What to do about Greedy Players?

[katzemagische]

I'm currently running a game that contains a seasoned player and a relatively new player, who, I might add is seriously hogging all the gp's and magic items. My question to you is... what would you do to stop the insanity by doing more than restricting the amount of gp's and magic items found? Something that would hit close to the the PC's heart, without be too obvious. Something devious!




Katzemagische

 

[hong]

I see treasure distribution as something more in the players' court than the DM's. Are the other players annoyed by what's going on? Or do they not mind the new guy getting some extra goodies?

If they don't mind, then you don't have a problem. Everyone on the other side of the table is happy, so let them continue to be happy. If they do mind, then you could speak to the new guy out-of-game, and tell him to tone down his treasure hogging.

Dealing with this thing in-game is not something you want to do. It'll just make the guy think you're out to get him, and make him resentful. Which is generally not a good thing, assuming you want to keep him around.

 

[sabinerak]

In the case that the other players are bothered (and don't assume they aren't bothered just because they don't say anything. They could just be trying to act polite about it.), they could designate a trusted individual to collect all of the loot and then split it up at the end of each session or whenever appropriate and then everyone gets a fair share. The groups I'm in do this oftentimes anyway even though we don't really have the greedy player problem that I've noticed. It's just easier.

Yes, someone might be "roleplaying" a greedy character and thus it would "make sense" for them to be grabby with the loot, but I think in these sorts of circumstances it's better for the game as a whole to limit this sort of "roleplaying" unless it's really necessary for a plot and all the players are sincerely agreeable about it. (As in not just being polite.)

 

[DiFier]

It depends how it is done. if it is done out of charachter like after the adventure the players inventory what they got. They have a +1 shocking long sword a +2 chain shirt a master work silver dagger, A necklace of fireballs, glove of storing, a pair of winged boots, a Helm of warding, 8 potions and a broken medium cross bow and the player in question says You guys can Have the potions and the cross bow I get everything else and the other playsers don't complaign It might not be your problem. You might want to ask the other players about it. but if they don't complaign well . . .

If he is doing it in charachter like a player I played with who would try to hide the treasure he found and keep it to himself then I think you should have everyone else be allowed to make a spot check to notice. and later wisdom checks when he uses the items. "hey that's a flaming sword! why didn't you use that against the Frost giant that almost killed bill?"

I think that charachter should be allowed to keep secrets from each other but when you are stealing from the party that little secret can destroy groups.

The other thing is that this new guy might think that this is the way the game works. Then he plays with another group and they flip of on him for being a greedy person. He might not understand. Bad players are sometimes caused or at least perpetuated by DM's and players who don't reign them in.

 

[Tabarnak Smokeblower]

Don't forget to reduce his movement speed if he's carrying too much loot (50 coins = 1 lb)

TS

 

[Hand of Evil]

Taxes and thieves but this will force them to hide it better. But the question you have to ask yourself and the player is where are you keeping all that gold? Bank? Hole in the woods? Investments? As many places to put it, it can be taken away.

Start reducing the amount of gold, use art, silver, copper, or collector items for treasure. Think Iraq, what did people see as treasure, a lot of chairs!

 

[Macbeth]

A trap that teleports the offending player into a room full of theives and advanced rust mosnters. Lots of rust monsters. Dozens of theives, nay, hundreds of theives! and a multitude of Rust monsters, mwuha ha ha ha ha ha!

And the tarrasque, just for good measure, MWUHA HA HA HA HA HAA HA !

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

How does he get all the extra stuff? Do the other players mind? How is treasure split up amongst your group.

In my group, we do an even split with money and any items we find are given to those who want them. If more than one person wants one, it is decided amongst the lot of us who is best suited to use it for the greater good.

 

[Grishnak]

Use Mordenkainens Disjunction with a higher saving throw, a good few of the items will be kerput and then just say something such as 'if the items were spread out more then there would be more left for further encounters rather than having all your eggs in 1 basket' Or how about a polymorphed dragon comes into camp/room and steals the magic items from said char thus giving a good adventure later on.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Cursed items.

Maybe a magnetized piece of armor, which metal weapons stick to (DC 25 Strength check to pry weapon off). The first time he can't attack in combat, he'll start to learn.

If she's a spell caster, how about a ring of feeblemindedness? Appears to be a ring of X (invisibility, flying, whatever). And maybe really is, for about 3 uses. Once it's on and the player tries to activate it for the 4th time, the true nature is revealed.

To be super mean, cursed items can only be removed by Wish, Limited Wish, or Miracle. To be regular mean, they can only be removed by Remove Curse.

There's always the old first edition standards like "Helm of Opposing Alignment" and "Belt of Opposite Gender" (actually called a "Girdle" I think, but that name is a dead give-away in 3e).

If the character is Good, perhaps a shift to a Neutral alignment might be in order. If the character is a cleric, paladin, or other divine worshipper, this alignment shift could have bad consequences for the PC.

Those are "in game" solutions. Out of game, you might try talking to the player in private. Or talk to the other players. Maybe it's not a problem. But if it is, you have the power to make Greed hurt.