I have a player in my campaign that vastly more powerful than the other 4, and he is constantly bugging me with requests like “I need to hit harder!” or “I need a magical axe!” He is playing a Barbarian. His HP max is 30% higher than anyone else in the group. I did the math and in order for him to be at his current HP max, he would have to be averaging a 10 on his Hit Die rolls with every level increase. That’s pretty insane to me. He wanted me to create a custom weapon for him (which I did) that gains 1d8 damage WITH EVERY LEVEL GAINED on top of it’s base 2d8 damage. So at level 5, he has a weapon that can do 6d8 damage (and render the target “poisoned”). No-one else in the party is anywhere close to him in terms of HP and potential damage dealt. And he is convinced that he is “underpowered” and wants me to craft more custom items for him (he suggested magical tattoos that let him cast Fireball at will).
I try to always be a “Yes and...” DM, but encounters are getting really hard to run since if I balance it for the rest of the party, he can usually wipe out the monsters single handedly, but if I put in a monster that’s on his level, the others risk death. I know, I know... This is my own fault for giving him that incredible weapon and not making him roll his hit dice publicly. I accept that. I’m seeking advice on ways to nerf him (maybe make him lose that weapon) without it making him upset. The weapon is a Giant Spider’s fang that he ripped out of a custom “boss” spider that I crafted if that helps anyone create a narrative reason for him to lose it without feeling cheated.
Talk to your players, tell them you made a mistake. Talk to the person you gave the obscenely overpowered weapon to and tell them how it is causing issues with your encounters and making him outshine the other players. Try to make him see from your point of view. If he is mature (though to be honest, it does not seem that way), he should agree to go back to a regular weapon. If he is a child and throws a hissy fit, you may need to drop them from the game. Also, make the announcement that all rolls are to be out in the open, including but not limited to, HP rolls. It might not be uncommon for a barbarian to have a much higher HP than the rest of the party, but do make sure the player is calculating it correctly.
Also, how is the rest of the party responding? If they're fine with the situation, you could tailor the encounters such that there are a couple of high HP monsters for the barbarian to chew on, while the rest of the (more appropriate CR) monsters take on the rest of the party.
As for the HP issue, assuming everyone is using D&D Beyond for their characters, I'd suggest eliminating rolling and setting Hit Point Type to "Fixed" in the Home page of the Character Builder.
10 on HP rolls actually isn't too hard with Barbarian with a CON mod of +3. They can get +10 HP every level just taking the averaged value (7) with that high of a CON modifier. TBH it just seems like this player can be categorically placed as a Power Gamer. I don't know if that terminology is lost to some people, but you can likely infer what it means. I had a similar player in a very recent campaign who absolutely demanded that I give him access to better weapons and more utility with existing spells. He incessantly complained about, what it eventually turned out to be, not being able to play as a 20th level character and having max level gear at level 5. He has since then been removed from the campaign.
If the character is too strong, it is wise to recognize that you have made a mistake and are being too generous, but instead of reneging on items or abilities you have generously granted you can still adjust the encounter mechanics which this player seems to be abusing. Find what it is he is best at and prevent that from being the choice action he is capable of from the outset. That is perfectly okay to do. Clearly this player wants to control the setting according to his own needs. Even if others are okay with this, that is not okay for them to demand of you anything as it will become an ultimatum in the long run. They can inquire, but in my experience allowing them to say "You have to!" when it comes to gaining rewards or abilities is never a good idea for the overall balance of any campaign especially when it just gives them things that they thematically wouldn't need or shouldn't have. You are the DM, they are the players, ultimately your rule is final. They don't have to like it, but better, experienced players will appreciate this and reciprocate.
To put it very simply, just don't allow this player any more chances of being given things. Have him earn the right to obtain those items, and even better still you can timegate them so they only gain effects based on things like attunement, ability scores, level, etc. etc.
Yeah, same advice as the others, but there’s a bigger issue going on here: you’re pandering to your players - this one player especially - and catering to their whims. Are you worried about saying no?
Essentially, it sounds like your player doesn’t want to play - he wants to feel special and all-powerful. In which case he should play a video game with god mode on.
