Always switching characters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Always switching characters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tillie_the_Pirate
01-29-06, 10:55 AM How do you deal with players who just keep switching their characters? You know, with the classic "My character died. I'm rolling a new one to play in their place". I wouldn't mind so much if they would let me introduce them into the campaign, but they always seem to want to just go with their characters.

Advice? What to do?
Horatio Hornblower
01-29-06, 11:19 AM How do you deal with players who just keep switching their characters? You know, with the classic "My character died. I'm rolling a new one to play in their place".

If it doesn't hurt your storyline then let them do what they want. If they are dying too often then you need to think about why. Either the encounters are too tough or they need advice on playing.

I wouldn't mind so much if they would let me introduce them into the campaign, but they always seem to want to just go with their characters.

Hey, it's your campaign and you're the boss. If they want to create a new character then they have to introduce it the way you want. You get final approval on everything. If they don't like it tell them they have to play the old character after it gets raised.
Valor22
01-29-06, 11:39 AM I really feel for you. I have this exact same problem. My characters don't die often, but when they do even thoe they have the funds to try to get a resurection they dont even bother. If the fight is going agsint them then they start working on new characters...

With the way the Monter Manuals are now set up, almost any creature can be use a PC race. So now i have a level 10 centaur monk running around flying kicking people with 4 hoofs...this is nuts.

Recently i had one player not even die he simply comited suiside so he can play as something else. This was rigth after the PCs got a big rewards for saving some one very important. But now this reward doesnt cary over to this character, and i have to put up with arguments about it not being fair.

That is saying noithing about equiopment from previous characters falling to the hands of the new character created by the same player. I'm at the end of my rope here, i really dont know what to do about this kind of behavior anymore.

Valor
Smite-Mo-Tron
01-29-06, 11:46 AM I have had to deal with similar things. I would reccomend having the player make his character one level lower than his previos, halfway to the next level as per the Raise Dead spell descrioption, that way you discourage changing characters.

(Regarding the monk centaur)
If you are playing at twelveth level, he is cheating profoundly. Is ECL, at present, is 16. Think about it, 4 hit dice, +4 to BAB, +8 strength (another +4 to attack) +4 Dex +4 con, darkvision, skill points, two feats! He is required to take his first four levels as monstrous humanoid, then he spends +2 Level adjustment on the bonus abilities.

On another line, the hooves technicaly have to be intersparced with the flurry of blows ability, so he cannot get an insane number of attacks. Hooves also technicaly do not use the unarmed damage that the monk provides because they are technically hooves, not unarmed attacks.

And just on a side note, if you think that the use of special creatures as PCs will get out of hand, disallow it. Rule 0 always wins any rules lawyer argument that threatens game balance.
PHDrillSergeant
01-29-06, 09:47 PM I once had a player who had a different character about every session. It started to REALLY annoy me, so I dealt with it OoG. The encountr went something like this:

Player: "I'm going to make a new character."
DM: "VERY WELL. BUT KNOW THIS, PUNY HUMAN...YOU MUST KEEP THIS CHARACTER FOR ONE MONTH BEFORE YOU ARE ALLOWED TO CREATE ANOTHER. THIS WILL NOT ONLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP YOUR CHARACTER ALIVE, BUT WILL SAVE ME MUCH ANGUISH!"
Player: "I obey, my master!!!" *bows and grovels*
DM: "MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Milandros
01-29-06, 10:37 PM I have new characters come in at the lowest party level (or one less if all PCs are the same level), and they don't get to choose their starting gear (hey, the long term PCs had to make do with what they found, they didn't get to choose what I put in encounter treasure). If the previous PC's equipment is still available, they can only start with regular PHB kit (a sensible amount based on their background) and maybe a MW weapon or armour. The rest of the party will have to equip them.

Obviously I adjust this based on circumstance (I'm not ungenerous) but this stops players swapping constantly to their latest cool concept, expecting to get all the credit assigned to the actions of other people, or getting another load of magical equipment and selling off or dividing the old lot. In addition, I weave my plots around the backgrounds of the characters, so introducing a new character reduces the chance of the plot being personally significant and will probably give less focus time for the PC until I get a chance to weave the story back around them.
rkr1970
01-29-06, 10:56 PM I've had very little trouble in this regard, but the DM of an old game I played in had a player who did that all the time. He'd get a character killed off, bring in a new one, complete with items per "wealth by level", and expect the new AND old stuff to be his. When the DM told him it was one, or the other, he just started going with the old PC's gear, but still had a new PC every 3 or 4 sessions. Finally, in an effort to stop this random parade of PCs, the DM told the player, right after the PC died in a fight with a dragon, that none of the old stuff was salvageable. Apparently, the dragon has eaten the PC and all of his equipment. That was the last time the player had suicidal characters. Of course, it took a while for him to catch up to the rest of us in terms of what gear he had... :D
celtredleg
01-29-06, 11:34 PM The only way I let a player get the old charecters gear is if they are a blood relative of the old one. Which means at least no new races. And yes old or new gear not both. And one level lower than the lowest party member.
JohnJohn
01-30-06, 02:44 AM What I did to stop the turnover of PC's was a couple of house rules...

1) any new characters coming in come in 2 levels below the lowest level character in the party. So if party is level 5 characters coming in at level 3. This stops all those players who are brining in new characters because they read some "killer" class/feat combo they want to play.

2) starting equipment for a character above level 1 will be scant. Thats why they are getting off their duffs and going adventuring now. Give em some money, some standard equipment (chainmail and a shield) and if they get a magic item it will be a one shot variety (potion/scroll and the like).

