Narrated D&D Story: How 'That Guy' Nearly Made Me Quit Dungeons & Dragons Forever

[@allthingsdnd]

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[@ezrafaulk3076]

Some people just REFUSE to see that you just CAN'T be perfect at everything and have everything go EXACTLY your way in a roleplaying like DnD, and that most DM's AREN'T tyrants; the players and DM suggested TONS of plausible ways to get the statues down, the player rejects ALL of them, and blames the DM saying he's trying to STOP that player from having minions? SERIOUSLY; they act like they're being singled out even though EVERYONE has to abide by all the same rules they do.

[@TsuiIzumi]

If you feel like quitting for something like that take a break even if is a long one, but don't quit because and entitled asshole wanted to ruin your game. I also had to deal with a guy like that years ago, I took a long break and started being a DM again with a fresh start and I'm gald that I did.

[@TheHeroExodus]

I think I've been that guy accidentally a few times by asking a few questions I didnt know I shouldn't have. As a new player I asked for plate before and tried to craft it.... though I had the proficiency, the DM let us know game 3 our background doesnt matter..... which halted the game as everyone had similar complimentary backgrounds that they just found out they could never use.... didnt fight but the campaign definitely ended cuz my question

[@ezrafaulk3076]

@@TheHeroExodus ouch.

[@dragonites55]

i haven't really had someone THAT bad, but i did have one dude that put me to sleep in front of a vampire spawn at like 3rd or 4th level because i was asking to be hidden from undead as well... that wasn't fun...

[@druabrams1462]

When you hear that the campaign is too easy, yet the character is underpowered in the same sentence.

[@DeadlockDrago]

Translation:The campaign is too easy, make it easier please.

[@kharijordan6426]

😂

[@knifeninja200000]

I was going to mention that too

[@lostbutfreesoul]

caught that too *hehe*

[@TheLastSoundNL]

That sounds to me he views other players and characters as competition, not comrades in arms. At least without further knowledge of the sessions. I'm guessing (only wildly guessing) another player/character performed better than he did in combat. He wants to be the strongest and best of the party. I think that would reconcile the contradiction.

[@isimiel3405]

he should have given him a cursed set of plate that fuses permanently to his skin when he puts it on and it also eats 50% of his xp and it uses his HP to repair itself

[@chasm9557]

And just to be crass, say that it was also quenched in the tears of a giant baby after being forged.

[@metalc.s3170]

Both of these suggestions Sound cruel.... it’s the perfect solution to situations like this

[@interdimensionalgoober8769]

that’s just called being a jerk to the jerk, instead he should be booted. Simple as that.

[@monsterram6617]

I like how you think.

[@stormcrowlegendary3512]

Whenever he takes a hit there is a 50% chance the plate will move him to avoid damage, but result in him taking 1d4 more damage.

[@Heavenlyhounds96]

This guy was complaining about minions...that he straight up threw away anyway... That is the DEFINITION of a brat right there.

[@Drag0nRis1ng]

Didn't even do it in a fitting, role-playing-ish sort of way. Sounds like he was just trying to power-game. The cart with a driver, elf minions, plate armor.. even right down to the detail of being a drunk cleric who doesn't like his god, which to me just sounds like a lazy excuse to not have to roleplay the religious/spiritual aspect of his "cleric". Probably heard "clerics are overpowered" and that was that.

[@DragonGunzDorian]

It's almost like a child ripping up the dollar bills of their allowance and being mad they didn't get a larger allowance.

[@Heavenlyhounds96]

@@DragonGunzDorian to rip up. :P

[@SharowbladyeGaymerPorate]

in the wise words of GIOVANNA PITOZ(spelt his surname wrong) "a villian is only worth his minions" well in this case a pc is only as good as thier minions but anyway

[@MrNisey]

@@Drag0nRis1ng A minion with a cart is a common tool of old school power gamer. It's basically monster bait to take the first attack, or to be sent ahead for the same purpose (something That Guy tried to do). Same with minions, send them down the 10ft corridors to test for traps. In hindsight, your comment on why he was a drunk hater of his own diety sounds spot on. Didn't think of it then, but he was really light on the actual prayer. The sad thing is, I tell potential clerics in my games that I don't require a deity for holy classes, just dedication to a code or ideal.

[@TonySamedi]

I feel bad for the decent dude who was That Guys friend. Sounds like he'd be good for any group but because he lugs around a jerk who is bad for any group, he can't find a group either.

[@tomkelly00]

Ikr, when he said they are game hopping and unable to find a permanent place, I would have been like "I wonder why that is"

[@Thagesthoughts]

Unfortunately, Nice Player has to learn to cut the dead weight in such a way that doesn't ruin their off-table friendship.

[@crimfan]

Dollars to donuts, "that guy" is a pain in the rear off-table, too.

[@panicwithcompulsion]

Honestly, you can be best friends with someone and know that they aren't someone you can play games with. Some people just can't handle multiplayer games. They need to go watch a movie, go to a bar, do literally anything else instead of ruining games for multiple groups of people. You can be Christian and be friends with a Satanist, but that doesn't mean you should bring them to your church service.. Both of those guys are the problem. Enabling bad behavior by apologizing and reintroducing them to new groups is just as bad as being the asshole.

[@crimfan]

@@panicwithcompulsion Yes, being the enabler is a real problem. It can be really hard to stop doing that, unfortunately.

[@theianfleming97]

it's amazing how a new player can breathe life into a group

[@ActiveAdept-x7e]

Ian Fleming or suck it right out.

[@willsomething1226]

I know you posted this months ago but yeah. I think it maybe because newer players can be... naive because I see phases almost worth dnd players depending on personality. At the start it's more of a "Fuck it let's put all effort." The some players become more calm and abit more boring in the middle phases and when more experienced again go into the fuck it mode

[@boxorak]

I mean, cancer is technically life, too.

[@goldenfox334]

Their just people

[@skell6134]

@Stardust Holy Crusader Bad try then . -.

[@kodry9235]

There seem to be a lot of people with social issues playing D&D. If my advice is any good, dont quit doing something you love because another person makes you feel bad about it, you will regret it.

[@MrNisey]

I came back eventually. Just finished running with a three year group, mostly because of communication issues. I don't mind canceling a session, just need to be told. I happily ask for player feedback, but when all I get is "I'm having fun" only to get "meh" reactions to the actual game, makes it hard to fix whatever is causing the meh.

[@alzathoth]

that is a great point. I quit DMing a few years ago because of a group of idiots. maybe its time to start fresh again with some players that have some class. thanks again.

[@alpharabbit2353]

Seriously, its like playing an MMO then bitching its a multiplayer game. Respect the game for what it is or move on

[@alzathoth]

@@alpharabbit2353 exactly! :)

[@alpharabbit2353]

@@alzathoth Define idiots. Were they plain clueless of how to play, did they not want to try, or were they just lacking in common sense?

[@sycho-tech5104]

I am a close follower of the rule of 3: Once is an accident, Twice is a coincidence, Thrice is a pattern. I don’t dm for people with a pattern of bad behavior. I would’ve replied to his first “apology” with; ‘that’s great I’ll work on that for the rest of the group. Don’t come back.’ Then forwarded his apology to his friend ‘nice guy’ with the message; ‘if you have to play with him, you can’t play with me.’

[@droman608]

This. I would tell that guy to either get with the program or forget about it. Might actually be a swell guy on non rpg things like fishing or hiking.

[@Zeithri]

That's throwing out an Ultimatum and not being a good leader.

[@sycho-tech5104]

Zeithri that’s wear your wrong. A good leader, or in this case a DM, considers the need and desires of the whole group, not the wants of one idiot. The ultimatum is not really an ultimatum, it’s letting the individual know that they are still welcome, but only if their willing to dismiss their disruptive friend. However my exact hypothetical phrasing is a little harsh, I’ll admit to that.

[@Nionivek]

I think I'd be a LITTLE nicer to nice guy than that. Since he isn't the problem here and I can lend a sympathetic ear to someone who is honestly trying and is likely just as frustrated as I am.

[@quinhoprimeiro1049]

@@Nionivek (Obligatory sorry for responding to a 2 year old comment) But he was the problem, he was The Enabler™, the enabler is not the poison, but the poisoned apple, he is the thorny rose, he does not causes the harm directly, but brings the cause of the harm to the safe place, by appearing harmless themselves.