If your player is going to be get upset for simply explaining that the weapon they have is causing huge issues for the balance of the game, then I’m not sure anything is going to make this work.
But hey, I’m not one to judge, and might be getting this all wrong. To answer your question, if you want to try, there can only be so much venom in that fang - perhaps it runs out?
Its also a fang - could it shatter against an enemies shield on a particularly bad miss?
Or could a trophy hunter steal it? An impressive fang from such a beast could be worth a fortune!
Fight some BBEG and upon defeat, have the sentience of the BBEG enter the weapon. Then add some serious drawbacks to the weapon that will apply equal risk to the reward.
That weapon sounds like it's Cursed to me. Love the idea of it becoming sentient and somewhat antagonistic, along with other huge drawbacks. (Maybe HE has a chance to get poisoned every round he swings it)
I would also just talk to the player/your party like others have suggested and be like "Hey, this is kinda OP, I want everyone to be similar power levels". Immersion is not an issue here, because he's already breaking it for himself by metagaming and asking for magic items. It's fine if he wants to feel cool and powerful; let him describe his final kills, the ol' "How do you wanna do this?". Let him have a title for slaying something and have the townsfolk be grateful and call him by said title. Have an important NPC praise him for his strength or try to recruit him. Just focus on the roleplay aspect of his powerful-ness rather than the mechanics.
I agree with the 'I screwed up, that weapon is way too powerful' and offer to replace it with something sane. Maybe it was temporarily supercharged and now that's worn off and it's back to its regular +1 status.
He does throw hissy fits... all the time. The issue is that if he leaves the group, 2 others would leave with him. They are kind of a package deal. That would end our campaign. Thanks for the advice!
10 on HP rolls actually isn't too hard with Barbarian with a CON mod of +3. They can get +10 HP every level just taking the averaged value (7) with that high of a CON modifier. TBH it just seems like this player can be categorically placed as a Power Gamer. I don't know if that terminology is lost to some people, but you can likely infer what it means. I had a similar player in a very recent campaign who absolutely demanded that I give him access to better weapons and more utility with existing spells. He incessantly complained about, what it eventually turned out to be, not being able to play as a 20th level character and having max level gear at level 5. He has since then been removed from the campaign.
If the character is too strong, it is wise to recognize that you have made a mistake and are being too generous, but instead of reneging on items or abilities you have generously granted you can still adjust the encounter mechanics which this player seems to be abusing. Find what it is he is best at and prevent that from being the choice action he is capable of from the outset. That is perfectly okay to do. Clearly this player wants to control the setting according to his own needs. Even if others are okay with this, that is not okay for them to demand of you anything as it will become an ultimatum in the long run. They can inquire, but in my experience allowing them to say "You have to!" when it comes to gaining rewards or abilities is never a good idea for the overall balance of any campaign especially when it just gives them things that they thematically wouldn't need or shouldn't have. You are the DM, they are the players, ultimately your rule is final. They don't have to like it, but better, experienced players will appreciate this and reciprocate.
To put it very simply, just don't allow this player any more chances of being given things. Have him earn the right to obtain those items, and even better still you can timegate them so they only gain effects based on things like attunement, ability scores, level, etc. etc.
As to the HP, he has been gaining 12 HP every level on average, not 10. My math suggests that he’s rolling 10’s and adding his CON modifier. I wonder if he misunderstands how it works.
I appreciate all the advice. I try to say “Yes, and...” as much as possible. Maybe I need to switch to a “No, but...” mentality.
Yeah, same advice as the others, but there’s a bigger issue going on here: you’re pandering to your players - this one player especially - and catering to their whims. Are you worried about saying no?
Essentially, it sounds like your player doesn’t want to play - he wants to feel special and all-powerful. In which case he should play a video game with god mode on.
If your player is going to be get upset for simply explaining that the weapon they have is causing huge issues for the balance of the game, then I’m not sure anything is going to make this work.
But hey, I’m not one to judge, and might be getting this all wrong. To answer your question, if you want to try, there can only be so much venom in that fang - perhaps it runs out?
