Eltab
Lord of the Hidden Layer
After DM'ing a session that featured passive-aggressive PvP ("I give her a push then stand back and laugh while she is in deadly danger and has to be rescued."), I talked with several of the participants privately and next session to the group as a whole. I flat-out stated that the group was going to behave like a group, not a bunch of backstabbers or solo-stunt'ers. Anybody who couldn't get their character to behave so, was welcome to leave and/or not come back next week. (Nobody dropped out.)
I was able to get away with this because the group was sponsored by the FLGS which hosted us; we were supposed to be providing an environment where people could try out D&D and decide they liked it.
Had I been part of a group of friends, I would have started a group discussion aiming at an informal Code of Conduct instead of handing down an Edict.
Save everybody at least one headache - discuss this during Session 0.
I was able to get away with this because the group was sponsored by the FLGS which hosted us; we were supposed to be providing an environment where people could try out D&D and decide they liked it.
Had I been part of a group of friends, I would have started a group discussion aiming at an informal Code of Conduct instead of handing down an Edict.
Save everybody at least one headache - discuss this during Session 0.