[@Bluedittoman]

in my game that i dm, my player really wanted me to give him fire ball despite how he was no longer putting any levels into wizard. He made a joke out of it after that so i decided i would. he has an amulet he can put on in order to get it, the amulet has a color changing jem on it that once attuned will turn into the color of an optional dragon (he rolls a d8) and it will give him an elemental version of fireball based on the type of dragon he gets. the catch here is the amulet is curse and is slowly turning him into a dragonborne while giving him wild magic

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Eric Turning into a giant bad ass lizard person does not sound like a curse to me unless in your world the dragon born are considered to be like actual monsters

[@Bluedittoman]

@@charlottewalnut3118 he heavily wants to stay human, plus ya know....hes a mage and his magic will become wild.

[@Bluedittoman]

@@charlottewalnut3118 my friend is the player that only chooses human because they are human irl

[@Bluedittoman]

@@charlottewalnut3118 oh right, also till the curse reaches about 80%, you dont get the resistance, so you take half damage from your own fireball

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Eric I see that’s gonna be painful

[@MrJjk1000]

"Everything is too easy and my character is under powered" What!?

[@Threadnaught]

He's a munchkin. I used to have one of those, he left too.

[@yeeyeeasshaircut4238]

I mean if he says its too easy, AND hes underpowered? Than thats way too easy! I dont understand why your complaining

[@lisagaughan7154]

@@yeeyeeasshaircut4238 I think you're getting overpowered and underpowered confused.

[@RedstoneClockworker]

Someone told me their first experience with d&d was another player rolling to seduce his and the dm allowed it. Dm asked what he does. He got up and left

[@secretsmith813]

It’s even worse when it happens when your gone a week. Honestly there are some things the dice shouldn’t be in charge of.

[@DragonGunzDorian]

The story about being gone for a week sounds interesting to say the least.

[@timothymonk1356]

Sure, you can roll to seduce me. You need to get a nat20 with disadvantage

[@TexMeta]

Could roll with it like "Not if I seduce yours first!" Or go along with it and turn the situation around to where it makes things worse on them for doing that. I do agree with Secret though to an extent, which is that if the other player is definitely not okay with that interaction going on, the DM should not allow it. In my party we based PC interactions on characters themselves, and left the dice rolling for actual actions.

[@archsteel7]

@@timothymonk1356 Better to not even humor it. Honestly, I consider that sort of thing a bootable offense at my table, depending on the context.

[@BreadtheDead988]

I am playing a cleric healer and I'm at 8th level running around with leather armor in a dungeon that has killed 3 PC's and am doing fine. Who needs plate anyways we all love what our dm made and are just having fun with it.

[@SoJoever]

Bread Of Loaf plate is for nerds

[@clpfox470]

If the dungeon has killed 3 pcs and your the healer it sounds like your not doing your job lol, just giving you shit haha

[@BreadtheDead988]

I was the last PC to die and made a healer for that reason lol

[@clpfox470]

Thats funny lol

[@BreadtheDead988]

Yeah he made a real elaborate dungeon that is talking 2 month to get through and we are only 40% done with right now

[@andrewhamilton1614]

I had a dm kill me off almost instantly during a new game. I played about roughly 15 minutes into the session. Only to be kidnapped by an orphan(sleep spell necklace), only for him to use me as a sacrifice to summon a fiend.... haven’t played with him since.

[@Dragon359]

I certainly wouldn't either if that was what happened just 15 minutes into a game.

[@Grizzdrop]

oh man. yea, there are "That Guy" GMs out there too :( hope you found a bette party!

[@SapphireDragon357]

I don't see why your DM didn't just have an NPC tag along at the beginning if he was gonna sacrifice someone with no warning. But, having your character killed before introductions reminds me of the time I was playing a character that could disguise himself as anyone, anytime, so during introductions to a group of strangers, I didn't look like myself. Shocking, I know. I was instead disguised as a woman. The DM asked for my character sheet, and I pass it over, thinking he wanted to check the ability I was using. Nope, he tried to rip the character sheet in half because I dared impugne my character's masculinity by appearing to be a woman. I didn't ever game with them again.

[@Grizzdrop]

Daras Thrae that is a terrible gm :(

[@Ren95]

@@SapphireDragon357 Yeeeeeeeeesh, massive red flags from that GM. He sounds like the most bigoted prick.

[@JohnSmith-ns8si]

I wouldn't have blocked nice guy. Just give him the condition to ditch his friend if he wants to join your games.

[@GreaterGrievobeast55]

well that guy does sound pretty awful, i mean they literally made a plan for his ridiculous statue scheme and he still denied the idea while yelling at them to do it. Which fucking is it?? I mean we had this one fellow in our party that was pretty murder crazy and it got him into trouble but he was still mostly fun, nothing compared to this BS. Anyhow YIRBEL LIVES!!!!

[@Thagesthoughts]

I'm racking my brains trying to remember the last time ANYONE in the groups I play with and run felt like they absolutely must have full plate armor. Our heavy armor users typically get with the casters and crafters to make custom suits of half-plate at most. The last time any of us felt compelled to wear full plate armor, it was a skeleton PC who didn't want to cause trouble in towns and wore full plate to hide his lack of fleshy meaty bits.

[@Thagesthoughts]

@Mustache Merlin I've seen the video here on Ainz! Unfortunately, no, our skellyman wasn't a beautiful master of puns. Just a necromancer's victim who decided to make the best of a bad situation and help ensure tomorrow sucks less than today.

[@lockwoan01]

Say, was his name Sir Daniel Fortesque?

[@Thagesthoughts]

@@lockwoan01 Negative.

[@lockwoan01]

@@Thagesthoughts Too bad. Personally, I wish that there was an Official book with all of the playable races/subraces in one place, and that it included a few undead races, like skeletons and zombies, and maybe vampires and the like. My DM doesn't allow Homebrewed races as they tend to be OPed.

[@Thagesthoughts]

@@lockwoan01 Depending on the system you play, there are. My group prefers Pathfinder 1E, and we run Hero Lab, wherein you can buy all the books through HL and have everything there. D&D Beyond, of course, lets you buy all the 5E books digitally and consolidate everything on the website/app.

[@CCommans]

So I have been listening to these stories a lot lately. And it sounds like I already have the beginnings of a "that guy" (this is irl btw) - he invited himself to the group - when I gave him the Homebrew race he wanted he still tweaked it to op and when I pointed that out he acted like he didn't know - lied about not having played but the group is now convinced that he plays online - when I said I was hand drawing everything maps/towns/dungeons etc and another group member was making minis he commented that digital was better and easier - he said he thought it would be cool for his character to interrupt the big bad guy speech to point out how his character knew all along - when I mentioned how my world would have tinkerers working in the background like a hidden society watching everything (karma and accountability) he insisted on having a haversack made out of gnome skin so it couldn't be touched by gnomes. When I said he could and pointed out that the tinkerers weren't going to be gnomes he changed his mind - he came up with an entire background that didn't fit the world background - his character doesn't want a patron and he's a warlock. He is convinced he doesn't need one

[@CCommans]

Also! Everyone knew we were going to have a session zero for character creation and to go over the rules of the world and what it is like and he still showed up and made a face about having to reroll. He knew this though since October 2019 (session zero was in January) and still rolled and created the character beforehand. The character had high stats too btw which was a little sus

[@Electric_Wizard]

"his character doesn't want a patron and he's a warlock. He is convinced he doesn't need one." I'm guessing this isn't what he wanted, but it's OK to reskin a class's abilities. For example, a Great Old One warlock with the Pact of the Blade has powers an awful lot like Psylocke, from X-Men (if you choose the right spells). Just declare that, while you're still using all of the game mechanics, you're reskinning it so that it's not actually a warlock, they just happen to have a warlock's powers and abilities. A better example I heard of is of a dad who played with his daughter, and the daughter played a "Candy Wizard." The 'web' spell became the 'gum' spell; enemies would get caught in a mess of bubble gum; the material component was a stick of gum ;)

[@Electric_Wizard]

@@CCommans was it a homebrew version of the warlock? A homebrew patron?

[@CCommans]

@@Electric_Wizard that's the main issue I have with it. He isn't clear at all about it other than his warlock doesn't believe in magic. I laughed thinking he was joking when he said it but, he didn't, and I asked him to explain further and he said that his warlock just has powers. So I asked if they were gifted to him from a powerful/magical being or stolen from one and he said no. I offered maybe a more science/alchemical class would be better suited but he insisted it would be funny to be a warlock who doesn't believe in magic and doesn't have a patron. The Homebrew race he wanted was mousefolk and he added his own sub race to that that he wanted to be which would make being a warlock op (Hence not believing that this is his first game)

[@Electric_Wizard]

@@CCommans have you considered emailing the full story to this channel? It sounds like the kind of thing they're after

[@Dark_Tale_2077]

Glad the DM took the initiative and ended it. Had he gone on longer, could have gotten ugly. I've dealt with some pretty entitled players before, but the fact that even when the group tried to help the guy in his schemes and he still refused, is not a good sign. Glad he was able to pick up on the red flags and ended it before things could go really out of hand.

