There WAS resolution on that second story: UPDATE 2 We had our second session last night - and it was amazing. Blue genuinely felt bad about their behaviour after our conversation and personally apologised to the group before the game began. Like I said, we've all been good friends for a decade now and we can easily forgive each other when we own up to our mistakes. Blue ended up helping the less confident players find their voices and took a back seat when they had their own RP moments. They also obviously took the time to properly read through their spell sheet and thus combat in this session went smooth as can be. They're still playing LE but more in the "I'm working with the party but I also have my own goals" way and not the disruptive way. I'm genuinely thrilled that it all worked out and everyone had a good time! If there's any lesson to take from this: to my fellow shy DMs - don't be afraid to talk with your problem player. Communication - and especially early communication - is key to helping you get things back on track and clear up any potential issues before they escalate into campaign-ruining problems. Ty for reading! May your day be filled with Nat20s

22:42 "punching your problem player in the face is probably not the best solution to your problems." No... but oh my god is it cathartic.

Handicapped player is happy to find that giving their character their same disability, making them better at role playing their character and giving them bonuses, DM decides they can’t gain an advantage from their irl disability…

1. That GM's an ableist creep, they made the right decision removing him. 2. I love mental health mechanics, it's one reason I tend to prefer more modern rpg design over the old war-game design philosophy. That guy's a hypocritical control freak. 3. Deliberately derailing the game sounds like out of character chaotic evil to me. One of the easiest ways to justify an evil character working with a party is jealousy. ...I love a happy ending 4. That title card, oh boy... and, yeah, does not disappoint 5. 'You demonstrably don't want to play, why are you here?'

Wow an OP who... *talks to their problem player directly and addresses concerns.* Rather than y'know, talking the trashier route and punishing them in-game which never works. Nice to see someone doing much better than the 60% of horror stories who lack social skills.

"You can't get points, your mute anyways" What, in all thats holy and unholy, would even be the point? At least when a guy says something like "you need to play a humanoid race" i can see the point even if it can stupid, expressly in a world like dnd. But not getting the points because your mute already, is just the dumbest thing I have ever heard

I'm a bi dude and I've played characters of all preferences, my current character's asexual, not that it ever comes up (like most of the time, as I've never made a character who's a horndog). I did have one DM say to me once "No you can't play a female character, you're a guy, you'd just be hitting on all the guys and I hate that" I offered to make her a lesbian and he still refused, so I made a male instead, but made him gay without telling him, then like 6 sessions later when a succubus tries hitting on my character, to quote my character "Yeah that's not gonna work on me, sister, I'm into guys" xD

0:42 Once again we are reminded of the ultimate power players have over a Problem GM. They can leave.

There has been a few problem players that I would have loved to mess up but I have to remember three things:. 1. Jail time sucks. 2. It's just a game and there is no need to get physical over it. And 3. Possibly breaking your knuckles on skulls that thick isn't my idea of how to spend a game night. Stay safe and drink water. #fightnight

Practically cheered at the OP who decided to stop role playing as straight. I’m right there with you

This is the first time I've ever heard of an actual fist fight due to D&D. That's crazy.

Personally my rule nowadays is that players are just straight up immune to persuasion and intimidation checks. This does not apply to charm and fear obviously, but no pvp means no casting stuff on each other that they don't want cast on their character.

Always wondered why a lot of players I've played with and GM'd for have always matched their (non-straight) sexual orientation. "I had to roleplay a straight person for X years." Is a totally valid answer to that question. Bringing it up as a straight guy who's played gay and straight men and women, learning about a keen perspective.

Punching your problem player in the face it at least the most direct way to address their assholery.

I would've stopped inviting grumpy to my games after the whole "How can you have homebrew setting with no homebrew classes or races?" tantrum.

i like the last story. They rolled for initiative then fought

I'm addicted to the tavern and other ttrpg horror stories. Listening to so many nightmares manifest themselves, I'm almost brought to tears with how the story with blue ended. Hearing someone actually say "My bad" gives me hope for that group. YOU'RE MY BOY BLUE!

We must all become like Blue. Not the person just the color. I love blue 🤭

To the gay man roleplaying gay male characters. I am a bi woman, and almost 100% of my characters - male and female I play both regularly - are bi. Do you want to know why? My partner is our forever DM and I don't care what is being played, I struggle not to flirt with the person I love (its all couple pairs and one poly three group in our games so no one is out in the cold for flirting fyi). I also would struggle to avoid flirting with a character purely based on gender since it doesn't come naturally to me.

problem player in third story sounds like the kid with glasses on the polar express

Don’t apologize…any skeletor impression is a good one

All DMs, please repeat after me, this very helpful phrase: Get out of my game, now! That's it. That's all you need to say.

