I think those who are condemning or defending this guy are both making different assumptions about why he did what he did. Did he read that thread because of curiosity? Maybe he was so exited about the upcoming game, he couldn't help but see what was coming. Or did he really intend to use that information for some kind of "tactical advantage" (whatever that means). There is no way to know based on how it has been discussed on this thread. The only person who does know is that player, and the only people who can reasonably find out would be his DM and the other players, based on how he acts during the game (if it happens).

I think some posters here are bringing a bit too much of their own baggage into this discussion, and it is getting rather nasty and personal. It shows that ENWorld isn't the friendly place it likes to portray itself as, with posts like those in this thread.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Straight Talk

Although motives may mitigate judgments, they do not alter material facts.

Assuming the OP is being straight with us, the culprit was told not to look at spoilers and did it anyway. At the very least, this action is negligent ... and, at worst, an outright betrayal of trust.

In any event, it is cheating. It may not be a mortal sin, but it indicates a definite lack of respect for the DM and the social contract.

-Samir​

 

[tylermalan]

I'm just shocked that a person would need to be told not to read something with spoilers in it.

I agree completely. I only told him not to read it because I thought he might accidentally stumble upon it, and I didn't want that to happen.