[@MrNisey]

Got a lot of practice spotting red flags trying to get a group on roll20. That guy hit a few on his application, but like an idiot I ignored my instincts after the good word of Nice Guy.

[@kharijordan6426]

This would have been funny if that guy wasn't acting like his drunk cleric in and out of character.

[@kharijordan6426]

@R3d D0t Ah. He sucks.

[@michaelmoody9145]

Played a fighter with a roleplay of being a former city guard. Specifically took blacksmithing to roleplay fixing and maintaining my own gear as a poor city guard would be known to do. Used chain until level 4 where I got a breastplate. Around level 6 we came across some enemies that were wearing platemail and the group gave me the damaged pieces so I could try to rebuild a set to fit me. Downtime I rolled to combine 3 suits into one usable. Next session got a +1 full plate...sigh. We as well had "minions"...not one instance did we use or abuse the minions that would have gotten them killed. We protected them and outfitted them in our left over gear so they would not die easily. Abusing minions is dumb...you lose a resource that later could help you.

[@varelsemind5741]

When I as a player want something specific from the DM (i ask him more for specific scenes and interactions than items, but still), I make sure to follow a mental checklist: 1. Is it FEASIBLE, storywise? 2. Is it PLAUSIBLE, storywise? 3. Will it unbalance the game? If so, is there a reasonable counterweight that could be applied? 4. Could it derail the story the DM is telling? 5. Is it compatible with my character's mindset, skillset and background? If I can formulate something I want following this guideline, I then ask the DM, leaving up to him how and when it happens, because HE IS TELLING THE STORY. THEN THERE ARE THIS LAZY, ENTITLED, WHIMSICAL FCKERS who put no effort into building a collaborative story, and try to force their out-of-the-blue ideas down the group's throats. It's insulting to everyone.

[@Micras08]

I wish I had players who did this :) It's very hard as a DM to consistently draw the characters directly into your plot but I try to do it pretty much all the time. If a player actually asked for a specific scene that would make it 10 times easier ^^ Don't get me wrong though, I love my players :) And as a player myself sometimes, I don't do this either, but I'm gonna give it a try! :D

[@szarekhthesilent2047]

when dming i only demand the first and last point of that checklist. if it's available, they should be able to obtain it. eventual complications, maintenance&consequences will come naturally, which counterbalance most OP items/assets/followers/pets.

[@Threadnaught]

From a DM who allowed us each a single Flaw, I managed to get him to allow an overpowered Template and three Flaws. Heh, jokes on the party. And the DM is in on it.

[@MrNisey]

@@Micras08 This. I tell every group, "Know what you want to do outside my own plans? Any specific gear you think would fit your character? Tell me, we'll see how it goes!" As of yet, only one who has ever done so is Buddy from the story.

[@grumgi5486]

Maybe it's just me, but as a DM I absolutely love when my players completely derail my campaigns (or attempt to, indirectly or otherwise). It forces me to make creative solutions and scenarios. Usually it goes like this. Let's say I make Quest A. I want my players to do Quest A, but at the same time I pride myself on allowing my players to do *almost* whatever they want. I say almost because I run with a custom module I built from scratch, and I haven't completely developed the world with only of 20-30 pages of notes, so some places are naturally off limits. Anyway, back to event A. Now, I actually have a pretty good group apparently, but I never know when one of my guys is feeling like going on a rogue streak, so I merely state that an event happens (we'll call event A) and that they can do what they want about it. Here's an example I used in my campaign, "The Tower of Power The Preude II". That reminds me, half of the campaign that preceded it I made up on the spot because the adventure went completely off track and I didn't really like the original plot anyway. I am in the process of redoing it. But, I digress. Our heroes are in the capital of the Kingdom of Erreicht, a prosperous port town off one of the rivers flowing into the Iaotous Ocean. The first quest I have set up for them to do is clear a basement full of rats. standard stuff, I know, but things can get very interesting. I tell my players the following: "You are in the city of Erhold, capital of Erreicht. You are in the trade district, standing outside the Frozen Flame Inn. The streets are busy with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but out of the corner of your eyes, you see a particularly distressed woman nailing a parchment to the notice board outside the Frozen Flame. What do you do?". Through not explicitly telling them that they go over the notice board, I've given my players a choice of completely ignoring the quest I have set for them. Of course, that comes with a catch, for whatever they do will inevitably lead back into the main quest I have planned. However, some things may end up different. For example, if the quest ignored for too long you will hear news of a woman who was murdered in her home, which leads into the first dungeon as the town guards are offering a reward (a lesser one than the original listing) to find out what happened. Going off the beaten path is not always for the worse, however. For example, the quest can be completely ignored for gambling pursuits, including a arena betting system. And while on the topic of the arena, I added the option to fight as a combatant, giving them an opportunity to earn money, gain XP, meet key characters in the story early that wouldn't otherwise be encountered for a number of sessions, and ultimately an opportunity to get back on the campaign train. Essentially, there are a number of invisible choices for my players to take for every main story beat, and depending on the events in the first dungeon can lead to a completely different second and third act. Basically, DM's should not be held on a pedestal and should be challenged by creative players. What's the point of creating a world if it's static, existing only to tell a preordained story that the DM, not the players wrote. DM's just make the guidelines, and my philosophy is that if it's not fun, then it shouldn't be played.

[@DrakeCaliburn]

I have a level 7 Forge cleric. I worked to get my armor, I found the materials, and I took the time to craft it. I have an AC of 21 and I don't wear plate, and haven't once taken it out against my DM. "That Guy" is overstepping his bounds, and sadly I've played with someone like that. They didn't make it past the third session.

[@levisays7676]

0:50 to those curious about "Brown M&M Clauses" Van Halen had a contract that stated they could cancel the entire concert at the expense of the Promoter if there was found to be even a single Brown M&M backstage, so basically as OP goes on to say its literally something ridiculously pointless just to weed out bad seeds, if a players willing to follow a ridiculous clause to play in your game it's likely you'll be able to reign in any unwanted behaviour without trying to hard to do so.

[@RikkuTakanashi]

Sounds like that guy just wanted to flex on everybody and have his way. Sadly, it's probably the only way he feels powerful in his life. Likely bully syndrome, and such.

[@Drakevil66]

I remember one time we had one of "that guy" i table i was as a player. Everyone in the table made a character with background and, well, roleplayed it. You know, the thing you are suppose to do at a roleplay game. My character was a human paladin of a god of justice, one friend of mine was a monk minotaur ( a common race in the system we were using), a newby player was a rogue halfling and that guy was a fighter minotaur. Now, whille everyone took time talking and planning and expressing their character's, that guy was mute almost all the time and only got excited when he rolled dices. He didnt rolleplayed. At all. In fact, he went against the roleplay he should do. See, minotaurs in this setting are like romans, with a thing for slavery, but in the idea of "those who are weak should serve the strong, but the strong have to protect the weak". The times he actually tried to roleplay were trying to running whille we stayed and fought and trying to bully innocents. Wich me, as a paladin, almost come to blows to him, same as my friend. But the worst was how he left our table. See, he started to get really bad luck in the dices, to the point he did not hitted anything for four fights in a row. He was getting frustaded, and i can understand that to a degree, but not to what he did. Basically, we were trying to investigate the disapearence of some people in a city, and whille my paladin tried to convince a sailor to let us see what his ship was transporting, my friend took him down with a no lethal attack. A little harsh, yes, but nothing horrible. The problem was when that guy decided to hit the sailor with his axe FOR NO REASON. The DM asked about four times "are you sure? And it's lethal damage?", and the dumbass just went with it. HE rolled a 20. HE started to laugh because he finally killed something, before we start explaining he would get arrested, possible hanged for that. He started saying "but you guys will not tell on me, right"? And whille we tried to explain that yes, the PALADIN of a god of JUSTICE and a MONK with LAWFUL tendency would, he just started to get mad at us. End of the history, the DM tried to negotiate, basically giving a chance: Your character can choose to serve forever to sustain the family of the guy you killed, or get executed. You can make a new character and if he dies i may let you reuse this one. He said he would preffer dead because "it was more honourable", to wich we started to point out hes character had no honour. After that he got really mad, started saying shit to us and our DM, who just banned him from our discord server and never looked back.

