Problem Players Anonymous [a 1E game]

[Ker'ion]

:evil:


I seem to have a problem...


I have a game running with six players.


A Dawn Caste Giant - Silent Thunder, he has the Armor of the Unseen Assassin, CotI.


A Zenith Caste Priestess - The wifey playing a CotI Priestess teetering on the edge of going evil with a capital E.


A Night Caste Midget - EM as Master Shorty/ Kess Mikhael, a CotI master of Tiger Style MA. NOT THE PROBLEM (this time).


A Twilight - A sorceress when she's in game, CotI.


An Eclipse - An Iselsi raised as a Cynis, living as an All Seeing Eye assassin, not CotI.


A Lunar No-Moon - Wolf's Anger, a Silver Pact teenager (The Problem).


The problem here is that the player of the Lunar No-Moon was in an oWoD game with EM and had decided (without notifying me about this in the first place, as his character would have never made it in game) that he wanted to take revenge on EM's asshattery in the previous game (and EM's typical gaming attitude in general towards everyone) by being an ass to EM's character and constantly challenging Mikhael's authority in game.


After losing in a challenge circle to Mikhael, Wolf's Anger decided that he would publicly back down.  But Wolf's Anger decided that since he can't take him on in a fair fight and win, he was going to be an asshat and take him out like an underhanded bastich.


His plan was to privately go behind the back of the party to learn the spell 'Shadow Summoning' so that he could summon Mikhael's shadow from a short distance while Mikhael was resting, destroy the shadow, stunning Mikhael.  Then he was going to use 'Flying Guilotine' (which he already knows) on Mikhael to finish him off.


I tried to talk to him about this, but even though he said he'd back off, it was before the idea of his character learning the shadow summoning spell.


So, what, in everyone else's opnion, is the best way to deal with this problem?

 

[Thorn Darkblade]

Have him explain himself first. Is there a legit in-character reason? If my PC's wanna take out of game shit in game, I let them, but only if it causes awesome plotline drama, and not just a self-imploding game. If he can't give you a damn you reason, tell him that is unacceptable. I've personally adopted a warning system in my game, kind of a 3 strikes, you're booted thing. It may seem childish, but it has surprisingly effective results. You may wanna take that for a test spin. Don't back down when someone hits #3 though, or the rest will test your limits.

 

[Ker'ion]

His reason, as mentioned above, is purely OOC.  He wants revenge on EM for EM's actions toward everyone else in previous games.


BTW:  EM's char in this game is actually a good person who is trying to make the world a better place through his actions toward those around him.

 

[Thorn Darkblade]

Then inform him to either come up with a reason that will shatter your world it's so damn good, or give him a warning for acting out of character simply to spite another player, and veto the action

 

[Jukashi]

Attacking one's companions for no good reason definetely seems against the silver Way to me. I'd like to pick the re-education option, but in reality I'd probably go for the talk and the ultimatum.

 

[Jakk Bey]

Tell your Lunar player to grow the fuck up.


Be blunt.  Remind him that this is the sort of thing that junior high kids pull, and tell him to put on his Man Pants, or boot his sorry ass out the door.  


It won't help EM, it won't do anything for the plot, and it's just silly and stoopid.


He wants to see EM be a better player, then this is exactly the opposite way to do that.  What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, and what happens in another game, stays in the other game.  He doesn't have to like EM, but if this sort of thing is why he's playing in your game, then lay it out, blunt and harsh, and don't take any backsass on it.  If that doesn't shock him--and you've got Daddy Voice, so don't be afraid to use it--then tell him not to come to the next session, and either use his character as an NPC that is written out of the plot, or sacrifice the character to a plot device to maintain your game.

 

[memesis]

His reason' date=' as mentioned above, is purely OOC.  He wants revenge on EM for EM's actions toward everyone else in previous games.[/quote']
Then make this an in-game consequence to start with.


No Moon teachers: "Why do you wish to learn these spells?"


Asshat: "To get this guy!"


Teachers: "Why does the Silver Way demand that this guy be gotten?"


Asshat: "........."


Teachers: "Come back when you are ready.  Until then, we will not teach you."


If he insists on acting out of character further, don't reward him with XP until he gets back on track.  If he still insists, remove him from the game.

 

[Ker'ion]

I'm currently going with option 1.


He is being sent off away from the party.  He will not return until he has learned what he seeks, but will not be taught the spell until he conceeds his anal-retentativeness.


The player has been given option B as a replcaement if he doesn't think his character will convert.

 

[Zaramis]

I was gonna vote for "Make up a reason and have him do it just to get some nice in-game consequences"


But then I like killing characters in certain games. And hey, isnt losing a duel enough? come on, blood!

 

[Persell]

I definitely would go with the "grow the fuck up" route.  It's pretty bad that someone would want to bring an OOC matter into a game.  Optimally, you're all sitting around the same table playing the game because you SUPPOSEDLY like each other.  I do believe that gaming should be between friends.


Another route is to suggest to this guy is that if he does succeed and finally kill this decent character, the character that replaces him is going to be just as bad or worse than the character that pissed him off so bad in oWoD.  Essentially he will just cause himself to suffer in the long run.

