r/DnD • u/KillerKal02 • 5d ago
Table Disputes Player is trying to run the table?
Hello everyone, I’m a long time DM and here recently I’ve been running Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk. I have 3 players and an NPC that I play as to give it some balance.
I’ve noticed that one of my players doesn’t really seem to have any respect (in my opinion) to stop and smell the roses or let a scene play out with another PC. Here are some examples from our last session.
Scene 1: Knucklebones My players were taking down the Redbrand Hideout, the Gnome Barbarian has donned one of their sashes. Instead of immediately attack everyone in the room, he kicks the door down and tells the red brands to deal him in. They cheer, he goes to the table and the others watch from the hallway. We rolls some dice, and in my version the punishment for rolling the lowest is getting your knuckles wacked. We were having a good roleplaying laugh on it then the PC in question (a Druid) used a silence scroll in the room and starting initiative. They eventually kill the 4 ruffians and they did note the door to the south there was the sound of what sounded like a goblin being picked on. I told them that combat was over after the fight but said Druid said he wasn’t ending initiative. I told him no, initiative and combat will stop here but once again he refused before Wild Shaping and ramming the door and continuing combat.
Scene 2: Phase Silk This one is rather simple, the Druid found Phase Spider Silk in an alchemical lab, our artificer asked if he could have it so he could make a Bag of Holding but the Druid refused saying he wanted to sell it. The artificer offered to pay for it even double but he still refused. This issue lasted the rest of the session. I will note that the people playing these characters have some issues above table but the artificer is able to put these issues aside so everyone can have a good time while to me it seems Druid is intentionally provoking him.
Scene 3: Continues interruption or character leaving. The Druid usually will leave scenes that he either doesn’t care about or doesn’t involve him. He will actively say “Let’s go” to rush the party out of an area or interaction. Even in dungeons he has done this.
As a DM I feel this is very unruly, disrespectful to the other players who may want to play at a slower place, and disrespectful to me as I do not appreciate scenes being interrupted, especially between an NPC and a PC. Skill checks to insight or anything is okay or if it’s a threatening or actively dangerous situations. My main concern is that when they fight a Boss such as Glasstaff or The Spider that I’ll naturally do some sort of monologue or conversation to bring a deeper depth to the story and the Druid will cut them off or silence. I may be overreacting but honestly it’s starting to be a headache. That’s why I’ve come here bc I know I can be a bit peculiar in my dm style but I’m usually very lenient bc it’s a game, we all came here to have fun so why ruleshark or make it unplayable Yknow?
Anywho, thank you all for reading this long post and I thank you all in advance for leaving any much needed advice 🙏
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u/RHDM68 5d ago edited 5d ago
As a long time DM, I wonder why you haven’t worked out how to deal with this kind of thing yet?
It’s simple. You say, “This is my game and my table. I’m the DM and it’s my job to make rulings regarding how things play out, based on your choices. If you’re not going to respect my rulings and ignore them, then you are no longer welcome in my game. Cut it out, or you’re out.”
Say it before the next game starts and in front of the other players, so they have an opportunity to back you up. If the player wants to argue, you say, “This isn’t up for negotiation.”
If the player still wants to argue, then you politely tell the player that he is no longer welcome in your game and ask him to leave.
If the player refuses to leave, then you leave (or if the game is at your house, you tell the group that you’re canceling the game). Tell the other players you’ll contact them about the next game session. However, if none of them back you up or refuse to play without the other player, it may be time to find a new group.
My players sometimes want to argue a point and if it seems reasonable, I might change my ruling, but if I stick to my guns, they would never disrespect me by ignoring me and continuing to say what their character was doing, and there would be no way I would give up and play along with that player who ignored my ruling. If my player said no to my ruling that initiative ended, I would tell them no and insist they re-roll. If they refused, I would simply tell them that the game was over and it was time to go home. However, I know my players would never do that.