If running a book adventure, change things around. Move items, traps, loot, and make helpful NPC's not very helpful and vice versa. Add some cursed features to the treasures found in the adventure and make some of the overlooked stuff listed in the book magical in its place. I've had players do this in the past, read the book to know where stuff is, they are a bit surprised when that chest they didn't even look for just ran straight to behind the curtain was actually a mimic, the real loot is in the potato bin in the kitchen.
Swap in different scenarios from other books or check Reddit for ideas on rearranging some of the story options.
For monsters: Change monster stats: Increase hitpoints, make them resistant to a different damage type instead of vulnerable, give them advantage on certain saves, make DC checks higher, or with different skills. Give them different monster skills, Describe one monster but use a different monsters stat block. Maybe that troll regens faster when set on fire and needs electricity or cold to stop their regen.
Just remember you have the power to change anything in the books, they are there to guide you. Give them a nemesis that knows all their weaknesses, with scrying it isn't that hard to justify. Why wouldn't someone they alienated want to know as much as possible about the adventurers that have been messing with their schemes?
None of this addresses the problem though, which is the crappy players, these are band-aid fixes on a broken arm. If anything this will get them riled up when all the meta-knowledge they thought they knew is worthless. I would like to see how their faces when ogres attack them and the flip to ogres in the monster manual to realize the ogres can't do any of the attacks you are describing, (because you are actually using roper stats for combat or some other weird monster).
So our session 0 went pretty well. The "problem players" have since improved, but P2 is having a bit of trouble shaking his habits (yes, metagaming habits). We're working on it, don't worry. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have actually shown them this thread, since now (as you have seen) they are going to troll the forums. Feel free to report them. They probably deserve it. And now P2 "browses" the "DM's only" thread. Silver lining: They really are improving, we've talked and as a DM I am trying to make a campaign that meets everyone's interests, and DnD has become more fun for all of us. Thank you again for your help.
Ok most of that is lies they don't even let people in the store for more than 15 min and we only read about the giant statues and Volo. Also it was Player 3 that told the DM about the stuff
I don't want to create a stupid internet fight but this is not true. This is what they claimed was "all they saw" before they accidentally revealed the other information.
Just change everything, change the stat blocks - different AC, different HP, change their attacks, vulnerabilities etc. Change rooms around on your maps, change what monsters are in what areas. If you are playing a premade module in your home games then you should be making a lot of changes as standard anyway.
Just to be extremely clear, is is not an in-game issue and an in-game fix will not help. Changing the stats of the monsters, going off book, etc. will not solve the problem. Have a serious talk with the players if you want to keep playing with them. Figure out why they would want to read the module and spoil it for themselves. My hunch is that they do not like all the mystery and suspense and would prefer a more straightforward game. This conversation needs to be had. As the DM, you need to be able to tailor the game to what the players like, and if that is not a play style that you would like to run, then you are not compatible as a group.
Just to be extremely clear, is is not an in-game issue and an in-game fix will not help. Changing the stats of the monsters, going off book, etc. will not solve the problem. Have a serious talk with the players if you want to keep playing with them. Figure out why they would want to read the module and spoil it for themselves. My hunch is that they do not like all the mystery and suspense and would prefer a more straightforward game. This conversation needs to be had. As the DM, you need to be able to tailor the game to what the players like, and if that is not a play style that you would like to run, then you are not compatible as a group.
Yes and no, it is a player issue - the players are being ******s by behaving this way and talking to them out of game can sometimes help. However, they will soon stop reading the creatures or adventure modules once they realise there is no point because the DM has changed everything. That is a sure fire in game way of fixing out of game behaviour. The players get the message very quickly.
Player: "Haha I am not worried about the upcoming fire trap on the door because I just cast resist fire on myself"
DM: "Congratulations, you have successfully opened the door and set off a trap. Frigid blasts of cold envelop you and you take 20 cold damage"
I didn't read all of the replies, and I read about 2/3rds of the OP ...
They don't respect you as a DM. Let them know they should find another DM. If you want to play as a character with them, that's your bag.
I'm sure there are other folks out there like P3 and you should find them, rework the beginning of this adventure and give it another try with new friends that want to give you a chance to play as the DM.
Good luck. It takes some of us a while to find our group. Online play has really changed that.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
HE IS NOT GOING TO KICK THEM!!! I know that as a fact. They are his friends and booting them off his campaign would be evil. But i am sure some form of punnishment will be involved including in game punishments AND out of game punishments.
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Dungeon Master: Killing your characters since 1974
HE IS NOT GOING TO KICK THEM!!! I know that as a fact. They are his friends and booting them off his campaign would be evil. But i am sure some form of punnishment will be involved including in game punishments AND out of game punishments.
Are you one of the players? Also you sound like you are about 12-14 years old....
HE IS NOT GOING TO KICK THEM!!! I know that as a fact. They are his friends and booting them off his campaign would be evil. But i am sure some form of punnishment will be involved including in game punishments AND out of game punishments.
Are you one of the players? Also you sound like you are about 12-14 years old....
Alright I HATE metagaming. But it does give me an excuse to mess with my players. I understand how most of your players probably live dnd for the fighting not the actual playing. I usually punish my players like this.
-Force them to actually play the game by creating an obstacle that can't be killed with swords.
-Randomly derail the module and just do some good ol' homebrew so they don't know what's happening next.
Here are tips I have for dealing with metagaming.
