I've started out with edition 4.0 one month ago with my friends and started a new party. we all made our diverse characters. i made Rodgar. He is a fighter with some nasty traits and flaws.
for instance he is a guy with a short temper and compulsively kills people when gravely offended in every way he finds offensive. although he is really strong and can easily breakdown everything.
now after 2 sessions, my partymembers had some failed rolls in a dungeon and presumed rodgar was possesed by something. They ranted about that he was possesed by a demon of somesort. Rodgar calm as he normally always is, felt mistrusted and deceived for all the effort he made for these people and left the dungeon infuriated back to the village where the new adventure started.
the misssion was to retrieve the whereabouts of 2 halflings that dissappeard in the forest. eventually a dragonbourne played by a party member of mine. retrieves the bodies and announces he is going to give them the rest and peace they deserve in the after life.
The bodies are put on a pile of wood and are blessed by the dragonbourne; Ayen. All the party members of Rodgar dont trust him no more since they all think he is possesed by something. although obviously this isnt true. (Outgame we all know he isnt possesed, but ingame its serious)
After the fire is set ablaze rodgar yells out of his inn room if they could keep the noise down. Rodgar isnt a religious person and so doenst know the emotional value of a decent burial ceromony. ( i call it good roleplay, others call it unnessesarily offending teammates)
eventually Rodgar hears a weeping Ayen underneath his bedroom window and decides to throw a chair at him. (yup i attacked a party member throwing a chair) Rodgar is still enraged by the mistrust of his companions from the same afternoon. Ayen runs upstairs and thinks of a plan to suffocate and stun Rodgar by using sleepgas. (some sort of alchemical potion which creates sleepgas) Rodgar fails to break his way out of the room and falls asleep. he wakes up completely entangled with ropes and chains to restrain him from hurting anyone or escaping. (party members think i attacked Ayen because i was possesed. which im actually not.) now Ayen is about to possibly kill me the next session. but i don't want this to happen. i must have some ideas to twist this drastic moment around.
Does anyone have some good ideas or suggestions for me, so i can get myself out of this sticky situation?
Thanks in advance everyone.
Jack.
The game is heavily predicated on the idea that party members work together despite their differences and thus ALL players at the table have a degree of obligation to seek ways for their characters to work WITH other characters. Now, obviously this applies to you in that you perhaps need to not hit your characters faults QUITE so hard such that it logically alienates your fellow party members. However, it also applies to THEM and while there's obviously lots of fun and interesting roleplaying to be had in the assumption of your character being possessed in some fashion THEY need to be seeking ways to deal with it while working WITH your character not just ostracizing him more with every potential pretext.
Tell them this. Clearly it's not going to be much fun for you very soon because the character you enjoy playing is going to be driven out entirely for no other reason than that IN-game everyone at the table is working to make the situation as bad as possible.
Tell the others "I'm sorry I chose to play such a donkey-cavity character when you guys wanted to play heroes. I'm going to dump this character and play a new one. I promise I'll actually play along with you this time instead of against you."
I couldn't agree more with this statement. It's quite nicely worded.
Take care, friends.
for instance he is a guy with a short temper and compulsively kills people when gravely offended in every way he finds offensive.
Compulsive killers with hair-trigger tempers do not make appropriate PCs.
Rodgar isnt a religious person and so doenst know the emotional value of a decent burial ceromony. ( i call it good roleplay, others call it unnessesarily offending teammates)
It is unnecessarily offending your teammates. I'm a firm atheist, but I understand bereavement and grief just fine--and even if I didn't, I'd still have the courtesy to keep my annoyance under control at a funeral.
eventually Rodgar hears a weeping Ayen underneath his bedroom window and decides to throw a chair at him. (yup i attacked a party member throwing a chair)
Adults rarely behave this way. When they do, they are rightfully acknowledged as being immature and having serious impulse control problems, and they generally get arrested. You wouldn't someone like this as a neighbor, much less as a friend--and even less as the guy who's supposed to have your back when that zombie over there tries to snack on your frontal lobe.
