Basically, what bothers me the most is the attitude that it's the GM's job to entertain the players...+1
+2
Near death experience caused by lack of communicationWow. I've heard of players getting attached to their characters, but never to that extreme. You're right, someone should have told you.
... and then you should try and get rid of that player - without her stabbing you. Not easy, true, but playing with a known psychopath? No way.
Stefan
While I don't like the players who talk about their WoW game at the table, my #1 pet peeve is
THE SLEEPER
This is the gamer that for some reason, be it exhaustion or boredom, cannot seem to stay awake at the gaming table. They doze off midway through the session and only respond when poked with a pointed stick in the eye.
I find it disrespectful to the other players, and even moreso to the DM who puts in the lion's share of the work to run a game. If you're tired before a game, then caffienate yourself or catch a power nap before you show up! Better yet, just email your character and let someone else play it, since that's what will likely end up happening anyways.
This would only bother me if it kept happening, especially with the same person. Presumably s/he showed up with the best of intentions but adult life being what it is most of us are at least 4 1/2 hours behind on sleep at any given point in the week. This is, usually, something of a self correcting problem which makes it so forgivable in my books. The sleeper presumably wishes s/he had actually stayed home and had a real nap as falling asleep sitting up on the couch is not really all that comfy. Hence the person either makes more effort next time or chooses to actually book later sessions off.
Of course I can at least imagine a person that actually shows up for the pre-game social time and then promptly sleeps through the adventure - that'd get pretty annoying pretty fast.
Players who play with their (polyhedral) dice like they're building blocks when it isn't their turn. To the point where they have to get more dice so they can build higher.I'm sorry about that. :) I have a compulsive thing about stacking die, although I use my own. I also square up my PC sheet & Player's Guide with the edge of the table, and then my pencils parallel to the sheet. I never seemed to be disruptive about it, but now maybe the other players and GMs were just being polite.I'm guilty of stacking my dice too.
I'd be guilty of this but our DM is a dice thief. I spend all my time fortifying my dice to protect them from the wandering grasp of the DM. The last chair filled at the game table is always the one beside the DM 'cause if you sit beside him you'll go to make your to hit roll and find that the DM has stolen all your d20's. I mean you can have them back if you cn find thm but usually he's stolen them, then wandered around to the other end of the table before rolling them. We even give him a bunch of dice at the beginning of every session but he never reaches for his dice- instead compulsively stealing the players. These days I stack my 4E power cards on top of my dice (he does not steal them if he can't see them) but I'm thinking of making booby traps involving pointy toothpicks and that pink putty stuff that comes in a plastic egg to protect them.
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... I'm thinking of making booby traps involving pointy toothpicks and that pink putty stuff that comes in a plastic egg to protect them.
The better way to prevent this from happening ever again is to casually reach over to the DM's pile and scoop up a handfull of his dice. Do this for a few sessions and he'll get the point. :)
Basically, what bothers me the most is the attitude that it's the GM's job to entertain the players...
-1.
As DM, I almost feel like I need to take the opposite stance. My job IS to keep the players entertained. If I fail in that, then they'll go down the street and find another DM, and then I don't get to play.
I believe I understand where you are coming from, Kirth, but do the players not have any responsibility to the game as a whole?
I believe I understand where you are coming from, Kirth, but do the players not have any responsibility to the game as a whole?
You are correct. Individual players can impact the enjoyability of the game and should contribute to a positive gaming experience. I think the DM bears the majority of the responsibility, though.
I would agree that the GM bears the most responsibility for entertaining the players, but I feel the players have some responsibility to not ruin the game for others, including the GM.
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I probably should have said that what bothers me is the idea that it's exclusively the GM's job to entertain the players. I do agree that the GM is going to be doing most of the work in keeping everyone entertained. That basically goes with the territory unless you're playing an indie game that uses the mechanics to share that kind of responsibility. But it annoys me when players think that it's solely the GM's responsibility to make sure they have fun.
I would agree that the GM bears the most responsibility for entertaining the players, but I feel the players have some responsibility to not ruin the game for others, including the GM.
I'm basically in agreement, as a DM, I feel it is my responsibility to create/flesh out the story, the NPC's, the nasites, etc... basically, that's the job of the DM; in fact, in some game systmes, the role is called "storyteller" -- so yes, I'm here to entertain.
