I think a player that bullied themselves into getting a +5 weapon isn't going to give a crap about ingame methods like rust monsters. They're going to keep bullying to ensure they stay as powerful as possible.
The only viable solution is to end this campaign and start fresh.
The "purpose" of seeking power in a game is usually the admiration and recognition that is expected to follow. Rather than abandon the game, there could be a narrative arc that highlights and rewards inner strength. Have the city build a statue to the hero with a clubbed foot because they represent overcoming adversity better than some kid with a shiny sword.
"We get it, you killed a lot of bad guys, but really.... the sword did all of the work. Making a statue of you would just tell the next generation that the only way to succeed is to be lucky, and that will discourage them from trying. We need a generation that takes responsibility, not one that waits for a savior."
I think a player that bullied themselves into getting a +5 weapon isn't going to give a crap about ingame methods like rust monsters. They're going to keep bullying to ensure they stay as powerful as possible.
The only viable solution is to end this campaign and start fresh.
The "purpose" of seeking power in a game is usually the admiration and recognition that is expected to follow. Rather than abandon the game, there could be a narrative arc that highlights and rewards inner strength. Have the city build a statue to the hero with a clubbed foot because they represent overcoming adversity better than some kid with a shiny sword.
"We get it, you killed a lot of bad guys, but really.... the sword did all of the work. Making a statue of you would just tell the next generation that the only way to succeed is to be lucky, and that will discourage them from trying. We need a generation that takes responsibility, not one that waits for a savior."
OP has been pretty light on providing additional information, but I think it's safe to assume that the imbalance in this game extends far past one over-powered PC. This is fine, and it's just the learning curve for an inexperienced DM.
Based on what the OP has said already, they have been steamrolled by this player and the campaign has gone off the tracks. Once again, this is fine -- it's just the learning curve.
At some point in time you've got to call the quits. Let's be honest, this munchkin player isn't just running the show -- they are the show. And will likely actively work against anything the DM throws against them: sappy story arc, monster, or otherwise because they're a power gamer and this is now the established status quo.
Wrap the campaign up, take some notes, learn some lessons and start fresh I say! Anything else is sunk cost fallacy.
The "purpose" of seeking power in a game is usually the admiration and recognition that is expected to follow.
That may be the in-character purpose.
The out-of-character purpose of the player, is usually to "win." Players who act this way, wanting a +5 sword and +16 to hit at 7th level, are still trying to "win" at RPGs, and don't realize that the sort of winning they are trying to accomplish is impossible in this type of game. They're treating D&D like it's Battleship or Monopoly, instead of a roleplaying game.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
The "purpose" of seeking power in a game is usually the admiration and recognition that is expected to follow.
That may be the in-character purpose.
The out-of-character purpose of the player, is usually to "win." Players who act this way, wanting a +5 sword and +16 to hit at 7th level, are still trying to "win" at RPGs, and don't realize that the sort of winning they are trying to accomplish is impossible in this type of game. They're treating D&D like it's Battleship or Monopoly, instead of a roleplaying game.
The purpose of "winning" a game like D&D is still usually the recognition of the other players at the table. If they thought no one would care, they probably wouldn't bother. D&D doesn't have objective metrics, unlike old school arcade games where reaching ultra high levels is nearly impossible and an actual measurable achievement.
My 2 cents, this is a player issue and should be handled away from the table with honest, up-front dialogue. All the in-game "solutions" given here just seem like passive-aggressive situations that will cause further strife down the road and don't actually deal with the root cause of the problem.
Is OP ever going to respond? Or should the mods just lock this thread? This topic has been exhausted and it's getting tedious watching people parrot eachother.
Is OP ever going to respond? Or should the mods just lock this thread? This topic has been exhausted and it's getting tedious watching people parrot eachother.
It's been all of 2 days, over a major holiday. I think a little patience is warranted.
Common internet edicate would say otherwise. If you post something looking for advice you should at least monitor the responses. Who knows maybe OP found the answer they were looking for.
Party gets invited to meet the king, required to surrender their weapons, after the meeting a different sword is returned to the character.
A weapon of that caliber is valuable enough that almost anyone would consider it worthwhile to steal. Even if the king didn't order it, most guards would at least seriously consider it on their own. It's valuable enough that losing your position and having to flee the country would still be worth it. The biggest factor keeping people from taking it would be that they then have to find a way to profit from it without getting it stolen themselves.
Common internet edicate would say otherwise. If you post something looking for advice you should at least monitor the responses. Who knows maybe OP found the answer they were looking for.