Does anyone have some good ideas or suggestions for me, so i can get myself out of this sticky situation?
Assuming you want to keep Rodgar, let them give you an exorcism, and have it work. Freed of the demon's influence from that moment forth, Rodgar becomes much less of a donkey-cavity (my new favorite term!) He doesn't have to be perfect, but he should at least be someone who can like, respect, and protect his friends (i.e. the adventuring party)--and be liked and respected in return.
Angst-ridden, violent loners are never a good idea at a table; you don't want them around as players, so why would you want to hang around with one as a PC? Working with the party as opposed to deliberately working against them should help defuse the tension at the table.
Either rework the character extensively or let him die and create a new one.
At the end of the day, toolish behavior is toolish behavior, IC or not. It spoils it for everyone. Lesson learned, I think!
Pretend to go along with an exorsism, then cut the dragonborns head off while he sleeps.
Play the character, or hand it over to the DM to have come back as a BBEG.
Seems like everyone in this thread is jumping on the OP for playing an inappropriate character, but what about the rest of the party? Out-of-character they all decided to come up with a completely arbitrary, groundless reason to make his character the enemy of the party. Everyone unanimously decides that he's possessed? What? How can that be justified? The players suddenly decide OOC to make an IC decision that would cause any rational character to say, "Screw you guys, I'm going home. Never coming coming back. Hope you die in a fire, you worthless ingrates." How is their permissable?
Then the rest of the party responds to garden-variety rudeness with murder, and someone he is the one accused of impulse control problems? Hello? Killing a man for being a prick is your idea of what heroic paragons of virtue do, now?
Seriously, both sides in this case have some serious problems with collaboration. It sounds like everyone involved is actively trying to sabotage the party.
Then the rest of the party responds to garden-variety rudeness with murder, and someone he is the one accused of impulse control problems? Hello? Killing a man for being a prick is your idea of what heroic paragons of virtue do, now?
Well, the OP's character hasn't been murdered yet.
Seriously, both sides in this case have some serious problems with collaboration. It sounds like everyone involved is actively trying to sabotage the party.
You're absolutely right, in that the rest of the party has at best missed a handful of opportunities to take the high road, and at worst actively contributed to the current adversarial situation.
However, I interpret the "possession" line of discussion as a heavy-handed, in-character way to tell the OP that he's acting in a way that's inappropriate and incompatible with the rest of the party--and instead of taking the hint and ratcheting Rodgar's attitude down a notch, he decided that Rodgar would react in the opposite way.
No one comes out of this thing looking good, but the OP is the one asking for advice. My advice to him is still "if you don't want people in the game world assuming you've been taken over by a demon, stop having your PC act like an violent, aggressively antisocial jerk". (If it were the DM saying "uh-oh, my PCs are trying to kill each other", I'd have written a very different reply.)
Seems like everyone in this thread is jumping on the OP for playing an inappropriate character, but what about the rest of the party? Out-of-character they all decided to come up with a completely arbitrary, groundless reason to make his character the enemy of the party. Everyone unanimously decides that he's possessed? What? How can that be justified? The players suddenly decide OOC to make an IC decision that would cause any rational character to say, "Screw you guys, I'm going home. Never coming coming back. Hope you die in a fire, you worthless ingrates." How is their permissable?
Well, given the current information it may have been a none-too-subtle hint that he was being a jerk, or perhaps just an overeaction.
Seriously, both sides in this case have some serious problems with collaboration. It sounds like everyone involved is actively trying to sabotage the party.
This.
It is unnecessarily offending your teammates. I'm a firm atheist, but I understand bereavement and grief just fine--and even if I didn't, I'd still have the courtesy to keep my annoyance under control at a funeral.
Exactly, espesially funerals are like this, a person very intolerant to religion could get annoyed by a preach or even a wedding but someone being pissed by a funeral is extreme, your character must have some insanity in order not to understand that they are sad and mourning.