[@saras6634]

Does he not like to rp or what? I love having those moments of "Wow, I wish my char had this or that!" because it means I can plan out for something with my GM that will fit the group and the adventure we're doing. A full set of plate? That should take time, effort, money and lots of rp to make happen and I'll love every minute of it! I really like the ad that the GM ran! It sounded super clear and helpful if you want to get in to their game, and I'm really happy they continued to GM.

[@MrNisey]

Thank you. I started being super-precuse and hiding the m&m clauses specifically to speed up player apps. People who make an app to match what I wrote obviously cared enough to read it, so they in theory know what I am going for. Nothing worse than making an app for a western themed game and have someone apply as a generic fantasy bard. That Guy in this story misses them&m clause, but I gave them a pass against my instincts because his friend put in a good word.

[@genericfuton7750]

This is one of the reasons I always state the method of making a rule/ruling challenge in my games in session zero. I tell the players to not make rule arguments during a session (reminding me of a rule I may have forgotten is different) and that if they have an issue with a way I interpreted a rule or made a ruling to bring it up in private outside the game session. I tell them to prepare their arguments along with any supporting documents so that I can give the rule/ruling a good consideration. After that I make a ruling based on whether or not the arguments sway me. Should they still be dissatisfied then I allow for an appeal in which at the start of the next session they can present their arguments, I present mine, and then it is put to a group vote on how to proceed. Group vote is final and issue can no longer be appealed. Nothing is worse than having a player constantly interrupt the game to complain about a rule/ruling.

[@MrNisey]

I do the same ( as mentioned in the original post this was based on), I just skip the "in private" part and just do the group discussion after gameplay.

[@mortus439]

We had something like of a "That guy" in our party. There was me, dragonborn warrior, than human druid, aasimar kensei, also halfling and human rogues. As soon as we entered the tavern, we saw him - a gloomy figure, sitting in a dark corner of the tavern in a black robe with a hood over . Yep, an edgelord. Long story short, this sorcerer turned out to be an adoptive son of a dragon leech and when we started the first serious battle, he received some damage, than escaped to the forest nearby with halfling rogue and fed her with, supposedly, healing roots, returning only when the battle was over. That dude is so specific, that even our holy DM was enraged with him during one of our games.

[@JosiahTheSiah]

I’ve had “that DM” before-railroader/antagonist, who treated every question and creative idea as a completely unreasonable waste of time. Made me want to quit playing after a while.

[@EAxvii]

I had a paladin tiefling in my first campaign that was always bugging for a warhorse... After about a month of none stop pestering I finally give them the opportunity to get one. A few sessions later the player was complaining that they weren't as powerful as the other players, they were level 3 and the rest of the party was lvl 4 because they missed a few sessions, I told them that they would probably level up in a session or two but that wasn't enough good enough for them and threatened to leave the group all together if I didn't "do my job" let me say this now, I was used to play Pathfinder and this was my first time DMing a D&D campaign, a group of friends that had never played a table top rpg before asked me to and insisted it was D&D and not Pathfinder long story short none of them had any idea how the game worked and I was the only one with a pretty good idea... In no way was this my job.. regardless I rolled with the punches because my girlfriend was playing as well and didn't want there friend to leave.. so I gave them a solo quest in-between sessions to catch them up. This kinda stuff would happen frequently throughout and I kept giving in for the same reason as before.. the session before there last was a week before Halloween and it literally ended off with them getting there own island of people! The next session was the Halloween special and usually I make it a one off type where your actions don't usually have any real consequences and this time around was no different. The players were in a maze and had to solve puzzles to get out, when they were finally able to leave there were some people who still wanted to explore and the paladin decided to leave without them.. they jumped through the portal at the end of the maze without the rest of the party and we're stuck in a void world until there rest of the party left... This is something I planned for if it happened and lucky for the paladin the rest of the party found some treasure and felt satisfied enough to leave shortly after we left off with the rest of the party jumping through the portal and of course the paladin was upset they didn't get any of the treasure and couldn't do anything for the last 5 min.. I reminded them that this one off didn't have any weight in the actual campaign and it only made them more upset, threatening to leave again. I decided I could give them some blessings for there efforts and the little experience they would have gotten despite the party not even being the same characters.. did I mention that part? the paladin didn't like the blessing and started insulting my abilities as a DM, saying how I "never let them do what they want" and "I never give them anything useful"... again threatened to leave and I finally cracked and said fine! A few months later and the same campaign is still going on and the environment is much nicer, we even replace the paladin with two much more experienced players and the party couldn't be happier.

[@jackiechan715]

That's one thing I never understood, threatening to leave the campaign when all you do is bitch and complain. Like the party is really going to suffer without you, when I can just find another player who's more enjoyable to play with. My only response to people like that is a warning to laugh and say "Good riddance".

[@Kialis17]

I had a DM complain about things "Not being realistic" in a world based around magic and Gods. The problem? I tried to fire my crossbow underwater to which he said "You fire and it stops all momentum when it touches the water". I told him that the game is both balanced and plenty realistic, I've even seen a bow fired underwater work pretty well. Popped a balloon 10 meters away (which is 30ft, the distance a hand crossbow states it can fire underwater in 5e) I can get lowering the distance, but outright removing the use of a crossbow underwater, but allowing the bard to use lightning bolt while underwater is pretty uncool. With no repercussions at all. Also accused my "Sneak attack" of being broken, but the Barbarian taking half damage from everything is fine? IDK man, that DM wasn't very fun.

[@MrNisey]

The "sneak attack is broken" complaint makes me suspect the only reason the crossbow magically lost all momentum was because you were firing it.

[@bobrandomness1055]

That sounds less like the dm wanted things to be 'realistic' and more that the dm had something against you.

[@DaveVersteeg]

Using lightning under water, now thats just stupid. But i'm not sure about shooting a bow or xbow underwater. I know that water is killing for the string (look it up), and shooting 30ft, That would mean a bow is like a harpoon. I dont know, but it feels wrong.

[@MrNisey]

@@DaveVersteeg Apparently, underwater bowhunting is a thing, but they use specific arrows. That said, it's less unreal to have them shoot a bow underwater than to simply let an electrical pulse do nothing at all in the water. If they're going to let that pass, no reason not to let the bow shot pass. Coincidentally, the 5e rules for underwater ranged attacks: "A ranged weapon attack automatically misses a target beyond the weapon’s normal range. Even against a target within normal range, the attack roll has disadvantage unless the weapon is a crossbow, a net, or a weapon that is thrown like a javelin (including a spear, trident, or dart)."

[@MrNisey]

Hey, I'm the actual DM from this story, figure I would comment on the comments seen here. I considered a cursed set of armor, but it struck me as a pointless effort. I didn't expect them to change their nature or take the ribbing good naturally (after Nobody Smith, they obviously could not take a cursed item as anything but an attack on them by a cruel DM). I also recognize I could have followed the advice I have seen below (basically, "Get fucked, Get Out"), but I was so very done with that stuff and didn't have it in me to fight any longer. Meanwhile, it resulted in a great story I can share with others for a laugh or as an example (like the time my wife's char died trying to punch a Roc to death instead of using the repeating rifles and revolvers the entire western themed party was carrying)

[@Nexomify]

Sorry you had to put up with this jackass :( glad you've recovered from this bad experience and have had better times since though ^_^

[@jackiechan715]

Your wife sounds like a badass, and her attempt would be totally plausible if her character was built for it, such as a Monk or even a Barbarian if they had something giving them decent Unarmed damage. Though I'm assuming that wasn't the case, seeing how she died.

[@MrNisey]

@@jackiechan715 She did have some unarmed capability. The thing I (lovingly) mock her for was the three other players built for ranged combat and the goat they brought to lure it down. They were set up for an ambush, then she said "aww f it" and started climbing. I mentioned to her what you said while I typed this reply and she laughed.

[@dragonhero386]

In regards to your story, what I would have suggested to resolve 'That Guy' and his attitude is to give him a cursed blacksmithing hammer that would allow him to make any armour instead. He wants his full plate? Fine. But every time his armour or anyone else's gets damaged the hammer forces him to take the time to repair it even if he's in the middle of combat. And the noise from the cursed hammer attracts monsters directly to him while also causing allies to produce a aura that repels the monsters, so 'That Guy' would have plenty of time to cry about DM abuse when he brought about his own downfall.

[@MrNisey]

@@dragonhero386 I replied to this sort of thing elsewhere, but that suggestion only works if you want drama. I did not, which is why I stopped completely instead. Honestly, it's amusing but also a bad thing for a DM to do. It encourages a habit of fucking with a player with your DM privileges, and that's a slope you shouldn't willingly step on, even if the fucker deserved it.

