Little help for a newbie?

[Kroozer101]

I just started playing RPGs a few months ago, and am currently a fourth-level rogue. Recently, my character was arrested for theft. He's a kleptomaniac thrill-seeking elf. What can I say? The roleplaying required it. However, the rest of my party left me in jail, and continued the adventure. IC, they had no idea where I was, but they didn't even bother to look for me. They just left the town and sauntered bravely forth.
My question to you is: Are these veterans sending a message? Should I tone down the character, or keep him going until he dies? Is there a happy medium?

[Kylarra]

The chaotic neutral rogue is one of the most irritating archetypes to play with. The happy medium is letting him rot in jail and playing a more party friendly character.

[incandescent]

I agree. a chaotic stupid anything is annoying to deal with from a player and a DM perspective. I recall a new player joining our group and looking for all kinds a reasons to screw around and disrupt things, it led to the game going under because the DM had no spine to retaliate against his shenanigans and other players started acting against him.

[Kurald Galain]

He's a kleptomaniac thrill-seeking elf. What can I say? The roleplaying required it.
Roleplaying does not generally require that you play a kleptomaniac. I don't know the specifics as to what happened, but that the other PCs left you there should be taken as a sign.

[hoff]

In order for the pcs to get along they MUST have a common goal (no matter what the reasons). If they do it's a lot easier for them to get along.

Let's say there are two characters, one lawful good and another chaotic neutral. Now let's say they live in a city where the mayor is an evil bastard, the lawful good will try to overthrow him and put the village elder in his place while the chaotic character will try to put himself in his place. Until they accomplish the goal they will probably get along.

In your case the kleptomania has nothing to do with the other PCs, so if you get in trouble because of it the others will think it's your own damn fault. Now if you got caught stealing something to help overthrow the mayor they WILL help you out of jail because you did it "for the party".

Summary: The game is not about you, it's about the party. If you are the center of attention for reasons that are not in the best interest of the party you are doing it wrong.

[Sinon]

My question to you is: Are these veterans sending a message?Yes

Should I tone down the character, or keep him going until he dies? He's in jail. Roll a new one.

Is there a happy medium?Yes. You can roleplay any sort of personality you want, but if you want that character to be in a party of others, part that personality should include some kind of ability to work with others.

[Ignatius]

We had a similar problem where we had a new player play a Paladin and we were part of a secret organisation trying to free the world from evil and better our own stations in life at the same time...

Needless to say, after one session we found a reason for the Paladin to remain in the city we were in and picked up a Ranger on our way to the next city.

I would also agree with everyone here where the character you role play must work within the group - anyone sticking out for any reason will almost definitely start rubbing some people the wrong way.

[Jack_Banzai]

Sticking to character concept is absolutely no excuse for detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.

[Garwain]

If they leave you to rot in prison, then they think they're better of without you, and that's a bad sign.

Talk to your group, and explain that your character repents in prison and decides to use his skills only for the better cause. You might even say that his alone time in jail made him come to his senses. That's all roleplay but the message is clear.

Roll with the group and use your skills only on the baddies without being disruptive.

[evirus]

My question to you is: Are these veterans sending a message? Should I tone down the character, or keep him going until he dies? Is there a happy medium?

There is a happy medium, but it sounds like you crossed over that line more than once if they left without even looking for you.

I agree with the previous statements, you ned to talk to your group. Mostly get confirmation that of what you have done to be left behind, otherwise your next character may be doomed to the same fate.

If you feel the -need- to be a klepto, add it to your character, but play it off the party (with their approval). Steal small items from members and every night (or when caught) give it back to them appologetically.

See if you can get one player to agree to be your mark, then steal only from them and have it added as a roleplaying opportunity between 2 characters as opposed to a point of contention.

[Sipex]

There is a happy medium, but it sounds like you crossed over that line more than once if they left without even looking for you.

I agree with the previous statements, you ned to talk to your group. Mostly get confirmation that of what you have done to be left behind, otherwise your next character may be doomed to the same fate.

If you feel the -need- to be a klepto, add it to your character, but play it off the party (with their approval). Steal small items from members and every night (or when caught) give it back to them appologetically.

See if you can get one player to agree to be your mark, then steal only from them and have it added as a roleplaying opportunity between 2 characters as opposed to a point of contention.

Agreed, if you can turn your kleptomania into a fun thing which doesn't take time from the session then they'll become alright with it.

In addition, you can still be a klepto, just less extreme. Do you need to steal useless items which risks you getting thrown in jail or getting the party in trouble? No. BUT if there's a problem where one of the solutions could be 'steal the thing' you can vote for that route, it can even become a running thing if your group takes to that sort of thing. If they say no though your guy should be able to hold himself back.

