As a DM, my players aren't the best behaved. They like to roll new characters monthly, sometimes in the middle of campaigns, forgetting sheets for weeks in a row, so I came up with a solution.
Blarf Straddlewick
Blarf is character I was planning on making for players who forget their sheets. He has a 10 in each of his stats, wields a pitchfork +0 to hit, 1d4 + 0 damage. When the pitchfork is used and it hits, roll a d4. On an even roll, the pitchfork is stuck in the enemy and the enemy takes 1 piercing damage for a turn while they are impaled by the pitchfork. It takes an action to remove the pitchfork. It is non-magical and does nothing. Blarf Straddlewick has white skin, brown hair, brown eyes, wears a cloth tunic and pants, has 10 gp on him, can cast no spells, has no racial feats or a class, he stands at 5' 10" and has disadvantage on Charisma checks. He can't gain XP and that is really it.
Is this too harsh of a punishment? Are there any changes I should add to "Blarf?" Any suggestions?
we DM's have enough to work as is. The copies I have for my players are in PDF so I can access it. See what the characters are roughly capable of when creating content. It isn't meant to take it with me where ever I go. They're not my characters, nor my responsibility. If players can't even show the respect to show up as agreed, bring their sheets and behave I remove them completely. There are plenty enough players out there looking for games to join who are well behaved and show respect to the effort the DM puts in. As well as respect towards the other players.
You forgot your Char sheet once. It can happen. I got a few empty back-ups with me. If you got access to your stats somehow you can fill that in. If you can't then you can't play. So leave the table and we see you next time. You forgot your Char sheet again and again? The third time I'm not going to assist you. Just leave and don't ever come back.
From the sound of it. The OP lets his players walk all over him. If you made agreements beforehand about how often or not you can create new characters. Expectations on how to behave etc. Then you wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. Once you set a precedent of what you accept then it'll only get worse over time. As the DM you're also responsible for managing the social situation around the table. Ill behaving and disrespectful players is NOT a good thing. Even if you have a very loose beer and pretzel game.
So. Get your players together. Spend 1 session talking about what they want out of the game. What you want and need them to do in return. If they don't... Then kick them out. Even if they are your best friends. This kind of behavior will only simmer, fester and get worse over time. Creating that Barf is treating symptoms and wont' do anything useful to the real underlying problems.
With the automatic character generation apps out there I guess you could just roll up a character on the spot, give him some non-magical weapon and armor, a backpack with a day or twos rations and roll on. I also think the bad PC behavior impacts the whole party and if they get annoyed then you just tell him the party doesn't want him back.
I would think that forgetting a character sheet the second time would constitute a sanction like, "Well that character is now dead and this new one we're giving you is your new character." With little to no equipment and money it sets the player back and the party.
Folks do need to respect the time the DM and the other party members put into the game.
If you really have that many players waiting in the wings then I guess you can bounce him. But I'd do it if the party complained before I'd do it as the DM. I guess I don't know so many players.
I strongly discourage looking at "punishments" and perhaps instead looking at why the behaviour is happening that you view as undesirable or unacceptable.
A DM friend of mine has always had the rule that he collects the character sheets at the end of each session, then hands them back out at the beginning of the next session. If someone can't make it, but their character was involved in a scene - at least the character sheet is still there. With D&D Beyond, this is much less of an issue now though.
Maybe have a talk with them on why they like to roll new characters in the middle of a campaign? Do they get bored of the current characters? If so, why? Is it because they feel progression is too slow and they're not getting new things to play with? Are their characters not invested in the plot (i.e. their backgrounds are in some way intertwined with the main plot)?
I'm with Stormknight on this one. The way I run campaigns, there are ongoing plots that specific characters are involved with. An entire campaign would be ended if the players just rolled up new characters, unless I manufactured ad hoc reasons for the new characters to care about what's been going on.
So my question to OP--not to DM-blame here, but as Stormknight asked, are the characters involved in the campaign? For example, do you have goals like 'investigating the old temple ruins for the PC cleric's church', or 'searching for the wizard's lost mentor', etc? A goal, or a campaign, where specific PCs have specific goals? If not, that might explain why your players feel like their characters are easily replaced in the campaign. If I'm just playing a stat block who happens to be running through an adventure, I might suppose that I could do the same adventure with another stat block and nothing would be different.