I have to say the gay player story made me think. I have been playing D&D literally since it was created. (1975) Started in my first year of college. So far my favorite edition has been AD&D 2nd Edition. When I started playing the idea was to go into a dungeon, kill the rand monster, take its treasure. Role-playing wasn't ever considered. Over time I started getting used to doing it in my campaign but I definitely by no means am good at it. Still my players do not complain and some are into others not too much but we do have fun anyways. Now to get to what was making me think. I do not have any gay players in my campaign but if I did, could I handle role-playing a love interest for them.

I assume the dm in the first story thought that the player already being mute would know of ways to mitigate any disadvantage. But wouldn't most players try to find a way to try to manage or take advantage of any disadvantages? Like did he expect someone to take blindness and just stumble around instead of buffing their hearing and becoming Daredevil?

Props to the DM who was willing to throw hands and let the problem player know what it’s like to “find out” after playing the game “F*ck around.”

Back in my military days we used to play a lot of D&D in the barracks. My nick name back then was Crispy short for for "Chris P". Just wanted to share a little cosmic coincidence. Keep up the good work from one Crispy to another.

Prologue story: I kind of get the DM‘s twisted logic and it’s also telling how he was going to play the game. He was going to have The players have to deal with the same disadvantages out of the game as ingame. In other words if somebody else had chosen the “mute” disadvantage, he probably would’ve gotten very angry at them if they ever talked. Probably expecting them to stay quiet throughout the whole game without any interaction. 1st. That player was so stupid. If you’re about to play dark souls but then you decide you would rather play Halo, you play halo, you don’t badger and complain until dark souls transforms into halo. (weird analogy I know, but it’s the best way to describe his idiocy) 2nd: I was wondering if his aggressive rolling the dice before saying what it is he was going to do what is a learned action on Blue’s part. But his spotlight hogging and trying to derail the story definitely seems like something he’s going to need to work on if he actually cares too. (although when it comes to people who are trying to purposely leave an area where the story is happening. I can’t tell if they are legitimately trying to derail the story or they simply want to see what happens if they tried.) 3rd: nothing I can add, The DM was just an asshole. 4th: first, Homebrew world does not need homebrew classes, it just means a setting that isn’t in any module. And if the DM doesn’t want to juggle trying to figure out a brand new class’ mechanics that’s entirely their choice. Second, an idea off the top of my head, would be instead of creating tougher encounters that would punish the whole party, create a new class of enemy that is sprinkled into the encounters that can negate some of the one players abilities but would be highly susceptible to another players abilities. This way you make a challenge without overwhelming the party, and it’s not something as unfair as dropping a dragon on them because one player is OP. And Third, considering that a lot of dice I see advertised anymore are Metal cast ones having one thrown at you would hurt like hell, I would’ve been surprised if a fistfight hadn’t broken out from something like that. Plus what kind of petulant manchild thinks it’s OK to throw dice at someone? Oh and keyword: /Fight Night/

Story 1- "I used to be a DM like you- until i took some online advice to the knee." Story 2- What, a hopeful conclusion? Is this a trick? Seriously, I hope it works out for everyone. Story 3- *Sigh.* Story 4- If you don't care, move on- it will be better for all involved.

The first/second story the one about the stress system sounds fun and I’d love to play in that one would it be possible you can tell me the title of the post so I can find it please,

That first story was a hell of a start

I was promised the best Skeletor impression ever, and I will not be left Wanting!

thank you crispy for uploading this 💖💖💖💖 it helped me calm down after finding out my sister moved out without saying goodbye first so this video really helped me!

Ableism and The Dark Eye? Those two sadly come way too often together and get along like a house on fire ...

In TDE there are many Paladins of Boron (god of death, dream and night) who are mute by design, we had one in our group and it was awesome.^^

