Just because you’re the most experienced player at the table doesn’t mean you’re doing everything right. This is something a Game Master had to realize when the disruptive member of their D&D group actually was the person with the most time in role-playing.
How did the veteran disrupt? The Game Master and Reddit user GaleOfWaterdeep (strong name) reached out to the Dungeons & Dragons community with a rather long post. He had a problem because he was leading a group made up of only newcomers and one experienced player who was not getting along well with them.
The newcomers don’t have much experience with role-playing yet, which is why they find it harder to engage in deep and intense moments in character
, and instead approach many role-playing moments a bit more casually and not always so seriously.
Instead of giving the players the time and grace to get acquainted with role-playing, the veteran decided to make her frustration known.
She complained, groaned at others’ decisions, and had no problem voicing comments like “Can’t you not do that, it’s so annoying” or “Oh my God, I want to leave this campaign.”
The Game Master didn’t want to hurt her feelings and first tried to talk to her, but it didn’t improve things. However, the community made it clear that he shouldn’t feel guilty about it.
Player expresses her own judgement
What advice does the community offer? For the Dungeons & Dragons community, the situation is quite clear: She has expressed that she definitely wants to leave, then she can leave.
The behavior of the veteran is not only disrespectful to all the work the DM puts into the campaign, which gets ruined because of it, but also to the new players, for whom the entire Dungeons & Dragons game could be spoiled thanks to her comments.
They can understand that the Game Master feels guilty about this, but the Reddit user and player Yojo0o finds the right words that the Game Master needs to hear:
I will be completely honest with you. The longer you wait without setting clear and enforced behavioral boundaries, the more it will be your fault. Right now, you have a problematic player, and it’s her fault. But soon you will be the Game Master who was too conflict-averse to address clearly problematic behavior – and then you will be the problem. At that point, you will lose your campaign.
The remark and the general feedback from the community that the Game Master now needs to take action seem to have opened his eyes. He reports that she is no longer part of the group and has learned something from the conflict: “Thank you for the comments that opened my eyes to how I let her walk all over me. I had to stand up for my players, and I plan to do better.”
What do you think about the conflict? Would you have kicked her out of the group too? Or do you find the veteran’s behavior justified? Let us know in the comments! If you want to create “controlled” chaos instead of chaotic interaction, there are some absurd spells you should definitely check out: Dungeons & Dragons: 6 absolutely absurd spells that are so over-the-top you have to cast them
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