The one player that kept having one character after another walk off so he could play another character ended quick after these two little rules went into effect.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tillie_the_Pirate 01-29-06, 10:55 AM	How do you deal with players who just keep switching their characters? You know, with the classic "My character died. I'm rolling a new one to play in their place". I wouldn't mind so much if they would let me introduce them into the campaign, but they always seem to want to just go with their characters. Advice? What to do?
Horatio Hornblower 01-29-06, 11:19 AM	How do you deal with players who just keep switching their characters? You know, with the classic "My character died. I'm rolling a new one to play in their place". If it doesn't hurt your storyline then let them do what they want. If they are dying too often then you need to think about why. Either the encounters are too tough or they need advice on playing. I wouldn't mind so much if they would let me introduce them into the campaign, but they always seem to want to just go with their characters. Hey, it's your campaign and you're the boss. If they want to create a new character then they have to introduce it the way you want. You get final approval on everything. If they don't like it tell them they have to play the old character after it gets raised.
Valor22 01-29-06, 11:39 AM	I really feel for you. I have this exact same problem. My characters don't die often, but when they do even thoe they have the funds to try to get a resurection they dont even bother. If the fight is going agsint them then they start working on new characters... With the way the Monter Manuals are now set up, almost any creature can be use a PC race. So now i have a level 10 centaur monk running around flying kicking people with 4 hoofs...this is nuts. Recently i had one player not even die he simply comited suiside so he can play as something else. This was rigth after the PCs got a big rewards for saving some one very important. But now this reward doesnt cary over to this character, and i have to put up with arguments about it not being fair. That is saying noithing about equiopment from previous characters falling to the hands of the new character created by the same player. I'm at the end of my rope here, i really dont know what to do about this kind of behavior anymore. Valor
Smite-Mo-Tron 01-29-06, 11:46 AM	I have had to deal with similar things. I would reccomend having the player make his character one level lower than his previos, halfway to the next level as per the Raise Dead spell descrioption, that way you discourage changing characters. (Regarding the monk centaur) If you are playing at twelveth level, he is cheating profoundly. Is ECL, at present, is 16. Think about it, 4 hit dice, +4 to BAB, +8 strength (another +4 to attack) +4 Dex +4 con, darkvision, skill points, two feats! He is required to take his first four levels as monstrous humanoid, then he spends +2 Level adjustment on the bonus abilities. On another line, the hooves technicaly have to be intersparced with the flurry of blows ability, so he cannot get an insane number of attacks. Hooves also technicaly do not use the unarmed damage that the monk provides because they are technically hooves, not unarmed attacks. And just on a side note, if you think that the use of special creatures as PCs will get out of hand, disallow it. Rule 0 always wins any rules lawyer argument that threatens game balance.
PHDrillSergeant 01-29-06, 09:47 PM	I once had a player who had a different character about every session. It started to REALLY annoy me, so I dealt with it OoG. The encountr went something like this: Player: "I'm going to make a new character." DM: "VERY WELL. BUT KNOW THIS, PUNY HUMAN...YOU MUST KEEP THIS CHARACTER FOR ONE MONTH BEFORE YOU ARE ALLOWED TO CREATE ANOTHER. THIS WILL NOT ONLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP YOUR CHARACTER ALIVE, BUT WILL SAVE ME MUCH ANGUISH!" Player: "I obey, my master!!!" bows and grovels DM: "MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Milandros 01-29-06, 10:37 PM	I have new characters come in at the lowest party level (or one less if all PCs are the same level), and they don't get to choose their starting gear (hey, the long term PCs had to make do with what they found, they didn't get to choose what I put in encounter treasure). If the previous PC's equipment is still available, they can only start with regular PHB kit (a sensible amount based on their background) and maybe a MW weapon or armour. The rest of the party will have to equip them. Obviously I adjust this based on circumstance (I'm not ungenerous) but this stops players swapping constantly to their latest cool concept, expecting to get all the credit assigned to the actions of other people, or getting another load of magical equipment and selling off or dividing the old lot. In addition, I weave my plots around the backgrounds of the characters, so introducing a new character reduces the chance of the plot being personally significant and will probably give less focus time for the PC until I get a chance to weave the story back around them.
rkr1970 01-29-06, 10:56 PM	I've had very little trouble in this regard, but the DM of an old game I played in had a player who did that all the time. He'd get a character killed off, bring in a new one, complete with items per "wealth by level", and expect the new AND old stuff to be his. When the DM told him it was one, or the other, he just started going with the old PC's gear, but still had a new PC every 3 or 4 sessions. Finally, in an effort to stop this random parade of PCs, the DM told the player, right after the PC died in a fight with a dragon, that none of the old stuff was salvageable. Apparently, the dragon has eaten the PC and all of his equipment. That was the last time the player had suicidal characters. Of course, it took a while for him to catch up to the rest of us in terms of what gear he had... :D
celtredleg 01-29-06, 11:34 PM	The only way I let a player get the old charecters gear is if they are a blood relative of the old one. Which means at least no new races. And yes old or new gear not both. And one level lower than the lowest party member.
JohnJohn 01-30-06, 02:44 AM	What I did to stop the turnover of PC's was a couple of house rules... 1) any new characters coming in come in 2 levels below the lowest level character in the party. So if party is level 5 characters coming in at level 3. This stops all those players who are brining in new characters because they read some "killer" class/feat combo they want to play. 2) starting equipment for a character above level 1 will be scant. Thats why they are getting off their duffs and going adventuring now. Give em some money, some standard equipment (chainmail and a shield) and if they get a magic item it will be a one shot variety (potion/scroll and the like). The one player that kept having one character after another walk off so he could play another character ended quick after these two little rules went into effect.