What are some examples of immature behavior you've seen at your tables over the years, and what were the ages of the players involved?
The example that comes to mind was of a 35-ish player at a table of 20-somethings.
It was an Earthdawn campaign where we weren't handing out or tracking treasure by the coin. The default assumption was that the characters were getting what they needed to get by, and could add mundane equipment to their sheets as needed, in town.
When presented with their first encounter with an invisible foe, after stumbling through a half dozen rounds or so, this player announces that he is throwing his bag of flour out into the area. I counter with 'what bag of flour', and he shows me his character sheet.
I can see the eraser shavings and the fresh pencil lead. He obviously wrote it after the first few rounds. He was adamant that he had it with him the entire time.
I don't think I'd ever seen a player resort to an outright lie in order to 'win' at an encounter before that point...
Most of it was as teenagers in the 80s, with typical teenage humor.
"Morning comes, make a Dex check." Over and over and over again.
"I poop and throw it at it?"
Stuff like that.
ggroy is going to win this thread. EASY.
About ten years ago, I'd invited a few mutual acquaintances to join my campaign. They were a couple in their early 40's, both Renfair geeks. I assumed that since they were live-action role-players that they'd be a perfect fit. But boy, was I wrong...
Here's the situation (we'll call them Al and Trixie to protect their identities): Al was a swaggering rake and Trixie was a "tee-hee longbow elf girl" (yeah, one of THOSE roleplayers). What we didn't know at the time was that Al and his wife were both extremely abusive in real life towards one another. Following a ridiculous and absurd string of in-character choices, odd behaviors and generally embarrassing behavior, Al's character decided to confront a dice cheater in his own house, threatening to kill him. The other players left to take a smoke break outside and gave me a look - I'd seen it before, since I'd played with these folks for so long. They didn't approve of Al and his wife whatsoever. Furthermore, these two were completely imbalanced, didn't pay attention to the key conceits of the game we discussed with them and were simply troublemakers who couldn't check their aggressive behavior at the door.
Al decides to start stabbing the dice cheater. Now, I'm not one to stop a player from making a choice in-game, as I let the consequences play out. My players, who I have fortunately been blessed to play with for the past 15 years or so are smart enough to make sane, real-world decisions with their characters. These two - Al and Trixie - weren't. Anyhow...so Al rolls his dice, and misses. Al's visibly angry, but now it's the dice cheater's turn. The dice cheater turns over a standing grandfather clock to put distance between Al and him, as he's trying to run away. It's not like everyone in my campaign world is toting around a sword or black powder weapon. So the dice cheater is trying to flee his own house. Now it's Al's turn again and attacks, missing his dice roll again. Al stands up, red-faced and cussing at the dice. His wife Trixie tries to comfort him (likely knowing that he's apt to flip out) and he shoves her away - like SHOVES her away with both hands.
At that point, I called the game and asked them both to leave and stopped returning their text messages. Oddly enough, these two people ended up renting a house from my mother. A year later, I unwittingly ended up serving them an eviction notice without realizing it was they who lived in the house.
And that was the last time I ever asked a complete stranger to participate in my game.
Slaughtering halfling villages, just because, back in the 7th grade.
GM sends out email asking players for feedback on his new campaign.
Player sends the above mentioned feedback.
GM takes it personally, throws a tantrum and kills the campaign.
Oh, I have one from adults. Playing a game where demi-humans don't also speak common by default. One player is playing an elf, and is role-playing that he doesn't understand the dwarf. The dwarf player (who is reactionary anyway*), gets frustrated and says, "You're only being a dick because you've had too much to drink."
The elf player was nursing a Guinness for about a half hour, and wasn't even remotely drunk. That of course gets him upset with a, "WTF are you talking about", and the dwarf player throws a fit and quits. Haven't played with him since.
*His more famous melt down was exploring a dungeon and they came upon a door.
Player: I open the door.
GM: There is another door just behind it (it was about 10 feet down a short hallway
Player: WTF do mean another door! Who the hell puts a door behind another door! How freaking retarded!
A 40-something player in a campaign of mine literally threw a child-like fit and walked out on my game over a ruling. Even if my ruling was wrong (it was so inconsequential that I don't even remember the specifics), that's no way for a grown man to behave at all.
The punchline: he returned next session, not to apologize, but to "give me another chance." :rotfl:
Quote from: ZWEIHÄNDER;592394Couple with issues.
This reminds me of a story once told about a couple hosting that was dom/sub, and the wife/GM would constantly belittle and humiliate the husband. People got up and left when she started hitting him.
