Whining & Complaining

[D'karr]

Part of a DM's "job" is to make sure players have fun and to give them "spotlight time," usually a chance to shine but in this case...a chance to do anything at all."

She should have had her roll her craft(knitting) roll several times while the party actually got to do something. If they were in combat she should have added her to the initiative and made her roll on her turn.

It would have been a lovely stole...

They the party choose not to go back and get the other PC. I think the majority were irritated with her refusing to come in the first place.

Seems like the party, including her husband, chose to ostracize her. Seems like he might have gotten a talking to that night and had to send a clear message to the DM that he would not take that anymore... LOL

 

[billd91]

I like that being a non-drinker makes someone a bore. *eyeroll*.

I think you're inferring more of a causal relationship than is necessary. There are plenty of things to do in the local inn or tavern that don't involve drinking. You'd generally be a non-drinker AND a bore to be the type of character who hides away in your room at the inn/tavern.

 

[Krensky]

Plus, I'd assume that giving a "lone wolf" player some personal solo quest during the group game will only encourage him to split from the group more often. From the sound of it, your player definitely sounds like the type that would do that.

I love it though when a PC won't join in the fun with the tavern scenarios and goes off to their room instead (usually cause the PC doesn't drink and is generally a bore). Then something cool & interesting happens in the tavern (sometimes relating directly to their quest) and the player sits there squirming in his seat because he wishes he could be involved but knows his PC has no reason to suddenly leave his room.

As I've said before, I think one of the most important bits of GMing advice I eaver read was Paranoia's "The player's aren't your adversary... they're your entertainment."

I thoroughly believe the reverse is true though.

Players, entertain the GM before he has do it himself. A bored GM is a dangerous GM.

 

[Oryan77]

I like that being a non-drinker makes someone a bore. *eyeroll*

I never said not drinking makes you a bore. Yer trying to find insult where there is none.

When the party goes to do something idiotic, like consume alcohol,

So consuming alcohol is idiotic? Don't be a bore.

I think you're inferring more of a causal relationship than is necessary. There are plenty of things to do in the local inn or tavern that don't involve drinking. You'd generally be a non-drinker AND a bore to be the type of character who hides away in your room at the inn/tavern.

Thank you for explaining that.

I was thinking of it as being a bore because the PC just sits in his room while everyone else has a good time. I've seen plenty of PCs that don't drink that will still hang out in the tavern and relax, listen to the musicians, meet NPCs, maybe even socialize just to see if they pick up any chant about their quest. Usually they'll order food and have water or juice. The PC wants to be part of the group even if he isn't there to drink. If the PC never participates in the tavern scenario, then yep, I'll call him a bore cause he's being boring. The player is also being boring by just sitting there imagining her PC "sewing".

 

[Krensky]

Cause we all know a tavern is where all the action happens! Why, on an almost nightly basis, earth shattering events of dire political and world importance transpire at the bar stool.

That's historically accurate for large chunks of history though. Taverns, public houses, etc all were the centers of communication, trade, and socialization.

 

[Tuft]

Plus, I'd assume that giving a "lone wolf" player some personal solo quest during the group game will only encourage him to split from the group more often. From the sound of it, your player definitely sounds like the type that would do that.

I love it though when a PC won't join in the fun with the tavern scenarios and goes off to their room instead (usually cause the PC doesn't drink and is generally a bore). Then something cool & interesting happens in the tavern (sometimes relating directly to their quest) and the player sits there squirming in his seat because he wishes he could be involved but knows his PC has no reason to suddenly leave his room.

The one thing our group has found that works wonders for "Lone Wolf" situations is some kind of "Party Telepathy", whether by spell, magic item, or hi-tech earphones.

That way the party can spread out, each PC doing "their thing" when it comes to social encounters - the bard off to the taverns, the fighter to smithies, the cleric to the temples, the wizard to the library, etc. The DM can then throw tailored encounter at each PC, and the other PCs are not totally left out, but can participate with advice, encouragement, clues - or ribbing and joking if you like. If you've seen Robert Redford's breaking and entering in the movie Sneakers, then you know what I mean.

