Needing Some Input . . .

[Lord Falcon MacGreggor]

The Buildup:

Over the years, my entire original group has departed my table, (Due to various reasons.) and the group I now master for includes my children, aged 12,9 and 4. (The 4yr old started her D&D career this past weekend with our version of GaryCon.)(I took a bunch of pics if someone could let me know where/who to send copies.)

In addition to my kids, who are really into learning the history of my world and trying to get to know some of the NPC's, I have a couple 'experienced' players, and one 'Power Gamer.'

The Adventure:

A ruin that exists in a mountain pass between two kingdoms, has not had eyes set upon it in nearly 1200 years. Recorded history only goes back about 650 years, but the stories from before this tell of a city that was destroyed by the two waring kingdoms that the mountain range seperates, but that anyone who ever ventured into the pass has never been heard from again, so 1000 years ago, monuments of warning were erected at both ends of the pass leading to the stories of grand treasures and deadly creatures that inhabit the old ruin. To date, no one who has ventured into the pass, has returned to tell their tale.
Recently, the ruler of one kingdom has acquired copies of ancient tomes that have led him and his sages to believe that there are artifacts that need to be posessed in order to safely travel to the old ruin, and return to tell your tale. (Enter the PC's to be given the quest of finding said items.)

The Problem: #1:

I have actually sat down and written some of the 'tomes', copies of which are in the King's posession, other copies that exist somewhere in one or more of the libraries of the world.

The information contained in these texts will be needed by the PC's at some point during their quest, and part of the adventure takes them into one of the libraries where these tomes have lay forgotten for over a thousand years.

The problem is that these texts are 7 - 10 pages long, and many of my experienced players simply refuse to look at anything that can't be read over and understood in thirty seconds or less.

The Problem: #2:

How do I deal with my 'Power Gamer'?

His idea of how the game should be played, is that when he is in the mood to role play, he takes over the game and speaks for everybody, conducts ALL of the interaction between party and NPC(s), and then makes blanket decisions for the group based upon his understanding of my world.

When he is not in the mood to role play, then there had better be fifteen consecutive combat scenerios laid out, with just enough 'role playing' between them to state that the party has healed up, learned their spells, and two days time has passed without incident.

He EXPECTS that every combat must result in magical treasure, (and it better be stuff that is both usuable by the party, and better than what they already have.) and that there need be a caravan of magic item vendors, or a major city with the afore mentioned vendors aboud, within a half day's walk of the party location so that they can spend the thousands of gold that had better have accompanied the magic items.

The Problem(s): Issues:

My PG (Power Gamer) has no problem with his characters dying, as while he is not directly involved with the RP or combat, he is rolling up another character that can simply be dropped in when this one dies. (I believe that this is a necessity in one of the other groups he plays with as they have been known to lose several characters in a single session.)

(I believe that he currently has three in his folder, ready to be sprung whenever his current character meets an untimely demise.)

The problem with this attitude is that he exposes the entire playing group into needing to do this (create additional back-up characters) as he continues to walk the party into deadly situations without a care for the possibilities of a party wipe, or the storyline of the adventure.

(I have already had to restart the adventure and change some of the details because of this.)

My kids are really getting into this adventure, and are still in the learning stages of the game. They are starting to take an active part in the role play aspect of the adventure, (When my PG allows them to do so) and have taken the time to give their character a personality and history. They are not yet at the stage where they can differentiate between what they know, and what their character knows, so it will make it very difficult for them, and possibly even drive them from the game if I can't come up with some means to satisify my PG and still keep it simple enough to keep their attention.

**Kicking my PG from the group is not an option, as I am married to his sister, and the kids really like seeing him on the weekends.

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I know that this has been long winded, but I would appreciate some input from people.

Also, does anyone know how I add a signature (The text that comes up under your post) to my profile?

[Treebore]

Run a game just for your kids. Its what I did, and do. Mine are 12, 14, and 16 now.

Since you can't kick the PG, then there are only two choices. Choice one, you and your players refuse to follow him around and do what he says. You also run your game YOUR way. If he doesn't like it he can quit.