However if this is your first game (just started out could either mean in roleplying or in dnd 4.0) don't think of it that much, the first one isn't to be a great roleplaying experience, people don't know everything and have little experience. After a few sessions you will learn how to do it properly. Alternatively you could ask the other players to go easy on you as this is new to you.
The priest does the ritual to prove there is no demon. However, the priest goes one step further. Each charatcer has personality traits swapped. The violent fighter gets the emotions of the crying party member. A suitable, potential strong ally to the fighter gets his anti-social vices. Other members get swapped as needed.
The priest says he will undo the ritual, if the patry do x quest for them.
Obviously, the priest is trying to get the patry to work out their differences by making them workk together while walking in another's shoes.
If the party accept the quest, they do get swapped back at the end. Hopefully the violent fighter, feelign the emotions he did, has the edges rounded off - even if outwardly he might feel worse at the violation.
Hopefully the one who got his anti-social feels might become a closer companion able to at least sympathise wit hthe violent fighter, and speak to him closer to his level.
The party is perhaps given the hooks to work closer together. The players also have a fun excuse to roleplay their characters and also ffigure out other people's characters. And perhaps the party have a new intriguing NPC in their lives. Is the priest good and looking afer their interests? Some form of neutral or chaotic trickster? Or is he even a priest?
Might work.
Basically, if you want to play a character with antisocial issues, sit down and talk with the rest of the party about how its going to work (and adjust the character concept as necessary) until each of them can say "Yeah, that works. My character can work with and trust that character."
Allows for plot, interesting effect, and great incentive to not be such a Son of a Grox to the rest of the PCs.
Have the Priest put it on the bloodthirsty, homicidal maniac, err ummm I mean fighter.
Dragonborn guy is the homicidal maniac. He's the one that's about to commit murder in cold blood.
Also, I think he has bipolar disorder. When someone flips from being the biggest pansy in the world of adventering (seriously, crying at the funeral of people it sounds like he didn't even know?) to attempting murder in the span of 5 minutes, I'd say they're pretty emotionally unhinged.
Assuming you want to keep Rodgar, let them give you an exorcism, and have it work. Freed of the demon's influence from that moment forth, Rodgar becomes much less of a donkey-cavity (my new favorite term!) He doesn't have to be perfect, but he should at least be someone who can like, respect, and protect his friends (i.e. the adventuring party)--and be liked and respected in return.
Angst-ridden, violent loners are never a good idea at a table; you don't want them around as players, so why would you want to hang around with one as a PC? Working with the party as opposed to deliberately working against them should help defuse the tension at the table.
Listen to mccowen. He is wise.
Of course it also sounds your fellow party member is getting out of hand. At this point you and your fellow players need to sit down and talk. Air out grievances and listen to each other. The point is to have fun because this is a game. When the game stops being fun it is time to stop playing the game.
Funny thing is you can play the anti-social loner character in D&D and still be part of the group and work with them. In 3.5 Player's Handbook II they go over it in the Warlock section. The trick is you play the anti-social up with interactions with NPCs and generally gruff behavior to PCs. The loner part is played up in combat refusing aid when offered, but giving aid grudgingly to party members when they need it, and taking on enemies by yourself. The loner aspect works well with the defender role, since you are playing a fighter, plus they can take the hit and encourage the enemies to focus on them.
Then the rest of the party responds to garden-variety rudeness with murder, and someone he is the one accused of impulse control problems? Hello? Killing a man for being a prick is your idea of what heroic paragons of virtue do, now?
to quote the orriginal poster:
"for instance he is a guy with a short temper and compulsively kills people when gravely offended in every way he finds offensive. although he is really strong and can easily breakdown everything."
The orriginal poster is playing a short tempered sociopath who is a Murderer. The party in question has every right to allienate and ostrosize his character.
This man even commits assault by throwing a chair out a window to a mourner to a funeral below. And while he might not be religious or the sentimental type, interupting a funeral, yelling at the mourners and assaulting the grieved.
He is roleplaying a character that by his nature will allientate the party and cause them to attack him.