Maybe they're too embarrassed by some of the replies. They shouldn't be, but it is what it is. Given this was their first post and they haven't been active since according to their profile, it's more likely they just had other things to do though. Just because they wanted help doesn't mean they needed it asap - better to have some time for people to answer than to wait until the last minute.
That aside, I don't figure we're owed a great deal just because we post some things in response to a query. I'm sure a lot of us would like to know more, but we'll get that eventually. Or not, which wouldn't be a disaster either.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I don't figure we're owed a great deal just because we post some things in response to a query.
On this we agree. My original statement however was that until we get more information from OP there's really no more advice to give. At this point in time everyone is just parroting three solutions: solve in game, solve out of game, or start fresh. People aren't doing their do diligence of reading the thread when posting and are simply restating those 3 things in a near identical fashion.
Regardless, I look forward to OP's response. Hopefully they'll update us with which action they took and how it turned out.
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The "purpose" of seeking power in a game is usually the admiration and recognition that is expected to follow. Rather than abandon the game, there could be a narrative arc that highlights and rewards inner strength. Have the city build a statue to the hero with a clubbed foot because they represent overcoming adversity better than some kid with a shiny sword.
"We get it, you killed a lot of bad guys, but really.... the sword did all of the work. Making a statue of you would just tell the next generation that the only way to succeed is to be lucky, and that will discourage them from trying. We need a generation that takes responsibility, not one that waits for a savior."
OP has been pretty light on providing additional information, but I think it's safe to assume that the imbalance in this game extends far past one over-powered PC. This is fine, and it's just the learning curve for an inexperienced DM.
Based on what the OP has said already, they have been steamrolled by this player and the campaign has gone off the tracks. Once again, this is fine -- it's just the learning curve.
At some point in time you've got to call the quits. Let's be honest, this munchkin player isn't just running the show -- they are the show. And will likely actively work against anything the DM throws against them: sappy story arc, monster, or otherwise because they're a power gamer and this is now the established status quo.
Wrap the campaign up, take some notes, learn some lessons and start fresh I say! Anything else is sunk cost fallacy.
That may be the in-character purpose.
The out-of-character purpose of the player, is usually to "win." Players who act this way, wanting a +5 sword and +16 to hit at 7th level, are still trying to "win" at RPGs, and don't realize that the sort of winning they are trying to accomplish is impossible in this type of game. They're treating D&D like it's Battleship or Monopoly, instead of a roleplaying game.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Players like getting awesome loot. That's a big part of the game for a lot of players and that's fine.
The solution is to give the other players good items too and up the difficulty of encounters.
The purpose of "winning" a game like D&D is still usually the recognition of the other players at the table. If they thought no one would care, they probably wouldn't bother. D&D doesn't have objective metrics, unlike old school arcade games where reaching ultra high levels is nearly impossible and an actual measurable achievement.
My 2 cents, this is a player issue and should be handled away from the table with honest, up-front dialogue. All the in-game "solutions" given here just seem like passive-aggressive situations that will cause further strife down the road and don't actually deal with the root cause of the problem.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Is OP ever going to respond? Or should the mods just lock this thread? This topic has been exhausted and it's getting tedious watching people parrot eachother.
It's been all of 2 days, over a major holiday. I think a little patience is warranted.
Common internet edicate would say otherwise. If you post something looking for advice you should at least monitor the responses. Who knows maybe OP found the answer they were looking for.
Party gets invited to meet the king, required to surrender their weapons, after the meeting a different sword is returned to the character.
A weapon of that caliber is valuable enough that almost anyone would consider it worthwhile to steal. Even if the king didn't order it, most guards would at least seriously consider it on their own. It's valuable enough that losing your position and having to flee the country would still be worth it. The biggest factor keeping people from taking it would be that they then have to find a way to profit from it without getting it stolen themselves.
Maybe they're too embarrassed by some of the replies. They shouldn't be, but it is what it is. Given this was their first post and they haven't been active since according to their profile, it's more likely they just had other things to do though. Just because they wanted help doesn't mean they needed it asap - better to have some time for people to answer than to wait until the last minute.
That aside, I don't figure we're owed a great deal just because we post some things in response to a query. I'm sure a lot of us would like to know more, but we'll get that eventually. Or not, which wouldn't be a disaster either.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
On this we agree. My original statement however was that until we get more information from OP there's really no more advice to give. At this point in time everyone is just parroting three solutions: solve in game, solve out of game, or start fresh. People aren't doing their do diligence of reading the thread when posting and are simply restating those 3 things in a near identical fashion.
Regardless, I look forward to OP's response. Hopefully they'll update us with which action they took and how it turned out.