Its also a fang - could it shatter against an enemies shield on a particularly bad miss?
Or could a trophy hunter steal it? An impressive fang from such a beast could be worth a fortune!
All good ideas. I do pander to the players (probably too much) as I try to make it my goal to make sure the players are all having more fun than me. I did tell him that the “poison” effect needs to be recharged every 5 bites, but the base damage is unchanged even when the poison runs out. Again, I was pandering to him to give him the “God Weapon” that he so desperately wants. I’m ashamed.
10 on HP rolls actually isn't too hard with Barbarian with a CON mod of +3. They can get +10 HP every level just taking the averaged value (7) with that high of a CON modifier. TBH it just seems like this player can be categorically placed as a Power Gamer. I don't know if that terminology is lost to some people, but you can likely infer what it means. I had a similar player in a very recent campaign who absolutely demanded that I give him access to better weapons and more utility with existing spells. He incessantly complained about, what it eventually turned out to be, not being able to play as a 20th level character and having max level gear at level 5. He has since then been removed from the campaign.
If the character is too strong, it is wise to recognize that you have made a mistake and are being too generous, but instead of reneging on items or abilities you have generously granted you can still adjust the encounter mechanics which this player seems to be abusing. Find what it is he is best at and prevent that from being the choice action he is capable of from the outset. That is perfectly okay to do. Clearly this player wants to control the setting according to his own needs. Even if others are okay with this, that is not okay for them to demand of you anything as it will become an ultimatum in the long run. They can inquire, but in my experience allowing them to say "You have to!" when it comes to gaining rewards or abilities is never a good idea for the overall balance of any campaign especially when it just gives them things that they thematically wouldn't need or shouldn't have. You are the DM, they are the players, ultimately your rule is final. They don't have to like it, but better, experienced players will appreciate this and reciprocate.
To put it very simply, just don't allow this player any more chances of being given things. Have him earn the right to obtain those items, and even better still you can timegate them so they only gain effects based on things like attunement, ability scores, level, etc. etc.
As to the HP, he has been gaining 12 HP every level on average, not 10. My math suggests that he’s rolling 10’s and adding his CON modifier. I wonder if he misunderstands how it works.
I appreciate all the advice. I try to say “Yes, and...” as much as possible. Maybe I need to switch to a “No, but...” mentality.
Ahh, gotcha. Yeah, it is just as likely that he misunderstands the HP mechanics as any other reason. I did the same thing with my very first toon and my DM helped me correct it. I had to reroll all of my HP, but it made it so that my Rogue didn't have 140 HP at level 5, lol.
As to the mentality and the "Hissy fits" and package deal, consider your own needs as well. The campaign may end, but even as a DM you are also supposed to have fun with the game. Looking at it a bit narrowly from my point of view, players that often just want to be gods right off the start aren't ones that last very long anyway. I don't want to spew too much advice, but it would be healthier for them all to drop and perhaps regroup non-problematic players in a different setting, heartbreaking as it may be to give up on the one you're currently on. I do sincerely wish you the best of luck though. It is always nice to have players like this one come around and see the enjoyment and progressive fun after they get over wanting to be all powerful, lol.
if you think think that weapon is too powerful for him...
so does:
the league of good dragons, the order of the gauntlet, the harpers, the black mamba and any other group you can think of. have one or more of these groups approach one of the players, secretly, to steal the weapon from him. this can cause trouble however, when you present the case that groups aligned with good AND his fellow players do not endorse his power.... you have a beautiful story of intrigue and betrayal, the perfect D&D tale!
Here's an idea. That spider has family. Lots and lots of family and they are actively being drawn to that weapon. They are following the players actively to get the weapon back.
So have little spiders pop in and out during the adventure. They are scouts watching the players and giving info to the horde of spiders wasting for the moment to strike.
The places players have been to. If they return they find some of them covered in webs and maybe a npc tells the players of how they were invaded by spiders.
I'd eventually have the spiders catch up to the players. Waking up from a night of drinking and getting a full rest they are woken by screams in the night. The spiders have caught up and are now invading the place they are in. Have a massive battle. Then let the dice roll.
