New answers tagged problem-players
1
Implement the Red Rule from Exalted 3e.
Exalted 3e includes a rule that it refers to as “the Red Rule”, since it was intended for a more mature audience where sexual content might become relevant, so they included a rule intended to mitigate exactly this sort of problem behaviour.
The Red Rule
In almost all aspects, Exalted doesn’t mechanically ...
0
TLDR: The realistic setting can punish the character and not the person. Use his characters transgressions to punish him in game and turn it into a scenario that the other players enjoy (diplomacy, fighting, stealth, etc). This can also help drive your story forwards.
Many of the other answers have addressed ways to talk to your problem player outside the ...
3
There are already good answers here, and my own is not intended as an alternative so much as a supplement. Talking to the problem player is absolutely the right avenue to pursue. What follows are some suggestions about how that conversation can be structured to help align everyone's goals.
As I understand your situation, you have several distinct problems ...
2
To quote you to you:
Last time I tried to talk to him about that, he started getting angry about me forbidding him from playing HIS character that he took so many hours to handcraft, at the end almost accusing me of being homophobic.
He is forbidding the whole table from playing your game that you took 6 months to prepare and the table spent at least a ...
27
I believe that some of the answers and respective comments are missing the point. Whether OP's setting is a sandbox and whether a fantasy medieval setting can support LGBT characters is irrelevant. The heart of the problem is that this particular player, with his behaviour, is making the OP and every other player in the room uncomfortable. Let me explain:
...
14
Talk to them out of character about their overly sexual behavior
Sexual behavior is a no-go at almost all tables. Tell them politely and clearly that you expect them not to engage in sexual behavior at the table. If they are having trouble determining where the line falls, they can always look to you for guidance.
If they respect you and the other players, ...
1
Have an honest conversation about how the game is making you feel
A significant amount of conflict when dealing with group dynamics is resolved through communication and understanding. Take an honest look at the game and whether or not you are having fun playing. If you are not, which it certainly sounds that way, then express to the DM and the group that ...
3
Regarding the DM's motives (just or unjust). Maybe DM expects to be but wasn't consulted that it was an evil campaign. Possibly some plot is wasted if the party simply wants to kill guards and rob people. To each their own and sounds like you were doing interesting evil stuff. If the difference in alignment is not enjoyed, it matters who caused this. Maybe ...
2
character has [the power to] silence a player for 15 minutes of talking in real-time.
That role-play is very broken. It is unfortunate that the concept of silencing a character would silence the player - the player is not the character.
My point is:
How do I tell the DM and Hannah that ... and how to fix the favoritism issue so everyone is treated ...
2
It seems like three conversations should take place.
A Conversation Between the Group and the DM (Minus Hannah)
This conversation should be a reflection on the items that have been dropped, found, or added to the game and the fairness of them. It's possible that in the case of the sword, the DM made a mistake when creating the item or implementing it if ...
1
As others here commented you could try to solve this meta-game: point it out on the spot. However, I have two suggestions to solve in-game:
Exchange the characters:
Sometimes, it is possible to exchange the players on each character. I mean, rotate the characters in the same group, showing that it's a bit overpowered.
Rotate the strategies on the adventure:...
19
Edit: In light of the info added to the Q, there may be hope for the group yet. Other answers cover that angle enough so I won't edit the answer below.
I don't think this is the answer you want to hear, but in my opinion there is no way to fix this.
Those darts are such a bad, horrifying idea, that it shows the DM is simply out of their league trying to be ...
62
This problem must be solved out-of-game
The DM showing favouritism towards a specific player and the expense of everyone else's fun is not a problem with the narrative, it's a problem with the social contract. I would recommend not plotting to kill her character as this would likely just provoke massive social fallout. Instead, there are a few things I'd ...
12
Talk to them
I know you probably know you need to talk to Hannah and the DM. Everyone knows it is the right thing to do. Confrontation is hard, but it is the only way that will resolve this kind of problem.
Remind them that you are all there to have fun playing a game together. Don't try to place blame, just state what you don't like and why. Be honest, ...
90
I would honestly just leave
What you're describing sounds like not just favoritism but bullying. The GM has granted Hannah the power to literally tell you to shut up for fifteen minutes --- that's a blatant abuse of their position. Being a GM is about running the game in an enjoyable manner to those present (including themselves), not about being a power-...
10
Session 0 Loot discussion
How to handle loot should really be discussed Out of Character in session 0. If you didn't have one (or didn't discuss it) it's not too late to have a "state of the campaign" talk at the start of (or instead of*) a session. There are a few different ways you can handle loot distribution, but agreeing both in and out of character ...
-1
Group 1: If the group or it's individuals aren't mature enough to handle this problem, leave.
Group 2: Why are you trying to make loot distribution fair? If players don't like that a single character takes all the loot, there is obvious recourse - hire a rogue or challenge them on the spot. Don't discourage selfish play, just make it have realistic ...
3
The "obvious" solutions are in-game.
If one character is hogging the loot and that behavior is not okay with the other characters, then someone speaking in character might say something like "No, you don't get to have all the cloaks, and if you're going to be greedy about it, you won't get to have the choice of cloaks either", and then one of the other ...
3
PvP: this player (situation 1) has already started it ...
... so your group, if you all agree, can finish it.
This answer comes from experience, but whether or not this works for your group depends on how the rest of the group feels about this character/person doing this magic item theft/hoarding thing.
Step 1: ask the rest of the players if they care.
...
-3
Talking to your players about the problem is an obvious solution, and probably the best solution to any problems you have in D&D.
As a DM...
But as the DM, you can always be as petty and sneaky as they want:
A magic axe is stuck in a rock, only the party barbarian is strong enough to pull it out. Are they really going to hand it off to the sorcerer ...
28
You tell them they either stop it or you're dropping out
I've seen this as both a DM and a player. We've had oneshots with greedy players, campaign with greedy players, the lot. And I can tell you from experience that this sort of thing will eventually escalate out of control, create some sort of out-of-character drama and can cause entire friendships to ...
17
There are two things I'd advise here:
Talk in character:
If there is a greedy character in a group, who takes all the items and never shares, the natural thing is that sooner or later, their companions will comment on that and discuss this with them.
Since some groups consider any kind of intra-party friction to be anathema to the play style, you should ...
4
As the player: Talk first
How has this been addressed? Have you talked to them out of game about this situation? That should be the first step in my opinion. Maybe they feel it is okay to do this because no one objects. They might not even realize they are causing issues with other players.
If that fails, try an in-game solution. Did you character notice ...
14
You have two separate problems, only one of which is really due to this player.
First Problem: “Past performance does not guarantee future results.”
You believe that this player is making their character act out-of-character. You cite the character sheet as evidence that certain behaviors are out-of-character. You seem to have a lot of objections to these ...
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