Mister Fuckup

"Watch me go from bad to worse!"


You can probably guess from the title that we're not talking about Shadowrun like I planned. No, we're having a discussion I sincerely didn't want to have. We already talked about problem players. I really thought that'd be enough and I wouldn't have to talk about the other sort of problem player. I'm not going to win any friends talking about this concept. Half of you will probably think I'm whining and the other half will think I'm picking on them specifically like I'd ever resort to vaguebooking on this blog. Some people even think this is a perfectly acceptable way to play. More on that below.

Problem players have a particularly kind of image to them. We see them as uncaring jerks doing whatever they want, preoccupied with themselves and their own goals. We never think it could be us, because everything we do is motivated by building and playing our character. Therein sort of lies the problem, we frequently miss or even forgive the fact that we're being severely disruptive simply because we meant to do it. I built a character. He does these things. I am absolved. It's all in-character.

Before we go any further, I want to talk about inter-party conflict. No, I am not saying it's wrong. Most of the time, it can be a lot of fun. Even some deliberate planning for this can be fun, but there's a line. I firmly believe you'll come to understand where the line is as you continue reading, but here's a few tips. First, if you're planning for inter-party conflict and you haven't told anyone or tried to work with them, you're just being a dickhead. Discuss plans with them to make sure everyone is going to have a fun time. Everyone has a different line of what's fun and what isn't. Try to play a somewhat reasonable character and not a caricature of a jerkass even though that sounds like a good time. Resist, and try not to severely impact the group's fun.

And that's what this is really about. Disrupting the game is usually defined as deliberately failing encounters, messing up puzzles or challenges on purpose, consistently stealing the spotlight, severely delaying the party or making things much harder on them through your actions. Nothing justifies disruption, not even meaning to do it. Especially not meaning to do it. Designing your character around a disruptive concept doesn't make it okay. The pacifist in a game of amoral mercenaries can be precisely as bad as its opposite, a killer among a moral group. In fact, it's just as bad as more preposterous concepts since it's likely to provide the same amount of derailing and disruption.

Some people want to succeed the encounters and challenges they're given. That's the fun of the game. Some people don't mind inter-party conflict but grow to hate the fact that the other players of the game end up being their greatest challenge. In fact, your author is sick of it. By deliberately failing a challenge or making the game significantly harder, you're impacting their ability to enjoy the game.

But you're not being fair, I'm just playing my character. Being told to calm down impacts MY fun.

Well. First off, if your fun comes primarily from seeing people fail, watching things go wrong, and disrupting the game, Pen and Paper ain't for you. I suggest a rousing game of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Space Station 13, Rust, DayZ, or any of the rest of the video games where the entire point is acting like a raging cock-hole. Pen and Paper RPGs are a collaborative effort, and completely checking out of that collaboration means everyone but you is having less fun. Yes, even the GM. I haven't seen a GM yet who appreciated the "help" a disruptive player gave them by making everything harder. No, you're even pissing THEM off, because dealing with your shit sets their plans and plots back.

Maybe you still think I'm not being fair. Maybe you don't understand how much kindness, generosity, or good will you're benefiting from and thumbing your nose at. People naturally work to keep the group together, keep people playing the characters they want, and keep the game moving forward. It's natural and automatic to most people who use pen and paper games as a hobby.

What I mean is, you're rarely facing the proper penalties, punishments or consequences for your actions. The GM will destroy or severely impact your character as a last resort most of the time, since he knows you want to continue playing them. The other PCs will overlook a great deal or refuse to retaliate in the ways they truly want to or should, because on some level they know they're stuck with you. You're a fellow player. It's a rare person who enjoys it when two PCs come to blows, and you're very often spared that fate despite your actions.

Maybe I'm rambling. Maybe this post was impacted negatively by my staunch avoidance of real examples. It's fine. If there's one thing I want you to take away from this, it's that deliberately building a disruptive character does not forgive disruptive behavior. It's not "okay" just because you meant to do it. Your character acting as a moral authority constantly giving away the PC's bluff checks, deceptions or informing to authorities is precisely as bad as my character who punches everyone he meets at full force. They are equally disruptive. The difference is that I'm very likely to be caught and reprimanded very early for making Slamface the Obnok, whereas you?

You'll end up continuing to play, continuing to disrupt the game and irritate the other players until the game goes sour and everyone feels like quitting.

So it's your choice. Plan for conflict. Enjoy conflict. Make sure everyone is enjoying conflict. Don't deliberately fuck up the challenges the GM has set forth. Bend, don't break, to avoid disrupting the game and making it less fun for everyone else.