|
Problem is this, both players dont really 'create' characters, they min/max and level dip into a bunch of classes to make them in their own words 'self sufficient' that they dont need to rely on anyone for anything, since both players tend to play Chaotic Evil characters and feel they should be able to do as they please.
.
BOUNTY-HUNTERS SOLVE ALL GM PROBLEMS!
CE characters create enemies wherever they go. The more wreckage and mayhem they cause, the more various NPCs want revenge.
Bounty-hunter team:
* Dwarf ranger[Urban] built along the lines of the Pathfinder iconic. Distant Death in the Dark. Steel Soul feat. Neutral alignment.
* Half-orc barbarian/monk[martial-artist] with EWP:fauchard, Raging Vitality and Extra Rage. Accelerated Drinker trait. Neutral alignment.
* Gnome straight-class bard ("private investigator"). Neutral alignment.
* Elf paladin[Divine Hunter] of Abadar. Sword-n-board high-AC tank. Mithral breastplate and DEX 20. Warrior of Old + Eyes and Ears of the City traits. Lawful-Good alignment, and "captain" of the team.
Make 'em scary high level with crap-tons of equipment. All of them have tons of hitpoints or self-healing, and uber saving-throws. They are consummate professionals, and specialize in "Affairs of Honor" assignments from nobles and royalty.
Your next adventure: the CE characters have a price on their heads. Terms of the bounty...bring them in alive to face trial, or kill them if that proves impossible. Deaths earn half-bounty (so the team will make an effort to capture them alive).
They do that so as to 'speed' things up because theyre impatient and dont want the Rogue to do his job
This is where I see the problem. Most RPGs are team games. They need to understand that they aren't the only ones at the table. If I was in this group, I would let them know that they can either let someone else have the spotlight when it's appropriate or this is a great time for us to part ways. I prefer to game with my friends who are there to have fun while letting the rest of us have fun too.
Im going to say that the best solution is to make it desireable to stay with the group.
The Leash: The characters are magicly leashed together with Geas or Mark of justice, crude solution, so not desireable.
The Carrot: The Party needs each other alive and together to get the big payoff. IE: The PCs are living keys to a treasure vault, useless without the whole set.
The Prestige: The main quest has a side objective that will grant the players "bragging rights" to achieve, but requires following and assisting the party in the main goal.
Thanks for all the advice guys, well for an update, we have managed to weed out some of their nonsense and one of the two offenders dropped out entirely to do his own thing.
With the other on his own, hes settled more into a player-friendly role. He realised early on the rest of the group was faring better than he was solo - so hes fallen in line for the most part (still somewhat selfish but thats not a big deal.)
I like to be descriptive (never using the monsters name) with any monster I present to the group, they 'did' used to have a good encyclopedic knowledge of older systems monsters and recognised some similarities. Not a big deal anymore thankfully.
Thanks alot for the advice and input!
about 90% of this thread is confrontational, and I think will just generate a slow-burning ill will between all of the gamers.
Looking at the update, you've got a small start against the mountain, but you could look at some options that I don't think were quite focused on here.
spend some time with the guy and see what the rest of his life is like. He may be using the game as an outlet for a sense of inadequacy elsewhere. People who "act out" aggressive, selfish, and 'evil' in certain areas of their life are having trouble coping in one or several other areas. Since you've invested thus far in him as a player, go a little further to see more of him than his game side.
You said that you'd graduated to PF from 3.5, but you haven't really. One of the reasons PF supplements progress like they do is because Paizo recognized the insane power creep that generally broke the game back then. If there's a good break in the campaign, or a TPK, Have the characters rolled from the basics again. tell them you want only pathfinder, and only the core rulebook. Then, when you're ready, allow access to one book at a time. It shouldn't take long for the game to progress to full access, and you've given yourself some breathing room as gm to accomodate or reject things from your campaign.
I am a fond advocate of pre-metagaming a campaign. especially with the player supplements that paizo provides, since you can talk out character concepts that will allow each player to shine in the adventure path they're linked to. Not only does that bring new stuff to the min/maxxers, but inherently drives the story.
Thanks for all the advice guys, well for an update, we have managed to weed out some of their nonsense and one of the two offenders dropped out entirely to do his own thing.With the other on his own, hes settled more into a player-friendly role. He realised early on the rest of the group was faring better than he was solo - so hes fallen in line for the most part (still somewhat selfish but thats not a big deal.)
When two bullies team up together, they can easily quadruple the amount of grief one bully can cause. With one bully gone, the other one doesn't have that "egging on" factor. He may feel he doesn't have to show off for his friend anymore.
But anyway, it's great that the game didn't die because of a couple of jerks.