New answers tagged problem-players
-1
votes
How to stop a player from looking up monster stat blocks in combat?
Provide the PCs with the monster stat blocks yourself.
Simply put, before the game, print off copies of all the stat blocks for the monsters you're using, and hand them out to the players when they ...
- 13k
2
votes
How to stop a player from looking up monster stat blocks in combat?
TL;DR Let the group decide
Is it really "unfair" for a player to be familiar with monsters? While it seems unfair for a player to be googling the monsters for the current encounter, even if ...
- 7,880
12
votes
How to stop a player from looking up monster stat blocks in combat?
Have you asked them why they are doing this?
There are actually a number of reasons that players might do this, and how to deal with it kind of depends on the ‘why’. Actual reasons that I’ve seen ...
- 1,887
5
votes
How to stop a player from looking up monster stat blocks in combat?
Don't use the monsters as depicted in the Monster Manual.
If the players constantly look up the stats for monsters... alter them. That way they can't use the MM and if they argue that it's not in the ...
- 32.8k
15
votes
How to stop a player from looking up monster stat blocks in combat?
Others have noted various ways to handle metagaming, but there's a deeper problem. You did a previous question noting that your combat was too long and you lacked chances to roleplay. Your player may ...
- 16.7k
-5
votes
How to stop a player from looking up monster stat blocks in combat?
First : Ask the player to not Do that (already seen in previous responses)
Second : Disguise your monsters (already seen in previous responses)
Third : Punish , when previous did not work
If asking ...
29
votes
How to stop a player from looking up monster stat blocks in combat?
An additional suggestion to Tal's correct answer is, in addition to reskinning, you can also make basic changes to some well-known monsters without having to create a whole new monster.
Take a troll ...
- 2,053
49
votes
How to stop a player from looking up monster stat blocks in combat?
I'll offer two solutions, and recommend you perform both of them, though either one might be sufficient.
First, tell this player that they are making the game less fun for you, and for the other ...
- 3,468
-2
votes
Player wants to play their one favorite character and nothing else, but that character can't work in this setting
Is the problem some backstory or theme of the character that does transfer well? or just the knowledge that they "exist" somewhere else?
The former you'd just have to say no. That's like ...
- 37
-3
votes
How to deal with players who like to use the local authorities to solve their problems
Cops don't exist
Did you know that in medieval times, there were no city cops? Police are actually a modern invention[1], I'm not sure why they're even in most D&D campaigns. There's a solution ...
- 23
-4
votes
Player wants to play their one favorite character and nothing else, but that character can't work in this setting
Have them be a reincarnated isekai
Their character's real soul has been reincarnated in a local version. There's no way to travel back and forth, and no access to the other plane or any magic from it. ...
- 16.7k
50
votes
Player wants to play their one favorite character and nothing else, but that character can't work in this setting
“I’m here for the basketball tournament” ... “Sir, this is the table tennis club.”
This is basically the conversation I’m hearing. You and the rest of the group have showed up to play one sort of game,...
- 131k
47
votes
Accepted
Player wants to play their one favorite character and nothing else, but that character can't work in this setting
Understand their underlying motivation
Like in every negotiation, often one of the most powerful things you can do is to understand the real, underlying needs of the other party. It is not uncommon ...
- 64.5k
30
votes
Player wants to play their one favorite character and nothing else, but that character can't work in this setting
"I'm afraid this is not a good fit and I wish you luck finding a game that suits you better."
I would strongly advise you to let the player go. Be polite but tell them firmly that they will ...
- 6,264
18
votes
Player wants to play their one favorite character and nothing else, but that character can't work in this setting
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out”
This player has trouble written all over them. Tell them to move along and consider yourself fortunate to have avoided them. Write their name in your little black book ...
- 198k
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