[@wanderingshade8383]

Nobody Smith. Almost as regular a name as Wedge Antilles

[@TabooX1984]

😄 Or Poolboy Johnson

[@superdave6889]

Wedge........makes ya wonder, did wedge's mom call him "Wedgie"?

[@MogofWar]

"Clerics get plat at 4th Level..." I had to do a double-take on that one... In Second Edition where levels cost a shitton of xp, yeah you might have Plate by Level 4... In 3rd Edition/3.5E or Pathfinder you were MIGHT be able to pull that off, if you manage to make the most of your resources and had a permissive DM. In 5E? Not a chance, unless you play the Smith during a lot of downtime. Plate at level 4 just isn't in the cards for most of them, unless the DM just gives out such gear like it's candy.

[@DrPluton]

Clerics have never "needed" plate armor. They were able to use it baseline until 4th and 5th editions, but their focus should be on their spells, not their AC.

[@SmittyWJManJensen]

A guy that can both carry a shield AND cast shield of faith needs no plate armor. I had a lvl 3 human tempest cleric that was tanking way better than our goliath barbarian. 5e cleric is god tier, That Guy was just a dumbo who didn't even know how to play his class

[@raistlarn]

@@SmittyWJManJensen correction 3 and 3.5 clerics are God tier. They have been nerfed heavily in latter editions.

[@SmittyWJManJensen]

@@raistlarn It's still very powerful tho

[@ab14967]

@@raistlarn Magic is still pretty damn good, even if it got nerfed overall in 4th and 5th edition... except, ya know, it was overpowered in 3.x edition, so I'm not annoyed by that. Warlock is a weird flex though... even if they don't get a lot of spells, they get all their slots from a short rest... why?

[@oooooopppps12]

@@ab14967 because they get a maximum 4 spell slots over the course of thier entire career if they stick with warlock to level 20. And those spell slots max out powerwise as 5th level spells. The bulk of thier power comes from invocations a solid quarter of which modify eldritch blast, a bunch of those remaining are pact item focused, and a number others are either just free utility spells, which is nice, or free spells like Bane that are just kind of pointless. Overall if they had to long rest every time to recover spell slots the class would be very outclassed by even the vanilla ranger incarnations in terms of casting ability, damage output and maybe even roleplay. And thats saying something, since vanilla ranger is largely considered very underwhelming, to the point of genuine disappointment

[@NoobFish23]

My group(s) has a tendency to name our campaigns based on what happens in them. In high school, I was playing in a weekly game that met in the one of the science rooms after school on Fridays. We also had a guy who desperately wanted plate at a relatively low level, but he was much more accepting of the logistical issues that presented. After about a year and a half of weekly sessions that campaign was dubbed ‘The Epic Quest for Platemail.’ Many a high jinx were had, and our guy eventually gots his plate armor. It went on for awhile after that, but the name stuck.

[@lvincexp3054]

"CLERICS GET PLATE AT FOURTH LEVEL!" 😂

[@MrNisey]

Every time. Buddy will even use it during other discussions involving entitlement now, not just DnD chat. Smartass :) Helps I am over it now, was less funny at the time.

[@dannydicheeto8353]

In a campaign I'm playing in the redemption paladin found full plate amor at level 2

[@liamdalemon1525]

is starting a 5th level character with plate OP... I uhh... kind of did that while we were running tales of the yawning portal... I did not know that plate was so expensive!

[@jamesmahon6788]

I'd have just told nice guy, dude I get that he's your friend but something seriously needs to be done

[@timwoods2852]

If playing DnD has taught me anything, it's; Always be nice to the DM (unless he's legitimately mean.)

[@meddygon]

I had a "That Guy" once. I took over a game group that I'd been playing with after we'd all agreed that the current DM was not putting enough effort into the game (he expected that all the games would be RP that he'd throw D&D monsters at whenever he felt like paying attention). I was elected the new DM, and part of the story that we did included going to a parallel universe where there were "evil twin" versions of themselves. I allowed each player to make a Mirror Mirror version of themselves, same level, race, etc, but any other class or history they wanted. One player sent me this total edge-lord vampire hot boy that spent all his money on two weapons that he named after an NPC that was the alternate universe version of my PC who'd died in the other campaign. He wrote the entire backstory as if they were lovers in this universe, and I said that's fine, considering our PCs were inching toward a romance before mine died. Based on each of the backstories made and how the PCs were played, I had different ideas for how the NPCs made by the characters would react when meeting the PCs. One PC had "narcolepsy" (in reality he had a bad internet connection so we wrote that in as a character trait), and when he met his alternate, the alternate merged with him. He then got to play his alternate, but only after a narcolepsy episode. He had made basically the same character, but CE instead of LG, so basically he switched personalities after each disconnect. Vamp boi then assumed he'd also get to be his min/maxed character. When they met, though, the party flubbed a few things and could not de-escalate the evil pirate vampire's plans to murder everyone on the PC's boat. I didn't want this character to be played, and had intended that, no matter the outcome, vamp boi would leave or be killed. There was some turn undead, some radiant damage, and some crit fails on saves. Vamp boi turned to ash. That guy was sour about it for weeks. He was so mad that I just killed a character that he put so much effort in to creating. He thought that I should have been honored that this NPC was designed to be a creep and in love with my PC. I even told him during the discussion after the game that, "This entire conversation feels way to much like breaking up with someone, which is ridiculous because I am married to someone who is not you and our characters were never actually involved with each other." Other AU interactions, if anyone is interested: The sorcerer was already dead and was raised as a zombie in service to the necromancer that was an alternate of an NPC from the previous game. They met someone who recognized the similarities but the zombie was never in the same place as the PC. The necromancer was never met, because the party went in a different direction. The alternate of the minotaur player was a hermit far away from all the action and was also never met.

[@lostbutfreesoul]

I know pairs like that... Makes me wonder why they travel in pairs.

[@crimfan]

It's not at all an uncommon dynamic. This kind of couple is not remotely uncommon in codependency among romantic couples, but shows up in friendships, families, or collaborations pretty often, too. When there's a really unlikely pairing of someone who's a real jerk and someone who's outwardly not, one always needs to ask what NG is getting. Unfortunately, it's not too nice for NG: TG may do all the pettiness and low grade evil that NG secretly wishes he could get away with. NG might also secretly enjoy feeling superior to TG. NG likely has a very hard time cutting ties as well, because to do so he'd not be able to be "nice". It could also simply be the fact that they've been pals for al long time, but even that's not really a reason to stay around someone who behaves so badly in a serial fashion.

[@unhackerthelaziestbastardo6083]

Having talked to many people about it. They usually are a good friend who wants to have fun with each other. But due to That Guy's attitude, or habits or whatnot, both of them are unable to have fun. And the other one just doesn't want to leave their friend.

[@alexfriesz1]

We had a girl in our group. She thought she could get away with anything. She ended up taming a unicorn with it's horn cut off, being told it would basically be a horse with no powers, and then just said it had it's powers back because she glued the horn back on. Tried to jump onto a sea monster from a boat, missed, then complained when she was in the ocean now and couldn't understand how that worked. Suddenly said the unicorn was on said boat, trying to get it to use magic to help her, even when she never mentioned anything about getting it on the boat or it even being anywhere until this point. Oh, and tried telling us that her rogue character had an AC of 22 at 2nd or 3rd level, and when she was called out on it and nobody would believe that to be possible finally let the DM help her look to figure out what it actually was. Those being the most notable things I remember, anyway. And she had supposedly played several times before, so it's not like she was full noob or anything

[@jamesrobillardjr]

This oughta be sick. Although, I hate to see a bad D&D experience. I feel for these people.

[@jakesanders269]

I've been dming the same group of guys for 17 years now. I feel very lucky I've had this same group all these years with no real problems. We have had "new" players come and go but have always had the core group. Listening to these stories makes me grateful I've had this amazing group all these years. 😃

[@sygnusadun4832]

The magic words as a DM are "Get Fucked, and Get Out" If they don't like it they can leave, if they start shit they will leave, if the refuse to leave the "Town Guard" is going to come pick them up.

[@masterreaper115]

Ive never heard the "This class absolutely gets this set of items at this level" outside the starting equipment before. Yeesh. Like sure there is a certain level that most campaigns allow you to get different teirs of loot and all but you are not entitled to it. If you go to a small ass town and want free plate thats a big no. If you go to a large city and can do favors for the Smith or happen to have the gold then yeah you will most likely be able to get a set if you are in town long enough for it to be made. Its extremely simple lol

[@MistressHorrors]

Me: "I'd really like to try DMing one day soon" Also me after these videos: "maaaaaaybe next year >.>"

[@vazak11]

I'm sorry to hear that, good luck regardless!

