Problem Players

[JoeGKushner]

A couple of weeks ago I was DMing the Scarred Lands. Most of the players made pretty normal characters and we've played a few games without issue but we have one player, who no matter who GMs, always seems to have the following issues.

1. Lone Wolf trick: i.e. leaves party to explore on own. Goes off without party on numerous jaunts in city, exploring sewers, etc...

2. Says things and then when asked if certain he's doing it, claims yes, then when results start coming in, says he would've never done that.

3. Bullies other characters based on his own power level and plots to kill other characters when he doesn't like the players.


Part of it stems from he and another player really not getting along and having several of the other players like the other player so he always feels that it's the group against him.

After about two sessions, I stopped GMing. I got tired of babysitting. I don't feel the need to have to ask and demand to know what he's doing at what particular second. If he tells me he's pissing in the necromancer's kicthen, then when the undead attack, he's pissing in the necromancer's kitcen, not teleported to the side of the party to get XP.

Anyway, one of my other buddies picked up, same setting, new characters. He's thinking of asking the player to leave.

Sounds like a no-brainer right? Problem is the same that happens to many groups. He's a long time friend and doesn't take any criticism of his role playing, life decesions, etc... at all. Once in a blue moon he may admit that he was wrong, but then the behaviour starts up again.

Now maybe I'm alone in thinking this, but to me, role playing is a group effort. Sure, the spotlight may move here and there, and the GM may occassional suffer favoritism now and again, but if one player is, intentionally or not, ruining the other players fun, what good is he?

Anyone experience this problem?

 

[Reprisal]

It seems fairly obvious to me. Your friend, the new GM, has probably made the right decision. Yeah, it sucks that a friend has to go, but whether he admits or not, it sounds like he brought it upon himself. Personally, I haven't had the Lone Wolf yet, but I've had more than my share of OOC bitterness and a simple conflict of different personalities. It seems to me that RPGs collect an eclectic mixture of people... our group had to curtail a "rogue" element that did not mix well, and some us still feel the loss to this day. Are we better for it?

I think so... I hope so.

 

[Teflon Billy]

A couple of weeks ago I was DMing the Scarred Lands. Most of the players made pretty normal characters and we've played a few games without issue but we have one player, who no matter who GMs, always seems to have the following issues.

1. Lone Wolf trick: i.e. leaves party to explore on own. Goes off without party on numerous jaunts in city, exploring sewers, etc...

2. Says things and then when asked if certain he's doing it, claims yes, then when results start coming in, says he would've never done that.

3. Bullies other characters based on his own power level and plots to kill other characters when he doesn't like the players.

OLD SCHOOL ALERT: Heh, these three are classic's Joe, in my experience they are almost never the fault of the DM if that does anything to set your mind at ease

I always found the second one on the list to be the most aggravating.

Part of it stems from he and another player really not getting along and having several of the other players like the other player so he always feels that it's the group against him.

Well, I have no trouble beliveing that. It's one of the prime reasons I only game with people I like.

My friend Theovis (who had posted here very infrequently) has a code: "I will not game with someone I wouldn't do anything else with"

After about two sessions, I stopped GMing. I got tired of babysitting. I don't feel the need to have to ask and demand to know what he's doing at what particular second. If he tells me he's pissing in the necromancer's kicthen, then when the undead attack, he's pissing in the necromancer's kitcen, not teleported to the side of the party to get XP.

Perfectly sound resoning there. I was running a GURPS space advdnture at a Convention once and had a guy who (inexplicably in my opinion) decided his character would "Stay aboard ship and study engineering(?)"...yet insisted on constantly describing his actions with the rest of the group. I was constantly saying (to quote the Dead Alewives) "YOU'RE NOT THERE"

I gave him every chance to leave the ship and join the group, and he never wanted to...but come an action scene he was all "I roll my fast draw". Sheesh.

Anyway, one of my other buddies picked up, same setting, new characters. He's thinking of asking the player to leave.

Sounds like a no-brainer right?

Right

Problem is the same that happens to many groups. He's a long time friend and doesn't take any criticism of his role playing, life decesions, etc... at all. Once in a blue moon he may admit that he was wrong, but then the behaviour starts up again.

That is a toughie.

I went through this (it wasn't game related, it was Heroin related) with a guy who had been my friend for years. He started to pilfer small stuff from me, miss appointments with me, in fact he missed my wedding (he was to be a groomsman).