Intro: "You can't speak so your character can't either." Who wants to bet that this DM plays wizards and the like despite lacking the IRL int for it? Screaming at the DM Before the Game Even Starts: Well, I think we have an idea why that player is an ex-DM. If this story is completely true, who wants to bet that his concern for "lack of communication" doesn't extend to the other players? Wait... This Game ISN'T About Me?!: Hopefully Blue's apology was sincere and they are much better at the table going forward. Never underestimate the power of talking to people like mature adults. Imagine how much worst the ending would have been in the DM tried to punish the player through in-game means for out-of-game problems. (Edit: according to another comment, Blue is being a much better player and seem to have took the conversation to heart. Glad that story has a happy ending.) And as a general tip, if you're going to play an evil character, give them a reason for working with the party. I have some evil characters planned (I don't have an issue I swear), all with their own reason to work with a party. My orc fighter wants to hunt monsters and become stronger, and sees an organized group much better than an unorganized tribe. My drow warlock is on the run after a failed robbery and making a deal with a creature of the underwater ocean. My goblin paladin wants to avenge his people and has the world filled with goblins, and sees the party as his best chance of fulfilling that plan without people realizing it until its too late. I even have a yuan-ti warlock pretending to be human infiltrating non-yuan-ti society with a redemption planned with the party causing her to question herself and her people. Blatant Homophobia: I agree with Crispy that the DM had no place acting like that. While I'm comfortable playing male and female characters (all straight or asexual since I'm comfortable playing those sexualities), I would have no reason to get on a player's case for sticking to a sexual and/or orientation with their characters. At most, I would be curious about it and ask to understand their reason rather than force them to play something they aren't comfortable with. And OP was in the right letting everyone know what was going on, especially after the DM's claims didn't line up with what everyone else was saying. Assuming the story is being told truthfully and honestly, of course. Fistfighting Your Problem Player: This sounds like a lack of communication. I will say that OP should have talked to the player about his lack of engagement before they were engaged in a fist-fight. The problem player was the main problem, but the lack of communication was what cause it to get as bad as it did.

"take the rulebook for extra bludgeoning damage" I laughed so much xDDDD

Funny thing, most of my characters were bi long before I realized I was

Your Skeletor voice made me cackle, and I scared my cat.

I could take a page from the book the fellow who had a homemade stress system. He was a lot more polite dealing with the guy and with the guy who didn't like the way he had set up his rules And who offered his "friendly advice" Then I ever would have been. I'm Blunt AF, and I have never been shy about telling people where to go and the fastest way to get there. But, as I've gotten older, I know that my way, although it has never failed me, could use a little tweaking.

I have a possible solution for people who get questioned on why they always play gay/lesbian/insert any character that's not straight here. Might not work for all but it helped me so maybe helps others. I've been very upfront to any group/person who asks that none of my characters are or will be straight. It's not the same orientation each time but it's just not straight. Simple concept. One group I was in was starting up a small campaign (only a few sessions) and I submit my character, a lesbian woman. One of the players brought up that I should play more diverse characters and when asked it boiled down to "stop making every character of yours gay". He did it under the guise of giving advice and trying to help, so I offered him that I would make a straight character, if he would play a gay one. He floundered at this and said he wouldn't know how to play a gay character because he's not gay. I asked why then would I know how to play a straight one. He left it alone after that.

I never understand Lone Wolf players in D&D. I get the character archetype when it comes to roleplay, but when players actively try to play through a session just disregarding everything the rest of the DM and party are trying to do; why bother being there in the first place? I can only imagine the player either wants to just mess with the campaign or they think they can force a session to focus on them and what they want by ignoring everything and everyone else.

A wise crab once said 'Violence isnt an answer.. its a question. And the answer is HELLLLLL YEAHHHH'

Even though I rarely condone violence I feel like I'd probably have the same reaction if someone was throwing dice at me for no reason.

FIGHT NIIGHT! ding ding ding!

I’d argue that the problem player in the last story instigated the fight and they knew exactly what they were doing when they did that!

I can explain that intro-story. Mny DM do not want to give players anything, unless they are paying "the price" fir ut, disadvantage, inconvinience. In that Dm's eyes tht player would not be influenced negtivly for that choice in any way, so he didnt like it. Not great mentality, but I hope it cleared it.

That roleplaying a straight man for 20 years, line is such a a powerful statement. I'm straight & still feel like i got hit by a proverbial truck, hearing it 😂

For the homophobia story, DM is in the wrong, however it kind of seemed like the discord had mods/admins and I personally would have taken it to them before just posting it in general.

Man, the guy in the first story must hate Call of Cthulhu! "You are telling me that my character went insane by looking into the face of madness? I will decide that myself!"

Violence is never THE answer, but it's always AN answer!

I would have gone feral in that last story. Confrontations I can take, but do NOT get physical with me.

i mean punching your problem player may not be the best solution, but I bet it was cathartic.

Blue's DM is entirely to blame

I'll be playing my first straight character soon. She's an Awakened Owlbear with a mate waiting for her back home 😆

FIGHT NIGHT! FIGHT NIGHT! FIGHT NIGHT!

I swear I have heard someone say the exact same things to me that my guy did in the second story, he didn't seem to understand that having rules for a roleplay was not being a dictator.

First off, Blue has no idea how evil or lawful evil works. Second, blue, players don't diplomacy other players unless very certain circumstances. Third, don't spend forever on hour turn trying to pick your action when you have the whole round to think it out and not waste everyone else's time. There's more, but that's just the beginning.

