Greetings to all...

We've all had our share of annoying players in our games. Here's some of the types that I've seen crop up frequently:

01. The Guy With The Corny Motiff

This is the player who is obsessed with some kind of theme and incorporates it into his character in every way possible, including his name & how he talks.

For example: wolf theme - Has wolf-head shaped helmet, wears wolfskin cape, wolf-head pommel on sword & daggers. Has two trained wolves that follow him around. Insists on being refered to as  "The Wolf Master".  Makes comments like, "Wolves do not need comfort" or "Never get between The Wolf Master and his prey", etc, etc, ad nauseum.

Irritation Level: Mild

02. The Beligerent Spaz

This player is always starting unneccessary conflicts / fights with NPCs, never wants to compromise, always makes rigid demands and backs them up with threats, and in general makes it difficult to negotiate with anybody.  
In one game, an inn keeper quoted the price of 5gp per night. The Beligerent Spaz said 2gp and no more. Then the owner refused, the guy grabbed a torch and set fire to the roof thatch, saying, "Fine! Then we'll burn down your inn!" (The rest of the party was not pleased.)

Irritation Level: Severe

03. The Independent Dungeon Crawler

This is the player who abritrarily and abruptly decides to try to find their own path and goes off and leaves the party, forcing the GM to split the action between two stories and sets of descriptions. Sometimes the player comes back (often with wandering monsters hot on his tail) but sometimes they want to have their own adventure seperate from the party.

Irritation Level: Medium

04. The Sneaky Note-Passer

This player is always pulling something shady and underhanded on his/her fellow PCs and, therefore, keeps passing notes to the GM: "I'm going to steal the dwarf's cap when he goes to sleep" or "While everyone is inside, I go out and untie Arthyr's horse so that it runs off", etc.  This also disrupts the flow of the game because the GM has to pause and consider what the player is doing & react to it.

Irritation Level: Medium

05. The Chicken

This player (not the *character*) is for some reason deathly afraid of getting into ANY combat situation. So whenever any kind of threat, hint of a threat, or anything creepy happens, the player is like: "I'm going to keep my character far away from the door..." or "I vote that we all leave the area immediately, right now." - Essentially running away from any conflict which can limit plot development.

Irritation Level: Medium

06. The Skill Bonus Opportunist

This is the player who tries to beat the game mathematically by choosing skills based on bonuses rather than on what their character would or should use: "I'll take Gymnastics because that will give me +2 dodge, Hand-to-Hand Commando will give me +1 to dodge, Fencing will give me +1 to dodge, and Ninjitsu will give me +2 to dodge.."  Etc.

Irritation Level: Mild

07. The Mooch

This is the player who never, ever pays for any food or beverages ordered by the players, not because they can't afford it, but because it doesn't occur to them to contribute. This player also never has their own dice, pens, character sheets, or books. They actually do have all these things but they don't bring them.

Irritation Level: Medium

08. The Debater

This player nit-picks every little detail, particularly in combat situations, always trying to argue that somehow their character: A) Did not get injured, B) Is not affected by something that affected everyone else, C) Is justified in breaking some rule, D) Etc. Often they will quote some obscure rule or reason and want to stop the game to prove their point. If the GM refuses to submit, they piss and moan about it for hours.

Irritation Level: Severe

09. The Out-of-Character / In-Character Switcher

This player makes comments in-character and then insists they were talking out of character when it lands them in trouble. For example, the characters are trying to bluff their way past the town guards. The player gets frustrated and says, "Fuck you" or something to one of the guards - who reacts appropriately. Then the player says, "I didn't say that in character!"

Irritation Level: Severe

What are some of the annoying player types you've encountered over the years?

Quote from: Blazing Donkey;49125201. The Guy With The Corny Motiff

This is the player who is obsessed with some kind of theme and incorporates it into his character in every way possible, including his name & how he talks.

For example: wolf theme - Has wolf-head shaped helmet, wears wolfskin cape, wolf-head pommel on sword & daggers. Has two trained wolves that follow him around. Insists on being refered to as  "The Wolf Master".  Makes comments like, "Wolves do not need comfort" or "Never get between The Wolf Master and his prey", etc, etc, ad nauseum.

Irritation Level: Mild

You made a mistake here....this one belongs in AWESOME PLAYERS THREAD

Quote from: Planet Algol;491256You made a mistake here....this one belongs in AWESOME PLAYERS THREAD

LOL - I take it that's a style you use? :hmm:

Honestly, I haven't played with any of those types since university. At that point I dealt just about all of them at one time or another. Goes off on his own guy can be alright, and sometimes when he's traveling with a bunch of dumbass companions his choice is really the only sensible one.

Here are two that I deal with (actually they're the same dude).

Distracted stoner: asks questions that I've literally just answered in my description.

