What do you do with a cheating player!

[Shallown]

I like rolling in the open. My players do it and so do I.

I have plenty of table space so its not been a problem. I don't think any of my players would cheat maybe becuase they know I would spend the next year screwing their characters over in imaginative ways. Also they are not the sort to cheat anyways becuase to them its a game and for fun.

I had a DC heros player once who cheated all the time. he would stand off in one corner rolling away from everyone and making all sorts of incredible rolls. For everyone of his incredible rolls the bad guys got one as well. So even if he did come by that roll honestly it ended up being to his disadvantage. back in those days I would have more tolerance than now.

I think my tolerance level is now; I tell you to stop and you stop or you leave. I can't see the point in cheating and don't have much respect for people who can't get away with it. I expect smarter players who at least if they cheat do it in a quiet unassuming manner and get away with it leaving me none the wiser.

later

 

[mmadsen]

What'll we do with a cheatin' player

What'll we do with a cheatin' player,
What'll we do with a cheatin' player,
What'll we do with a cheatin' player,
Earl-aye in the morning?

Chorus:
Way hay and up she rises
Patent blocks o' diff'rent sizes,
Way hay and up she rises
Earl-aye in the morning

1. Sling him in the long boat till he's sober,
2. Keep him there and make 'im bale 'er.
3. Pull out the plug and wet him all over,
4. Take 'im and shake 'im, try an' wake 'im.
5. Trice him up in a runnin' bowline.
6. Give 'im a taste of the bosun's rope-end.
7. Give 'im a dose of salt and water.
8. Stick on 'is back a mustard plaster.
9. Shave his belly with a rusty razor.
10. Send him up the crow's nest till he falls down,
11. Tie him to the taffrail when she's yardarm under,
12. Put him in the scuppers with a hose-pipe on him.
13. Soak 'im in oil till he sprouts flippers.
14. Put him in the guard room till he's sober.
15. Put him in bed with the captain's daughter*).
16. Take the Baby and call it Bo'sun.
17. Turn him over and drive him windward.
18. Put him in the scuffs until the horse bites on him.
19. Heave him by the leg and with a rung console him.
20. That's what we'll do with the cheatin' player.

 

[mythago]

they're a good friend and I don't want to fall out with them over a game.

The problem here isn't "a game." The problem is that he is being dishonest and selfish, and is forcing the rest of you to put up with it by holding the friendship hostage. The fact that he is doing this over something extremely trivial isn't really the point.

I don't frankly understand why you are in any way hesitant about the "all dice get rolled and viewed by the DM" rule. It means nobody gets accused, it prevents any OTHER fudging from other players you haven't caught yet, and it means the people who did roll something honestly don't need to worry about that being questioned.

If your 'friend' gets his tighty-whities in a wad about the rule, don't buckle. Just blandly say "Why do you have a problem with this rule?"

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Thanks for the input! Lots of really good ideas here.

I've been through them and here is my draft solution!

I think people are right: I should discuss the thing with the player. First approach will be in a 'parable' kind of way - I was playing in my other group last week when the GM caught a player fiddling a dice roll - the GM got really cross, shouting match, throwing dice, etc. Going to refer to it as just 'changing a dice roll' rather than 'cheating'.

Basically make it clear that:
a)I don't think it's the worst thing at the world.
b)It isn't acceptable in my new campaign.
c)I know they've been doing it.
d)Lets not make a big deal out of it.

'dice on the table' and 'I didn't see it, it didn't happen' rules will be put in place. If anyone asks, I'm going to say 'because I'm the DM'.

I'm going to get the guy to sit near me, so I can keep a close eye on things. I will sit one of the other players on the other side and tell them to keep a more obvious eye on things.

As it was put earlier: a little extra 'carrot' might not hurt for this player: interesting subplots spun from bad skill checks, etc. These tend to happen anyway, but I'll make a special note to do that with them. Make it clear that under normal circumstances, I'm not going to stuff them completely for a single failed dice roll.

I'll see how it goes from there!

If it doesn't work then I'll consider doing whatever the hell this is:

18. Put him in the scuffs until the horse bites on him.

How does this sound?

 

[Painfully]

Chances are you knew what needed to be done before you ever posted here on the boards. Just be honest, and continue to be a friend. Everything else will happen as it should.

 

[diaglo]

just don't cheat yourself or the others of the opportunity to enjoy the game, if you spend too much time worrying about how to correct the problem or how to make an issue of it.

 

[Piratecat]

There's another alternative, Al. Just send him a link to this thread.

 

[NeghVar]

Two words - DICE TOWER. It solved all the dice cheating in our games...

Hope it helps!

 

[Mercule]

Well, I know you've made up your mind and all, but if your way doesn't work, would you at least consider electrocuting him? You could sell tickets and buy some new books with the money.

 

[JoeGKushner]

For me, it's pretty simple. I have little PC cards, I use the monster cards from The Game Mechanics, that I have the player's write down all of their information. I have a dice boll. I can see what their total bonuses are on the paper and do the calculation in my head so I know what they hit, what saving throw they made, what DC check they made, etc...

If I catch the person outright cheating, I hand him a blank piece of paper and a pen and tell him to tell me how the rest of the game goes since he's more interested in fiction, i.e. that which did not happen, as opposed to reality.

If he's stupid, and I hate to say it, people who can't do basic math tend to fall under my stupid radar, I give them different cards where they can use them like add and subtraction sheets for things like power attack. If they can't get it after that, they're gone.

At 32, I just feel that I'm too old to be holding someone's hand over a game.