Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Azual 09-11-05, 05:49 PM	Anyone ever had a REALLY bad powergamer? I mean one that could get a first level character to take out an army of orcs? Take the worst you can summon in your imagination and multiply it by ten. Thats one of my players. He is annoying, he is a Know it All, he constantly seeks to do as much damage as possible, and i have a sneaking suspicion that he only comes to these meetings to hit on one of the girls who plays. I have managed to stave off inviting him by saying that 'i couldn't get ahold of him' to the girl, who constantly asks if i would call him. yeah, right, when the nine hells of baator run over with angels. Anyway, i dont like to get into confrontations, and frankly, the girl who plays, while she probably is blind to fact that this guy is an arse, is an EXCELLENT roleplayer, she's the only one in the group other than me that actually knows the rules to the game, and id like her to play. However, im worried she'd be pretty miffed if i told this guy not to come back, however, he CANNOT stay in this game, and i need some help. How can i manuver my way through this maze. I need to keep the group together, but i need to make sure this bozo leaves and doesn't come back.
Lonestar 09-11-05, 06:02 PM	My idea is that you let him come, but outsmart his character. Get a nasty villian that can teach his character a lesson. Once you figure out his characters weakness and can adjust the campaign so that his character is no longer owning every creature in sight, the problem should basically handle itself. I've put up with such characters, and they've all recived sufficent punishemt for their presumtiousness :D , ranging from ambushed by demons, polymorphed into VERY embarassing things (A halfdevil into a pixie), and the worst powergamer I ever encountered got his soul eaten by a Ur-priest.
=-Nonsensical-= 09-11-05, 06:06 PM	Don't cast him out yet, first talk to him. Tell him he is making it difficult for you to run the game, and ask him to tone down the powergaming. Also ask the rest of the group hopw they feel about him. If you still want him gone in a few weeks, then be honest and tell him why you don't want him in your game. Or just out-powergame him. What a player can do, a DM can undo.
VirgilCaine 09-11-05, 06:18 PM	Stop allowing splatbooks. Use a conservative point buy. He will either quit or not be as empowered.
Azual 09-11-05, 06:38 PM	oh its not just the powergaming part. He chooses, quite possibly, the most redious moments to crack a joke. We mayh be in the middle of a long discussion between a diplomat who is integral the adventure and a character, and who decides to make a off topic joke but this guy. i really think he does it to spite me. For instance last time, he played a warlock, no character history, no personality, just a page of numbers. He literally showed up thirty minutes late and wated to play. He spent the ENTIRE session worrying becuase his warlock didnt do enough damage. This guy isnt just a powergamer, he is, quite literally, a nuisence. If i blow up like i am now and rant, i just may scare away both the jerk and the girl. I need help on giving him the pink slip, if you will.
Tedly224 09-11-05, 06:50 PM	I must confess that I used to be a power gamer. I started playing in 1981 and back then the game rules more or less encouraged the definition of "success" as being exp to level up, and loot to make a character powerful. First edition AD&D books (well, the first hardback trio) didn't lend itself to having a reader focus on the story elements of a game. I was cured of my view of the game and the reason of what a player should focus on (loot, exp, power, min-maxing) by a DM in 1991. We played together with others at the UCLA gaming group and when I went to get into his game he was starting up, he said... "I've seen your play style and to be honest, I don't think you would enjoy the game or enjoy how I run it." I more or less tried to smooth talk him into it and he said " Fine. You can make a character. I'll go over the setting material with you. But here's the thing. The character you make must have a reason to be an adventurer, and he must have a reason to want to accomplish things within a group of other fellow adventurers. And the reasons for these things must hinge upon a goal that the character wishes to reach that has NOTHING to do with leveling, getting loot, or becoming stronger. He has to have a goal that he cares about and has basically dedicated his life in trying to reach. " It was a real eye opener at the time. I'd suggest you attempt to try the same thing with the problem player. Try to get him to see how you view the game and what things about the campaign are important to you. Try to have him understand the role playing aspect of the game, and work with him (if he's willing at this point) in fleshing the character out as a person as well as working his goals and the like within the storyline of the game for things to come. Best of luck with it by the way. If it doesn't work out and you try your best, and he won't relent with his views and gaming style, be tough and politely have him find a different game that does work for how he plays. It's one thing to communicate and negotiate a little with a player in reducing stress you're feeling with a player - It's another to let your fun be entirely compromised over a single player and wreck the campaign for you as a result.