The players need some reason to invest in their characters. If you're playing a campaign that's just combat scenario after combat scenario (which can be fun), then characters might be more interchangeable given that you're not doing much role playing (just roll playing). In that case, you need tangible benefits that they gain. Magical weapons, special feats, etc etc. Things that would be lost/left behind with a character switch. If you're playing an RP-intensive campaign (or trying to), you need to make sure the players are getting chances to play specific characters, and to enjoy playing those characters. Your players just saved a town from a tribe of orcs? If the town erects a statue of the paladin in the town square and two mothers name their newborn babies after him, do you think that player will be quick to leave that character behind? :)
Thirdly--just tell them straight up that you're getting aggravated. Tell them it's disrespectful to not come prepared. If they are friends, or at least decent people, they'll listen. If they are jerks, don't play with them.
so... not to ya know... point out something obvious but... You are posting on a website that allows you to have access to character sheets and store them in campaigns online. Just saying.
we DM's have enough to work as is. The copies I have for my players are in PDF so I can access it. See what the characters are roughly capable of when creating content. It isn't meant to take it with me where ever I go. They're not my characters, nor my responsibility. If players can't even show the respect to show up as agreed, bring their sheets and behave I remove them completely. There are plenty enough players out there looking for games to join who are well behaved and show respect to the effort the DM puts in. As well as respect towards the other players.
You forgot your Char sheet once. It can happen. I got a few empty back-ups with me. If you got access to your stats somehow you can fill that in. If you can't then you can't play. So leave the table and we see you next time. You forgot your Char sheet again and again? The third time I'm not going to assist you. Just leave and don't ever come back.
From the sound of it. The OP lets his players walk all over him. If you made agreements beforehand about how often or not you can create new characters. Expectations on how to behave etc. Then you wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. Once you set a precedent of what you accept then it'll only get worse over time. As the DM you're also responsible for managing the social situation around the table. Ill behaving and disrespectful players is NOT a good thing. Even if you have a very loose beer and pretzel game.
So. Get your players together. Spend 1 session talking about what they want out of the game. What you want and need them to do in return. If they don't... Then kick them out. Even if they are your best friends. This kind of behavior will only simmer, fester and get worse over time. Creating that Barf is treating symptoms and wont' do anything useful to the real underlying problems.
This is coming across as super aggressive. Yes DMs have a bunch of things on their plate, but with this wonderful website we are actively posting on, bringing character sheets is a non issue. If the DM isn't using the tools available to him to make his job easier thats on the DM.
Just require your players to have a digital updated version of their sheet. No work on your end. Just a requirement for them
Not to say you're wrong, because that's a good idea. But what if they don't bring the sheet, and you don't have a printer? The player has a laptop in front of them the whole time (hey guys, look at this cat video!), or has to transcribe the elec version to paper? The elec version is nice, but it's not an automatic solution to the problem. The problem seems to be players who aren't giving a poop, for whatever reason. The forgetting the sheets is only one problem--rolling up new characters frequently, etc.
I'm a bit confused. You're posting this in the DnDBeyond forum...
Your players ought to have their characters digitally here, and up to date.
I'm assuming they have smartphones, so that way the info is right there.
Edit: I don't think punishing players will change anything, just make them have less fun
We do it the old fashioned way; pen and paper. Personally, I don't like using the online sources because I have all of the physical copies and don't want to buy them again online, and also, a lot are usually unreliable. None of us want to pay more money than necessary, so we just have hard copies of the sheets.
Thanks for all this information. I will make sure to use it at my future sessions.
Fortunately, I have never had a player forget their sheet, so I'm posting completely theoretically here. But I'm not down with punishing players. I collect a couple of my players sheets after the session and give them back at the start of the next one. Honestly, I'd like to collect everyone's, but it's up to them, and to date, it's been fine.
As far as rolling up new characters.... as Stormknight and BrotherBock said. Are the PC's involved in the story? I've found the best way to get player buy in is to make the story personal. You take their backstory and shape the plot to fit. It's more work than just pulling out a book and running from start to finish, but in my opinion, it's a far more immersive experience, and the players are more inclined to love their character more.
