Help with one of our players V2.0

[Jitters Caffeine]

Alright, a while back I asked for a little advice about one of our players trying to steal the game from everyone by trying to make a character who could basically end a fight in one round with stupid high amounts of damage. Well that was resolved after the player agreed that it was too much to be a Flying Race with all that.

Well now he's at it again...

Now he's decided the NEXT best thing is being a character that can do EVERYTHING by himself. He's wanting to be a Drow Rogue/Swordsage/Assassin/Master Thrower/Exotic Weapon Master... Basically he's trying to be the Main Tank/Melee DPS/Ranged DPS/Infiltrator/Skill Monkey because for some reason he treats D&D as a fucking arms race of "I can do anything you can do" contest.

Now here's my question this time:

Should I put my foot down again and just tell this player and our DM that if they refuse to get their shit in order, then they can just go play with themselves, and possibly lose our DM and a Player? Or should I just grin and bear it while this asshole plays the game by himself and the DM slowly broods his way to a state of "Him versus Us Players" complex and turns every fight into a personal quest to kill us?

 

[boag]

Talk to the DM directly, the DM in the end should balance out the game so that everyone can have fun.

If the game was going to be combat oriented from the beginning and that isnt what you signed up, then it is seriously time to discuss it.

 

[werty10089]

If he's following the context of the rules, then not including him would be unfair. If he's just being a jerk about it, perhaps conspire with the others and overthrow his position. However from the sound of it, he seems rather humorous, and is probably just trolling you guys for a cheap laugh. If he's as funny as I assume him to be, maybe having him tag along would provide the comic relief a bout of DnD tends to be depressingly lacking. If I'm wrong, you can tolerate him to the best of your abilities, that or kill him. (in the game of course.)

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

If he's following the context of the rules, then not including him would be unfair. If he's just being a jerk about it, perhaps conspire with the others and overthrow his position. However from the sound of it, he seems rather humorous, and is probably just trolling you guys for a cheap laugh. If he's as funny as I assume him to be, maybe having him tag along would provide the comic relief a bout of DnD tends to be depressingly lacking. If I'm wrong, you can tolerate him to the best of your abilities, that or kill him. (in the game of course.)

He KNOWS he's being a munchkining jerk. He KNOWS that he's making an incredibly broken character. That's what he wants. Granted, he's WANTS to be the typical wisecracking protagonist, but he needs to know this isn't his own personal animu. He has a whole party of people he's literally making redundant and almost useless since he can do anything we can do. All because that's just how he wants to play.

 

[werty10089]

snip

He KNOWS he's being a munchkining jerk. He KNOWS that he's making an incredibly broken character. That's what he wants. Granted, he's WANTS to be the typical wisecracking protagonist, but he needs to know this isn't his own personal animu. He has a whole party of people he's literally making redundant and almost useless since he can do anything we can do. All because that's just how he wants to play.

Unless your party specifically relies on his cooperation, then you can allow some leverage on his part. I guess it's really up to your own tolerance and that of your game companions. Try to get the message across that it's bothersome to you, maybe others will agree. I'd be fine with someone like him, as long as he provides assistance or humour. Either works for me. But what works for me might not be what works for you. Everyone's different. Even if he's the cause of the disturbance, respect him, keep your cool, and just ask him to play more appropriately. Anyways, Nice Munchkin reference. That is, if it even was a reference. Uh, nevermind. Good luck, and best wishes all turns out in your favour.

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

snip

He KNOWS he's being a munchkining jerk. He KNOWS that he's making an incredibly broken character. That's what he wants. Granted, he's WANTS to be the typical wisecracking protagonist, but he needs to know this isn't his own personal animu. He has a whole party of people he's literally making redundant and almost useless since he can do anything we can do. All because that's just how he wants to play.

Unless your party specifically relies on his cooperation, then you can allow some leverage on his part. I guess it's really up to your own tolerance and that of your game companions. Try to get the message across that it's bothersome to you, maybe others will agree. I'd be fine with someone like him, as long as he provides assistance or humour. Either works for me. But what works for me might not be what works for you. Everyone's different. Even if he's the cause of the disturbance, respect him, keep your cool, and just ask him to play more appropriately. Anyways, Nice Munchkin reference. That is, if it even was a reference. Uh, nevermind. Good luck, and best wishes all turns out in your favour.