I would add, though, like the original poster mentioned, that if the players are too passive, expecting to only be spectators, that's tough. The story only evolves though active participation on all parts.
Trap dungeons, no creatures to fight just one trap after another.
Especially annoying are the road runner dungeons where one trap triggers another and another and so on. Then the survivors with only a handful of HPs left are supposed to face some monster two times the level of the group.
DM to group: You said you wanted to fight a monster.
PS. DM's who get offended that you are beating their dungeon.
The better way to prevent this from happening ever again is to casually reach over to the DM's pile and scoop up a handfull of his dice. Do this for a few sessions and he'll get the point. :)
... I'm thinking of making booby traps involving pointy toothpicks and that pink putty stuff that comes in a plastic egg to protect them.
I'll have to come over for a game or two. At my second job, this one co-worker thought it was always ok to steal half my fries when I brought back take-out during my lunch break. When he took a bite of my burger one day, I stabbed his hand with a metal fork. We both got written up for it, but he never bothered me at lunch again.
And I'm more possessive of my dice than my food... :)
I would agree that the GM bears the most responsibility for entertaining the players, but I feel the players have some responsibility to not ruin the game for others, including the GM.
I think these are two distinct if related points. Its more the GMs responsibility to entertain then the players but it is the responsibility of the players to see to it that they don't stand in teh way of everyone being entertained by the DM. Now I think this is taking things a bit far - its a heck of a lot easier for a good time to be had by all if the players are making things fun for everyone but the major burden for entertainment falls to the DM - a player can have an off day and it should not impact things to much for the rest of the players so long as s/he is not being a jerk (hence the player that falls asleep might not really be an issue for everyone else as long as they are having fun) but the DM really 9is not allowed to have an off day - they'll happen but they always damage teh gam as a whole in a way that a single player rarely does (and when a player is ruining everything for everyone its time to take significant measures).
The better way to prevent this from happening ever again is to casually reach over to the DM's pile and scoop up a handfull of his dice. Do this for a few sessions and he'll get the point. :)
... I'm thinking of making booby traps involving pointy toothpicks and that pink putty stuff that comes in a plastic egg to protect them.
I can't see why - he never touches the dice we give him at the start of each session. Generally speaking players are compulsive and protective of 'their' dice but DMs usually don't care. This is because those dice are all that stands between a players beloved character and a grisly demise. DMs don't have much invested in any individual monster and hence don't care about dice. There are exceptions to this - in the last campaign I DMed my players used to steal a particular orange d20 off me and hide it various places in the room (I'd find it halfway through the session in the potted Fern or notice it atop the door molding) but this was because this die was uncanny - it rolled either a 1 or a 20 something like 50% of the time. I could care less if my monsters miss half the time if the other half of the time I threaten a critical!
Arrive with your dice stored in your underwear.
Will Ferrell: "How did you get a pen in here? You were searched at the door!"
'Sean Connery': "I didn't hide in my pocket, Trebek!"
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At my second job, this one co-worker thought it was always ok to steal half my fries when I brought back take-out during my lunch break. When he took a bite of my burger one day, I stabbed his hand with a metal fork. We both got written up for it, but he never bothered me at lunch again.
Who the hell takes a bite from someone's lunch? I can't imagine why he thought that was a good idea.
At my second job, this one co-worker thought it was always ok to steal half my fries when I brought back take-out during my lunch break. When he took a bite of my burger one day, I stabbed his hand with a metal fork. We both got written up for it, but he never bothered me at lunch again.Who the hell takes a bite from someone's lunch? I can't imagine why he thought that was a good idea.
There is very little penalty for taking a bite from someone else's lunch.
Most people won't risk getting themselves in trouble by confronting the offender.
As Ambrosia Slaad pointed out s/he got in trouble for it too.
I am not condoning it... But it is socially inappropriate to stand up for yourself, and some people thrive in that environment.
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At my second job, this one co-worker thought it was always ok to steal half my fries when I brought back take-out during my lunch break. When he took a bite of my burger one day, I stabbed his hand with a metal fork. We both got written up for it, but he never bothered me at lunch again.Who the hell takes a bite from someone's lunch? I can't imagine why he thought that was a good idea.There is very little penalty for taking a bite from someone else's lunch.
Most people won't risk getting themselves in trouble by confronting the offender.
As Ambrosia Slaad pointed out s/he got in trouble for it too.