I'm a bit confused. You're posting this in the DnDBeyond forum...
Your players ought to have their characters digitally here, and up to date.
I'm assuming they have smartphones, so that way the info is right there.
Not everyone uses this site for that purpose. I come here for resources I can use in the game, but I don't even keep my own characters out here. And at the table, I much prefer phones and laptops to not be there.
I've been GMing for over 20 years. Keeping a folder with all game resources, including character sheets, has never been a massive workload issue. I appreciater that there are different styles and approaches to playing, and as you state, there are some social issues within the group indicated in the OP, but the GM holding char sheets still doesn't seem unreasonable.
Replying to the original post -- I can only speak for myself and those I play with, but as a player, I wouldn't have any fun playing Blarf. I'd rather be told I can't play then have to use the humiliating "dunce cap" character. Imagine showing up for a game of hockey with your mates and one guy forgot his stick and skates--so everyone makes him play barefoot and with a toilet plunger. Sure, that'll get some laughs, but speaking for myself I'd just sit out and watch or go home.
Blarf should work just fine. Calling it a "punishment" has apparently drawn some ire, so I'll say Blarf will make a good consequence of forgetting a sheet. I recommend keeping him in the party as an NPC after the first player "activates" him. He's just tagging along like a party mascot, ready to step in as needed when the next person forgets a sheet. You never know... the players might enjoy it and start giving him more personality.
I had a set NPC/PC set up for a group once. We had a lot of transient players that would sit in for a game or two, and they always got the same NPC. (I think it was either a gladiator or veteran monster stats) He actually developed into basically a party controlled NPC, and eventually a full PC when one of the main characters died. Have fun and good luck wrangling your players.
Replying to the original post -- I can only speak for myself and those I play with, but as a player, I wouldn't have any fun playing Blarf. I'd rather be told I can't play then have to use the humiliating "dunce cap" character. Imagine showing up for a game of hockey with your mates and one guy forgot his stick and skates--so everyone makes him play barefoot and with a toilet plunger. Sure, that'll get some laughs, but speaking for myself I'd just sit out and watch or go home.
I think the question OP would have for you is whether the experience--whether you stayed or not--would make you more likely to bring your character sheet the next time. :)
When I hear a DM say he/she needs to come up with "punishments" for their players, it sounds to me like there is some serous dysfunction in the group. D&D is first and foremost a game that should be fun for everyone involved. Hopefully if the actions of 1 or more players is frustrating or even downright disrespectful then the group can talk about it and work things out. Although I've been in enough groups to know that not everyone who enjoys D&D has stellar communication skills so this can be an issue. My first question is what exactly are they doing that is causing the OP to feel a need to punish them. Is it 1) The level of disorganization in the group is frustrating or 2) Not every character is as invested in the story enough to want to play the same character in an ongoing campaign making the DM feel like their work is unappreciated or 3) Both or 4) Something else?
1 - This is easy enough to fix, and there have been many suggestions here already to help mitigate this. I might also add that if you have the skills and access to setup a wiki (super easy), this is a good way to create an external game resource to track information (like character sheets in whatever format works) or even get info to players or to keep a log of what has happened in past adventures for reference. Although I seriously doubt most players re-roll their character just because they don't have their sheet handy, they usually just want to play something else and it has little to do with physically having a piece of paper in front of them. In any event if this is really the source of problems it can be fixed many of the ways listed.
2- This is a bigger problem. It's hard to have a fun experience when some folks are into the game and others could care less. As a DM myself I have to put in a lot of extra work, while the other players pretty much just show up so I know how frustrating this can be. It might be good to have a chat, make sure everyone is on the same page. If they are not, then the folks who will be most frustrated by this disparity need to either find some peace with it or look for a group that has similar levels of commitment to continuity, organization and teamwork.
3 - Well then this would require 1 & 2 above to be worked out.
4- ?? Try to ascertain what the real issue is, keep a cool head and see what can be worked out. Whatever it is hopefully everyone at the table can be honest about what they really want and what they are willing to do in terms of keeping the group running smooth.