Rule 1 of Fight Club, you dont talk about fight club

First rule man... We don't talk about fight night

Not saying this is the case, but Blue from the second story seemed to be rolling super high during the instances that the story describes. That, combined with the fact that they would just announce a 20+ roll with no warning is a little sus 🤔

The PIZZA He-Man! EAT IT!!!

You're only allowed to fistfight over DND if someone steals your favorite dice. Check your local laws but over 38 states allow mutual combat regarding dice theft as long as the judge agrees said dice are 'super sweet bro.'

From my experience the one who says, "'We both got a couple good hits in."' lost the fight, and the other players had to pull Trouble off the DM... typically when you win, you don't credit the other person.

For the intro story, there are lots of player trying to min max the advantage/disadvantages by trying to pick the least annoying disadvantages possible to get the most points. The DM must have thought like that.

It's hard to pick a 'the Worst' out of these stories as the homophobic guy and the dude that got into a fight with their DM are pretty bad.

If player in my game would try to interrupt other Players and speak over then i would just tell him that i won't tolerate it and every time he will do it i will just ignore him like he never said anything. Also if one player would want to leave the Area where the whole story will play off i would just saying "fine. x left the party to find a Tavern. Roll a new character that will actually be interested in story"

I used to DM LGA styled dnd modules. You have to follow the rules. Sure, you can flavor things in the game, like turning a crossbow into a gun or flavoring a paladin into a sheriff. Nothing wrong with that. But hands are tied. I can't give you a glove that bumps your strength 10 points at a level 1

Oh yeah, let's do this.

This is why i dont like using the term "homebrew," to refer to plot and setting. Because it gets SO easily stapled to homebrew mechanics. And it sucks to constantly have to clarify "no. Im not allowing these weirdly powerful homemade classes. Im just not using the Forgotten Realms."

Punching your problem player might not be the best solution but it sound like that most satisfying.

Honestly, I would have thrown the whole dice bag too. I'm not saying that's a good idea...

re the story about the gay gentleman who said he basically 'cosplayed as a straight man for years'... as a transwoman who didnt didnt come out until she was.. uhm.. like 38 or so.. I basically cosplayed as a guy for (not counting the time before puberty) 28 or so years, I absolutely understand where he is coming from

AAAAAND IN THIS CORNER: COLLEGE GAME MASTER, CHALLENGED TONIGHT BY ASSHAT PROBLEM PLAYER! LET'S GET READY TO TUSSLE!!!!

I dont let my players roll against eachother unless its requested. You are allowed to ask other players to roll. So my players literally say 'roll me a persuasion check' to eachother lmao. Its great and keeps everyones agency

It feels like the newbie DM didn't fight the problem player over D&D. They fought them over assault. Throwing a bag of dice at someone and hitting them with it is assault.

Fight night Not a good solution under any circumstances I'm familiar with.

"Grumpy" should just have sticked to video games. He sounds like the person who wants to "win" at D&D.

The player in the last story sounded like and absolute Munchkin. Tries to convince the DM to play Pathfinder instead, then when they refuse roles up a super broken character, doesn't give 2 shits about role play or engaging in any kind of story, and gets bored whenever they aren't in combat.

Homebrewing a world imo is easier than homebrewing new playable races or classes. There is a lot of support for homebrewing a world provided by WotC, but there isn't much that is provided for a new race or class added to the game. You have to work on balancing strengths and weakness of a new race or class. Otherwise, you risk getting an OP race or class or worse, an underpowered one. This is something even WotC creators have problems getting right.

Now I'm curious to see the German RPG.

FIGHT NIGHT!

Fight Night.

Fight night.

Fight Night!

Fight Night

About not punching your problem palyer I do agree with one acception if your player is a pedo ,abuser ,sexist or racist or homohater then get hits in and call the police

Fight night !!!!

fight night

Fight night!!

Fight night!

Im a straight male whos only played straight males I guess im doodoo at roleplay too

Fight Night. Omg!!!

just wtf on that opener

What's the point of being lawful evil if you're not gaslighting others to think you're in the right and manipulating them into doing bad things to keep your hands clean?

Fight Knight!

Ah, the second to last story has me fondly remembering my one and only time playing in a Shadowrun game, where I (An openly gay man) dared to play an assassin who was also gay. Only for another player to tell me that 'he'd better not hit on my character or else'. One of the dumbest and most short-lived games I ever took part it.

Fight Night!!!!!!!

Wait a second... How did dunking a carnie in water 3 times last for 40 minutes?

Fight night

fightnight!