The Unseen Servant forums

Good question recently had this question come to me about a PC that is in a realistic game but it has turned mildy into a comedy/realistic game. The character appears to have gone from stable to slightly eccentric to mentally unstable. What would you do as a DM or fellow player to correct this?

A. Slap some sense back into the PC and hope it's player follows suit?
B. Encourage the other players to take action?
C. Kill the PC in IC?
D. Other suggestions?

Um. How about just directly communicating with the player and letting them know what their actions are doing to the game?

Coincidentally, the latest post from Hack&Slash is kind of on-topic. I'd highly suggest reading it.

Though it is coming from the opposite point of view, in that it discusses how players should handle a bad DM, the idea is to open up some positive communication between players and DM to resolve problems with how the game is being played/run.

Abusing the character in-game to try and make the player change, making the other players deal with it, and out-right killing the character off intentionally? I don't think any of those are viable options for creating a positive line of communication.

Quite true. So far though in my scenario only one player is worried about the other player at this point nobody else has spoken up. As a DM i've just been "rolling" with it.

My advice would be: send a PM and ask if their vision for the character has changed, or if they're feeling bored with the scenario. If you generally trust the judgment of the player who has expressed concerns, chances are at least one other player has them too, even if they're not ready to say a thing about it. I know a lot of players don't feel like it's their place to judge the role aging of others or to comment on activities that damage their own fun until they become egregious game-destroying behaviors, and by that time their faith in the GM has eroded somewhat for allowing that to run it's course unchecked.

Freaking autocorrect phone -- *role playing, *its

Dang, busted!

No, seriously: was the change from 'realistic' towards 'comedy' caused by the player, or by the DM ?

If it's the DM who changed style from realistic to comedy, then the change in the PC's attitude might be a reaction, possibly tinted with disillusionment.

I myself love zanyness (like in some vintage UK rpg fanzine modules; stuff like The Christmas Dungeon comes to mind) but if I'm in a 'supposedly realistic' game where a DM suddenly develops an unexpected 'uh, what the heck' style, or suddenly forgets all original earnest intentions that were grandiosely announced during recruitment, or if DM's attention drifts, starts ignoring details/moves/questions, or begins to railroad... then I've noted that I myself will do exactly that: flip into eccentric/absurd playing mode
the primitive idea probably being 'well if I've come this far I might as well have some fun with it'.

But if it worries other players - I would of course hope to be told ASAP!

Edit: after reading the Hack & Slash post it seems this qualifies me as 'passive aggressive'

It started with the player and the DM kinda rolled with it then it grew to be more than simple crazed over bread by the player. Again DM rolled with it. Until concerned reports came to him. Now it has been resolved. But I hope the player is not offended.

OK glad to hear it got settled. And, GW, if my playing or DM:ing should ever freak you out, do alert me! (and by that I don't mean janitor zombies or deaf wizards )

personally i like to play with a bit of humor but when it does start to get a bit out of hand i try to calm it down. As both player and DM. But honestly I can see where if things kept going in the direction it felt like it would be more a danger to at least that player.

Humor is awesome.
Danger to the party, not so much.

i must admit the mad rantings of bread and rat kinds was humorous lol but when the DM starts to picture the character like this it's gotta get smacked sane right

In my XP when you try to kill off this type of character you run into this guy!

Haha

In this unknown characters defense, though his ramblings may have been insane he never did put the party into danger.

Heh. Heh. That "Motivational" poster reminds me of the recent end to a G+ game I was playing with Argennian and some guys from the Knights & Knaves Alehouse. It was hardcore AD&D 1E. Casualties occurred quite frequently. I had the only character who survived from the beginning a mediocre to middling fighter named Gapus. But he made it to 3rd level in that game starting from 1st. I think I had a 14 Strength and that was my best score out of the 4d6c1.
Our last game was a couple Tuesdays ago, we were on our way back to the dungeon - Dazo's End, appropriately named to one of the guys MU PC who died there. The wandering monster roll came up "den o' giant snakes" - we were murdalized. We thought we had them, just a wandering monster, we weren't even at the dungeon yet. But there Gapus stood, among the carnage, another guys 1st level fighter the only other survivor, and I look down at my character sheet in awe of the old school game we just played and started to laugh. The DM looked up questionly, I just realized I only had 1 HP left!
Dang I'm going to miss that game.

heh well yeah that is all a lot of fun kill a pc it comes back with 1 hp oh i can fix that fireball x10 negative what -71 hp yeah i don't see a resurrection fixing that.