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yeah, with a subject line like that, I'm leaveing myself open to get ribbed... but try to keep it on subject please.
I would like some advice on how to handle something that happened to me at two tables resently. I feel I could have handled both situations better, but I'm not sure how to...
Both times it was basicly the same thing, but with different players & different judges (mostly). Sitting at a game in a tier 5-9 game (sub tier 8-9 I think), two or three of the players are new to PFS, but not new to D&D/PF. As they don't have PCs above 1st they are running Pre-Gens. Everyone is having fun, and the new guys are RPing with the rest of us, when one of the new guys begins to get a little board, as the "action" has moved to a talking phase and they are not running a social character. Perhaps they don't really know the PF setting, or are loosing the story line or whatever. So... they decide it's time to pick a fight with an NPC, or open doors, or - something that is likely to get several of the PCs killed and hose the mission, running it well off track.
How do you keep the play going and the adventure on track (and not get your PC killed), when a party member decides to "kill everyone in town"? Remember the PvP rules...
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Sounds like the GM needs to step up and remind them of the "Don't be a Jerk" rule, or more subtley direct them back to play. If the GM failed to act, you could always politely ask the GM to act, and if the player is ignoring the GM, express your dislike of the situation and back the GM verbally, or IMO the best case situation. Have the GM, or coordinator discuss this with the player outside of the table. Not knowing the group dynamic, it's hard to give exact advice, but there is some general advice.
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How do you keep the play going and the adventure on track (and not get your PC killed), when a party member decides to "kill everyone in town"? Remember the PvP rules...
As a GM, I would frankly have let them do it, but it would rapidly get them separated from the rest of the party (and we all know what happens when they do that). Remember, Pathfinders save important artifacts and other such goodies. They don't have to save idiots from themselves.
Also, if they persisted, I would bring up DBAD, and ask them to play nice. If they refused, they get to leave.
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This would be when as a fellow player, I’d explain that Pathfinders don’t do that sort of thing (killing random NPCs) as that makes Pathfinders look bad and could get them kicked out of a town, country, or even region.
As a GM, I would say roughly the same thing. If they persisted, I’d have the town guard show up and arrest him and suggest that the rest of you stand back and let it happen.
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Thanks for the advice so far...
more background:
Both times I did interrupt the player when he started drawing weapons on an NPC we were trying to Diplomacy into doing something for us. I then explained that several of us at the table had characters we had a lot of real time invested in, and didn't want to loose due to his starting an unneeded fight. Trying to do it as "nicely" as possible, but letting him know that if he started killing locals (even if they were undead) my PC was going to "distance myself from the madman I have found myself in the company of". One time the judge at that point was able to defuse it and get the game back on track (the other game blundered along for a little before we were able to salvage it), but it tainted the game for us a bit. And it could easily have turned into major story line issues.
What I am wondering, is there anything I can do as a player to prevent or recover from these situations? (sort of not playing with 'visitors')
In both times the players in question were fine guys... just didn't know how things work in PFS and were tired of the "lack of action" and ... not really a jerk (though "I'm just playing my character" was heard).
I hate to think what it would have been like if we'd had a real jerk at the table.
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As a player, you cannot force another player to quit a certain action. As a GM, they *should* put their foot down. I'm sorry you had to deal with a disruptive player. I would ask the organizer to talk to the player after the fact. If the problem persists, then one of two things needs to happen: the GM needs to ask the player to leave, or the GM needs to take off the kid gloves and turn the PC evil and call it a day. Random murder of NPC's is about as clear a case of evil as I can think of.
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You seem to attract bad players the same way i do bizarre injuries and accidents.
LOL! no I just play with LOTS of different players.
And these two guys weren't "bad players", they just had bad habbits. (is that like "bad hobbits"?).
They were used to playing in "one-off" games, were your actions in one game have not lasting effect. They had been handed PCs (7th level I beleave) and told to enjoy themselves. Once we stopped the game and got past the "I'm just playing my alignment!" or "That's what my character would DO!" stage they were ok - but it kind of gimped the game some.
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That was supposed to be part of the "quick" version of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play.
LOL! "quick version"? well... I have been accused of being kind of slow... (Within the last 10 minutes on the Rules board I had someone tell me that if my wizard was to sell his (replaced) spellbook "that would be one extreamly stupid wizard".)
Where do I find the quick version of the Guide to PFSOP sir? (excuse me if I am showing my "slow" side here).
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It's bundled in the zip file that you the long GtPSOP in.
There's only one paragraph that explains what Pathfinders are, however:
The Pathfinder Society Organized Play system is a worldwide fantasy roleplaying campaign that puts you in the role of an agent of the pathfinder Society, a legendary league of explorers, archeologists, and adventurers dedicated to discovering and chronicling the greatest mysteries and wonders of an ancient world beset by magic and monsters. The campaign’s home base is sprawling Absalom, the so-called City at the Center of the World. A Pathfinder explores the dark alleys and political intrigues of Absalom between far-flung travels to the most interesting and exotic locales in the world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.