In my experience (and opinion), partners who game together should leave the intimate portions of their relationship off the table. Not only issues like have been mentioned here, but also most displays of affection. I don't mean they can't ever show affection, but when there are frequent displays, it disrupts the game and can make the other players uncomfortable. We're here to game as a group and have a good time, not to watch you fight or make out.
Quote from: The Were-Grognard;592406A 40-something player in a campaign of mine literally threw a child-like fit and walked out on my game over a ruling. Even if my ruling was wrong (it was so inconsequential that I don't even remember the specifics), that's no way for a grown man to behave at all.
The punchline: he returned next session, not to apologize, but to "give me another chance." :rotfl:
This kind of behavior from an adult over a game drived me up the wall. Some people just never learned to lose gracefully.
Quote from: Sacrosanct;592410In my experience (and opinion), partners who game together should leave the intimate portions of their relationship off the table. Not only issues like have been mentioned here, but also most displays of affection. I don't mean they can't ever show affection, but when there are frequent displays, it disrupts the game and can make the other players uncomfortable. We're here to game as a group and have a good time, not to watch you fight or make out.
I am a huge proponent of table psychology. Split up couples, split up best friends and split up relatives up across the table. Put the "leader" at the end of the table, and put two people who bicker often across the table in-character beside each other. Place the weakest role-players on either side of the GM while placing the strongest role-players at the far end of the table. It works flawlessly every time.
I was in a LARP where a monster was attacking that was not taking any kind of damage. While 30 of us tried to figure it out, one guy stomped around and finally sat down, huffing and eventually yelling expletives. Of course, this was all just in character.
I gamed in a group with a couple in an open marriage. The female half of the couple began to share beds with the GM, the GM found himself a steady girlfriend who was unmarried later on when things had cooled down between the two and the couple dissappeared from the group.
Later, while visiting the FLGS, GM runs into couple and asks why the husband dropped out of the group. Guy responds with saying that since his woman wasn't sleeping with the GM anymore, he couldn't play in the game.
Quote from: ZWEIHÄNDER;592413I am a huge proponent of table psychology. Split up couples, split up best friends and split up relatives up across the table. Put the "leader" at the end of the table, and put two people who bicker often across the table in-character beside each other. Place the weakest role-players on either side of the GM while placing the strongest role-players at the far end of the table. It works flawlessly every time.
IME, there is no proper chair to put game killers like the couple you mentioned above in. They cannot be stopped.
Quote from: TaoJeannes;592419I was in a LARP where a monster was attacking that was not taking any kind of damage. While 30 of us tried to figure it out, one guy stomped around and finally sat down, huffing and eventually yelling expletives. Of course, this was all just in character.
Heh.
That reminds me of playing in a fighting LARP a while back and there were "monsters" that could only be harmed with magical weapons. When you hit one with a normal weapon the person playing the monster would just say "no effect" and keep fighting.
Well, the weapons were cloth padded foam with a solid fiberglass core, and the fighting was all dependent on actual skill. A strong person could deliver a decent whallop to an unarmored person (especially with a 2 hander).
So these "unhittable" monsters attack during a night encounter and there is fighting going on a ways away and I hear " NO EFFECT! NO EFFECT! NO EFFECT!" over and over followed by a laughing response " Oh its having an effect alright."
Dude was beating the "unhittable" monster into the ground. :rotfl:
Quote from: The Were-Grognard;592406The punchline: he returned next session, not to apologize, but to "give me another chance." :rotfl:
Did you accept him back?
Man, this is a toughie, so many rich stories.
So, I had this one player, bright, but a bit problematic to deal with. We were all experienced enough with him to do it, however.
A new player joins, and butts heads with the guy over and over...nothing I could do as GM would mediate things. Finally, the new guy stands up, RIPS HIS CHARACTER SHEET IN HALF, and storms out, swearing never to return.
Five minutes later, he comes back.
He forgot his dice.
Actually, this probably beats my previous example of killing halfling villagers for kicks. Back in fifth grade, one of the kds in my group physically grabbed me and slammed me to the ground for raising my "power" stat higher than his after gaining xp. "You want to see power", he said "that's power". The cherry on top, was everyone in the room got mad at me over the incident because i used the F word when i hit the ground (they were affraid his mom would hear it).
Quote from: Gib;592428IME, there is no proper chair to put game killers like the couple you mentioned above in. They cannot be stopped.
The proper chair for players like that is in the bucket seats of their car as they drive away.
Not very long ago, a nearly 50-year old player stormed out in a huff declaring that he'd "never play again" after his wizard died (after firing a magic missile at a guy with a ring of spell turning). His tantrum and walkout happened, by the way, right in front of his 14-year old son, who was way more mature about his own character's death one session earlier.
