Why do I alwaus get one player......
- Thread starter Ellie_the_Elf
- Start date
sniffles
First Post
Nope, Ellie, you're definitely not alone. We have a regular player in our group who seems almost incapable of creating a PC that will mesh well with the rest of the party. For example, we decided to run a campaign in which our PCs would be fighter/wizards in a specialty mercenary group, and most of them would be human or at least humanoid. When we assemble to start the campaign, the player in question whips out his character sheet and reveals that he's playing a non-humanoid, non-magic using, slave.
Another player I know wanted to play an Oriental-type character. The setting did have a pseudo-Japan, but it was a long way from the location of the campaign. This setting also didn't have a "common" language. So the pseudo-Japanese character shows up and is completely incapable of communicating with the rest of the party.
I think it's important to let people do what they want in a roleplaying game, but there are limits. The GM shouldn't be required to go through a lot of difficulties to make a place for the PC that doesn't fit in. Players should keep in mind that roleplaying in a group is a cooperative enterprise.
Another player I know wanted to play an Oriental-type character. The setting did have a pseudo-Japan, but it was a long way from the location of the campaign. This setting also didn't have a "common" language. So the pseudo-Japanese character shows up and is completely incapable of communicating with the rest of the party.
I think it's important to let people do what they want in a roleplaying game, but there are limits. The GM shouldn't be required to go through a lot of difficulties to make a place for the PC that doesn't fit in. Players should keep in mind that roleplaying in a group is a cooperative enterprise.
NCSUCodeMonkey
Explorer
Yeah, I've seen it happen before. We had a campaign once where the entire northern end of the setting had been corrupted/overtaken by an undead "all devourer" worm that spewed undead. The entire party knew that the entire point of the campaign was to wade through the masses of undead and destroy the worm. So one party member decides to play a rouge specalized in--yep, you guess it--sneak attack!
I could go on and list other examples, but I think there's usually more to it than a player trying to be "difficult," although it can certainly seem so from a DM's perspective. Players who play the same character over and over again are probably similar to the Specailist (from Robin Laws Rules of Gaming). The entire reason they are in the game is to play their vision of a particular character type. Sure, it can get annoying, but look on the upside: you know what to expect! All you have to do is allow for the possibility of their character type in the campaign and they'll be happy playing it out.
The players who come up with contrary ideas probably spend a lot of time thinking about a character concept that sounds cool to them, something that many players don't do enough of! The problem being that they probably had the concept in mind before the campaign was announced. They're just convinced that the idea is "so cool" that it won't matter that they don't belong in the setting. DMs get the advantage of choosing a setting that sounds cool to them, we sometimes forget that the players may have ideas that they're itching to try out as well. With players like this, I usually try to 1) work their idea in 2) defer the idea to a later campaign 3) let them play it, after all, if it's too far out there the character will probably go down in blazes during the first few minutes. I.e. a necromancer in the company of followers of Lathlander
Of course, that's all conjecture. The players could do it just to be annoying or for 1,000 other reasons. However, I've found the above two situations to be most common IMCs.
NCSUCodeMonkey
I could go on and list other examples, but I think there's usually more to it than a player trying to be "difficult," although it can certainly seem so from a DM's perspective. Players who play the same character over and over again are probably similar to the Specailist (from Robin Laws Rules of Gaming). The entire reason they are in the game is to play their vision of a particular character type. Sure, it can get annoying, but look on the upside: you know what to expect! All you have to do is allow for the possibility of their character type in the campaign and they'll be happy playing it out.
The players who come up with contrary ideas probably spend a lot of time thinking about a character concept that sounds cool to them, something that many players don't do enough of! The problem being that they probably had the concept in mind before the campaign was announced. They're just convinced that the idea is "so cool" that it won't matter that they don't belong in the setting. DMs get the advantage of choosing a setting that sounds cool to them, we sometimes forget that the players may have ideas that they're itching to try out as well. With players like this, I usually try to 1) work their idea in 2) defer the idea to a later campaign 3) let them play it, after all, if it's too far out there the character will probably go down in blazes during the first few minutes. I.e. a necromancer in the company of followers of Lathlander
Of course, that's all conjecture. The players could do it just to be annoying or for 1,000 other reasons. However, I've found the above two situations to be most common IMCs.
NCSUCodeMonkey
Most of the inappropriate characters I've encountered as a GM come from 3 main sources:
1) Player stuck in a rut- absolutely must play the same kind of PC every time. Sometimes its lack of imagination, sometimes its comfort level with a particular PC type and he doesn't want to branch out.
2) Player wasn't paying attention to campaign background or party composition. "Whaddaya mean, the 2 paladins in the party gang up on me and kill me? How did they know I was CE?...They "detected evil" on their own party? THAT'S NOT RIGHT!"
3) Emulation of the main hero or badguy from the last movie they saw. "I know its a Victorian steampunk campaign, but I think I can play a PC based on Chow Yun Fat's character from "The One" if I tweek the background juuuuuust right..."
When I do it, its because I'm trying to be creative in order not to be bored. Case in point- I'm playing in a group that has been playing Vanilla D&D for 5 years now- good guys, but definitely designing campaigns by the book. I'm trying to stay interested, so I come up with some pretty outlandish concepts (though I avoid the various race templates- ugh!)- but so far, none have passed muster. The closest I came was a Minotaur the DM tentatively approved, but the other players didn't want me to do it. End of story. *sigh*
1) Player stuck in a rut- absolutely must play the same kind of PC every time. Sometimes its lack of imagination, sometimes its comfort level with a particular PC type and he doesn't want to branch out.