[@MistressHorrors]

@@vazak11 thank you! I just get so nervous that I'm going to choke :/

[@FriendB]

DMing is fun though! Especially so if you're playing with friends.

[@MistressHorrors]

@@FriendB I appreciate the pep talk as our group is filled with my friends. I know they wouldn't judge and would most certainly cut me some slack. I'm probably going to try a one shot in a few months :)

[@FriendB]

@@MistressHorrors Good luck! And remember: don't panic, and take your time if you need to.

[@Electric_Wizard]

He didn't have to block "nice guy" unless "that guy" tried to use nice guy to get to him. If he did;fair enough, block them both, but it's clear that they were "game hopping" because 'that guy' kept getting them both kicked out of their other games. 'Nice guy' was obviously staying with his friend because he's being a nice guy, and it'd be better if he just dropped the dead weight. Of course, if he's a good friend, he wouldn't stay on without 'that guy' but the offer should still be there.

[@ravenfrancis1476]

No, good friends don't enable their friends' shitty behavior. And yeah, someone who reccommends an asshole like this should not be trusted.

[@diablerietandino1941]

Yeah, I'm no fan of guilt by association. I'd judge each player as individuals and not punish one for what the other did.

[@ravenfrancis1476]

Diablerie Tandino The fact that he seemed to be enabling his shitty friend already proves he’s just as shitty

[@MrNisey]

Having gone through nice/that guy combos before, I didn't fell like continuing to run the game another couple weeks only to be ghosted when that guy convinces nice guy "I totally found a better game". If it was a live game instead of online, I would have tried, but honestly I was a mess by then and quite done. Still, I do regret doing that in the end.

[@masterredwood]

Reminds me of the player who Insisted he "HAD TO BE A GHOST GRAVE KNIGHT TO BE FAIR"

[@storyspren]

"No one had gone below half health" Yep, definitely a situation in which plate armor is needed lol

[@Cobblerfiend]

literally had a plate mail obsessed That Guy. first group ever, back in freshman year of collage.Loud, annoying energy, etc IN PUBLIC( we would meet in student rec). I make barbarian two handed weapons, he makes fighter two handed weapons. Takes a loan out from our rogue, a That Girl who claimed all the loot and tried to rent it out, buys plate mail at level 3 and screams his joy at the top of his lungs, in the student caf, at lunch. two sessions later he is kicked out because he was spotted stalking a girl who had a history of abuse and selling pot to minors visiting campus(pot was still illegal at this time). he was expelled a week later.

[@OthelloDeaman]

I've had That Guy before in my group and its soul crushing no matter how much experience DMing you've had and actually quit gaming all together for nearly 5 years. Then my son and his friends sheepishly asked me 1 day to teach them how to play DnD, and the fun of a brand new generation reinvigorated me once more.

[@TLSoulDude]

Because of this, I made a friendly merchant named Nobody Smith. His main bit is making terrible puns with his name like "Just remember, when you needed help, Nobody helped you!" or "Nobody delivers items so well".

[@Samuraiedge2]

This story reminds me of a particular customer who frequents this grocery store I worked at. She would come every so often with her dog and start asking for rather ridiculous things like 12 cases (6 cartons in each) of honey almond milk. We don't carry more than 2 cases at a time so I end up having to listen to her rants for a good 10 minutes. Usually the next day, her now ex-husband comes in and apologizes for her behavior.

[@clericofchaos1]

As far as the armor thing goes, I can kind of agree with that. Once you starting getting into the cr4's and higher there are a lot of high pluses to hit on bad guys, whereas your mods to hit stay about the same until your next ability score increase, where it may go up by 1 or 2 at the most. so, giving out plate around that level sounds about right. Everything else the guy did was pretty bad though.

[@michaelsorensen7567]

Except he explicitly stated he nerfed monsters for early sessions

[@clericofchaos1]

@@michaelsorensen7567 I know, but the "early sessions" have to end some time, and in my experience they usually stop at around level 3 or 4.

[@MrNisey]

@@clericofchaos1 I did custom critters, and told them as much. If I had actually threatened his char at any point, it would have been a lot more reasonable. And honestly, if they'd come up with a reasonable plan to earn plate in a mere week if down time rather than just assuming and then demanding it, I would have filled with it.

[@clericofchaos1]

@@MrNisey I know, and i'm not saying I agree fully with him. I'm just saying levels 4 and 5 are about when *I* start handing out plate armor. I also do have it set up to where you can just buy it off the shelf, just less of a hassle all the way around like that.

[@bluwzrdphone]

My "That guy", there are many many stories I have; The first that was aimed directly at me, until the GM stepped in and told him get over it, was I made a character for their game when I first joined them that had the same name that he liked using for his Mages. He was playing a rogue in that game. Then in a different campaign he blames everyone else for him wandering off in The Labyrinth in the dark with no way of having oh wait to see. Now the group of the party I was in had joined the game a couple sessions later, and after fighting some ghosts in a lighthouse we blocked the door leading under the lighthouse in the basement and the Labyrinth with a very heavy chest that took both might work and the fighter lifting it to move it. Long story short, he as a strength 14 Rogue could not move could not move could not move the chest in could not open the door. No he's been using the walls to find his way around, and walked into an open doorway yeah, and because he couldn't see and kept following the wall fell into a spike trap failing his reflex save to grab the edge and failing and failing is GM fiat added re-roll because he was a GM brother and is known for complaining. he then proceeded to go on a 10 minute Ranch on how the party is out to get in the party is against him and the GM is against him and how the DM's wife is a "female canine" because she was trying to calm him down. All because he couldn't move a trunk to leave the labyrinth on HIS turn at watch.

[@PhazonOmega]

I am essentially unplayed in DnD, but I enjoy the stories, and have picked up things here and there. One of those things? That 1gp is a lot. 1500gp? MASSIVE amount of cash. If I could make that in a week of in-game time like this, I'd be pretty happy! Thanks for the vids on real stories that people have brought together with others! Not always a pleasant experience in the moment for the players, but the stories are fun and informative!

[@adamb3918]

I have had a 'that guy' and he is infamous in our groups to the point we don't play with him anymore. One of the keenest examples I have is when we were playing 2nd ed D&D. He wanted to play a knight noble and the closest thing was a fighter (he didn't want to baggage of a paladin). But I told him that you will be from a lesser house and wandering in another country so resource access was limited. The party gets on the trail of a Drow vampire. 'That Guy' suddenly decided he wanted to go back to his home country, speak to the king and demand an army to fight this vampire. Keep in mind this group was still lower level with no real reputation to stand on, and this was only the first hint that the threat existed so there were no signs of this vampire, plus his country was months away. But he argued that because he was a knight his king should be more than happy to give him an army to march into a neighboring country under the claim of a vampire threat with no evidence to support the claim.

[@destroyerinazuma96]

How to fix this That Guy build: Noble (retainer feature) Forge Cleric with 2 GP instead of 25 due to cart + mule costs. Preferably Variant Human to get Magic Initiate (Druid) for Goodberry, that way both the mount and John Smith are well-fed. The channel divinity may help in assisting the party and community in various ways so that money never becomes a problem. Though the biggest upgrade would probably be to not be a douche :)

[@IIIGioGioStarIII]

Listening to the story and chuckled at the name of the driver. My Tiefling Ranger is called Nobody.

[@Wolfe_Gaming85]

Yes ive had a that guy, one session he slept through the combat doing the Macarena and only woke up after the barb took out 90% of the dosplacer beasts health

[@Nionivek]

I know that Curse of Strahd is unique in that there are almost no actual magic gear. It shows that you can tailor difficulty to the party rather than to some imaginary power curve they "must" hit.

[@golvic1436]

I have had that guy in my games before. Depending on the severity of the case of thatguytis usually informs my dealing with them. Usually a private chat where I explain that I spend 2 hours of prep time for every hour they play, since I make custom battle maps that are very detailed, and when they have a rules dispute I give them the page number where the rule it located, that it tends to go away fast after that. If they persist I just tell them clearly my DM style is not to their liking and that they should find another group. The main thing to remember in dealing with that guy power gamers is that you as the DM put a lot of time and effort and you do not have to spend that time and effort on a disruptive player.

