Players that force you to crimp your style.

[JacktheRabbit]

Ever had a player run his character in a manner that really starts to crimp your style?

I have a PC who is a 5th level sorcerer with a pair of boots of springing and striding. Now this can be a wonderful magic item for a sorcorer to use to get into position in combat.

Not this Sorcerer though, he has to use the boots to pursue retreating foes.

This is not going to bode well for the player. He has lost two characters already while one other player has only lost one and the other two players are still on their origional characters. Oh did I mention that he has been with the group the least amount of time?

What is a DM to do? It is only a matter of time before the sorcerer runs around a corner full speed ahead of the party and runs into more than he can handle. A foe who runs for fear of the entire party might not fear the lone sorcerer nearly as much.

BTW, did I mention that this Sorcerer has a bad habit of hitting his friends with spells? One of these days the fighter might make the situation worse by not pursuing the sorcerer as quickly and aiding him, thus causing the sorcerers butt to get hung out to dry even faster than normal.

 

[Arnwyn]

At this stage, I'm not sure that the DM can do anything except verbally warn the *player* and ask what he is thinking when he insists on his character chasing opponents by himself and if he understands what might happen - see what his answer is.

Other than that, I'd let the consequences play out. But then again, I've always been an advocate of "learning through experience" when it comes to D&D/gaming.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

At this stage, I'm not sure that the DM can do anything except verbally warn the *player* and ask what he is thinking when he insists on his character chasing opponents by himself and if he understands what might happen - see what his answer is.

Other than that, I'd let the consequences play out. But then again, I've always been an advocate of "learning through experience" when it comes to D&D/gaming.

His first two deaths were not the most brilliant.

The first time was running a wizard NPC. Now granted it was a dwarf with lots of hitpoints but it was still only a wizard. He tried to go toe to toe with a brown bear and lost his face (I crit'd on him with the bear bite).

The second death was his bard staying in combat till the absolute end and giving no one any hints that he was on his last legs hitpoints wise. Come to think of it his problem was similiar to the sorcerer. He used Expedious Retreat to charge ahead of the party where he attempted to engage a pair of ogres alone. Since he was a 4th level bard the results were not pretty. He failed to consider how far a charging ogre with reach could travel. End result was he was in smack range and the ogre had no problem hitting him.

 

[Mordane76]

Law of the Wild, man...

If they run into something they can't handle... well, nature weeds out the less-amply-adapted. Hopefully, he'll learn quicker...

 

[Celebrim]

I'm also an advocate of learning through experience, and I'm also an advocate of when a PC is replaced, you get a character one level lower than the PC that just died.

Sooner or latter, the player is going to get the picture and start putting experience points into 'tactician'. Right now it sounds like you have a player who really sees no long term consequence to dying and just likes acting goofy and letting off steam. That's fine for a game of Paranoia or Toon, but it sounds like his behavior is beginning to annoy other people.

Reward players for playing well whether tactically or by being entertaining. If they are neither entertaining nor aiding the story nor aiding the party, and death doesn't wake them up - then its usually a sign that the person is playing for emotional reasons that differ from the rest of the party. Find out what that reason is in as discrete of manner as possible, and see if you can't redirect thier energy in a more productive manner.

Possible causes:
1) The player is frustrated by the inability to create a competitive character, and perhaps a little jealous of other party members abilities and their success. Help them min/max a little so that thier sorcerer contributes better to the party.

2) The player is trying to attract attention to himself by clowning around. Help the character develop a backstory for his next character and create a mature (in the real sense, not in the sense of BoVD) sideplot involving the character so that the player begins to value _this_ character and sees his position in the party as valuable.

5) The player is inexperienced and doesn't yet understand what role a sorcerer fills. Help the player better create a character that has the skills that the player wants to succeed. For instance, describe how to make a fighter that relies on arcane spells for buffing and maybe guide the player towards a prestige class like Spell Sword which will give him a better chance up close and personal.

4) The player is young. Probably this will cause a combination of #1, #2, #3 but to a lesser degree. Actually, this is the least problem you can have. Young players will more readily accept direct guidance and criticism. Mentor the player a little. Provide for the player strong NPC role models. Give encouragement, do as above, but you don't have to be quite as sneaky about it.

