Problem Player Woes

[roguerouge]

The weird thing is that he seems to be happy just to tag along. So, that's what he does most of the time.

I've run into that before as a DM. The CRITICAL thing is not to think that you need to solve the problem by designing something that thrusts them into the spotlight. Sideplots, handled on the side during down time for the party, is the best thing for that kind of player.

 

[Deset Gled]

He's something you could try:

Create an NPC that is an equal level to the group. Characterize the NPC as being a big risk taker - someone who jumps into danger, isn't afraid to take on enemies bigger than himself, and actively tries to find ways to get in the middle of things. Introduce the NPC to the group, and invent a reason to have him tag along with the party for awhile (long enough to let everyone get an idea of what he acts like in combat).

Then, wait for the next time the problem player hangs too far away from the group (it sounds like this shouldn't take long) and do something to separate him completely from the rest of the party. Have him end up in a scenario where he's safe, but will not have a chance to really do anything for an extended period of time. Then suggest that the player take over the NPC until his original character can join up with the group again.

If this works out properly and your problem player is any type of a roleplayer, he will be forced to take on the risk-taking persona. Hopefully, he won't mind taking more risks because the character isn't "his", but will still feel comfortable because his character is safe.

If things go well, you will need to find a way to have player take on the NPC (or a similar character) permanently. If the player refuses to change his playstyle and plays the NPC with the same method as his original character, you can be certain that there is nothing you can do to change his play style, and it's time to have him leave the group.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Next time he runs off, make him run into some monsters or a trap.

 

[Wolf1066]

He makes comments like his character has plans to wipe the entire group and "jokes" about how he's going to kill each one.

That's not on, just plain rude. I've had players that have killed off the entire party - and they didn't muck about "joking" about it beforehand. If he were in one of my games, his character would have died very early in the piece. I probably would give the other players the option of killing it before fobbing "the job" off onto an NPC.

Last week, when his character died, he calmly suggested we scrap the entire campaign story, and possibly scrap my world I've had going for 15 years, because he didn't care for the story or any of the other players' characters.

I'd've taken that as my cue to say, "Sorry, the rest of the players are quite happy with their characters and seem quite happy with my game world and the story. You can choose to create another - less cowardly - character and rejoin the game as a proper "team player" or you can create another character that is a waste of time and energy and have it killed within two sessions or you can find a different RP group whose story and PCs you do care for."

Any new developments on the "John" front? Has he come up with a new character or left or been booted?

 

[Verdande]

I don't really see what the problem is. You've got to talk to him, man to man (substitute appropriate genders, of course) and get to the root of the problem.

Ask him if he's having fun, and stress that he hasn't got to play if he's not enjoying it. You can offer to run a separate one on one game with him, so that he can play the way he wants to and without having other people trying to pressure him into playing a way that he's not comfortable with.

If he messes up your group dynamics and nobody wants to play with him, then why play with him? I know it can be hard to find a good group, but I'd rather not play at all than play with somebody I don't have fun with. You can be friends and not game, after all.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

The bottom line, IMO, is that he just wants to be the hero, the one who saves the day, the one who arrives in just the nick of time. There's a word for those kinds of people... and it is the Glory Hound.

Glory Hounds (as people, not as characters) do not play well with other people. They want to be the star of the show all the time. In your Hound's case, he is willing to let all of the other people die/lose just so he can be the last man standing or whatever.

Remind him that the game is a team game, and if he's not interested in being part of a team, he's not welcome to play. On the flip side, you could offer to run him a Solo adventure/campaign and see how that goes.

I'm really not sure that he's a Glory Hound. Wouldn't a Glory Hound have taken out a Xill on 1 hit point, rather than going Full Defence for 27 rounds? (I'm still struggling to wrap my head around that )

That was his big opportunity to save the day for the party but instead it just looked like he was interested in not dying (however minimal that chance may have been).

I really think you need to boot this guy out of your game as his play style just doesn't mesh with your group (or with any other people that I have played with).

I have had a player in a game I was running that didn't mesh with my play style. After playing together for 18 months he decided to quit the game (in a slightly messy fashion, taking his friend, who was also a player, with him). It turned out to be a great outcome for my group. I got a couple of new players in to replace the ones that left and we haven't looked back. The current group has been playing for 2 1/2 years now and I'm definitely enjoying running the game a lot more now compared to back then.

So sometimes booting someone (or having them leave) is the best outcome.

Olaf the Stout

 

[FireLance]

Sounds like this player should just play Splug, the goblin sidekick from the solo adventure in Dragon 382, Dark Awakening. This ability, in particular, seems tailor made for him and at least gives some advantage to the rest of the party:

Cringe (standard; at-will)
Splug shrinks away from combat, gaining a +2 bonus to his defenses until the start of his next turn. An ally can make an at-will or charge attack as a free action in his stead.​

 

[Katana_Geldar]

The bottom line, IMO, is that he just wants to be the hero, the one who saves the day, the one who arrives in just the nick of time. There's a word for those kinds of people... and it is the Glory Hound.

Glory Hounds (as people, not as characters) do not play well with other people. They want to be the star of the show all the time. In your Hound's case, he is willing to let all of the other people die/lose just so he can be the last man standing or whatever.

Remind him that the game is a team game, and if he's not interested in being part of a team, he's not welcome to play. On the flip side, you could offer to run him a Solo adventure/campaign and see how that goes.

I have a player exactly like this, he simply doesn't get that the game is not all about him. In the end I refused to cater to his whims, like him running an organisation when I am still learning organisation rules and already have a player organisation. So he quit the rules set, but not the group.

He also told me he's not interested in Tomb of Horrors when I want to run it.

But I will get my revenge, when I get Paranoia....

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Has Izmo responded to any of this yet?

 

[Woas]

Hey man, I never even played in a game with you man... jeez...