[@cruelnini]

Thumbs up for that newbie, a lot of newbies bring out fresh air

[@voshadxgathic]

I haven't played in quite some time, partly due to being borderline that guy, but also because of general anxiety about finding an in person group, as I'm not that comfortable with the concept of playing online. Also, the commitment could be an issue with my fluctuating schedule. I'm pretty hack and slash too, since I have difficulty getting into the roleplaying aspect and prefer to min/max strange character ideas, like a rogue/wizard intended for melee combat or a monk that was purely defensive with the focus being on tripping and disarming enemies. I do think that in general, players should accommodate the DM more often than not, as it is their world and their rules. However, I also enjoy when a DM allows for quick and reasonable counter arguments to make the decision quick and not interrupt gameplay too much. As much as a player must justify why or how they want to do something, a DM should also provide a reasonable explanation as to why they can or cannot. And if a quick resolution can't be found, agree to let the DM ruling stand and have a longer discussion after the game, to keep the game, and the fun for all players, going. It's harder to practice this good behavior in the moment, but I feel it's good game etiquette.

[@Destshade]

rogue/wiz for melee (spellblade variants) and defensive monks are hardly 'strange' character ideas btw. If anything they're so common they even have their own subclass name (spellblade) or builds around these very ideas. Some actually 'weird' combos would be barbarian/artificer or similar.

[@voshadxgathic]

@@Destshade True, they're not so strange any more after a few more editions came out with so many extra books outside of the core sets introducing a ton of sub-classes or various schools within a class. At the time, they were fairly innovative, at least in my play groups. No one I knew had done them at that point, and I enjoyed trying new ideas to see if I could make them work. Learned a couple neat tricks too, like casting Mage Armor and Invisibility while keeping watch during camp. Invites some trouble because it looks like no one is on guard, but a surprise round of fireball when they got too close for my liking was a fun way to wake up the party and soften up the encounter. And holding a small corridor alone with increased attacks of opportunity was a good time.

[@MrNisey]

I permit a short request on the spot, I just don't permit actual debate on the spot because it kills the game's momentum. Usually, if the player provides a reason and it's not total BS, I'll permit it with a "just this once" clause until I can think on it post game.

[@thatcrazyguyeveryonelikes4197]

I had that guy in a star wars saga game. He thought he was invincible, especially when playing a force user. His first character died trying to become a sith, second character died so quickly I dont even remember what it was, and third character died because he was a force using noble who charged headfirst into a group of 8 enemy soldiers and 3 siege droids. Needless to say he died the second round of combat, got pissed and didnt understand why he was dead, and then left the game and discord group. We didnt miss him one bit.

[@marcelosilveira2276]

I’m currently playing a 3.5 peasant’s campaing. Everyone startsof as a peasant with 1 level at a class thatmakes sense for their BG and 1GP. We enlisted in the militia of... I believe the english name is Silverymoon... played a session patrolling around the city, dealing with people moving stonesmarks to extend their plot of land a couple feets inside another, drunk people making a fuss etc... and now we were sent to the frontier were an unorthodox orc warband just crossed and attacked the shires of the local tribesman that had an alliance with Silverymoon since the Necromancer’ War (an event we played some 4 or 5 years ago, the conclusion of a 7 year long campaing that we incorporated in the scenario), so we were sent as reinforcements. I said the Orcs were unorthodox, remember? They employ guerrilla tactics instead of marauding around, and the PCs were sent in a patrol to look for their camp in the woods... the ranger found some signs of injuried orcs, but nothing major, then he found another patrol of another camp, when he approached to talk eith them, they revealed that they were also looking for the Orc’s camp when they found a werewolf... we are all level 1 with 300xp only. We went from dealing with drunks in the city’s visinits to tracking orcs and now have to deal with a werewolf... because we want to impress our superior and get some battlefield promotions, recomendations and, in my case, get the platoon’s mage as a mentor (the GM allowed me to keep lvling up as Sorcerer despite having a mage as a mentor). I love this Table, the GM is an antropologist and actually study the world before GMing a game on it, I’ve never played in any other table that felt as alieve

[@dgpainting638]

Thankfully as a DM I've never had "That guy" and I really dont know how I would handle them. But that cursed armour idea above is brilliant

[@MrNisey]

Problem with that is the (perhaps not unreasonable) issue of targeting. As a DM, you're supposed to be respectful and neutral. Nobody can be perfect, but "here's your plate you wanted and lol it's cursed" is basically a big middle finger to That Guy, which might feel great but is also a bad DM thing. Now, if the player had made an issue of it in-universe, that's another thing. That's just the character tempting fate. But an out of game complaint should never receive an in-game punishment.

[@Zakvadr1995]

Had two guys in the same group. One wanted to change his character to a home brew race that was insanely OP with a huge hit list of monsters including several CR 20+ encounters. The other was a Rules Lawyer who questioned the DM and party members at every turn.

[@tristentyler9271]

YeSSsSSSsssSSSS!!! We've all had to play with someone like THAT GUY! And some of us have had to deal with TWO at one time!

[@PaladinGear15]

In 5e there's the soldier backstory which states something like "you have a useless memento from the battlefield, such as a rusted dagger or broken arrow". The guy I know very well to fudge his ability score rolls (18 18 18 18 16 14 four games in a row is not possible, Mike!) decided that meant his momento was gonna be a full suit of plate armor, and got seriously pissed off that we wouldn't let his 'useless memento' be 1500GP gear, saying stuff like "It's still useless, you just wear it, you don't USE it, you WEAR it!" xD

[@ab14967]

I would let him have it and have the armor be for vanity only, like in Terraria where you can put wearable items in a social slot for vanity. Even worse, because he wears something that looks like full plate armor, all intelligent creatures target him because he is the strongest thing to deal with.

[@PaladinGear15]

@@ab14967 He could make his token look however he wished, but in-character having armor that just didn't work as armor (so it'd basically be an illusion) seems like it would be pretty awkward

[@MrNisey]

"You have a full suit of plate armor. Unfortunately, due to an error in your quartermaster's paperwork, it was crafted to fit a creature of human proportions that was a mere six inches high. Your armor is infamously the most expensive armor per square inch in all the land." Also, holy fuck, after the second game I would have given him the point buy system to use.

[@PaladinGear15]

@@MrNisey that's evil genius xD also don't worry, we always reminded him you had to roll stats infront of the DM for them to count.

[@sovereign6291]

This made me realize I've dealt with worse as a DM. Perhaps I was a Cleric all along with the patience of a saint.

[@Zarlos01]

I have a friend of mine, who is beginning to DMing. Cool, this way me and another friend can take a break of always be the DM and just play. A new group is made, everyone is a newbie, I help them make his PCs. When I play, usually I fill the need of the party (not a problem to me, I kind like it. The party works better and with a good backstory and character creation I can have a good time). I ended making a paladin, tiefling UA Zariel variant but it's not relevant, for the need of a front liner/support but already there is a cleric. The encounters are very hard, but not impossible, and I became the point to the spear in the combats, so I feel the need to improve my AC to help the people. In a dungeon, between level 3 and 4, we defeated a group of enemies, which one had a full plate. My mind goes crazy (21 AC already?), but to use it's needed to repair or will not be efficient enough. So, just be a good player and you can find a what you want in a fair and interesting way. And I think it's worth to say, I play rpg almost half of my life (since 14, I now have 26), my newbie DM always ask me if he is doing right during the game, I just say: "That's in accordingly with the rules, but you are the DM you can change/make what you want. If wanna talk after the game for tips, you are welcome." Not feels right to me to correct or tell him during the game, would waste time, and sounds disrespectful in my opinion.

[@jackiechan715]

In my very first D&D game, my DM did something that I thought was stupid and never understood why he did it. He didn't let us loot the gear that our fallen enemies had on them. If I killed an enemy with chainmail and a greatsword, I wasn't allowed to loot it. It made no sense at all, and killed the immersion and fun for me a lot.

[@Zarlos01]

@@jackiechan715 I agree with you, but I generally damage the protectives equipment. All money shouldn't come just from payment or hoards. Sometimes I put something funny in the loot, from a weird thing to a sick loved one letter or a hint to some quest.

[@nfthero4280]

I don’t play D&D nor have a desire but I still enjoy these 🤷‍♂️

[@LtColShingSides]

I've only ever met "That Guy" the few times I played Adventure League at a local game shop. Much prefer my regular group, we've been meeting once a week for about 6 years now.

[@ravenfrancis1476]

One time in one of my first games my DM told me, to my face, that due to my relative inexperience at the game that in combat I shouldn't stick to anything more creative than "I swing my weapon at the enemy". Instantly killed the game for me. So yeah, I have had That Guy in my campaigns before.

[@jaderade4662]

Blocking the Nice Guy seems kinda stupid, but this DM doesn't seem the type to handle a problem completely.

[@MrNisey]

It was at the end of a chain of problems. As I mentioned in the post, I actually quit DMing, only relented because if new guy at the end. I also have experienced more than a few bad combo players before, and usually the nice guy ghosts to support their friend. As I had intended to quit entirely, I didn't want to bother with more potential drama.