5) The player is suicidal or otherwise emotionally distraught in real life. No, I'm not kidding. I've had at least one player that worried me before, and I would imagine that I'm not the only one. Some players are really using 'the game' as a self-theraphy tool, and acting out personal feelings through the game. Be very careful. Worry about strengthening friendships more than strengthening the game.

6) The player just doesn't care. He is bored by the game. He is friends with everyone and likes hanging out with them, but either doesn't like RPGing that much or else doesn't much like the DM or this particular style of adventuring. Clowning around and dying are ways of entertaining himself when he gets bored. I've actually been this player. Eight hours into a rather repetitive hack fest with a vapor thin story, I start 'going into character' and creating trouble just for the sake of having something different to do. If you want to keep the player in the party, find out what entertains the player. Otherwise you are going to have to lose him at least in this campaign, but in the long run if his style is that different from yours, no one is going to be happy.

I probably missed something, but that is a start.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Possible causes:
1) The player is frustrated by the inability to create a competitive character, and perhaps a little jealous of other party members abilities and their success. Help them min/max a little so that thier sorcerer contributes better to the party.

2) The player is trying to attract attention to himself by clowning around. Help the character develop a backstory for his next character and create a mature (in the real sense, not in the sense of BoVD) sideplot involving the character so that the player begins to value _this_ character and sees his position in the party as valuable.

5) The player is inexperienced and doesn't yet understand what role a sorcerer fills. Help the player better create a character that has the skills that the player wants to succeed. For instance, describe how to make a fighter that relies on arcane spells for buffing and maybe guide the player towards a prestige class like Spell Sword which will give him a better chance up close and personal.

4) The player is young. Probably this will cause a combination of #1, #2, #3 but to a lesser degree. Actually, this is the least problem you can have. Young players will more readily accept direct guidance and criticism. Mentor the player a little. Provide for the player strong NPC role models. Give encouragement, do as above, but you don't have to be quite as sneaky about it.

5) The player is suicidal or otherwise emotionally distraught in real life. No, I'm not kidding. I've had at least one player that worried me before, and I would imagine that I'm not the only one. Some players are really using 'the game' as a self-theraphy tool, and acting out personal feelings through the game. Be very careful. Worry about strengthening friendships more than strengthening the game.

6) The player just doesn't care. He is bored by the game. He is friends with everyone and likes hanging out with them, but either doesn't like RPGing that much or else doesn't much like the DM or this particular style of adventuring. Clowning around and dying are ways of entertaining himself when he gets bored. I've actually been this player. Eight hours into a rather repetitive hack fest with a vapor thin story, I start 'going into character' and creating trouble just for the sake of having something different to do. If you want to keep the player in the party, find out what entertains the player. Otherwise you are going to have to lose him at least in this campaign, but in the long run if his style is that different from yours, no one is going to be happy.

I probably missed something, but that is a start.

1. He is a "roleplayer" so his characters are all about the history and backstory. He doesnt appear to be trying to min-max.

2. Possible. He creates his own backstories but his character is too new for them to work into the storyline yet.

3. He knows the rules very well.

4. He is in his mid to late 20's at least.

5. Cannot comment here.

6. He is not a friend. We game at a local store and he approached us about playing.

 

[diaglo]

7. he's trying to roleplay. but the other players and the DM are not taking his cues. eventually he will learn the group's style of play. or he will get tired of dieing all the time.

8. he saw it somewhere and has a wild bug up his...to try it out. if you allow him to succeed, he will pull even more outrageous or outlandish stuff.

9. he's having fun.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

I think #7 is part of it. He is one of those extreme roleplayers who will write stuff about the world around him without talking to me first.

He wrote a huge bit on his character joining the party with conversation NPC interaction and the whole bit. Didnt say a word to me just sprang it on everyone at once.

I shot it down instantly. Write what you want but I see it first.

 

[Umbran]

What is a DM to do?

Not much. Your reaction best probably comes in two parts - First, you take the palyer aside, and tell him that any person with an Int or Wis above 6 can see that his tactics are apt to get him killed by being separated from the party. Second, let the dice fall where they may.

You are kind of responsible for telling him that he doesn't get script immunity for "being cool". After that, though, the choice is his. If he wants to behave in that manner after being warned, that's his problem, not yours.

 

[Roland Delacroix]

Similar problem in the game I play in. We had a fighter that rushed ahead all the time, impatient to get into combat. After 3-4 death in a row he waits for us all now and is no longer afraid to consider running.