2) Player wasn't paying attention to campaign background or party composition. "Whaddaya mean, the 2 paladins in the party gang up on me and kill me? How did they know I was CE?...They "detected evil" on their own party? THAT'S NOT RIGHT!"
3) Emulation of the main hero or badguy from the last movie they saw. "I know its a Victorian steampunk campaign, but I think I can play a PC based on Chow Yun Fat's character from "The One" if I tweek the background juuuuuust right..."
When I do it, its because I'm trying to be creative in order not to be bored. Case in point- I'm playing in a group that has been playing Vanilla D&D for 5 years now- good guys, but definitely designing campaigns by the book. I'm trying to stay interested, so I come up with some pretty outlandish concepts (though I avoid the various race templates- ugh!)- but so far, none have passed muster. The closest I came was a Minotaur the DM tentatively approved, but the other players didn't want me to do it. End of story. *sigh*
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Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
HeapThaumaturgist said:
The whale, or the guy?
I submitted a Baleen Monk for a PbEM once. When the DM accepted the character, I realised the chance the game would actually happen was pretty low
-Hyp.
Shemeska
Adventurer
One player after having just successfully roleplayed his PC out of the game (just when I'd gotten to really liking the character) was given a good bit of choice in taking a character to use temporarily as a PC for a plot arc in Pandemonium before.
What did they choose? A lilland bard.
A bard. In Pandemonium.
...
In Pandemonium, near Howlers Crag, where any sound in drowned out and useless beyond about ten feet.
*facepalm*
To tell the truth I didn't feel bad later when that character got sawed in half.
What did they choose? A lilland bard.
A bard. In Pandemonium.
...
In Pandemonium, near Howlers Crag, where any sound in drowned out and useless beyond about ten feet.
*facepalm*
To tell the truth I didn't feel bad later when that character got sawed in half.
First things first- new characters coming into a new or existing campaign, first question- "what are you making? Use ten to a hundred words or until I stop you."
"That won't work. You will not be happy with that character. Try again."
"You have a paladin in the group and you expect to play an evil character. Try again."
"This is a city based campaign, that will not work. Try again."
It sounds kinda mean, and cold to squash the player imagination like that, but its either that or the campaign is hurt and he has no fun.
Eventually he will get a clue and ask you- "what would you suggest?" Now you have a Player using his head.
"That won't work. You will not be happy with that character. Try again."
"You have a paladin in the group and you expect to play an evil character. Try again."
"This is a city based campaign, that will not work. Try again."
It sounds kinda mean, and cold to squash the player imagination like that, but its either that or the campaign is hurt and he has no fun.
Eventually he will get a clue and ask you- "what would you suggest?" Now you have a Player using his head.
Chimera
First Post
Me: "The game setting, or this region anyway, is 99% Human, <1% Dwarf. You can play a Gnome or a Halfling, but no one has ever seen one and it will be a bit hard. Every other race is a hated enemy. Basically everyone is going to be Human or Dwarf."
Prospective Player: "Can I play a half-troll?"
Me: "No. Human or Dwarf."
PP: "Why not? I like playing odd races!"
Me: "You will be seen as a monster by everyone and killed on sight. Play a Human or a Dwarf."
PP: "How about a Half-Ogre?"
Me: "No. (repeat explanation)"
PP: "Can I play a Gnoll?"
Me: (frustrated, explain setting again)
PP: "Can I play a (equally unacceptable monster race)?"
Me: "Maybe you shouldn't play in my game."
PP: whine whine whine, "you're not being fair!"
Me: (happy not to know this person anymore)
You know, if he wasn't going to be happy playing a Human or a Dwarf, then he wasn't going to be happy playing in the game. At some point he should have gotten the clue and decided that perhaps he shouldn't play that particular game. Or if he really wanted to play with that particular group of people, then he should have adjusted his expectations and made an effort to play the setting. I'm not interested in coddling or negotiating with people who can't get that.
"Oh sure. You can play a half-troll. And despite the xenophobic nature of the local culture, YOU will be welcome in every town and inn, trusted by everyone and even loved by small children and animals. Just because you're a PC."
Yeah, sure.
Prospective Player: "Can I play a half-troll?"
Me: "No. Human or Dwarf."
PP: "Why not? I like playing odd races!"
Me: "You will be seen as a monster by everyone and killed on sight. Play a Human or a Dwarf."
PP: "How about a Half-Ogre?"
Me: "No. (repeat explanation)"
PP: "Can I play a Gnoll?"
Me: (frustrated, explain setting again)
PP: "Can I play a (equally unacceptable monster race)?"
Me: "Maybe you shouldn't play in my game."
PP: whine whine whine, "you're not being fair!"
Me: (happy not to know this person anymore)
You know, if he wasn't going to be happy playing a Human or a Dwarf, then he wasn't going to be happy playing in the game. At some point he should have gotten the clue and decided that perhaps he shouldn't play that particular game. Or if he really wanted to play with that particular group of people, then he should have adjusted his expectations and made an effort to play the setting. I'm not interested in coddling or negotiating with people who can't get that.
"Oh sure. You can play a half-troll. And despite the xenophobic nature of the local culture, YOU will be welcome in every town and inn, trusted by everyone and even loved by small children and animals. Just because you're a PC."
Yeah, sure.
TheEvil
Explorer
Harmon said:Eventually he will get a clue and ask you- "what would you suggest?" Now you have a Player using his head.
Sadly, this tactic doesn't always work. On several occasion I have asked the GM what kind of campaign it would be so I could determine what kind of character would be appropriate. THe response was often as not 'oh, make whatever you want, I'll make sure it fits in the game.' About half the time, what followed was a campaign that had a very definate theme and no effort was made by the GM to fit in characters that didn't fit the theme. :\
I mean, I ASKED...
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