[@TheTsugnawmi2010]

- "The campaign is too easy... but I need plate armour" - "The campaign is too easy... but I'm under-leveled" - "I'm a Cleric.... who needs minions"

[@CommanderM117]

sound more like the cleric just has not prayed to his god hard enough or learned how to live

[@Heavenlyhounds96]

@@CommanderM117 If there's one thing remotely true about this character, that wasn't said. He's the worst example of the noble background. (Untrained, unskilled, bratty, snobby, fussy, demands others do his work WHEN HE SAYS). Gah, Veruca Salt would be a better player than this brat.

[@Thagesthoughts]

"I'm a cleric who needs minions!" Better get to raising undead or summoning monsters from your god's plane of existence, Sad Sally.

[@brianlewolfhunt]

CLERICS GET PLATE AT 4TH LEVEL! Glad he found a group he likes, even after that bad experience.

[@brutaleditor1197]

Rocks fall [Insert Annoying name here] dies

[@sarthariontheonyxguardian6952]

I totally had "that guy". Both when I was a player and a DM. It was the same one, actually. Awful experience that also almost made me quit DnD entirely and bury my first campaign forever. I'm a very new to DMing, so such "that guys" devastating me a lot.

[@lockwoan01]

I have to say that by being nice to the DM, you can get some good swag. Of course, if you're in a good group, you'll get some good swag anyways. One of my issues, in real life, is that occasionally I have to leave the game early, as I live half an hour away from where the sessions are held, especially in bad weather. I had pretty much joined the group as a Level 5 human fighter, and my guy didn't get much except regular plate armor, shield and weapons as part of his equipment/supplies. Understandably, the guy had been stuck in a gilded cage for a few months, so he didn't really need much anyways. Can't say that I did much before the DM decided to take a break from DMing for a few months, and another player DMed "Lost Mines of Phandover", which let me get to know the basics of playing, so it was a good thing. Anyways, when we got back to the main campaign, my armor was upgraded to Adamentium Plate armor, meaning I can ignore Critical Damage, and I got an item that lets me roll 2 hit dice for my short rests and second winds - nice.

[@funnyblog100]

If he demanded a suit of plate for his troubles I would say sure and give him the ghosts and goblins armor. The kind that disintegrates in one hit.

[@Thagesthoughts]

"I want full plate!" "Okay. At his wit's end, the blacksmith crafts you a set of plate armor by melting down bronze. You have a suit of fragile bronze plate mail. Every hit you take has a 1d20 chance to break the armor and require it to be repaired. The smith hands you the armor and tells you he refuses to do further business with you, because the time he wasted crafting this piece of shit armor suit cost him a week's pay on other jobs."

[@MaeveHarrison-161]

@@Thagesthoughts Heh. Or 'Well, you...THINK what you made is plate armor. There's metal bits technically covering you...sort of. I mean, they're basically wrought iron bits stitched loosely to a badly made gambeson, but...sure, its...plate armor.' 'Whats the AC bonus?' 'Uhm, you think its giving you as much protection as proper plate armor, after all, its your MASTER WORK, of your...complete lack of the necessary skills. Its not like YOU know better...'

[@bbussey1967]

Session 2 ROLLS AROUND!!! That's a good one

[@Legohaiden]

You find a magical set of platemail in the dump... upon equipping it you realize it is Sentient *hands player headphones playing babyshark in a loop non stop* The platemail continually sings this song until the wearer goes insane and leaps into the ocean to drown themselves. You cannot remove this cursed platemail, it also restricts your movement causing a -2 to all str, dex, and reaction checks.

[@karsonmcclure7890]

Just arguing and then out of nowhere CLERICS GET PLATE AT 4TH LEVEL

[@pravus9769]

I've only managed to play d&d once, and it was only 3 sessions. It started when I was talking to a coworker of mine and mentioned that I had been wanting to play d&d for a long time but couldn't find anyone to play with me and it just so happens that he had been playing d&d for a couple of years at that point and wanted to dm. We decided to start a game, and I brought my best friend, she brought a couple of her friends, my coworker brought one of our other coworkers and two of his friends outside of work, and we started playing. Our co-worker was a rogue. I can't quite remember the race. He would constantly be making stupid decisions and meta gaming and generally ruining the experience trying the best loot. He had never played an rpg before, while that is what I normally play so I had more experience with this type of game than he did but he refused to take my advice. It got to the point that we all got sick of it, me especially. I basically told my dm and the other main pc (it was us 3 for the first session, we added the other players after) that either he goes or I go, because I'm not dealing with his bs anymore. They ended up choosing to keep him, so I left and haven't played d&d since. I want to play again but it's hard to get back into it with that bad of an experience and I'm not friends with the dm anymore for other reasons so I have no one to dm so I'm kinda stuck lol.

[@XX-sp3tt]

Ban Nice Guy? That was just petty.

[@MrNisey]

I was quitting DMing and didn't want any pointless drama. They already knew what was going on from previous discussion, so I could have d-bagged it up and tried to start trouble between him and his friend, or I could just nope out, and I took what I felt was the better option at the time. In hind sight, yes, it was harsh, and I do regret it. But not much, because from past experience with this sort of thing, they would probably have done the same within a week when that guy convinced him that he had a new game they could join.

[@TabooX1984]

Hey, "Clerics get Plate at 4th level" darn it! 😄 👍👍👍

[@loganbarrow8663]

Me and my friend do make similar thing. When we get mad at games we just scream " I dont get mad at games" as a joke

[@detsalb5789]

I was gonna introduce the idea of the party starting a small army and each soldier costing from 15 gp per week to 25 gp per week if they wher level 1 of their class

[@JacobL228]

I've gone below half health a few times in the campaign I'm in, as I'm the only melee-focused character in our group and the DM almost never awards us with any gold. After obviously hinting at wanting new armor, he hinted back that I might be able to afford the dusty set of half-plate I once expressed interest in if I kept going. So, I'm keeping my mouth shut and waiting because I believe the DM will give me what I need if the situation calls for it. That's what you're supposed to do in that kind of situation, not call the DM a bad DM!

[@yeeyeeasshaircut4238]

That elf thing with the meatshields is actually a pretty good idea. It would be good for roleplaying too. Why would he care for the elves when he can just manipulate new npcs to fight for him?

[@pandadanda-xc3uq]

Had a guy who demanded we give him plate armour in a campaign based in the underdark, in a town without blacksmiths or anything, the DM was trying to keep him under control but he genuinely threw a tantrum. The only out of the abyss game I played with that group and only lasted 3 sessions cos no one wanted to play with the guy who cried and screamed when he didn't get plate armour in a survival scenario.

[@amberg3893]

Our "that guy" wanted to put his hired help in suspended animation and keep them in his bag of holding.

[@Sethoshini95]

that's actually a pretty nice idea. imma run a bad guy with a warforged army inside the bag

[@storyspren]

That just sounds like a familiar with extra steps

[@MrNisey]

With or without the hired help's permission?

[@amberg3893]

@@MrNisey he figured he didn't need to ask or rp it because they were npcs.

[@MrNisey]

@@amberg3893 ... Oh. That's both disappointing and not surprising, considering the context of the story you posted this on.

[@diechecker2016]

The only time I seriously considered just quitting D&D forever was after working a Dragonlance knight up to 10th level, and I got in a fight with some level draining creature from a mirror, which permanently drained 6 levels off in two rounds. After I got up and walked away, DM was like "What???". Next game we pretended the previous session had not happened.

[@MrNisey]

Ouch. Level drain was always an absolutely shit thing from my point of view as a player in the 2e era. Literal months of effort gone in moments because there was no way in hell I could avoid being ripped a new one always felt very aggressive (socially, not game wise).

[@Pizzagulper]

Clerics supposed to have plate armor at level 4? I almost spit my tea all over my screen.

[@onegenericman]

I played a wizard with blacksmithing skill and the fabricate spell. The way the DM balanced it out was there not being enough supplies or buyers to pay for the the armor. The way I personally balanced it was I always did work under a local Smith because my character was Lawful and respected skilled craftsmen.

[@MrNobody0369]

I am a 6th lvl paladin in chain mail, rolled a Nat 20 on a search a npc that died. I found a flask of oil. The DM forgot to mention the plate armor he is wearing... so the bard finds it and is hanging on to it to sell when we get to town. Then the player gets mad when I jokingly mention oc I wont cry if dies. Despite me still protecting him in combat.

[@ultimateninjaboi]

Hearing all the stuff OP put as "necessary for the story," background info... I'm already terrified what That Guy did...