Options
The axe over time has a curse. It slowly turns the player into a spider.
On a fail on his part a spider can stick him in a web and about can rip the axe from him and then the spiders return to their lair.
Have the players surrounded and make it so the player has to surrender it to save other players and NPCs.
If the item is "something the DM made up," then the solution can be "a monster the DM just made up". So surround him with monsters of this type of effectiveness, I.E. reduces damage by -1d8 (or more) per hit. Don't think specific MM page and think design.
Was going to recommend the Ruin card from Deck of Many Things, but the card doesn't take magic items. To challenge a group of experienced players, I have previously created a world with different magic rules, lots of wild magic and dead magic zones.
That said, the sword totally should be sentient. Remember a book series with magical swords. After forging, the sword needed to be blooded and the sword took on the characteristics of that first kill. Made choosing the first kill important. This sword.... "after being blooded on numerous beings, the sword awakens."
Was going to recommend the Ruin card from Deck of Many Things, but the card doesn't take magic items. To challenge a group of experienced players, I have previously created a world with different magic rules, lots of wild magic and dead magic zones.
That said, the sword totally should be sentient. Remember a book series with magical swords. After forging, the sword needed to be blooded and the sword took on the characteristics of that first kill. Made choosing the first kill important. This sword.... "after being blooded on numerous beings, the sword awakens."
If you go Deck of many things Talons gets rid of the weapon as other have said there are several ways in which you could get rid of it or turn it into something more balanced. Having said that the issue is not really with the weapon but with the player.
It would be interesting to know the thoughts of the two players who you think would quit if the barb quits. Are they enjoying playing the game as passengers where the barb goes all the fighting or would they prefer a more balanced party? You might be surprised and find when he threatens to walk his friends make him realise that he is ruining the game for them as well or may be happy to play without him.
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I have a player in my campaign that vastly more powerful than the other 4, and he is constantly bugging me with requests like “I need to hit harder!” or “I need a magical axe!” He is playing a Barbarian. His HP max is 30% higher than anyone else in the group. I did the math and in order for him to be at his current HP max, he would have to be averaging a 10 on his Hit Die rolls with every level increase. That’s pretty insane to me. He wanted me to create a custom weapon for him (which I did) that gains 1d8 damage WITH EVERY LEVEL GAINED on top of it’s base 2d8 damage. So at level 5, he has a weapon that can do 6d8 damage (and render the target “poisoned”). No-one else in the party is anywhere close to him in terms of HP and potential damage dealt. And he is convinced that he is “underpowered” and wants me to craft more custom items for him (he suggested magical tattoos that let him cast Fireball at will).
I try to always be a “Yes and...” DM, but encounters are getting really hard to run since if I balance it for the rest of the party, he can usually wipe out the monsters single handedly, but if I put in a monster that’s on his level, the others risk death. I know, I know... This is my own fault for giving him that incredible weapon and not making him roll his hit dice publicly. I accept that. I’m seeking advice on ways to nerf him (maybe make him lose that weapon) without it making him upset. The weapon is a Giant Spider’s fang that he ripped out of a custom “boss” spider that I crafted if that helps anyone create a narrative reason for him to lose it without feeling cheated.
Thanks in advance!
Talk to your players, tell them you made a mistake. Talk to the person you gave the obscenely overpowered weapon to and tell them how it is causing issues with your encounters and making him outshine the other players. Try to make him see from your point of view. If he is mature (though to be honest, it does not seem that way), he should agree to go back to a regular weapon. If he is a child and throws a hissy fit, you may need to drop them from the game. Also, make the announcement that all rolls are to be out in the open, including but not limited to, HP rolls. It might not be uncommon for a barbarian to have a much higher HP than the rest of the party, but do make sure the player is calculating it correctly.
I agree with emrfish6.
Also, how is the rest of the party responding? If they're fine with the situation, you could tailor the encounters such that there are a couple of high HP monsters for the barbarian to chew on, while the rest of the (more appropriate CR) monsters take on the rest of the party.
As for the HP issue, assuming everyone is using D&D Beyond for their characters, I'd suggest eliminating rolling and setting Hit Point Type to "Fixed" in the Home page of the Character Builder.