I am not condoning it... But it is socially inappropriate to stand up for yourself, and some people thrive in that environment.
I would have taken the leftover burger and mashed it into his face.
I worked at a carwash once and a guy ate my lunch out of my bag so I sprayed him with the water jets they clean the cars with. Those things HURT so he never did it again.
When-I'm-a-Player-peeve: The other player that starts scouring the room for loot before the bad guys are dead or the room is secured... presumably acting under the 'rule' "Finders Keepers".
When-I'm-a-DM-peeve: I like it when players get excited during the game and do the occasional 'enthusiastic' roll. I take that as a compliment. But my peeve is the player who consistently rolls like we are playing Craps - throwing dice across the table, knocking the miniatures out of position, and shooting off the far side of the table. The re-roll takes 5 minutes because the second and third rolls are much like the first...
And related to this - the overly cautious roller. The player who rolls damage on a 10d6 Fireball one... die... at... a... time.
At my second job, this one co-worker thought it was always ok to steal half my fries when I brought back take-out during my lunch break. When he took a bite of my burger one day, I stabbed his hand with a metal fork. We both got written up for it, but he never bothered me at lunch again.Who the hell takes a bite from someone's lunch? I can't imagine why he thought that was a good idea.There is very little penalty for taking a bite from someone else's lunch.
Most people won't risk getting themselves in trouble by confronting the offender.
As Ambrosia Slaad pointed out she got in trouble for it too.
I am not condoning it... But it is socially inappropriate to stand up for yourself, and some people thrive in that environment.
I would have taken the leftover burger and mashed it into his face.
I worked at a carwash once and a guy ate my lunch out of my bag so I sprayed him with the water jets they clean the cars with. Those things HURT so he never did it again.
I put up with his obnoxiousness for over a year before forking him. The manager (another guy) said a**hole was just "being a guy" and gave me the impression I shouldn't push the issue on the four times when I brought it up. A**hole got fired shortly afterward when he was caught selling his custom built PCs while on the job.
I have a beef with people who cannot arrive even vaguely when they said they would or who leave early. I currently play with a guy who regularly shows up over an hour late. It gets old, despite the fact that I'm often later than I intended. (I try to call ahead to let the others know if I'm running behind.)
I used to play with a woman who regularly evaporated in the beginning of the evening's climactic battle. She didn't mention that she would be leaving at a particular time and she couldn't fudge things by a few minutes to be there: She just vanished. It was intensely frustrating, as she didn't want anything to happen to her character in her absence.
DM: "Suddenly, a dozen wraiths rise up from the patterns on the floor!"
Player: "Oh, no! Gotta run!"
DM: "Could Pete run your fighter so we can do the battle?"
Player: "No, I'd rather not have anyone else run my character."
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
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Trap dungeons, no creatures to fight just one trap after another.
Especially annoying are the road runner dungeons where one trap triggers another and another and so on. Then the survivors with only a handful of HPs left are supposed to face some monster two times the level of the group.DM to group: You said you wanted to fight a monster.
PS. DM's who get offended that you are beating their dungeon.
Guilty of the all-trap dungeon. To be fair, it was only one game session, fit the campaign I was running at the time, and I told the players what to expect.
I got some compliments and I got some eye-rolling during that game session.
The better way to prevent this from happening ever again is to casually reach over to the DM's pile and scoop up a handfull of his dice. Do this for a few sessions and he'll get the point. :)
... I'm thinking of making booby traps involving pointy toothpicks and that pink putty stuff that comes in a plastic egg to protect them.I'll have to come over for a game or two. At my second job, this one co-worker thought it was always ok to steal half my fries when I brought back take-out during my lunch break. When he took a bite of my burger one day, I stabbed his hand with a metal fork. We both got written up for it, but he never bothered me at lunch again.
And I'm more possessive of my dice than my food... :)
Note to self: Don't eat Ambrosia Slaad's food without permission.
Nothing worst than ppl who are sick and/or pick their junk and touch your dice. :p yuck. These ppl need to be restrained.
Dude looking at porn on his laptop during a session.
Seriously - party had gotten through trapped ruins, and found the lair of an ancient dragon underneath. The dragon returned while we were exploring, and half the party was panicking due to Dragon Fear (AD&D campaign)... and I look over, and dude is watching porn on his laptop.
Note to self: Don't eat Ambrosia Slaad's food without permission.
