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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BookTenTiger" data-source="post: 8124256" data-attributes="member: 6685541">Reminder: This is from a teacher's perspective. It's called Why Player Misbehave... but I could just as easily have called it Why Human Beings Misbehave... If you want to disagree with me, you are free to, but I really encourage anyone who disagrees to come up with other reasons players misbehave and other solutions!This next one is a problem I see at the table where I play all the time. 3. Perceived IncompetenceWhat it looks like: Player gives up on turn ("I don't know, I don't do anything"), player "forgets" the rules, player suddenly struggles to add numbers, player accuses others or GM of cheating...Why it's a problem: RPGs can be pretty complicated, and players who feel like they cannot grasp the rules often feel as if the game, or other players, have an advantage over them, and may act out because of that.During the session: Simplify the rule for the player ("Don't worry about the grapple rules, just make an Athletics check..."). Make a GM judgment call and say you can look up the specific rules after the game. Switch from a mechanical storytelling mode to a theatre-of-mind storytelling mode. Encourage the player just to describe their action, and handle the mechanics yourself. Revoice the player's hesitations as an in-character decision ("Your barbarian takes some time to carefully study the battlefield. Don't worry about this round, you can join in next round when you are ready.").Before the next session: Offer to review the game rules with the player. Create reference materials for the player character's mechanics or often confusing game mechanics. Make the consequences of success and failure more transparent. Collaborate with the player to create some communication tools you can use together to simplify their choices in combat (Player: "I am going to Smite him with my sword!" GM: "Okay, you roll a 12, which gives you a 19, hitting the enemy. Cross out one spell slot, you do a total of 24 damage!")</blockquote>

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