Sounds like you have already worked your way well down the list of actions you can take.  All thats left is to tell him how his fun is spoiling your fun.  Thats not a fun conversation.  But you should probably have it.  

I wouldn't go to the DM about it.  He's got enough to do already.  The DMG isn't actully a 4 year degree in counselling (or early childhood education for Gormon's table, Ohhh sich burn bro!)

Try talking to The other players.  But be careful not to advocate your position.  You don't want to raise a posse, just find out if they are feeling the same frustration.  

Then about a couple weeks after you have a direct conversation you need to decide how bad 'bad gaming' has gotten.  Csn you live with it? Is it still fun?

Yeah, sounds like it's time for that most dreaded moment, "Having an adult conversation."

You can try having that conversation, I doubt it will do anything.

I've seen this setup a dozen times, the GM's best friend knows everything about the setting, he knows the best ways to tweak the system, he knows exactly what the GM allows and doesn't so his characters are always min-maxed to perfection outstripping the other players, etc.  That player has been playing with the GM for so long the GM doesn't even see it, really.

Talking to the GM alone ain't gonna do anything.  Get every other player except The Chosen One to talk to the GM - maybe you'll get somewhere.  You absolutely do want to raise a posse.  One person's opinion isn't going to do anything to budge the GM, The Golden Child in his mind is his Most Valuable Player.

Trying isn't going to hurt anything, but if you want to save time, just vote with your feet, and get some other players to walk with you, you're not the only one who's feeling that way, I assure you.

yeah... I'm at a loss myself. I tend to GM more than I play, and I'm pretty zen about what the other players do when I AM a player, but as a GM I've occasionally caught myself letting a friend take advantage of our friendship like this, usually well after the fact. Its never wrecked a group for me, but I'm sure its cost me players from time to time.  

Luckily in my last group my best (most reliable, bestest buddy.. whatever) players were also completely hapless and unlucky, so even if they'd taken advantage of our friendship it wouldn't have amounted to much simply because these players could kill their characters with a bad fumble reading a book... death by paper cut.  

But that doesn't leave me any advice from teh player side.  Maybe just a well timed 'What the Hell, man?!' outburst right after a stupid PC trick might help call attention to the issue... though Adult Conversation might be more mature.

Quote from: CRKrueger;999381......

Talking to the GM alone ain't gonna do anything.  Get every other player except The Chosen One to talk to the GM - maybe you'll get somewhere.  You absolutely do want to raise a posse.  One person's opinion isn't going to do anything to budge the GM, The Golden Child in his mind is his Most Valuable Player.

Trying isn't going to hurt anything, but if you want to save time, just vote with your feet, and get some other players to walk with you, you're not the only one who's feeling that way, I assure you.

I don't want to have that kind of power struggle over pretending to be an elf.  And I think raising a posse to lobby the DM about his best buds behavior is going to blow up the game and make a lot of people have a bad time.  I could be wrong.  Have you ever seen it work?  

As for walking?  Remember its an option.  But keep playing it you want to.  I find any time I'm in a bad stituation, no matter what it is, reminding my self that its my choice to be there really helps me deal with being there.  Just reminding myself that I could leave reduces stress enough that I don't have to.

As for trying, it might hurt something.  Lets be honest.  Depends on how adult everyone is able to stay during the Adult Conversation (tm).  But I still think its you next, best option.  

Are these good friends of yours?  Whats the down side of bailing?

Quote from: Headless;999393Have you ever seen it work?

I have, which is why I'm saying take everybody.

Look at it from the GM's side and give him the benefit of the doubt.
On one side, you have a good friend, a (in your mind) good player, who knows your game and campaign inside and out, is heavily into it, and loves it.
On the other side, you have some other guy bitching about this guy having knowledge he's obviously earned.

That's a really easy decision, isn't it?

When the rest of the table comes to you and says something like..."Hey man, we know Fred is a long-time player, and this seems like a really cool campaign, but as a player he has so much knowledge and experience, and this character he's currently playing has so much knowledge, it's really interfering with our enjoyment of the campaign.  We'd like to learn all the stuff he's always talking about, the same way he did...in play, from you...not from another character's exposition."...you listen, unless you're an asshole and not worth talking to to begin with.

Quote from: Headless;999393Are these good friends of yours?  Whats the down side of bailing?

They are reasonably good friends of mine. And my goal in playing this was to get out of the apartment and be social. And it's worked for the most part.

I do have fun at these games. But there have been a couple of speed bumps. This included.

Jesus, I said "have an adult conversation," not "form a fucking lynch mob."

"He knows so much about everything that we feel useless and it's not really fun for us" is neither rude nor angry, but a statement of perceptions.  If a bunch of people older than 16 can't work that out, fuck 'em all.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;999415Jesus, I said "have an adult conversation," not "form a fucking lynch mob."

"He knows so much about everything that we feel useless and it's not really fun for us" is neither rude nor angry, but a statement of perceptions.  If a bunch of people older than 16 can't work that out, fuck 'em all.

I try to confine the posses and lynch mobs to Boot Hill , personally.

It's only a game.

Maybe you can start another campaign with the other disaffected players if  the ref doesn't hear what you're saying after the adult conversation.

Quote from: Bren;999313In this case, wouldn't that be a timely death?

Touché. :p

Quote from: Darrin Kelley;999397They are reasonably good friends of mine. And my goal in playing this was to get out of the apartment and be social. And it's worked for the most part.

I do have fun at these games. But there have been a couple of speed bumps. This included.

In that case its time to have a direct conversation about what you are looking for in the game.  Either with the player or the DM or both.  I am still leary about Crugrer's plan to get the other playets on side first but he says he's seen it work so....

After the conversation just decide weather the fun is worth the agrivation.  

Good luck.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;999415Jesus, I said "have an adult conversation," not "form a fucking lynch mob."

And this is the problem with crusty old guys. They never let anyone younger than them have any fun. I bet you formed plenty of lynch mobs in your game groups when you were young, but when WE want to do it?  Wha wah... its BAAAADDDDD...

It's curious, but I've far more often had situations where I had players wanting to play characters totally irrelevant to the campaign than ones where they want to play characters absolutely central to it.

Quote from: RPGPundit;999939It's curious, but I've far more often had situations where I had players wanting to play characters totally irrelevant to the campaign than ones where they want to play characters absolutely central to it.

Really?  Maybe I'm a weirdo, but the few times I've roleplayed, I made sure my character fit in with what the GM wanted as far as campaign world / playstyle. Of course, it was usually the GM who didn't have either figured out, so...
I also like to give a reasonably short backstory that would have story hooks for the GM.  Especially if it's superheroes.  I don't care if the GM screws with my character as long as it's central to the story and in reasonably good taste.

What do you suppose is the way to fix this?  Maybe pre-gens- a set of basic skills / abilities, and a quick personality sketch to let the player build on it?  Don't let guys like this play?  Just play Toon??