If none of these work it might be wise to try to find a new gaming group with people that share your level of interest in an ongoing campaign and continuity. Not everyone is into that, just because they play D&D doesn't mean they want to play it the way you like it and vice-versa. Everyone likes music, but some folks like Swedish death metal and others like classical. They both like music, but unlikely you would see them at the same concert. Same goes for D&D. Good luck and I hope you get things worked out.
**Edit: Forgot to address the "punishment" of having to play a ****** commoner. I don't think this will have the result of getting the player to sit up, take notes and get more into the game. It will just cause more resentment/frustration (unless they like a challenge AND being condescended) and be perceived as petty. If you don't want to waste however long it take them to generate a new character then have a few NPC characters generated, let them pick one and get the adventure started. Tailor your campaign to the players that DO show up prepared, reward them with loot/items/roleplay scenarios that fit their actions. Might be better to reward the ones that do contribute to the campaign rather than punish the ones that show up unprepared.
As a DM, my players aren't the best behaved. They like to roll new characters monthly, sometimes in the middle of campaigns, forgetting sheets for weeks in a row, so I came up with a solution.
Blarf Straddlewick
Blarf is character I was planning on making for players who forget their sheets. He has a 10 in each of his stats, wields a pitchfork +0 to hit, 1d4 + 0 damage. When the pitchfork is used and it hits, roll a d4. On an even roll, the pitchfork is stuck in the enemy and the enemy takes 1 piercing damage for a turn while they are impaled by the pitchfork. It takes an action to remove the pitchfork. It is non-magical and does nothing. Blarf Straddlewick has white skin, brown hair, brown eyes, wears a cloth tunic and pants, has 10 gp on him, can cast no spells, has no racial feats or a class, he stands at 5' 10" and has disadvantage on Charisma checks. He can't gain XP and that is really it.
Is this too harsh of a punishment? Are there any changes I should add to "Blarf?" Any suggestions?
it's been a long time...
I say drop the disadvantage on charisma and the pitchfork getting stuck. Having to play as a commoner is punishment enough.
Could you not just keep a copy of their sheets?
we DM's have enough to work as is. The copies I have for my players are in PDF so I can access it. See what the characters are roughly capable of when creating content. It isn't meant to take it with me where ever I go. They're not my characters, nor my responsibility. If players can't even show the respect to show up as agreed, bring their sheets and behave I remove them completely. There are plenty enough players out there looking for games to join who are well behaved and show respect to the effort the DM puts in. As well as respect towards the other players.
You forgot your Char sheet once. It can happen. I got a few empty back-ups with me. If you got access to your stats somehow you can fill that in. If you can't then you can't play. So leave the table and we see you next time.
You forgot your Char sheet again and again? The third time I'm not going to assist you. Just leave and don't ever come back.
From the sound of it. The OP lets his players walk all over him. If you made agreements beforehand about how often or not you can create new characters. Expectations on how to behave etc. Then you wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. Once you set a precedent of what you accept then it'll only get worse over time. As the DM you're also responsible for managing the social situation around the table. Ill behaving and disrespectful players is NOT a good thing. Even if you have a very loose beer and pretzel game.
So. Get your players together. Spend 1 session talking about what they want out of the game. What you want and need them to do in return. If they don't... Then kick them out. Even if they are your best friends. This kind of behavior will only simmer, fester and get worse over time. Creating that Barf is treating symptoms and wont' do anything useful to the real underlying problems.
With the automatic character generation apps out there I guess you could just roll up a character on the spot, give him some non-magical weapon and armor, a backpack with a day or twos rations and roll on. I also think the bad PC behavior impacts the whole party and if they get annoyed then you just tell him the party doesn't want him back.
I would think that forgetting a character sheet the second time would constitute a sanction like, "Well that character is now dead and this new one we're giving you is your new character." With little to no equipment and money it sets the player back and the party.
Folks do need to respect the time the DM and the other party members put into the game.
If you really have that many players waiting in the wings then I guess you can bounce him. But I'd do it if the party complained before I'd do it as the DM. I guess I don't know so many players.
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D&D Beyond FoundersI strongly discourage looking at "punishments" and perhaps instead looking at why the behaviour is happening that you view as undesirable or unacceptable.
