What do you do when you catch a player cheating...

[Darkness]

I tend to have bad things happen to cheaters.

Like reducing their XP total by 6,000 and giving these XP to another poster, err, PC?

 

[Outlaw]

Cheaters

I can't vote as the option that is closest to what I do isn't quite on. I've run into cheaters at convention play, which is where it really bothers me. It can be handled in one fashion or another in a home game by talking to the person or threatening to throw him out. But at a convention where you're not likely to run into that person again after the weekend is up, what do you do?

I don't have monsters "aid" one another as that leaves the rest of the party in a bit of a rut. Conveniently the biggest, baddest monster there just happens to hit regardless of the PC's armor class (one person required a 20 to be hit and for some reason, my dice were just really hot that day!).

It's a game. If you have to cheat at it, then there's something wrong. If you're dice can magically succeed all the time, conveniently so can your oppossition.

 

[Crothian]

Like reducing their XP total by 6,000 and giving these XP to another poster, err, PC?

Um, not exactly.

 

[Carnifex]

If I notice a cheater I cook 'em up with some spices and serve them as a nice curried stew.

Cheater-ifficly tasty

 

[Agamon]

Simple embarrassment by pointing out what he's doing in front of everyone else usually does the trick. Usually, though, everyone else already knows that he cheats, so he really shouldn't be embarrassed...

 

[Azure Trance]

Only one person admitted he cheated, and that was a fake critical. He said he only did it because he thought they were going to die otherwise against a minotaur. But he said he wasn't going to do it again, so...

 

[Zarthon]

Depends enormously on if I catch him...or if the players catch him. If the players catch him, it will depend a lot, but I'll most likely open it up to a vote to see if he/she stays in the group.

If I catch him, I'll let the player know in email or with a phone call that I saw what was going on...that I'm not 100% sure, but am still pretty certain it was cheating that I saw. I would make it clear that behavior like that will get your removed from the game, especially if the other players notice it. If he/she talks back or doesn't seem to care, I might boot them from the game.

There are a lot of environmental circumstances too. If the whole party has been paralyzed by the ghast and this guy fudges a save to make his and saves the party...I'll let it go.

If he does something or takes some action that screws other parties members or gains benefit for his character and not for the party...I'll be much less tolerant.

Cedric

I would proberly handle it the same way

 

[Warrior Psychic]

Violence is always the answer

If you catch one of your players cheating, hit them in the face with a heavy, blunt object.

Nothing stops cheating quicker than some good ol' fashioned bludgeoning trauma.

 

[drakhe]

From what I read here and in other threads, it seems to me that though there is some discussion on the subject (and it does happen, cheating that is) cheating is not all that common. I guess the majority of RPG'ers understand what the game is about, and as such don't cheat. And based on that understanding actualy police themselves. I noticed this behaviour in my game. Players politely and respectfully pointing out errors, mistakes or forgotten stuff to each other. This very much so makes for a very agreable game.

I agree absolutely with Outlaw, cheating at conventions is more dispicable even than at your home game. I guess cheaters might find it easier or are more daring at a convention because in most cases they'll never play with that group again. And since it is at a convention, they also make the RPG community look bad. (then again I'll never play or DM in a convention where the RPG's are organised as a trounament/competition. This competition aspect might kill the good spoirit of the game if you have the bad luck of having a player at your table who desperatly wants to win and'll do anything to win)

 

[The Forsaken One]

Heh I always cheat. At every game, at every chance. Not just with D&D, but with card games, sports, computer games. EVERYTHING.
And I always seem to get away with it anyway.

Quite good at it as well Well practise does make perfect