"You enter a 20X30 room."
"Okay, a room. how big is it?"

Back story bitch: continually bitches that you haven't worked his ten page, single-spaced back story into the game enough- starting with the first session.  

The irritation level on both of these is pretty low, because with the first the other PC has gotten in the habit of stepping in and answering the question and with the second, up until recently, I just told him to suck it up in the most abusive manner possible; but over the last four sessions I worked his back story in until it was the main thing going on for a while.

Quote from: Blazing Donkey;491257LOL - I take it that's a style you use? :hmm:

I like it too, truthfully. It shows enthusiasm.

I once had a character named Maim Heartrender (I was 15, so be cool). Every thirty minutes or so I would slam my fist on the table and shout "MAIM!"
Good times.

I don't have much experience with these kinds of "quirky" gamers but I do have (limited) experience with the setting lawyer type. It's even worse when the damn thing is homebrewed and he attempts to make his case. WTF ?

Regards,
David R

Quote from: Aos;491260I like it too, truthfully. It shows enthusiasm.

I once had a character named Main Heartrender (I was 15, so be cool). Every thirty minutes or so I would slam my fist on the table and shout "MAIM!"
Good times.

You don't have to be 15 for that to be an awesome character.

I love OTT, one-trick-pony PCs such as The Wolfmaster. Plenty of my favorite characters of the other guys in my group have been along those lines.

Quote from: Blazing Donkey;491257LOL - I take it that's a style you use? :hmm:

Most (75%) of my PCs are absurd caricatures, it's fun!

Quote from: Aos;491259Here are two that I deal with (actually they're the same dude).

Distracted stoner: asks questions that I've literally just answered in my description.

"You enter a 20X30 room."
"Okay, a room. how big is it?"

LOL!!

QuoteBack story bitch: continually bitches that you haven't worked his ten page, single-spaced back story into the game enough- starting with the first session.  

I've encountered that a few types.... -sigh-

QuoteThe irritation level on both of these is pretty low, because with the first the other PC has gotten in the habit of stepping in and answering the question and with the second, up until recently, I just told him to suck it up in the most abusive manner possible; but over the last four sessions I worked his back story in until it was the main thing going on for a while.

Right on. Generally these things are pretty tolerable and when they become a hastle, I usually pull the player aside somewhere private and ask them to cool it. If they won't, I advise them to find another game.

Quote from: Blazing Donkey;49125209. The Out-of-Character / In-Character Switcher

This player makes comments in-character and then insists they were talking out of character when it lands them in trouble. For example, the characters are trying to bluff their way past the town guards. The player gets frustrated and says, "Fuck you" or something to one of the guards - who reacts appropriately. Then the player says, "I didn't say that in character!"

Irritation Level: Severe

Even more annoying are the players who stay in-character during bathroom breaks, smoke breaks, supper/lunch, etc ...

Quote from: David R;491262I don't have much experience with these kinds of "quirky" gamers but I do have (limited) experience with the setting lawyer type. It's even worse when the damn thing is homebrewed and he attempts to make his case. WTF ?

I have zero tolerance for rules lawyers. I run a fair game and encourage players to challenge me if they think I didn't do something right or forgot something (happens sometimes). But I believe that the GM always has the final ruling. When someone gets pissy and nit-picky, it ruins the game for everyone.

Quote from: Blazing Donkey;491266Right on. Generally these things are pretty tolerable and when they become a hastle, I usually pull the player aside somewhere private and ask them to cool it. If they won't, I advise them to find another game.

I have two guys in my group right now, I've been friends with both of them for over two decades and they were both in my wedding. I can't really give them the boot, but I can and do ridicule the shit out of them when they cross the line. It works pretty well, I guess, because I am the default referee, and they're generally happy to play whatever I want to run.

Quote from: Planet Algol;491265Most (75%) of my PCs are absurd caricatures, it's fun!

Don't get me wrong: I definitely encourage quirks in characters and it can be fun - sort of like seeing a cheesy movie that doesn't take itself seriously.

Like this farce for instance - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoEfF2Wrfoo

I just find it annoying when the player is so over-the-top with it that they get delusions about their abilities.

The "Wolf-Master" is based on a real player I knew. He got it in his head that he had some sort of just-add-water power over wolves of all types simply because he was "The Wolf Master".  -- As I recall, he died after single-handedly trying to "calm down my little brothers" when the party ran into a bunch of Death Dogs in a crypt. He walked in unarmed and was found later with no arms.

What about the player that believes he is entitled to be successful, and so bitched anytime he takes damage or has a problem, believing the gm is out to get him or just stupid or something. Otherwise the player is forcing anime themes on you?

Shouty McFatbeard.

He talks VERY LOUDLY over all the other players and takes control of any discussion with NPCs by jumping in and speaking VERY LOUDLY. He is always fat and has a big beard. Always.