Stuff like this is why games usually end by the 6th session.
See also: rogue steals from the party because “It’s what my character would do!” but gets upset when my barbarian kills them afterwards for the same reason.
There’s a place for a dysfunctional party dynamic, particularly early on in a game. Savvy DMs can factor party dysfunction into the difficulty of an encounter and allow the story to progress even as individual party members tussle with one another.
I think one thing that players and DMs both forget to include is paths for failure in a given adventure or chronicle. Sometimes its good to write out a “Bad Ending” to a game and allow players to experience it. This doesn’t have to be the end of the group, the end of the campaign, or even the end of the story. Particularly early on “everyone fucks up and gets thrown in jail together” can be its own kind of team-building exercise. And for faster and more heavy handed games, a “bad ending” can open up the possibility for players to roll up a new party to pick up the banner that the old party dropped.
What really matters is that the game itself is structured so everyone has an opportunity to enjoy themselves. And that can include a kleptomaniac and a short-tempered brute, so long as the players can agree that’s the kind of game they’re ready to play.
But it’s definitely harder to do than a game in which everyone’s a team player.
Stuff like this is why games usually end by the 6th session.
See also: rogue steals from the party because “It’s what my character would do!” but gets upset when my barbarian kills them afterwards for the same reason.
There’s a place for a dysfunctional party dynamic, particularly early on in a game. Savvy DMs can factor party dysfunction into the difficulty of an encounter and allow the story to progress even as individual party members tussle with one another.
I think one thing that players and DMs both forget to include is paths for failure in a given adventure or chronicle. Sometimes its good to write out a “Bad Ending” to a game and allow players to experience it. This doesn’t have to be the end of the group, the end of the campaign, or even the end of the story. Particularly early on “everyone fucks up and gets thrown in jail together” can be its own kind of team-building exercise. And for faster and more heavy handed games, a “bad ending” can open up the possibility for players to roll up a new party to pick up the banner that the old party dropped.
What really matters is that the game itself is structured so everyone has an opportunity to enjoy themselves. And that can include a kleptomaniac and a short-tempered brute, so long as the players can agree that’s the kind of game they’re ready to play.
But it’s definitely harder to do than a game in which everyone’s a team player.
That doesn’t seem like the same thing at all. Can you elaborate?
Both are example of stubborn group members who need to be flexible and work well with others.
The fighter in my story is the rogue in your story? That makes sense.
Yes indeed!
Berserker rage is a helluva drug