10 on HP rolls actually isn't too hard with Barbarian with a CON mod of +3. They can get +10 HP every level just taking the averaged value (7) with that high of a CON modifier. TBH it just seems like this player can be categorically placed as a Power Gamer. I don't know if that terminology is lost to some people, but you can likely infer what it means. I had a similar player in a very recent campaign who absolutely demanded that I give him access to better weapons and more utility with existing spells. He incessantly complained about, what it eventually turned out to be, not being able to play as a 20th level character and having max level gear at level 5. He has since then been removed from the campaign.
If the character is too strong, it is wise to recognize that you have made a mistake and are being too generous, but instead of reneging on items or abilities you have generously granted you can still adjust the encounter mechanics which this player seems to be abusing. Find what it is he is best at and prevent that from being the choice action he is capable of from the outset. That is perfectly okay to do. Clearly this player wants to control the setting according to his own needs. Even if others are okay with this, that is not okay for them to demand of you anything as it will become an ultimatum in the long run. They can inquire, but in my experience allowing them to say "You have to!" when it comes to gaining rewards or abilities is never a good idea for the overall balance of any campaign especially when it just gives them things that they thematically wouldn't need or shouldn't have. You are the DM, they are the players, ultimately your rule is final. They don't have to like it, but better, experienced players will appreciate this and reciprocate.
To put it very simply, just don't allow this player any more chances of being given things. Have him earn the right to obtain those items, and even better still you can timegate them so they only gain effects based on things like attunement, ability scores, level, etc. etc.
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Watch DnD Shorts on youtube.
Chief Innovationist, Acquisitions Inc. The Series 2
Successfully completed the Tomb of Horrors module (as part of playing Tomb of Annihilation) with no party deaths!
Yeah, same advice as the others, but there’s a bigger issue going on here: you’re pandering to your players - this one player especially - and catering to their whims. Are you worried about saying no?
Essentially, it sounds like your player doesn’t want to play - he wants to feel special and all-powerful. In which case he should play a video game with god mode on.
If your player is going to be get upset for simply explaining that the weapon they have is causing huge issues for the balance of the game, then I’m not sure anything is going to make this work.
But hey, I’m not one to judge, and might be getting this all wrong. To answer your question, if you want to try, there can only be so much venom in that fang - perhaps it runs out?
Its also a fang - could it shatter against an enemies shield on a particularly bad miss?
Or could a trophy hunter steal it? An impressive fang from such a beast could be worth a fortune!
Fight some BBEG and upon defeat, have the sentience of the BBEG enter the weapon. Then add some serious drawbacks to the weapon that will apply equal risk to the reward.
That weapon sounds like it's Cursed to me. Love the idea of it becoming sentient and somewhat antagonistic, along with other huge drawbacks. (Maybe HE has a chance to get poisoned every round he swings it)
I would also just talk to the player/your party like others have suggested and be like "Hey, this is kinda OP, I want everyone to be similar power levels". Immersion is not an issue here, because he's already breaking it for himself by metagaming and asking for magic items. It's fine if he wants to feel cool and powerful; let him describe his final kills, the ol' "How do you wanna do this?". Let him have a title for slaying something and have the townsfolk be grateful and call him by said title. Have an important NPC praise him for his strength or try to recruit him. Just focus on the roleplay aspect of his powerful-ness rather than the mechanics.
I agree with the 'I screwed up, that weapon is way too powerful' and offer to replace it with something sane. Maybe it was temporarily supercharged and now that's worn off and it's back to its regular +1 status.
He does throw hissy fits... all the time. The issue is that if he leaves the group, 2 others would leave with him. They are kind of a package deal. That would end our campaign. Thanks for the advice!
As to the HP, he has been gaining 12 HP every level on average, not 10. My math suggests that he’s rolling 10’s and adding his CON modifier. I wonder if he misunderstands how it works.
I appreciate all the advice. I try to say “Yes, and...” as much as possible. Maybe I need to switch to a “No, but...” mentality.