A DM friend of mine has always had the rule that he collects the character sheets at the end of each session, then hands them back out at the beginning of the next session. If someone can't make it, but their character was involved in a scene - at least the character sheet is still there. With D&D Beyond, this is much less of an issue now though.
Maybe have a talk with them on why they like to roll new characters in the middle of a campaign? Do they get bored of the current characters? If so, why? Is it because they feel progression is too slow and they're not getting new things to play with? Are their characters not invested in the plot (i.e. their backgrounds are in some way intertwined with the main plot)?
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I'm with Stormknight on this one. The way I run campaigns, there are ongoing plots that specific characters are involved with. An entire campaign would be ended if the players just rolled up new characters, unless I manufactured ad hoc reasons for the new characters to care about what's been going on.
So my question to OP--not to DM-blame here, but as Stormknight asked, are the characters involved in the campaign? For example, do you have goals like 'investigating the old temple ruins for the PC cleric's church', or 'searching for the wizard's lost mentor', etc? A goal, or a campaign, where specific PCs have specific goals? If not, that might explain why your players feel like their characters are easily replaced in the campaign. If I'm just playing a stat block who happens to be running through an adventure, I might suppose that I could do the same adventure with another stat block and nothing would be different.
The players need some reason to invest in their characters. If you're playing a campaign that's just combat scenario after combat scenario (which can be fun), then characters might be more interchangeable given that you're not doing much role playing (just roll playing). In that case, you need tangible benefits that they gain. Magical weapons, special feats, etc etc. Things that would be lost/left behind with a character switch. If you're playing an RP-intensive campaign (or trying to), you need to make sure the players are getting chances to play specific characters, and to enjoy playing those characters. Your players just saved a town from a tribe of orcs? If the town erects a statue of the paladin in the town square and two mothers name their newborn babies after him, do you think that player will be quick to leave that character behind? :)
Thirdly--just tell them straight up that you're getting aggravated. Tell them it's disrespectful to not come prepared. If they are friends, or at least decent people, they'll listen. If they are jerks, don't play with them.
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
so... not to ya know... point out something obvious but... You are posting on a website that allows you to have access to character sheets and store them in campaigns online. Just saying.
This is coming across as super aggressive. Yes DMs have a bunch of things on their plate, but with this wonderful website we are actively posting on, bringing character sheets is a non issue. If the DM isn't using the tools available to him to make his job easier thats on the DM.
Just require your players to have a digital updated version of their sheet. No work on your end. Just a requirement for them
Not to say you're wrong, because that's a good idea. But what if they don't bring the sheet, and you don't have a printer? The player has a laptop in front of them the whole time (hey guys, look at this cat video!), or has to transcribe the elec version to paper? The elec version is nice, but it's not an automatic solution to the problem. The problem seems to be players who aren't giving a poop, for whatever reason. The forgetting the sheets is only one problem--rolling up new characters frequently, etc.
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
I'm a bit confused. You're posting this in the DnDBeyond forum...
Your players ought to have their characters digitally here, and up to date.
I'm assuming they have smartphones, so that way the info is right there.
Edit: I don't think punishing players will change anything, just make them have less fun
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We do it the old fashioned way; pen and paper. Personally, I don't like using the online sources because I have all of the physical copies and don't want to buy them again online, and also, a lot are usually unreliable. None of us want to pay more money than necessary, so we just have hard copies of the sheets.
Thanks for all this information. I will make sure to use it at my future sessions.
it's been a long time...
Fortunately, I have never had a player forget their sheet, so I'm posting completely theoretically here. But I'm not down with punishing players. I collect a couple of my players sheets after the session and give them back at the start of the next one. Honestly, I'd like to collect everyone's, but it's up to them, and to date, it's been fine.
As far as rolling up new characters.... as Stormknight and BrotherBock said. Are the PC's involved in the story? I've found the best way to get player buy in is to make the story personal. You take their backstory and shape the plot to fit. It's more work than just pulling out a book and running from start to finish, but in my opinion, it's a far more immersive experience, and the players are more inclined to love their character more.
Not everyone uses this site for that purpose. I come here for resources I can use in the game, but I don't even keep my own characters out here. And at the table, I much prefer phones and laptops to not be there.
