Taming of the PCs

[TheEvil]

I have and they were focused for about two sessions. They're starting to get alittle crazy again. To be honest, it's really only one person that just seem to cause the chain reaction of disobedience in my group. I've talk to him and he's like a brick wall with ear plugs! I'm honestly thinking that just booting him is the best choice. I just want to know if there could be an alternative.

How does the rest of the group feel about this person? Would there be trouble if he was booted? As far as that solving the problem, there is every possiblity that one of the others would be a more apparent problem if he was gone.

 

[Zaryus]

I'm more worried of the personal repercussions, this person is my friend. Maybe I should just tell him D&D isn't his game. How bout that? Does that sound like a plan?

 

[TheEvil]

I'm more worried of the personal repercussions, this person is my friend. Maybe I should just tell him D&D isn't his game. How bout that? Does that sound like a plan?

With that information in mind, I would say you should sit down and talk with him. Tell him you are his friend, but that if he can't stop being so disruptive to the game that you have to ask him to leave it. Do understand that no matter how diplomatically you approach this, it may cost you a friendship.

 

[genshou]

Warning: the following solution is ridiculously harsh and should be ignored. In fact, why am I posting it?

Make this player's PC the one "solely responsible" for a TPK. That'll shut 'em up.

Signed,
genshou, an overenthusiastically Rat Bastard DM

 

[ThoughtBubble]

Ask yourself if it's better to risk getting him angry about talking with him, asking him not to come back, or putting up with it. You may need to do one of them.

Anyway, things that can help. Talking about it helps. Mention a couple of nice things first though. Also, bribery works wonders, as does saying things like "Listen, I need your help with this, see the next couple of sessions really need to do x, and if you could y than z would be possible."

 

[Graf]

Banning is a strong word...
wait..
its the only solution....

Sometimes people don't work out. Then you get rid of them.

This is life.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

I would clarify that said behaviour is making the game not fun for yourself & that you don't want to play a game that isn't fun. After a month of not playing ask people if they want to give it another go? In other words hang tough & call their bluff.

 

[Henry]

The DMG2 has some interesting advice on this topic... it advises you to see if it's possible to give the player a creative outlet in the form of some "planned" mayhem - an NPC that just BEGS to be taken down a notch, or a mission in which causing as much chaos as possible in another town is the goal, etc. Someone with a "creative chaotic" outlet will seek out trouble if they're expected to be straightlaced all the time.

If this does not work, see if you can talk with the player and the group to see how you can come to an accomodation. If it's not the player who is hard to work with, but just hard to work with them in-game, then this can be doable.

 

[genshou]

The DMG2 has some interesting advice on this topic... it advises you to see if it's possible to give the player a creative outlet in the form of some "planned" mayhem - an NPC that just BEGS to be taken down a notch, or a mission in which causing as much chaos as possible in another town is the goal, etc. Someone with a "creative chaotic" outlet will seek out trouble if they're expected to be straightlaced all the time.

If this does not work, see if you can talk with the player and the group to see how you can come to an accomodation. If it's not the player who is hard to work with, but just hard to work with them in-game, then this can be doable.

As a corollary to the above, careful planning can make this "planned" mayhem seem to instigate the usual repercussions, but somehow another adventuring group in the area ends up getting blamed and taken down. Preferably a group the PCs have seen before and know are fairly powerful. That'll help to reinforce the idea that these kinds of acts aren't appropriate all the time, thus "killing three birds with one stone!" - the goddess Urd, from the anime Oh! My Goddess (in English)