All good ideas. I do pander to the players (probably too much) as I try to make it my goal to make sure the players are all having more fun than me. I did tell him that the “poison” effect needs to be recharged every 5 bites, but the base damage is unchanged even when the poison runs out. Again, I was pandering to him to give him the “God Weapon” that he so desperately wants. I’m ashamed.
Ahh, gotcha. Yeah, it is just as likely that he misunderstands the HP mechanics as any other reason. I did the same thing with my very first toon and my DM helped me correct it. I had to reroll all of my HP, but it made it so that my Rogue didn't have 140 HP at level 5, lol.
As to the mentality and the "Hissy fits" and package deal, consider your own needs as well. The campaign may end, but even as a DM you are also supposed to have fun with the game. Looking at it a bit narrowly from my point of view, players that often just want to be gods right off the start aren't ones that last very long anyway. I don't want to spew too much advice, but it would be healthier for them all to drop and perhaps regroup non-problematic players in a different setting, heartbreaking as it may be to give up on the one you're currently on. I do sincerely wish you the best of luck though. It is always nice to have players like this one come around and see the enjoyment and progressive fun after they get over wanting to be all powerful, lol.
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Watch DnD Shorts on youtube.
Chief Innovationist, Acquisitions Inc. The Series 2
Successfully completed the Tomb of Horrors module (as part of playing Tomb of Annihilation) with no party deaths!
if you think think that weapon is too powerful for him...
so does:
the league of good dragons, the order of the gauntlet, the harpers, the black mamba and any other group you can think of. have one or more of these groups approach one of the players, secretly, to steal the weapon from him. this can cause trouble however, when you present the case that groups aligned with good AND his fellow players do not endorse his power.... you have a beautiful story of intrigue and betrayal, the perfect D&D tale!
Jesus Saves!... Everyone else takes damage.
There's nothing wrong with saying yes when it won't mess up your game. This was one of those situations.
He ripped the axe out of a custom boss spider
Here's an idea. That spider has family. Lots and lots of family and they are actively being drawn to that weapon. They are following the players actively to get the weapon back.
So have little spiders pop in and out during the adventure. They are scouts watching the players and giving info to the horde of spiders wasting for the moment to strike.
The places players have been to. If they return they find some of them covered in webs and maybe a npc tells the players of how they were invaded by spiders.
I'd eventually have the spiders catch up to the players. Waking up from a night of drinking and getting a full rest they are woken by screams in the night. The spiders have caught up and are now invading the place they are in. Have a massive battle. Then let the dice roll.
Options
The axe over time has a curse. It slowly turns the player into a spider.
On a fail on his part a spider can stick him in a web and about can rip the axe from him and then the spiders return to their lair.
Have the players surrounded and make it so the player has to surrender it to save other players and NPCs.
Lots of other ways to go about it.
Aurumvorax & rust monsters reduce a weapon's effectiveness per hit.
Just surround him with monsters with this type of effectiveness and bring the weapon down a bit.
Problem with that is the Rust Monster's ability specifically targets non-magical items. So this weapon would be unaffected.
If the item is "something the DM made up," then the solution can be "a monster the DM just made up". So surround him with monsters of this type of effectiveness, I.E. reduces damage by -1d8 (or more) per hit. Don't think specific MM page and think design.
Was going to recommend the Ruin card from Deck of Many Things, but the card doesn't take magic items. To challenge a group of experienced players, I have previously created a world with different magic rules, lots of wild magic and dead magic zones.
That said, the sword totally should be sentient. Remember a book series with magical swords. After forging, the sword needed to be blooded and the sword took on the characteristics of that first kill. Made choosing the first kill important. This sword.... "after being blooded on numerous beings, the sword awakens."
If you go Deck of many things Talons gets rid of the weapon as other have said there are several ways in which you could get rid of it or turn it into something more balanced. Having said that the issue is not really with the weapon but with the player.
It would be interesting to know the thoughts of the two players who you think would quit if the barb quits. Are they enjoying playing the game as passengers where the barb goes all the fighting or would they prefer a more balanced party? You might be surprised and find when he threatens to walk his friends make him realise that he is ruining the game for them as well or may be happy to play without him.