The "possessed" idea is the parties method of justifying taking action against him in such a way as to give the other player an opportunity to recant his behavior. If he is possesed then he can be exorsized and be made into a tollerable group member, however if he cannot be redeemed then he is simply a socio-path, an endangerment to the group and a major source of pain and frustration to everyone.
Playing an abusive person and expecting everyone else will just acept being abused is delusional at best. Seriously does the original poster expect that the rest of the party is just going to bend over and take it?
Well, good sir, what exactly does that make you, who created this character? Seriously, creating a character that does not mesh with the rest of the party at all and then not understanding why you have problems is... well, the word "delusional" has been thrown out from someone else I believe; for lack of a better description I'd have to agree with that.
"I can't help playing the char as an ****, it's the way he is! It's good roleplaying!" is basically what the OP is saying.
Well, good sir, what exactly does that make you, who created this character? Seriously, creating a character that does not mesh with the rest of the party at all and then not understanding why you have problems is... well, the word "delusional" has been thrown out from someone else I believe; for lack of a better description I'd have to agree with that.
Delusional is a bit harsh. I prefer to say misguided in intentions.
Take care, friend.
"I can't help playing the char as an ****, it's the way he is! It's good roleplaying!" is basically what the OP is saying.
Yeah, what they said. Its not the party at fault here at all, its the sociopath in their midst. In my games, while I don't expect everything to be all roses and puppy dogs, I do expect the characters to be able to function together in a reasonable and adult manner. If not, then the characters that can't...well they get remade. I don't have the time to put up with "but my character's like this" BS and I suspect other DMs don't either. I'd say "fine, he can act that way. I'm not telling his story then so off he rides into the sunset. Here's a blank character sheet."
"Fine... but I aint gonna like it." And generally be a grumpy character, but don't try to actively work against your teammates. I understand the need for good roleplaying but if you're tyring to roleplay a character that starts throwing chairs at people, interrupts funerals and such, they're going to roleplay back.
And for the killing people compulsively, you can still do that, but don't just kill random folks who make your character a little upset, if you want to be like that, you can be the character that when someone suggests taking a hostage your character goes and lobs his head off. Sure the party will probably be upset with your character but I doubt they'd try to kill you over killing someone over trying to take them hostage.
I thought the best part of the story was when Rodgar threw a chair at the weeping paladin.
Liked that, did you? I thought it added a rather poignant flare to Rodgar's otherwise sensless violent tendancies.
Take care, friend.
I thought the best part of the story was when Rodgar threw a chair at the weeping paladin.
My temptation to do the same would have been overwhelming.
Tell the others "I'm sorry I chose to play such a donkey-cavity character when you guys wanted to play heroes. I'm going to dump this character and play a new one. I promise I'll actually play along with you this time instead of against you."
I couldn't agree more with this statement. It's quite nicely worded.
Take care, friends.
Yeah, when I read:
I've started out with edition 4.0 one month ago with my friends and started a new party. we all made our diverse characters. i made Rodgar. He is a fighter with some nasty traits and flaws.
for instance he is a guy with a short temper and compulsively kills people when gravely offended in every way he finds offensive. although he is really strong and can easily breakdown everything.
I didn't really need to read anymore. I've been there. To me this is the classic, I thought I would make an interesting character, but instead ended up directing all my rollplaying at my fellow players, and suddenly the game wasn't fun, why?
I thought the best part of the story was when Rodgar threw a chair at the weeping paladin.
A Paladin is an honour driven fighter, codes of chivilry and all that. Not that every Paladin follows the same code mind you, but they most certainly are all the honourable types.
Honourable types with swords mind you.
I cannot see how any Paladin worth his weight could possibly ignore such a grievious insult to his person, the dieties the funeral is praying to, or the deceased. If I was the paladin there would only be three acceptable outcomes, The offender appologizes and begs for forgiveness at my feet and perhaps I might be moved to mercy, the offender flees like a coward and never shows his again, or the offender meets me in honourable combat and gives me my satisfaction.
