Players that force you to crimp your style.

[the_mighty_agrippa]

here's what i see.

the problem is that this guy is a liability to both the party and the players. the dm has to continually coddle him, advise him, coach him and so on. the players have to deal with the downtime on the part of the dm, wait for the guy make up new characters, watch their carefully laid plans disintegrate.

sometimes, this is constructive. i recently played a barbarian that bit things in combat, risking all kinds of retribution for a whopping point of damage. i figured that he would learn eventually - if he survived.

other times, it's just too much trouble for everyone involved. the player might be just blowing off steam or he might be out to cause chaos because he wants to rain all over everyone's parade.

i would talk to the group first & express your concerns. if they don't have a problem, then let the guy play they way he wants. your first - and only - responsibility is to the core group of players.

 

[Nail]

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

Y'know, this is probably the most important part.

I know your conversation has progressed past this, but recosider it. He's the outsider. He's got tons to prove and nothing to lose.

Solution: Let it play out. No worries, mate!

 

[buzz]

I've never had players force me to crimp, though I have pretty short hair so it probably wouldn't make a difference even if they did.

*ducks*

 

[Nail]

I've been trying to bring some of that gung-ho-stupidity into my current games, to liven things up. It works pretty well.

Any pointers learned so far?

 

[Victim]

It doesn't work if the DM has it in for you, or if your companions won't back you up. Then you just get dead.

 

[Hammerhead]

Cough, cough, cough.

Speaking of my recent experiences with your group, Victim?

Generally, knocking the sorcerer unconscious should help him learn to follow his enemies too exuberantly. Heck, enemies with Scrying could even use this trick against him, by observing his tactics, then setting a trap.

 

[Victim]

Yep. But you have used the flat sides of your axes. Using killing attacks was just stupid.

 

[Stone Angel]

If you have a problem or the group has a problem with his tactics have the players or the character. Look at it like this, the pc's group are kind of like a sports team. The fighters do the fighting, spellcasters cast the spells, ect. when one tries to replace the others one or the other gets hung out to dry.

Now don't get me wrong I hate to let the bad guys get a way myself, short term solutions take away his boots of s&s, or involve other movement hampering things, water, sticky goo on the floor, small rooms, ect.

If it were me and he didn't respond, I would capture him, then use him as a hostage.

"Throw down all your magic items and gold or your friend will die.....most horribly, in front of your eyes."

Hope this helps

 

[Pielorinho]

Any pointers learned so far?

Yeah: a plan doesn't need to be foolproof. Just make sure it's interesting.

If you don't want to spend twenty minutes discussing your plan, don't tell the other characters. Just say, "Back me up -- I have a plan," and go for it.

A lousy bluff is sometimes more fun than a good bluff. Did you see Andrew on Buffy this week trying to trick the First Evil? Good stuff, bad bluff.

If you remember the basics of your character (sorcerers, stay out of melee range! Clerics, heal your allies! Monks, stun the sorcerers! etc.), then you're good enough; beyond these basics, make combat all about the flash, rather than about the game. My druid last session was spiderclimbing on a cavern ceiling above an underground ocean; when the bad guy started to flee, he let go of the ceiling, twisted his body around, wildshaped into a shark, dove into the water, and began chasing the villain down. Not necessarily the smartest choice, but it was cool.

If you see a lever, pull it. You know you want to.

Obviously, this advice won't work in all styles of game, and it's possible to take it too far. But a little bit of swashbuckling, of foolish derring-do, can really enliven a campaign.

I'm still trying to find the right balance and to change my habits. But that's what I think so far.

Daniel

 

[JacktheRabbit]

It is only a problem because every time he croaks a character I end up with all these hanging plot items. I may be lazy but eventually I stop wanting to create long term plot items for short term characters. This is especially frustrating since he wants to be such a "roleplayer" and have all this backstory for his characters.

So I am stuck with a choice. I either create lots of plot that never gets used or I alter my DM style and make sure that fleeing foes and timely reinforcements for the enemy do not show up in ways that will slaughter reckless charging lone characters.

Finally there is one other potential problem. His reckless action will eventually cause the rest of the party to move forward to support him in a situation where they cannot win. So I dare not put out TPK situations where the party is supposed to flee. Odds are the actions of the reckless character will doom all of them.

Why is this a problem? After all, wouldn't some adventurers be stupid like this? I'd actually see a player like this as a refreshing change, instead of the "Ultra Navy Seal-Green Beret- Army Ranger trained combat team" I usually see.