MarkB 09-11-05, 06:59 PM	Who are the other players in your game and what do they think of this guy? If they all enjoy playing with him, then you're in a minority of one, in which case you can either continue things as they are, or else let someone else DM instead - preferably the girl, if she's so excellent at role-playing. Put her in the position of responsibility, and she'll likely keep the jerk under control herself, especially as he'll be trying to impress her. If the majority of the other players agree with your opinion of the jerk, boot him out, as kindly as possible, but firmly, and be up-front about it with everyone. If the girl leaves too, you'll have to live with it - from your description, it sounds like there's a reasonable chance you can't keep one without the other.
AlphaSquirell 09-11-05, 08:08 PM	Things that I would do: (note, if you truly know me, you would know that I'm slightly crazy, and my ideas can't always be trusted, but oh well) -Out power game him. Period. -Lock him up. (metaphorically speaking, of course... :evillaugh ) What I mean is, don't give him a chance to shine. Make him fight things that he can kill no matter how much damage he does. (where more attacks is better than more damage, small swarms of kobolds will work nicely) Drop him in a pit trap, with a challange the other PCs can deal with by the time the group's Rogue and his PC get him out of the trap. -Can you say "CURSE"? (Cursed item works too, like the cursed -2 longsword in the DMG, which he will see as a GOOD thing, grab for himself, and then be stuck with once the curse reveals itself) -Potion of "Gender Changing" that looks like a Potion of "Death to all enemies" or "Bear Strength" or whatever should work. -Fight a misplacer beast. (sorry, did I say misplacer? I meant Displacer...) Harder to hit, so his damage doesn't matter as much. (hitting is more important) -Fight something that you can't really kill by damage alone. (vampires fight the bill here, if the party is strong enough, and maybe have it become a vampire lord to make it that much harder to fight) -Intelligent item. Get an item or two like this for the party, one of which just HAS to go to him, cause it would work best for him. Then, roleplay the item, make it a smart alek, and tick him off on a regular basis. (then, to be "fair" so he won't get mad, point out weaknesses in things he is fighting, which will help the player, but make the PC look stupider than the weapon itself) -"Accidentally" kill of his PC. Set up a situation where he will run forward, away from the party, and, oh, I don't know, eat a Fireball in the face? (from that Rakshasa sorcerer who is just way to powerful?) -Have him get beaten by a halfling. (or something else that is small and not combat oriented, like a goblin, gnome, kobold, or even a pixie!) -Refuse to let him metagame. I did this to a PC once, and he eventually cooperated. Seriously put your foot down and do NOT let him pick feats when he is metagaming. Period. -Give him weaknesses to counterbalance his strengths. -Force him to right up a background, and then role-play instead of roll-play. -Make him meet his match :dragon: need I say more?