-Whenever a player looks behind your screen or metagames by reading a book on your campaign, you can create a chain of events so that they get the knowledge anyway, but take psychic damage from an overflow of gm lore.
-Slightly modifying the stat blocks of monsters you use.
-If they're just dumb, pull a plot twist where it backfires. (Like your building falling on them).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime. Oh, and it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.
Few ideas:
Just remember you have the power to change anything in the books, they are there to guide you. Give them a nemesis that knows all their weaknesses, with scrying it isn't that hard to justify. Why wouldn't someone they alienated want to know as much as possible about the adventurers that have been messing with their schemes?
None of this addresses the problem though, which is the crappy players, these are band-aid fixes on a broken arm. If anything this will get them riled up when all the meta-knowledge they thought they knew is worthless. I would like to see how their faces when ogres attack them and the flip to ogres in the monster manual to realize the ogres can't do any of the attacks you are describing, (because you are actually using roper stats for combat or some other weird monster).
@Noobiwan good idea. That defo works lol.
Yes. I agree with this state ment but less on player 3 dieing
Im player 3. Praise me.
Please ignore "CrocodileDeathspeed1" he is player 1.
So our session 0 went pretty well. The "problem players" have since improved, but P2 is having a bit of trouble shaking his habits (yes, metagaming habits). We're working on it, don't worry. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have actually shown them this thread, since now (as you have seen) they are going to troll the forums. Feel free to report them. They probably deserve it. And now P2 "browses" the "DM's only" thread. Silver lining: They really are improving, we've talked and as a DM I am trying to make a campaign that meets everyone's interests, and DnD has become more fun for all of us. Thank you again for your help.
I don't want to create a stupid internet fight but this is not true. This is what they claimed was "all they saw" before they accidentally revealed the other information.
Well this is quite the insight into exactly what sorts of behaviors you are seeing at the table.
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.
Rocks fall......doesn't look so bad now.....does it? LOL
@BCDNDTurtleS happy for you guys 😊. That’s awesome that they’re improving.
Just change everything, change the stat blocks - different AC, different HP, change their attacks, vulnerabilities etc. Change rooms around on your maps, change what monsters are in what areas. If you are playing a premade module in your home games then you should be making a lot of changes as standard anyway.
Just to be extremely clear, is is not an in-game issue and an in-game fix will not help. Changing the stats of the monsters, going off book, etc. will not solve the problem. Have a serious talk with the players if you want to keep playing with them. Figure out why they would want to read the module and spoil it for themselves. My hunch is that they do not like all the mystery and suspense and would prefer a more straightforward game. This conversation needs to be had. As the DM, you need to be able to tailor the game to what the players like, and if that is not a play style that you would like to run, then you are not compatible as a group.
Don't change the stat blocks. (this'll REALLY confuse em. They've looked in here, think you've changed them. But you haven't).
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
Yes and no, it is a player issue - the players are being ******s by behaving this way and talking to them out of game can sometimes help. However, they will soon stop reading the creatures or adventure modules once they realise there is no point because the DM has changed everything. That is a sure fire in game way of fixing out of game behaviour. The players get the message very quickly.
Player: "Haha I am not worried about the upcoming fire trap on the door because I just cast resist fire on myself"
DM: "Congratulations, you have successfully opened the door and set off a trap. Frigid blasts of cold envelop you and you take 20 cold damage"
I didn't read all of the replies, and I read about 2/3rds of the OP ...
They don't respect you as a DM. Let them know they should find another DM. If you want to play as a character with them, that's your bag.
I'm sure there are other folks out there like P3 and you should find them, rework the beginning of this adventure and give it another try with new friends that want to give you a chance to play as the DM.
Good luck. It takes some of us a while to find our group. Online play has really changed that.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
HE IS NOT GOING TO KICK THEM!!! I know that as a fact. They are his friends and booting them off his campaign would be evil. But i am sure some form of punnishment will be involved including in game punishments AND out of game punishments.
Dungeon Master: Killing your characters since 1974
Are you one of the players? Also you sound like you are about 12-14 years old....
😂😂😂😂
Sorry. Had to laugh.
If they read the MM anyway, try to use it.
In 4th edition a knwoledge check coudl tell you information on a monster depending on the result.
If they can do it "legally" for gameplay reasons, it might mitigate the "need" to read the MM behind your back if they know there's an alternative.
"Normality is but an Illusion, Whats normal to the Spider, is only madness for the Fly"
Kain de Frostberg- Dark Knight - (Vengeance Pal3/ Hexblade 9), Port Mourn
Kain de Draakberg-Dark Knight lvl8-Avergreen(DitA)
Alright I HATE metagaming. But it does give me an excuse to mess with my players. I understand how most of your players probably live dnd for the fighting not the actual playing. I usually punish my players like this.
-Force them to actually play the game by creating an obstacle that can't be killed with swords.
-Randomly derail the module and just do some good ol' homebrew so they don't know what's happening next.
Here are tips I have for dealing with metagaming.
-Whenever a player looks behind your screen or metagames by reading a book on your campaign, you can create a chain of events so that they get the knowledge anyway, but take psychic damage from an overflow of gm lore.
-Slightly modifying the stat blocks of monsters you use.
-If they're just dumb, pull a plot twist where it backfires. (Like your building falling on them).
Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime. Oh, and it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.
-Trevor Noah
Current character: Daceth dococeth, moon blessed.