Nah, you'd be fine. I was much more passive and quiet then, and would just quietly take crap from everyone till I hit my limit. It wasn't even that bad a wound, kinda shallow on the back of his hand; I think it only took three stitches.
I've never felt guilty about it either.
Dude looking at porn on his laptop during a session.
Seriously - party had gotten through trapped ruins, and found the lair of an ancient dragon underneath. The dragon returned while we were exploring, and half the party was panicking due to Dragon Fear (AD&D campaign)... and I look over, and dude is watching porn on his laptop.
Well at least he isn't torrenting music/movies/software something using your IP address.
Maybe keep some Purel handy if you have to touch his laptop though.
I've never felt guilty about it either.
I wouldn't either.
Dude looking at porn on his laptop during a session.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
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Note to self: Don't eat Ambrosia Slaad's food without permission.
Nah, you'd be fine. I was much more passive and quiet then, and would just quietly take crap from everyone till I hit my limit. It wasn't even that bad a wound, kinda shallow on the back of his hand; I think it only took three stitches.
I've never felt guilty about it either.
o.O
Only three stitches? Seriously, though, dude had it coming to him. I can't imagine where anyone gets the idea they can just walk up and take someone else's food.
I've never felt guilty about it either.I wouldn't either.
Dude looking at porn on his laptop during a session.Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over.
Well, I don't use a laptop to game. I use pencil, paper, dice. And yeah, it's not like he was sneaking looks at porn, he was openly browsing various sites.
Of course, he's the GM's best friend for like the last 30 years, so...
I've never felt guilty about it either.I wouldn't either.
Dude looking at porn on his laptop during a session.Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over.Well, I don't use a laptop to game. I use pencil, paper, dice. And yeah, it's not like he was sneaking looks at porn, he was openly browsing various sites.
Of course, he's the GM's best friend for like the last 30 years, so...
That's still really f***in creepy!
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That's still really f***in creepy!I've never felt guilty about it either.I wouldn't either.
Dude looking at porn on his laptop during a session.Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over.Well, I don't use a laptop to game. I use pencil, paper, dice. And yeah, it's not like he was sneaking looks at porn, he was openly browsing various sites.
Of course, he's the GM's best friend for like the last 30 years, so...
I have no words to describe how creeped out I am by this.
Only three stitches? Seriously, though, dude had it coming to him. I can't imagine where anyone gets the idea they can just walk up and take someone else's food.
I'm half-tempted to work up a wondrous Mordenkainen's Vigilant Fork :)
I'm half-tempted to work up a wondrous Mordenkainen's Vigilant Fork :)Make sure you share it with Guinan, I'm sure Q would just love that!
This extremely dorky obscure reference is brought to you by the letters T,N,G...
Holy Crap! I completely forgot about that episode & incident! Maybe younger me (9yro?!) filed that away for future reference which lead to me forking my former co-worker.
Dude looking at porn on his laptop during a session.
Seriously - party had gotten through trapped ruins, and found the lair of an ancient dragon underneath. The dragon returned while we were exploring, and half the party was panicking due to Dragon Fear (AD&D campaign)... and I look over, and dude is watching porn on his laptop.
That beats playing WoW by miles... Honestly, why do guys like this show up at the gaming table anyway? (I don´t give a damn if anybody watches porn - but, hey, do it at home, will ya?!)
Stefan
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Note to self: Don't eat Ambrosia Slaad's food without permission.
Nah, you'd be fine. I was much more passive and quiet then, and would just quietly take crap from everyone till I hit my limit. It wasn't even that bad a wound, kinda shallow on the back of his hand; I think it only took three stitches.
I've never felt guilty about it either.
[threadjack]People routinely steal lunches out of the break room where I work. Particularly popular are Lean Cuisines and other frozen entrees. My approach to it involves guilt - I put personal little notes on all of my stuff with things like "If you eat this, I'm going to be hungry all afternoon" and "Please don't steal my creamer - I don't make very much money". Surprisingly, it seems to help.[/threadjack]
[threadjack]People routinely steal lunches out of the break room where I work. Particularly popular are Lean Cuisines and other frozen entrees. My approach to it involves guilt - I put personal little notes on all of my stuff with things like "If you eat this, I'm going to be hungry all afternoon" and "Please don't steal my creamer - I don't make very much money". Surprisingly, it seems to help.[/threadjack]
I'll protect your lunch, good sir!