Don't forget he is your wife's brother and uncle to your kids. If he is too immature to fill those responsibilities just because he doesn't like/play in your game, then kick him to the curb, and your wife should be disgusted enough with her brother enough to agree.

Choice two: Let him keep running your game.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

[Storm Queen]

Let's see:

If you want share piccies with us all, why not upload them to a site like flickr? (http://www.flickr.com/) Then you can give us the URL and we can see what neat, game-related stuff you've taken snaps of!

Problem #1. I'd just summarise your tomes down to a paragraph and give use that as a handout. You can't really depend on players to read pages and pages of stuff, unfortunately. The only one who will really appreciate your world building is you. (And fellow DMs on forums.) If you've got a 'reader' player who enjoys this stuff, give your long stuff to then, you need to gauge their interest levels first. One idea might be to create a bard NPC character who gives out tidbits of information to PCs. Just enough to perk interest. You don't want your bard too become boring by giving them long lectures.

Problem #2/3. You need to sit down and talk to PG, and explain that he's dampening everyone else's fun, particularly the kids. Explain that the game's for them and you want to encourage them to speak out more and do more stuff, and they can't if he keeps hogging the show. That's the best thing I can think of. You want to get him on your side, rather than force a confrontation.

Signature --> Select Profile, top right hand corner. Enter in details, including signature block.

Hope that helps!
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[moriarty777]

I pretty much agree with Storm Queen with problem #2. I wouldn't necessarily tell him he's ruining all the fun but I would tell him that you are really trying to promote a love of gaming/role-playing for the kids. One way you might be able to pull this off is by trying to solicit his help for a couple of things in terms of the adventure design or other role on top of those of a regular player.

As an aside... I sent you an email a couple of days ago. Did you successfully receive it?

M
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[Lord Falcon MacGreggor]

Yes, M. I got the mail, thanks. My middle daughter took the copy of the key before it was even out of the printer, then snatched the six levels of dungeon map for part of the adventure they are doing out of my maps folder and ran off and locked herself in the bathroom for twenty min to study it.
As for the signature part of the profile page, I can only locate a tab that says "Attach my Signature : Yes () No ()." Am I missing something, or do I need to go to a different page?

[Rigon]

For your PG problem, I'd capture his character. That way he can't just substitute a new character and make his rescue by the other players a focus for an adventure. And I'd talk to him about his behavior at the table.

As to the sig, you need at least 5 posts before you can put up a sig.

R-
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[joxer131]

As a new poster myself, I have been told by a wise person that this function comes about after a few posts.

On your problem, I suppose beating your brother in law (and daughter for snatching the maps) are out of the question.
Talk to both of them. Depending on your relationship with your brother in law, level with him. Let him know how you feel and your concerns for your kids. Explain how different players get different thing out of the game...some character advancement, some storyline, some problem solving. That as a gamer he has to allow others to shine, come out of their shell...hopefully he will understand.

Cheers

[Treebore]

You still around Lord McGreggor? How has this worked out?
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

[Lord Falcon MacGreggor]

Worked out alright, my PG has adjusted his game play, and we killed off his uber character. He's now running a follower type character that is much more receptive to the kids trying to do something that he knows is going to fail miserably, but following the personality of his new character, he is allowing them to learn from their mistakes.

His new toon is powerful enough to stay alive, but not enough to take over the party, and this has allowed him to offer notations to the kids, without having me 'give away' information just to get them involved, and it lets them learn while they become more involved with the game.
Plus they have really begun to hate my coin phrase, and they look really scared at the party rogue every time I say it, because although the rogue checks for traps, locks, etc, it is my oldest kid's character that inevitabley opens, and goes through, any doors first.
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As far as YOU can tell . . . the door is not trapped.

[Treebore]

Definitely a good laugh. Heck, I have seen plenty of adult players give some pretty scared looks when they find out if the Thief actually knows what they are talking about.

Glad to hear your PG is being so good about it.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

[papercut]

Toon? Wipe?

Must be a WOW player! How ya liking 4E? World of DnDcraft.
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