[DragonBaneDM]

He's in jail. Roll a new one.


Sweeet. He can come back as a villain now!

[bbugg]

Talk to your group.

I call poor form on the group for not talking to you. If you were annoying them (a safe assumption) they should have told you and asked that you tone it down. However, now that you find yourself in this situation, talk to them and make sure you're reading the situation correctly and then apologise, if necessary.

[Sipex]

Oh yeah, that too. It's bad form just to do this to a player without letting them know.

You think you're being funny and interesting while they think you're not but you didn't have anyway of knowing that. I think they just assumed you'd follow the rest of the stigma that goes with the typical 'annoying' character.

ie: Won't listen to reason

[Venerable]

What can I say? The roleplaying required it.

Mr. Burlew's article "Making the Tough Decisions (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/tll307KmEm4H9k6efFP.html)" offers a wise rebuttal. I wish I'd read it earlier in my gaming career.

[Kroozer101]

Well, thanks to everybody for their wonderful advice. Sadly, before reading it, my character broke out of jail, with a hand from my wonderful DM.

And now, I feel like a jerk.

[kyoryu]

I just started playing RPGs a few months ago, and am currently a fourth-level rogue. Recently, my character was arrested for theft. He's a kleptomaniac thrill-seeking elf. What can I say? The roleplaying required it. However, the rest of my party left me in jail, and continued the adventure. IC, they had no idea where I was, but they didn't even bother to look for me. They just left the town and sauntered bravely forth.
My question to you is: Are these veterans sending a message? Should I tone down the character, or keep him going until he dies? Is there a happy medium?

The alignment axes, even in pre 4e, are Law vs. Chaos and Good vs. Evil. It is therefore impossible to have an alignment of "Antisocial Jerkwad."

The logical consequence of being a kleptomaniac that has zero control over his impulse to steal is that you'll be locked in prison or executed.

My advice is not to play characters with personality disorders. People avoid those with personality disorders in real life for a reason. And alignments don't have to - and shouldn't - be personality disorders. Insisting that the party put up with such an obviously destructive individual is relying upon a metagame construct to force the other characters to do what you want. Fine - you had no choice to steal because of the RP (which is rebutted nicely elsewhere). The other characters had no choice but to RP abandoning you because you were more trouble than you were worth.

[Tukka]

I think a lot of good points have been made here, but I do think there is a middle ground that allows for characters that have personality disorders such as kleptomania. Adventurers are supposed to be exceptional people, and character attributes that would cause a commoner to be hated, ostracized or jailed might earn an adventurer a reputation as an eccentric, or introduce problems that are well within his (or his allies) ability to deal with; many towns and villages might not have the resources to bring a petty thief adventurer to justice, or if they do, it might be more worthwhile to have the criminal work off the debt to society with some form of community service, especially if one of the PCs is a respectable type is available to vouch for the thief and agree to keep him in line (like Roy and Belkar).

The 4e DM guide has a section on different player types, and one of them is the "instigator" -- the type of player who will deliberately have his character engage in risky activities, deliberately fail, or piss off NPCs just to see what happens. This can be very problematic if it gets out of hand, but, the guide notes (and I can confirm) that it also can be the source some of the most fun and memorable experiences you'll have at the gaming table.

You can be an instigator, but it works best if you can avoid taking things too far (by picking up on hints or explicit warnings given to you by the DM or fellow players) and also if your DM is good at thinking on his feet or designs encounters with your habits in mind. It can be a good thing if your behavior occasionally poses a complication to your party's progress, but should not outright stall it, and should not introduce complications so often that you're more frustrating than you are amusing.

[Sinon]

Sweeet. He can come back as a villain now!
And kill his former incarnation to symbolically communicate his growth as a team player.

[Jack_Banzai]

It can be a good thing if your behavior occasionally poses a complication to your party's progress, but should not outright stall it, and should not introduce complications so often that you're more frustrating than you are amusing.

Or more irritating than useful.

[Sipex]

Well, thanks to everybody for their wonderful advice. Sadly, before reading it, my character broke out of jail, with a hand from my wonderful DM.

And now, I feel like a jerk.

You shouldn't, you recognised your problem instead of acting like a jerk about it and saying "He's perfectly fine, etc etc etc."

Just talk to your group and say you realise your shenanigans might've been annoying but don't appreciate that they didn't have the guts to tell you this.

You'll tone down on it (ie: by taking whatever advice presented here or a combination of it) but would appreciate being told if you're doing something that annoys them.