RPGPundit
This wasn't at my table, but I read about this guy who's wife told him, "If you ever killed my character in our first gaming session, I would never play that game again."
To compound the immaturity, apparently he even agrees with her foot-stomping.
I don't know the ages of this pair, but they sound perfect for one another.
I've been blessed with mostly good people to game with, the few exceptions were from people who were clearly non-neurotypical and the stories are not very interesting in the retelling.
Quote from: Black Vulmea;593186This wasn't at my table, but I read about this guy who's wife told him, "If you ever killed my character in our first gaming session, I would never play that game again."
To compound the immaturity, apparently he even agrees with her foot-stomping.
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/mom2febgirls/Smilies/avatar_1871-1.gif)
Okay, this happened over 20 years ago (we were aged 16 or 17 at the time).
I believe I GMd DSA or Basic DND for two friends (one of them who hosted it at his parents' house).
The host's character died pretty early in the session and he did not agree with the rulings about his untimely demise.
So, out of nothing he suddenly begun to hum very loudly. The other player and I exchanged glances and asked our host why he was humming. He replied that it was his dead spirit still haunting the other player.
We just shrugged and got on with the game (I was too stubborn, because of this immature behavior, to let him play another character). I think he hummed for about three whole hours! And perhaps equally worse, the other player and I just continued gaming! :jaw-dropping:
Nevertheless, he's still in my gaming group these days...:cool:
And no...I haven't caught him humming ever again! ;)
Quote from: Black Vulmea;593186This wasn't at my table, but I read about this guy who's wife told him, "If you ever killed my character in our first gaming session, I would never play that game again."
To compound the immaturity, apparently he even agrees with her foot-stomping.
I don't know the ages of this pair, but they sound perfect for one another.
So this is that 'stalking across threads' thing that I've heard so much about. Nice.
Very mature.
Curiously, this happened less than a month ago.
I ran an Amber Diceless session at a local convention. Most of the players were known to me (it being a small community) and I don't think any of them were younger than 25.
After the auction was done, I was having private meetings with each player. One player was convinced he won 1st place in an auction where he certainly won second. When I told him this, and repeated to him my mental transcript of events, he began to visibly weep.
I don't know how he missed the "Right now in 1st place is X - are you sure you want X to win? Going once, going twice..." business. And I've never had a player cry, let alone in the basement of a public library surrounded by hundreds of other people.
His tears maintained through most of the game.
Very strange.
//Panjumanju
When I was around 16, I had three groups- one a year older than me, one a year younger than me, and one two years younger than me. I couldn't get kids in my own class to play D&D for some reason.
I was at a friend's house with the group that was two years younger than me, and one of the players insisted on making characters to screw over the other players. Let's call him Steve. He'd make thieves, assassins, and bullies to get whatever he wanted from them. One would die, and he'd come back with another one that was worse. As the GM, I didn't like him. He was a scrawny kid, even for his age.
I don't remember what he did on this day to piss me off, but as mentioned above, I didn't like him. Something happened where the idea of "taunting" came up. I'm pretty sure Steve didn't believe it would work in a fight. So I started "taunting" Steve, by saying the word "Taunt" with no inflection, over and over. His face gradually changed from pasty white to red, and I kept at it. "Taunt. Taunt." Maybe I started pointing at him.
Eventually he got up and told me that he wanted to fight. All I said was "Taunt..." he went to the host's living room fireplace, and grabbed a fire poker to threaten me with.
"Taunt...." He swung it at me a few times, and I easily dodged by putting a couch between us, and keeping it there. He hit some things off the mantle, and the host yelled at him to get out. Until the property damage, everyone was laughing at the situation, except Steve.
When Steve wouldn't leave, everyone else started in on it. Eventually he was running down the road crying while we all yelled "Taunt!" after him.
Every one of us was immature that day, but to this day, we all remember it. All one of us (Except Steve) have to do is say the word, "Taunt".
While DMing a game in high school, a player came up with the plan to start jerking off in public to serve as a distraction for the rest of the party. The idea got vetoed.
Quote from: mcbobbo;593297So this is that 'stalking across threads' thing that I've heard so much about. Nice.
Very mature.
¡Ay, pobrecito!Hey, you asked, dumbass.
Quote from: Black Vulmea;593485¡Ay, pobrecito!
Hey, you asked, dumbass.
The fussy ones love to cry and play the victim card.
Junior high, 1978. Half the critical hits from GMs were to the groin, more than just girdles swapped genders, and love potions made you fall in love with the ugliest guy in the room. One GM decided that all elves were bi or gay.
