Players leaning REALLY chaotic... How do I keep order?

[originalginger]

So, I recently played the first session with a brand new set of players via Roll20. We have a Changeling Bard, Dwarven Rogue, Goliath Swordmage, Gnome Wizard and Dragonborn Fighter. All are very high-concept, with awesome backstories and really cool and unique all around, and we had a TON of fun as a group - Very light-hearted and goofy, just the way I like it. The players all seem to get along, and it was a really good time over all.

The problem is that pretty much everyone is leaning WAY chaotic, and it was rather hard to keep any kind of real order, and utter silliness ensued very quickly. Innocents were murdered, animals were slaughtered, player characters ended up attacking each other. It was kind of a mess.

Thoughts on how I might bring some kind of structure to the game without sacrificing the player's abilities to play their characters as they please?

[Vulf]

How about having the innkeeper drug them all and they wake up in prison and have to make dungeoneering checks to catch rats to avoid starving?

[Tegu8788]

Don't do that. At least, not if you want them to stay.

This is something you need to discuss with the players out of character. Tell them what you told us, that you enjoyed the game, like the silliness and the characters, but that given how silly it was, it was hard to play with the infighting. You could say that the last game was a practice session, or recon it somehow, with player consent.

I have a pair of gloriously designed murdering thieves in my game. After the first session, I told them how I enjoyed their characters, but that we lost an hour of time to them rolling bluffs on the rest of the party, and countering with insight rolls. I told them to keep having fun, just reign in the PvP, and it's made a huge difference.


If OOC jokes are eating time, learn to find pauses. When the laughter is drawing to a close, step up, and take command. I've found asking a different player than was joking what they are doing is useful. It rewards the slightly on track player, and without telling anyone to shut up uses social pressure to make the jokers listen to a fellow player.

[originalginger]

Thanks! Such sensible advice, and I believe it will be very helpful. I am pretty used to over-the-table play, but the playing online is relatively new to me, and different in ways I didn't really expect.

I am also kind of new to the chaotic-aligned thing - My over-the-table game is a Human Paladin, a Dwarven Cleric, an Elven Ranger, and a Human Wizard, all Lawful Good - Kind of standard, but works well, and is very much a "heroes for the cause of good" situation. Having a motley rabble of thieves, scoundrels, and swindlers is all new to me...

[ScubaGoomba]

Innocents murdered, animals slaughtered, and PvP? Bud, you don't have a group leaning Chaotic, you have a group leaning Chaotic Evil. You don't need to force anything, but if they're doing that kind of stuff, there's no way authorities won't pick up on it and retaliate. Start sending some obviously "Good Guys" after the party and see how they react.