This also takes care of the "Face" problem; each player is always by necessity primary on their encounter, and have final say in what more or less helpful advice to implement.

So, if one player wants to gather information by knocking heads in low dives, while another sits in the temple, meditating and consulting the local spirits, then this allows it. And if one or the other activity turns sour and urgent help is needed; well, then it's fun to dig out the map and see how far off that help is, and see how long you can stall, barricade yourself, or otherwise hold out...

 

[Elf Witch]

I like that being a non-drinker makes someone a bore. *eyeroll*

Cause we all know a tavern is where all the action happens! Why, on an almost nightly basis, earth shattering events of dire political and world importance transpire at the bar stool. Why bother ever going to old abandoned castles, deep underground dungeons, or the fairy realms of the fey? All the excitement in any game happens right in your local watering hole!


This is why playing Rogues is awesome. When the party goes to do something idiotic, like consume alcohol, I can just go do something fun and of varying legality and be totally in character.

I don't know about the games you play in but in my world the local tavern is a great place to pick up clues, hear about legends and myths from traveling bards, rub elbows with the city guard and the thieves guild and wizards from the local wizard's school.

We have had plenty of PCs who don't drink and still enjoy going.

I know some DMs and players like having rogues who go on their own and do things. I am not one of them. Nothing is more irritating then a party rogue getting caught stealing in a town and then we have to figure out what to do.

The player doing this puts the entire party in jeopardy and the party had no say in it at all.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

I've long forgotten the name of the pseudo dragon familiar in one or our AD&D campaigns, but I do remember that I played the familiar as not really liking the name, and finally getting a bit irritated when the hafling rogue talked to him in baby talk. I looked up the entry and saw something about a strange sense of humor. So the familiar kept his reaction calm, but then initiated a series of practical jokes on the rogue, starting with leaving a rattlesnake in his bedroll.

Since the wizard player and the rogue player were always good naturedly ribbing each other in real life, this quickly turned into an in-game practical joke war. I think this session helped prepare the cleric and fighter players to have children later in life.

 

[Mark CMG]

As one of those players who would avoid tavern stuff since my PCs don't drink or want to deal with people when they do, (. . .)

(. . .)

"Go join the party in a social situation that you/your character will hate or do nothing at all" isn't a real "choice."

One PC not drinking and refusing any interaction in taverns (common rooms, long houses, and other places where one typical activity is drinking) is a character choice. None of your PCs drinking and avoiding all drinking establishments (despite other activities happening there of a non-drinking variety) is a player choice that I don't think you can expect the DM and other players to go far out of their way to accomodate. I don't think anyone would say that choice is wrong, but the consequences of that choice are yours to bear and likely it can be inconvenient for you sometimes. Passing the inconvenience on to a group of people who don't share the view that leads to your player choice is probably not going to fly with a majority of players. Some DMs ask a player (or players) to step out of the room if their PCs are not to be privvy to what is happening in-game. Perhaps you could find a book to read elsewhere in the gaming location, or involve yourself in some other activity like a console game or miniatures painting, when this comes up in your games.

 

[Oryan77]

Nothing is more irritating then a party rogue getting caught stealing in a town and then we have to figure out what to do.

Figuring out what to do is easy. Just do nothing.

I did that once. The rogue player went off on his own to sneak inside a warehouse. I was a rogue/fighter and knew better. I asked him not to do it, but he wanted to be the lone wolf (and I'm sure he thought he'd get his own loot and XP).

He got caught, got overwhelmed, and then our PCs saw the town guards hauling him down the street towards a building where they burn criminals. Everyone asked me what I thought we should do and I said, "I ain't doing a thing. There are too many guards and he got himself in this mess."

The player got pissed at us for not rescuing him. It was a 2e Dark Sun game and I wasn't about to risk being a hero for some idiot rogue. That's a rough setting to play in, you gotta play it smart.