He DOES play a role, but the issue is that he's trying to take the roles everyone else is supposed to play. He's trying to be the Tank/melee DPS/Ranged DPS/Infiltrator/Skill Monkey/Spellcaster. He's turning our epic adventure into his own personal anime where he's the wisecracking protagonist and we're all his sidekicks who get in HIS way.

Technically it isn't a reference to Munchkin, but the phrase does come from the game I believe. But I will steer any conversation to Munchkin given the chance.

 

[werty10089]

...How about that Munchkin?

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

...How about that Munchkin?

Seems rather off topic if you ask me.

Talk to the DM directly, the DM in the end should balance out the game so that everyone can have fun.

If the game was going to be combat oriented from the beginning and that isnt what you signed up, then it is seriously time to discuss it.

He says I'm making a mountain out of a molehill about the whole thing, even though everyone is rather annoyed with the whole situation.

 

[Lilani]

Should I put my foot down again and just tell this player and our DM that if they refuse to get their shit in order, then they can just go play with themselves, and possibly lose our DM and a Player? Or should I just grin and bear it while this asshole plays the game by himself and the DM slowly broods his way to a state of "Him versus Us Players" complex and turns every fight into a personal quest to kill us?

Personally, I'd just go ahead and tell them if I were you. Maybe talk with the DM first and get him on your side. Then you can both confront the obnoxious goober together. Explain that when he does that neither of you have any fun, and if he wants to play like that he's going to have to find another group. Because he is in the wrong, make no mistake of that. He's only doing it because you and the DM allow him to.

But, if that's a little too confrontational to you, just tell them both if they don't get it together then you quit. As you said, you may lose them, but if you aren't having any fun what's the point of even playing at all?

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

Could you and your group kill him off and continue to do so if he continues? I mean even if you're playing a lawful good character, you could rationalize it right? Seems like the best thing that you can do given the situation.

I'd rather not mess around with things like that, because messing with people in game is just too passive aggressive. Not to mention it's usually too late by then to fill the void left by losing that person.

Should I put my foot down again and just tell this player and our DM that if they refuse to get their shit in order, then they can just go play with themselves, and possibly lose our DM and a Player? Or should I just grin and bear it while this asshole plays the game by himself and the DM slowly broods his way to a state of "Him versus Us Players" complex and turns every fight into a personal quest to kill us?

Personally, I'd just go ahead and tell them if I were you. Maybe talk with the DM first and get him on your side. Then you can both confront the obnoxious goober together. Explain that when he does that neither of you have any fun, and if he wants to play like that he's going to have to find another group. Because he is in the wrong, make no mistake of that. He's only doing it because you and the DM allow him to.

But, if that's a little too confrontational to you, just tell them both if they don't get it together then you quit. As you said, you may lose them, but if you aren't having any fun what's the point of even playing at all?

Our DM doesn't see a problem, and that's causing ANOTHER problem. He's acting like I'm just totally out of line about the whole thing.

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

Have you, by chance, talked to the offending player? Tell him that he's being a killjoy?

I could see talking to the DM being a bad thing, especially when they've got their God complex on. But seriously, have you mentioned it to the offending player?

This isn't the first time we've had a problem with this particular player. Last time it was because he was basically being a dick by making a character that ended every fight in a single round and basically spent the whole time shitting on my character for being Lawful Good. Now he's making a new character that basically makes everyone redundant, and he's basically treating this whole game like his own personal story where he's the wisecracking protagonist and we're all his sidekicks.

So if you're asking if we've brought it up to him before, yes. It's been discussed.

 

[isometry]

The question is whether he is enjoying playing "god mode" in terms of game mechanics, or whether his enjoyment is from trolling you guys and being the center of attention.

If he's desperate for attention, pointing that out in context might embarrass him and decrease the attention-seeking behavior. Also try not giving him attention as much as possible except as a reward if he behaves well.

 

[malkavianmadman]

how bout everyone does some hard core min/maxing and just make all your characters uber awesome at their specific role? I mean who needs a hybrid tank MDPS RDPS etc etc, when your tank M DPS and RDPS are all super awesome

 

[Mr Thin]

Drow Rogue/Swordsage/Assassin/Master Thrower/Exotic Weapon Master...