Quote from: Gib;593491The fussy ones love to cry and play the victim card.
I'm not the one with the ignore list, ya big baby.
Seriously, Big Vagina, if you don't have anything to contribute, go have your circlejerk in some other thread. k, thanks, bye.
Quote from: Libertad;593405While DMing a game in high school, a player came up with the plan to start jerking off in public to serve as a distraction for the rest of the party. The idea got vetoed.
Was this a plan for the player, or his character?
Quote from: Lynn;593553Junior high, 1978. One GM decided that all elves were bi or gay.
I ran into something similar where the GM decided that all Bards were gay. Except this was about 6 years ago and the GM was in his late twenties.
That was the same game where, after the group taking a vote and overwhelmingly deciding to cast
Raise Dead on my deceased bard (even though we were only 4th level and could barely afford it), while I had to skip the last part of the game so I could go to work - the Player with the lone dissenting vote took my PCs corpse and set it on fire then scattered the ashes in a river to ensure that the Bard could not return.
Quote from: mcbobbo;593558I'm not the one with the ignore list, ya big baby.
Seriously, Big Vagina, if you don't have anything to contribute, go have your circlejerk in some other thread. k, thanks, bye.
I'll do what I please, weepy.
Quote from: mcbobbo;593558Seriously, Big Vagina, if you don't have anything to contribute, go have your circlejerk in some other thread.
Let's review.
You asked a question.
Quote from: mcbobbo;592365What are some examples of immature behavior you've seen at your tables over the years . . . ?
And I answered the question - with the caveat that it wasn't
my table, thank goodness - with an example of what is, to me, immature behavior by gamers.
If you can't deal with the fact that you and your wife are that example, perhaps you should think twice about the questions you ask, dumbass.
Either way, getting pissed about it simply underscores my point.
Quote from: taustin;593575Was this a plan for the player, or his character?
Character, thank God.
Quote from: Lynn;593553Junior high, 1978. Half the critical hits from GMs were to the groin, more than just girdles swapped genders, and love potions made you fall in love with the ugliest guy in the room. One GM decided that all elves were bi or gay.
Metrosexual perhaps, but not all are bi or gay.
Elves make the best boy bands as well.
But more on topic, I did encounter a DM once that had people roll on a chart he wrote up to determine sexual performance.
Quote from: Bill;593954But more on topic, I did encounter a DM once that had people roll on a chart he wrote up to determine sexual performance.
Oh gawd. I remember rolling for dick size.
Quote from: Sacrosanct;593963Oh gawd. I remember rolling for dick size.
That's when you want to roll a natural 20
Quote from: Sacrosanct;593963Oh gawd. I remember rolling for dick size.
Indeed yes. I suspect there was a slight touch of FATAL in a lot of early teen D&D games. Thank god we grew out of it fast.
Quote from: Benoist;592518Did you accept him back?
Actually, yes, but he didn't return for any further sessions, which was fine by me. To his credit, he didn't storm out in a huff a second time.
Quote from: Sacrosanct;593963Oh gawd. I remember rolling for dick size.
I was reading Judge's Guild's
Ready Ref Sheets the other day, and this reminds me of the female...err...attribute tables.
I guess it was a different time.
Quote from: Lynn;593553Junior high
I'm not sure Junior High stories should qualify.
Everyone is, by definition, immature then.
QuoteOne GM decided that all elves were bi or gay.
How could you tell the difference?
Quote from: Doctor Jest;594300I'm not sure Junior High stories should qualify. Everyone is, by definition, immature then.
Relative measurement - it is immature if at the age, you should know better.
Quote from: Doctor Jest;594300How could you tell the difference?
The game that mostly comes to mind is one in which I was playing one of two elves in the party, and apparently we all had gaydar.
Quote from: Lynn;594454Relative measurement - it is immature if at the age, you should know better.
If you're a grown adult in junior high, you may well be relatively immature, but if you're age appropriate for junior high, you are immature in the absolute sense of not having matured into an adult.
Junior High would be the time that young people general start to exhibit the kinds of behaviors we label as "immature" in adults, so holding them up as examples of immaturity is like shooting proverbial fish in a barrel.
Quote from: Doctor Jest;594482If you're a grown adult in junior high, you may well be relatively immature, but if you're age appropriate for junior high, you are immature in the absolute sense of not having matured into an adult.
I believe its immature even for junior high kids.
Quote from: Lynn;593553One GM decided that all elves were bi or gay.
Sounds like rpg.net
Back in high school I had a kid steal my copy of Shadowrun 3rd ed. and shred it because his character had died in a standoff with the police. There were also the usual acts of sexual immaturity, but that was the thing that really stood out.