I eventually had to ask myself "Is he my est friend? or was he my best friend 8 years ago?"

Now maybe I'm alone in thinking this, but to me, role playing is a group effort. Sure, the spotlight may move here and there, and the GM may occassional suffer favoritism now and again, but if one player is, intentionally or not, ruining the other players fun, what good is he?

Anyone experience this problem?

I think most everyone has Joe. The best advice I can give you is that you don't have to share every activity with every friend you have. This guy doesn't like the other members of your gaming group, doesn't add anyting to game in your opinion, and
actively works against the smooth running o the game.

Talk to him about it would be my first advice, but you say you hae and the behaviour returns.

My next advice is "think it over and make your own decision"

Big help huh?

 

[Moe Ronalds]

If you really want to avoid a messy confrontation, change the time and place of the game, "forget" to tell him, and avoid him until he's forgotten about it. (Yes, we have done this with someone who wouldn't change, couldn't accept criticism, and was a big problem. Then again, we didn't even have to change because the guy was so irresponsible that he couldn't even remember when the game time was. We just stopped reminding him of the time.)

 

[Oogar]

Mine was hard, the problem individual left the group to take a job, then he had an accident and wanted to come back after he could no longer work for a while. He was injured badly, and after a month of recovery wanted to come back. By this time the group had realized how much better we functioned without him. We ended up needing to have "the talk" while he was still brused and scarred. It was not fun, and the look of recrimination was painful (not to mention that he actually voiced his belief that we were all "against" him). I ended up doing more of the talking then I wanted to (I was not the GM at the time). We did not invite him back.

He has visited occasionally, and once he finished his Physical Treatments for his injuries I helped him find a job. He is a good person, but the gaming group functions better without him.

It just is not easy.

 

[SemperJase]

Give him the chance to change.

Tell him that the group does not enjoy the current circumstances and tell him the reasons you told us.

There is a chance that he will be offended and leave the group on his own. There is also a chance that he will change and the group will be better.
Above all, treat him with the same respect and dignity with which you would like to be treated.

Finally, if it does not change, and the group still wants him to leave, be up front with him.

 

[Scott814thmpco]

Hi-
One of the best ways to deal with such a player is to kill his character off early in the game. Then let him either sit at the table
or leave, its up to him. After doing this for a couple of sessions he may either come around and cool his jets or he will be a no go at this session.



Scott

 

[madriel]

During our last campaign we had five people leave the group over a three year period. One merely left to play Evercrack, another decided to take a break and one followed his wife out of the group. The remaining two had to go because of personality conflicts. Both of them admitted that they had no real reason for disliking the two players who stayed on, they just felt they couldn't work with them.

We're well rid of the one guy who was a Chaotic Insane Hack n Slasher. Our DM broke up the group, then asked back the people he wanted in his campaign. It was hard to leave out the married couple because they'd been friends his for almost 10 years. Sometimes there's no choice.

You're not obligated to entertain him, Joe. It's his problem if he can't play well with others. Tell him straight out his antics are spoiling things for everybody. If he can change, fine. Then he can come back. I really think you're better off without him.

It hurts to lose a friend but he's not much of a friend to you if he pulls this crap all the time.

 

[lbcadden]

How I have handled similar situations.

1. Lone Wolf trick: i.e. leaves party to explore on own. Goes off without party on numerous jaunts in city, exploring sewers, etc...

.Attacked, usually killed. Or handle these out of game ie ( You did it, nothing interesting.)

2. Says things and then when asked if certain he's doing it, claims yes, then when results start coming in, says he would've never done that.

If you say it, you are doing it.

3. Bullies other characters based on his own power level and plots to kill other characters when he doesn't like the players.

Do not ever allow evil characters, at least not for a campaign.

20 years gaming only had 2 problem players, both a**holes in real life too.

 

[JoeGKushner]

If you really want to avoid a messy confrontation, change the time and place of the game, "forget" to tell him, and avoid him until he's forgotten about it. (Yes, we have done this with someone who wouldn't change, couldn't accept criticism, and was a big problem. Then again, we didn't even have to change because the guy was so irresponsible that he couldn't even remember when the game time was. We just stopped reminding him of the time.)

I am very opposed to this. It's way to high school for me. If we drop him, it's going to be a face to face thing. I've seen where groups have fallen apart because you do it to the guy who deserves it, and then other players think that hey, I liked that dude, maybe their going to do it to me. I think after reading some of the great responses here, I'm probably going to have to have a long sit down with him.