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
I've been GMing for over 20 years. Keeping a folder with all game resources, including character sheets, has never been a massive workload issue. I appreciater that there are different styles and approaches to playing, and as you state, there are some social issues within the group indicated in the OP, but the GM holding char sheets still doesn't seem unreasonable.
Replying to the original post -- I can only speak for myself and those I play with, but as a player, I wouldn't have any fun playing Blarf. I'd rather be told I can't play then have to use the humiliating "dunce cap" character. Imagine showing up for a game of hockey with your mates and one guy forgot his stick and skates--so everyone makes him play barefoot and with a toilet plunger. Sure, that'll get some laughs, but speaking for myself I'd just sit out and watch or go home.
Blarf should work just fine. Calling it a "punishment" has apparently drawn some ire, so I'll say Blarf will make a good consequence of forgetting a sheet. I recommend keeping him in the party as an NPC after the first player "activates" him. He's just tagging along like a party mascot, ready to step in as needed when the next person forgets a sheet. You never know... the players might enjoy it and start giving him more personality.
I had a set NPC/PC set up for a group once. We had a lot of transient players that would sit in for a game or two, and they always got the same NPC. (I think it was either a gladiator or veteran monster stats) He actually developed into basically a party controlled NPC, and eventually a full PC when one of the main characters died. Have fun and good luck wrangling your players.
I think the question OP would have for you is whether the experience--whether you stayed or not--would make you more likely to bring your character sheet the next time. :)
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
When I hear a DM say he/she needs to come up with "punishments" for their players, it sounds to me like there is some serous dysfunction in the group. D&D is first and foremost a game that should be fun for everyone involved. Hopefully if the actions of 1 or more players is frustrating or even downright disrespectful then the group can talk about it and work things out. Although I've been in enough groups to know that not everyone who enjoys D&D has stellar communication skills so this can be an issue. My first question is what exactly are they doing that is causing the OP to feel a need to punish them. Is it 1) The level of disorganization in the group is frustrating or 2) Not every character is as invested in the story enough to want to play the same character in an ongoing campaign making the DM feel like their work is unappreciated or 3) Both or 4) Something else?
1 - This is easy enough to fix, and there have been many suggestions here already to help mitigate this. I might also add that if you have the skills and access to setup a wiki (super easy), this is a good way to create an external game resource to track information (like character sheets in whatever format works) or even get info to players or to keep a log of what has happened in past adventures for reference. Although I seriously doubt most players re-roll their character just because they don't have their sheet handy, they usually just want to play something else and it has little to do with physically having a piece of paper in front of them. In any event if this is really the source of problems it can be fixed many of the ways listed.
2- This is a bigger problem. It's hard to have a fun experience when some folks are into the game and others could care less. As a DM myself I have to put in a lot of extra work, while the other players pretty much just show up so I know how frustrating this can be. It might be good to have a chat, make sure everyone is on the same page. If they are not, then the folks who will be most frustrated by this disparity need to either find some peace with it or look for a group that has similar levels of commitment to continuity, organization and teamwork.
3 - Well then this would require 1 & 2 above to be worked out.
4- ?? Try to ascertain what the real issue is, keep a cool head and see what can be worked out. Whatever it is hopefully everyone at the table can be honest about what they really want and what they are willing to do in terms of keeping the group running smooth.
If none of these work it might be wise to try to find a new gaming group with people that share your level of interest in an ongoing campaign and continuity. Not everyone is into that, just because they play D&D doesn't mean they want to play it the way you like it and vice-versa. Everyone likes music, but some folks like Swedish death metal and others like classical. They both like music, but unlikely you would see them at the same concert. Same goes for D&D. Good luck and I hope you get things worked out.
**Edit: Forgot to address the "punishment" of having to play a ****** commoner. I don't think this will have the result of getting the player to sit up, take notes and get more into the game. It will just cause more resentment/frustration (unless they like a challenge AND being condescended) and be perceived as petty. If you don't want to waste however long it take them to generate a new character then have a few NPC characters generated, let them pick one and get the adventure started. Tailor your campaign to the players that DO show up prepared, reward them with loot/items/roleplay scenarios that fit their actions. Might be better to reward the ones that do contribute to the campaign rather than punish the ones that show up unprepared.