That's a joke, right? An exaggeration? You're just throwing random classes in the description to make it sound worse, surely.

How big is your group? Is throwing this guy out a viable option? If, as you say, everyone is annoyed by this, why hasn't it already happened?

And what kind of cringing limp-wristed fish is running this game? I once had a DM that spent half the sessions dicking around on the internet with his laptop, and he was STILL a better DM than one who lets this bullshit happen.

 

[Estranged180]

I had DM'd a player like this once, waaay back when D&D just got released as AD&D (yes, I've been playing the game since 1979, and yes, I've actually been alive that long). Do I need to say that this player's character didn't last too long with what I had planned for him? No, he didn't see what would happen if his chosen deity chose to visit him, and then decide (being a chaotic kind of god) not to regenerate him after the visit. In short, insta-death.

Ways of dealing with players that play 'broken' characters are completely up to the DM. The other players cannot be involved with such decisions. The problem here is that the DM has decided that the game campaign can handle such a high powered character without breaking itself. Yes, the DM may appear limp-wristed, but in the end, it is the DM's campaign. Players can voice their displeasure with the situation, but more often than not, it winds up with the players that were playing 'legit' characters suffering and having to never deal with that particular DM again.

Personally, I liked one of the original ideas in V1.0 of D&D that didn't seem to make it into the other iterations of the game. The 'blue bolt from the heavens' as a way to get the player to straighten out and fly right. Coincidentally, I didn't make up that phrase, E. Gary Gygax did.

Now, while I don't consider myself as an expert on D&D, people do often ask me how things are supposed to work, and the answer I usually give them is 'throw out the rulebook if it gets in the way.' It would appear by the way the OP has described the situation that the rulebook isn't the problem. The problem is between the DM and that particular player, and as I said, it doesn't appear that this super-character isn't going to break the campaign.

Your choice OP is an easy one. Play the game, or don't. This choice will only affect you. If need be, and if the rules set up by the DM allow, create your own god-like character... one that's just one campaign away from complete ascension into godhood and play that one. Even better, make yourself a counter-character and save it for when you're in charge... make a campaign, invite trouble player, insert counter-character, and watch him flounder. Remember, the players do not see the DM's combat rolls. Is it cheating? Maybe, but in times like this, it shouldn't be much of an issue.

One more way for you to deal with the situation is to really play your character to the hilt as creatively as possible. After all, what's the point of an RPG if you aren't role playing your character to the hilt? I think you'd be surprised at your own creativity with a character that you may or may not have come to appreciate.

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

-snip-

Believe me, if I was the only one frustrated by this whole thing, I'd probably just pack up my ball and go home. But I'm the only one with the books, and I'm the one who's in charge of organizing everything, and I'm the with the location to play the games. So me leaving would literally dissolve the whole group, and I have a feeling I'd come off as kind of an asshole in the end of it. But something that's kind of bothering me is that our DM is acting like I'm WAY out of line about the whole situation, even though pretty much everyone is getting fed up.
This player has basically turned his character into an arms race or a "I can do anything you can do" contest, not to mention he's practically TRYING to turn this whole campaign into his own personal anime where he's the wisecracking protagonist and we're all just so much scenery.

Drow Rogue/Swordsage/Assassin/Master Thrower/Exotic Weapon Master...

That's a joke, right? An exaggeration? You're just throwing random classes in the description to make it sound worse, surely.

How big is your group? Is throwing this guy out a viable option? If, as you say, everyone is annoyed by this, why hasn't it already happened?

And what kind of cringing limp-wristed fish is running this game? I once had a DM that spent half the sessions dicking around on the internet with his laptop, and he was STILL a better DM than one who lets this bullshit happen.

Oh boy, do I wish I was making a hilarious exaggeration here. But no, this is really what he's trying to play. You should have seen his last character, the one we made him change from... It was somehow actually worse

 

[Akimoto]

Going along with the current details, apparently the DM has taken sides with the player. I'm surprised you're still playing the game, unless leaving means being unable to find a different group.

Friends don't let friends play like d*ck-tards

 

[hazabaza1]

Get everyone else who's annoyed by him to tell the DM? Or tell the player to fuck right off and come back when he's willing to co-operate.