Things that annoy you as DM?

[demiurge1138]

Players who tell you too late about a health warning on the label of a bottle of hot sauce you eat 1/3 of with one of them that read 'Do not consume if you have heart or lung problems, use caution around children and the elderly. Use diluted drop-wise in food, not intended for direct human consumption." This then leads to a capsaicin and endorphin high, pot level giggle fits, deleriousness, and finally the 24 hours of horrific cramping. Curse you my players, curse you...

That sounds like fun, actually...

Oh, something on topic!
Players who don't actually know the rules of the game.
Players who play non-spontaneous casters and don't prepare their spells.
Players who don't keep track of spells used.
Players who bring laptops to the gaming table.
Players who wander away during the game.
Players who yell at you for getting off track once you're trying to get everyone else on.
Players who enjoy random TPKs and other party-screws.
Players who, due to a disagreement with one player, take it out on the whole group.
Players who completely disrespect your attempts of creating a plot.
Players who decide to create their own plot mid-game.
Players who whine when they're in a situation they aren't optimized for (rogues vs. undead, for example).
Players who make stupid decisions and then say, "oh, out of game!" in order to save their skins.

Whew. I feel a bit better.
Demiurge out.

 

[Creamsteak]

Players who enjoy random TPKs and other party-screws.

Guilty...

 

[demiurge1138]

Guilty...

Actually, so am I. But my TPKs are always well-reasoned and in-character. It's the random aspect that really bugs me.

Demiurge out.

 

[Ricochet]

Must be deleted

 

[Ricochet]

Blighting lot

Must be deleted.

 

[Ricochet]

Players who don't keep track of spells used.
Players who, due to a disagreement with one player, take it out on the whole group.
Players who whine when they're in a situation they aren't optimized for (rogues vs. undead, for example).

I can certainly relate to these.. Also:

Players who takes everything in-game as a personal attack on them as persons.

Players who have to argue every little rule every single time.

Players who use cell phones during game, without a very good excuse.. I absolutely loathe this, as I think it is very disrespectful!

Players who always hit the toilet seat when going to the bathroom.

Players who hang around at dinnertime to get free meals and later on goes into your kitchen to find snacks without your permission.

Players who can't cope with some good puzzles, since they have played too much Diablo and want to figure everything out as soon as they come across it.

Players not willing to try a new setting or gametype besides D&D Fantasy.

Players who interrupt a dramatic game moment to talk about their sex life (ugh!)

I have many more, but that was off the top of my head, also I can relate to a lot of the former posters problems too.. Most of this actually occures in my girlfriends game, when I GM I don't have all these problems, but that is also a different batch of players, hehe

Edit: Whoa, a triple post, could a friendly mod delete the two above please?

 

[Trainz]

My main irking is the late-shows or early leavers. I understand that such things are sometimes necessary (we all have jobs, and most of the group has shift work), but arriving 2 hours later to a four hour session wastes my time and theirs.

I don't know if I came up with this, or if I read it somewhere on these boards, but here's what I do.

We game from 6 to 11, period. If at 6 a player is missing, I hand the character sheet to one of the present players, and he plays his character and the missing character. While he does this (until the late player arrives and takes his sheet), I give the late character only 75% of his XP, and I give the guy stuck with playing two characters 125% of his own XP. It rewards having to go through the hassle.

In fact, this has actually encouraged players to play late or missing characters "Oh me ! Pick me ! Give me his sheet !".

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I don't know if I came up with this, or if I read it somewhere on these boards, but here's what I do.

We game from 6 to 11, period. If at 6 a player is missing, I hand the character sheet to one of the present players, and he plays his character and the missing character. While he does this (until the late player arrives and takes his sheet), I give the late character only 75% of his XP, and I give the guy stuck with playing two characters 125% of his own XP. It rewards having to go through the hassle.

In fact, this has actually encouraged players to play late or missing characters "Oh me ! Pick me ! Give me his sheet !".

125% xp you say?

I'd get off work early... go round the other players houses... slash their tires and put sugar in the petrol tanks. That ought to slow them up.

Then I'd win and get all the prizes!

 

[Null Boundry]

Players who are convinced that their alignment is what is says on their charecter sheets not their action. Yes I blew up the bus full of nuns and regulaly torute blind orphans but it says LG on my sheet.

Players who buy a book, use it to design a charecter but refuse to let the DM or other players see it.

Players whose idea of personal hygiene is watching an advert for soap.

Players who think the world should revolve around gaming. If the DMs wife is rushed to hospital don't complain because he cancelled the game.

Players who after being told what the game is decide its boring without giving it a chance. So they just sit there and whinge.

Players who can't understand the DM/other players needs atleast hours sleep before having to go to work. You may be unemployed of scrounging of your parents but don't assume everyone else is.

Players who think having charecters that are wankers is fun and builds team spirit.

 

[Kichwas]

Players who bring laptops to the gaming table.
Players who decide to create their own plot mid-game.

I consider these two to be optimal players - the sort I try to recruit and encourage.