I cannot see how any Paladin worth his weight could possibly ignore such a grievious insult to his person, the dieties the funeral is praying to, or the deceased. If I was the paladin there would only be three acceptable outcomes, The offender appologizes and begs for forgiveness at my feet and perhaps I might be moved to mercy, the offender flees like a coward and never shows his again, or the offender meets me in honourable combat and gives me my satisfaction.
But now this man is possesed by a daemon (the paladin thinks)so that changes things.
But then, if the character actually is evil in any way shape or form he'll probably die.
- PvP in DnD is bad. Especially if you've only been playing for a month.
- The party is supposed to work together. This may involve making compromises, so long as it's not too drastic. Just like any relationship. If the compromise is too drastic, the relationship must end.
- If you want to be a jerk to your friends, do it in real life where there are real consequences.
- If you have ignored the previous three points of advice, and you and the entire group are still having fun, then continue to ignore the advice.
- If not everybody is having fun, something must change. Ultimately, only you and your group can decide what that is.
I thought the best part of the story was when Rodgar threw a chair at the weeping paladin.
A Paladin is an honour driven fighter, codes of chivilry and all that. Not that every Paladin follows the same code mind you, but they most certainly are all the honourable types.
Honourable types with swords mind you.
I cannot see how any Paladin worth his weight could possibly ignore such a grievious insult to his person, the dieties the funeral is praying to, or the deceased. If I was the paladin there would only be three acceptable outcomes, The offender appologizes and begs for forgiveness at my feet and perhaps I might be moved to mercy, the offender flees like a coward and never shows his again, or the offender meets me in honourable combat and gives me my satisfaction.
You have to admit, though. Paladins, for the most part, are asking for chairs to be thrown at them. Mind you, I've never actually played (GMed, rather) with/for "honorable" groups (which is strange, because I've GMed L5R campaigns).
Telling people to keep it down at a funeral is just comedy gold.
I'm being sarcastic! Jeez!
I thought the best part of the story was when Rodgar threw a chair at the weeping paladin.
A Paladin is an honour driven fighter, codes of chivilry and all that. Not that every Paladin follows the same code mind you, but they most certainly are all the honourable types.
Honourable types with swords mind you.
I cannot see how any Paladin worth his weight could possibly ignore such a grievious insult to his person, the dieties the funeral is praying to, or the deceased. If I was the paladin there would only be three acceptable outcomes, The offender appologizes and begs for forgiveness at my feet and perhaps I might be moved to mercy, the offender flees like a coward and never shows his again, or the offender meets me in honourable combat and gives me my satisfaction.
You have to admit, though. Paladins, for the most part, are asking for chairs to be thrown at them. Mind you, I've never actually played (GMed, rather) with/for "honorable" groups (which is strange, because I've GMed L5R campaigns).
Telling people to keep it down at a funeral is just comedy gold.
I'm being sarcastic! Jeez!
No, I don't. You're the one with Paladin-envy, bub.
No, I don't. You're the one with Paladin-envy, bub.
Bub? Really? Are we in a biker pub or something? Is there going to be a brawl?
Any progress since your last post, snoepdrol?
Tell the others "I'm sorry I chose to play such a donkey-cavity character when you guys wanted to play heroes. I'm going to dump this character and play a new one. I promise I'll actually play along with you this time instead of against you."
I couldn't agree more with this statement. It's quite nicely worded.
Take care, friends.
Yeah, when I read:
I've started out with edition 4.0 one month ago with my friends and started a new party. we all made our diverse characters. i made Rodgar. He is a fighter with some nasty traits and flaws.
for instance he is a guy with a short temper and compulsively kills people when gravely offended in every way he finds offensive. although he is really strong and can easily breakdown everything.
I didn't really need to read anymore. I've been there. To me this is the classic, I thought I would make an interesting character, but instead ended up directing all my rollplaying at my fellow players, and suddenly the game wasn't fun, why?
Yeah, been there, done that. Everyone has the character that's a reason to break all of society's codes with the strength to back it up/remain immune to retribution, all while it's safely in a non-reality.