 

[Persell]

Tell him that the No Moons won't teach him because it's not of the Silver Way.  Then have an Eclipse who's of the CotI come around who offers to teach him for a favor and seal it.  If the Lunar takes him up on it, have the Eclipse teach him and then make the favor that the Lunar must protect the Night at all costs.


*sigh*  I love Eclipses.  They're such great deus ex machinas.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

You already heard my opinion earlier, but this guy has to be taught a lesson in not fucking around with people's characters.

 

[Hanat-Osul]

Why bother associating with a person who's stupid enough to think that killing somebody's character is going to solve anything?

 

[Samiel]

I'm with Jakk here. There's no point restricting his ability to act OOC in this one instance when you know he'll try other tacks until he either gets his way or gets frustrated.


I had a big problem with a guy acting OOC in my game, and I didn't do anything about it. Eventually, it built up until he got so frustrated with me telling him not to act OOC without giving a real impetus to do so that he started a fight and left the game.


If someone's acting OOC in your game and they're a friend, start slow and simply dock Health Levels every time they do, and explain privately to them that you can't have it at your table. If they're just a casual friend or aquaintance, warn them once and then kick them as peaceably as you can: stick with your real friends where a conflict arises.


And either way, if he really is just playing to get at someone else and not for fun, then he shouldn't be in the game at all.

 

[Ker'ion]

There's no point restricting his ability to act OOC in this one instance when you know he'll try other tacks until he either gets his way or gets frustrated.

The problem with him acting OOC is that his character's concept is LITERALLY Lunar Asshole.


I have combined option 1 and 2, giving him the option to remake a character for game, but it must be a more sociable character.  His old character is off with an elder for an extended stay and will not be going with the party (as the elder picked him up at Great Forks and the party is headed for the Lap).  He hasn't responded as to his plan of action.

 

[wordman]

Absent players willing and able to make their characters say "Hey, why are we hanging around this dick? Fuck off, Lunar Asshole", you might also try the passive-aggressive Dropping of Cows Technique. Works like this:


Lunar Asshole: I use the spell to steal EM's shadow.


Storyteller: OK. It is stolen.


LA: Sweet! Now I cast 'Flying Guilotine'!


ST: While you shape this spell, an undodgeable, unblockable cow falls on you from orbit. You are taken down to Incapacitated with unsoakable aggravated damage. The spell fissiles.


Repeat until player understands.

 

[Flagg]

Back in my high school D&D days, there was the "prune bolt": a bolt of lighting that erupted spontaneously from the sky and transformed its target into a prune.


-S

 

[Persell]

ST: While you shape this spell, an undodgeable, unblockable cow falls on you from orbit. You are taken down to Incapacitated with unsoakable aggravated damage. The spell fissiles.
Repeat until player understands.

Hah, awesome.  Can't forget that if a player acts OOC, there's no reason the ST can't act just as irrational and irrelevant.


Seriously though... the only solution to this guy is a swift boot to the ass.  You're not doing anyone any favors by tolerating this behavior.  Players occasionally like to think that the only thing that matters at the gaming table is their own personal enjoyment, but everyone is there to entertain each other.  No player has the right to piss on everyone's game just for their own amusement.  And he's not going to just take a hint, because it looks pretty obvious that he created this character just to be a pain.  Kill his character, hawk over his new character, dock him a lot of experience in the process and tell him he should be glad for the deal... it's better than being shut out in the cold.

 

[Guest]

I recommend fire...

 

[Ker'ion]

Kill his character, hawk over his new character, dock him a lot of experience in the process and tell him he should be glad for the deal... it's better than being shut out in the cold.

His new char gets 0 XP, limited backgrounds, and I have full say over his nature and concept.  The END.


And wordman.


DUDE :shock:


You need to submit that as an ST charm in the Submissions section.  Maybe a Sidereal charm or Celestial Spell as well. :twisted:


Player: I use Passive-Aggressive Dropping of Cows Technique on the Fire Aspect DB leading the Wyld hunt that is charging toward me.


ST: The stunned squad of mortals and god-blooded stops, looks at their leader, and, failing their Valor rolls, quickly flees the scene before getting a cow dropped on them as well.

 

[Gtroc]

Wood shed, hickory axe-handle, and an hours worth of whuppin'! that's my advice...of course if you want him concious, that could be a problem. also, there is the whole brain damage thing...so I guess just ignore me.

 

[Ker'ion]

Ok...


If you insist.


Putting the 2x4 down. ops:

 

[Ker'ion]

The problem player examined his options and decided that he prefered the door.


Oh, well.  Now to deal with the other six and a half bilion assholes. :twisted:

 

[Flagg]

Oh' date=' well.  Now to deal with the other six and a half bilion assholes. :twisted:[/quote']
"So many jerks, so few bullets." -- tagline, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane


-S

 

[Samiel]

The perfect outcome! You didn't have to kick him, and he left himself. It's the exact same as the dickhead in my game. I barred him from the Yahoo group for being abusive, and he got pissed and left on his own. Not before kicking up a ruckus I'll add, and making a martyr of himself, but my game and my social life improved somewhat for the lack of him.


..Still wished him well before he left for America though. Doesn't hurt to be polite.