This is my second time DMing and this is a group of newcomers to d&d (all but one). I'm talking, the most d&d they've been exposed to is Stranger Things, except one of the player (G) who listens to a bunch of podcasts and me playing with my other friends.
Anyways, they're students of the well-known, late, Elaria and one day in a shop right a session before finishing the campaign two players (G and D) had a mishap in a shop. They knocked out the owner, stole, and framed one of the teammates who never show up for sessions (L). It just so happens the next session, L shows up right when they head he finds out he was framed for the work of his party members. Considering it was the end of this campaign and they wanted to continue I was gonna have them do some odd jobs until I finish the storyline for the next campaign. We meet up from one to two times a week, so I was gonna take the next two weeks planning the next campaign. So, the last session of this campaign after opening the vault they head back to the same and only town to which they rob another store in disguises then frame some more party members (while simultaneously clearing the name of L). Then proceed to go into the shop as their normal character and help the shopkeeper who they stole from.
They decide that they want to be a gang of criminals, which sparked some ideas. Instead of doing that thing where the DM says isn't allowed I rolled with it and now they're on a mission to gain a large bounty then jump the country.
Side note: they had good rolls, I had terrible rolls.
That's quite the dilemma. I have always agreed with Matt Mercer's outlook on D&D; he says it is "collaborative storytelling". And in that spirit, I personally don't think a character's story should have major developments without the player present.
The criminal/evil campaign can work if all involved are game, including DM. I recommend a house rule regardless of your campaign... no player should act to the detriment of any other player. The main benefit of this golden rule is that it bonds the team together so that the DM can better support their adventure. having to try to wade through the infighting to make some sort of story emerge is just untenable.
Heh...create a huge, difficult heist plot for them, give them a brilliant detective on their trail who has set the heist up as a trap, and have the detective secretly contact the betrayed party members and offer them pardons and riches if they inform on the ringleaders, spy on the heist plans, and help bring them to justice. The troublemakers' characters end up with death sentences, the others are now national heroes who saved the kingdom from bandits. Or else they all have a blast working together for a change to defeat the detective. Just a thought.
Edeleth Treesong (Aldalire) WoodElf Druid lvl 8 Talaveroth Sub 2 Last Tree StandingTabaxi Ranger, Chef and Hoardsperson lvl 5, Company of the Dragon Team 1 Choir Kenku Cleric, Tempest Domain, lvl 11, Descent Into Avernus Test Drive Poinki Goblin Paladin, Redemption, lvl 5, Tales from Talaveroth Lyrika Nyx Satyr Bard lvl 1, The Six Kingdoms of Talia
Heh...create a huge, difficult heist plot for them, give them a brilliant detective on their trail who has set the heist up as a trap, and have the detective secretly contact the betrayed party members and offer them pardons and riches if they inform on the ringleaders, spy on the heist plans, and help bring them to justice. The troublemakers' characters end up with death sentences, the others are now national heroes who saved the kingdom from bandits. Or else they all have a blast working together for a change to defeat the detective. Just a thought.
I agree with this or anything close. You can work with the situation in several different ways. I have had situations where players do crazy stuff to the other players in the game. I dont agree with it but it happens. Sometimes thought it can make for some good times. As a DM you just need to be creative. I would question weather the players are just doing it to mess with the other players that they had pinned the crimes on and not actually acting on what their character would do instead. I see this now and then when one RL friend simply causes issues for another RL friend simply for the fun of it. There are really several ways to deal with it in game but in the end if its simply to disruptive to the group. Just replace them.
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This is my second time DMing and this is a group of newcomers to d&d (all but one). I'm talking, the most d&d they've been exposed to is Stranger Things, except one of the player (G) who listens to a bunch of podcasts and me playing with my other friends.
Anyways, they're students of the well-known, late, Elaria and one day in a shop right a session before finishing the campaign two players (G and D) had a mishap in a shop. They knocked out the owner, stole, and framed one of the teammates who never show up for sessions (L). It just so happens the next session, L shows up right when they head he finds out he was framed for the work of his party members. Considering it was the end of this campaign and they wanted to continue I was gonna have them do some odd jobs until I finish the storyline for the next campaign. We meet up from one to two times a week, so I was gonna take the next two weeks planning the next campaign. So, the last session of this campaign after opening the vault they head back to the same and only town to which they rob another store in disguises then frame some more party members (while simultaneously clearing the name of L). Then proceed to go into the shop as their normal character and help the shopkeeper who they stole from.
They decide that they want to be a gang of criminals, which sparked some ideas. Instead of doing that thing where the DM says isn't allowed I rolled with it and now they're on a mission to gain a large bounty then jump the country.
Side note: they had good rolls, I had terrible rolls.
That's quite the dilemma. I have always agreed with Matt Mercer's outlook on D&D; he says it is "collaborative storytelling". And in that spirit, I personally don't think a character's story should have major developments without the player present.
The criminal/evil campaign can work if all involved are game, including DM. I recommend a house rule regardless of your campaign... no player should act to the detriment of any other player. The main benefit of this golden rule is that it bonds the team together so that the DM can better support their adventure. having to try to wade through the infighting to make some sort of story emerge is just untenable.
Jesus Saves!... Everyone else takes damage.
This seems to me to more complicated than a mere "yes" or "no" question. To me, it sounds like there are two interwined issues to sort out:
1) What are your own expectations for the game and how far are you willing to allow some PCs to trick NPCs into going after other PCs?
2) How did the players whose PCs got framed feel about that has been going on without their presence?
3) As Gigaflop noted, if this is going to turn into a situation where the PCs are opposing the townspeople, are all the players onboard with that?
Butch and Sundance had a lot of fun..... until they didn't.
Heh...create a huge, difficult heist plot for them, give them a brilliant detective on their trail who has set the heist up as a trap, and have the detective secretly contact the betrayed party members and offer them pardons and riches if they inform on the ringleaders, spy on the heist plans, and help bring them to justice. The troublemakers' characters end up with death sentences, the others are now national heroes who saved the kingdom from bandits. Or else they all have a blast working together for a change to defeat the detective. Just a thought.
Edeleth Treesong (Aldalire) Wood Elf Druid lvl 8 Talaveroth Sub 2
Last Tree Standing Tabaxi Ranger, Chef and Hoardsperson lvl 5, Company of the Dragon Team 1
Choir Kenku Cleric, Tempest Domain, lvl 11, Descent Into Avernus Test Drive
Poinki Goblin Paladin, Redemption, lvl 5, Tales from Talaveroth
Lyrika Nyx Satyr Bard lvl 1, The Six Kingdoms of Talia
I agree with this or anything close. You can work with the situation in several different ways. I have had situations where players do crazy stuff to the other players in the game. I dont agree with it but it happens. Sometimes thought it can make for some good times. As a DM you just need to be creative. I would question weather the players are just doing it to mess with the other players that they had pinned the crimes on and not actually acting on what their character would do instead. I see this now and then when one RL friend simply causes issues for another RL friend simply for the fun of it. There are really several ways to deal with it in game but in the end if its simply to disruptive to the group. Just replace them.