Some Like It Hot 09-11-05, 08:23 PM	I agree with MarkB; if your other players enjoy the game as is, then maybe you should find a new game, or just let someone else run. Frankly, I like having a player like that in the game. He outbuilds the other characters? Fine, don't give him the sorts of magic that he wants, give the other players magic to even the game. Problem solved. He makes off topic jokes? Does everybody laugh? Then cool. It's a game, meant to be fun. D&D is not an end unto itself. On the flipside, I do know how it feels to set up a scene and spend the effort to develop an atmosphere and then have it shattered. But if everybody has fun with his quips, etc. then stop spending that much effort on the atmosphere and give them the game they want. Also, and not to be rude, but you do seem pretty intent on getting this guy gone and keeping the girl around. People write romance novels about that kind of stuff. -SLIH
Azual 09-11-05, 09:08 PM	hmm. you guys have opened my eyes. after two sessions, this guy was so annoying i wanted to kill him, though i think, maybe if i told him act a little less jerkish then maybe he would change. The only thing im worried about is the fact that my entire group is seventh grade to 10th grade. i mean, these arent adults im playing with, heck, im not even an adult. If i try and get all serious, hes gonna think its a joke, plus, i really think this guy has no interest in the game, he's just there to flirt with the girl whose there. I think he powergames becuase he plays video games. He's used to playing infinite lives/infinite ammo. he even told me that the didn't like his character because 'i usually play games where all i have to do is attack'. I mean, this is D&D, if you want to 'just attack' go to best buy and buy a game. Now, i would really REALLY like to have this guy become a good roleplayer but i really think this guys only mission when he arrives at my door is to hit on the girl and play video games.
Xanthia 09-11-05, 09:37 PM	Don't cast him out yet, first talk to him. Tell him he is making it difficult for you to run the game, and ask him to tone down the powergaming. Also ask the rest of the group hopw they feel about him. If you still want him gone in a few weeks, then be honest and tell him why you don't want him in your game. Or just out-powergame him. What a player can do, a DM can undo.I completely agree. Talking to someone always seems to get the point across. If he doesn't change his tune, simply out-do him.
ShadowDragon8685 09-11-05, 09:56 PM	All he wants to do is play videogames? That's cool. Hook him up with a copy of Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner for the Playstation 2, and kindly ask him to flirt with the girl on his own time. You're running a Roleplaying Game, not Hack & Slash. Tell him he's disrupting the game, and you're not playing with him anymore unless he shapes up. And no, this is not a joke.
Artimaeis.iii 09-11-05, 09:57 PM	I think he powergames becuase he plays video games. He's used to playing infinite lives/infinite ammo. he even told me that the didn't like his character because 'i usually play games where all i have to do is attack'. I mean, this is D&D, if you want to 'just attack' go to best buy and buy a game. If thats the case then really incorperate a lote of "role-playing" into the game. For instance, you could set up a diplomatic adventure or two, where they can't use their weapons under penalty of death. You said before that the girl was good at role playing so set up something to highlight that. Maybe even give experience for good role playing..
Templetroll 09-11-05, 10:05 PM	Trying to talk to him is a great way to start. Is there some reason he and the girl can't meet somewhere else and have a *date*? The other point about talking to the other players is also good. Make sure they see a problem where you do. When he made a joke, why not take it that it was his character that said it? Announce that "what you say, your character says." is the rule being used to make roleplaying better. If he jokes then, "The NPC seems confused by your outburst but tries to continue discussing things with the party. He seems less friendly now than he did due to your joking at a serious time." If he makes another joke then the NPC breaks off the discussion and has his servants escort everyone out. Let peer pressure, especially from the girl get him to behave in a roleplaying situation.
Andrew_980 09-11-05, 10:20 PM	I can empathize, I recently found a DM finally, but a couple of his old players are a problem. Out of the 8 or so players he had no less than 4 took the feral template. Out of those 8 we have 2-3 that still play, one of wich i have no problems with yet. The other is a power gamer who says "feral is great, all that power for only one level. Why not have all the power you can?" This guy I may be able to handle. The third who may not end up playing has a feral, axiomatic lizardman with a bloodmetal joval. That is a wild animal, from the planes of law, armed with a celestial weapon made of infernal materials! On top of this I am certain he fudged the LA. The real problem is that the DM will do NOTHING to put an end to the madness. We have only played twice, and me and another freind that joined are already on the verge of walking.
SilverSabre25 09-12-05, 12:06 AM	Or just out-powergame him. What a player can do, a DM can undo. "Anything you can do I can do better...I can do anything better than you." Sorry...that has been running through my head all day and it just seems to fit. :D Anyway, yeah, talk to him. And if he doesn't like his character because all he likes to do is attack, then you could consider letting him change characters. Fighter or Barabarian sounds like it would be a good way for him to go.