How to keep a cocky PC from becoming DM?

[Maulrus]

We have a player and friend in our new group that wants to be DM. Currently, my best friend is DM, and I might try my hand at it after this campaign. Now, most of our players like this DM, as he is very immersive and great. The one that wants to be DM is horrible at that sort of thing (just he doesn't know it), and nobody wants him to DM. However, if we say outright "no," we're worried he'll go off and start his own game, and everybody will leave ours. So now me and the current DM are trying to think of ways to not let him DM but also still keeping our group together. One was cutting ourselves and mixing blood to become blood brothers, then saying only those of our blood can DM. (We realized that this might not be the best plan.) So does anybody have any ideas?

[Diamondeye]

If he's horrible and no one wants him to DM, chances are everyone will not leave to go to his game if he leaves and forms one.

[Catch]

If most of your players like your current DM, why would you worry that they'd leave to join one who's clearly inferior?

[ocato]

Don't get me wrong, blood letting is also my Plan A in most situations, but it is often of the person who is bothering me, not myself. I'd simply give him the "Let the DM finish his Campaign, I have one in the works, so when we're done with the current one, we'll both present our campaign to the group and let them decide which to do first." Then just bank on yours being better and hope that he'll mature or lose interest before his turn comes around.

[Glyphic]

I propose a Duel to the death: this should solve or eliminate your promblems.

Buuut, It depends on which way the guy is horrible. If he's a new player, yes he can be a good DM. But he needs to sit through a few campaigns first, and have someone show him the ropes: specifically to avoid Loot heavy dungeons, impossible senerios, and various other pitfalls of new Dm's.

But if he really is just a bastard and wants to have his way, yeah, som of those other options up there sound good.

[TheElfLord]

nobody wants him to DM... we're worried he'll go off and start his own game, and everybody will leave ours.

These two statements are contradictory. If no one wants him to DM, who is going to leave your game for his? And if everyone besides you and your DM want him to have a go at it (as implied by everyone leaving), then perhaps you should give him a chance.

[Maulrus]

Something I neglected to leave out, he's rather, "persuasive."

[Yechezkiel]

Something I neglected to leave out, he's rather, "persuasive."

Is he going to torture them? Is he a drug dealer?!

[Diamondeye]

Something I neglected to leave out, he's rather, "persuasive."

In what way?

You've got it in quotes; does he bring a 9mm pistol to the game?

Does he threaten to kick everyone's ass?

Is he a drama queen?

What's the deal?

[Maulrus]

Both, we suspect.

[ocato]

Violent drug dealer? I'd go back to Plan A.

[Maulrus]

There's a nice ditch by my house.

[Maulrus]

In what way?

You've got it in quotes; does he bring a 9mm pistol to the game?

Does he threaten to kick everyone's ass?

Is he a drama queen?

What's the deal?

That about sums it up, except instead of a 9mm pistol, he brings the immaturity of an eleven year-old playing the Halo 3 beta.

[greenknight]

There's a nice ditch by my house.

Well, if he's really a violent drug dealer, let's hope he doesn't think that's a convenient place to dispose of your body.

Seriously, if he wants to DM just say you've got another campaign in the works and let the other players decide. Assuming he can intimidate the other players into playing his game instead, if he's a bad DM they'll leave before long and you could probably get them interested in another campaign run by you or your current DM.

[Diamondeye]

If you think he's a violent drug dealer, and if he's as cocky and immature as you say, get him to admit it, and then call the police.

[Valdyr]

Drug Dealing issues aside, continue as normal.

No matter how persuasive he is, if he's not got the chops to DM, it'll be apparent in one or two sessions. You can have very charismatic players, but the other players will respect a well run game over one run by a likeable guy. I'd stay away from outright confronting him and shooting him down, but if he does put on a scenario, don't discourage anyone from going but don't go yourself. Fewer pcs generally makes for a less enjoyable experience and once they find out he sucks as a DM they'll want to come back. And who knows, maybe he'll discover that he dislikes DMing and once he's had a taste for it wants to come back and be a player in your campaign.

[LeeMon]

Hopefully I can keep this simple.

I'm assuming that this "persuasion," whatever it is, doesn't involve anyone coming to harm. If that is in fact the form of persuasion you're up against, you have problems that cannot be adequately handled on a gaming forum, and you should seek help. More importantly, you should get away from said person. Anyone willing to threaten harm over a game is a person you should distance yourself from as quickly as possible.

Assuming that's not the case, and the lashback you fear is purely of the verbal persuasion... if you weren't exaggerating when you said that no one wants him to DM, then an agreement has been reached. Tell him just that, the truth: the group collectively prefers someone else as a DM.

If you act like a mature, responsible person, the worst that can happen is that he fails to do the same, thus showing everyone why he was unfit to DM in the first place.

It's that simple. If the group doesn't want him as DM, the group should tell him. If he cannot accept that answer and continue playing, then it will not work out and he should no longer be in the group. Don't allow him to inject any angst into the situation.

Either that, or please explicitly explain what you mean by "persuasive." I can't recommend a course of action to take against an obscure metaphor. :)

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Funny enough, I had this exact same scenario a few months back. Except I'm the DM in question, and it's one of my best friends that wanted to start DMing. Except, while he's one of my best friends, he's a total jackwad and completely unimaginative, not to mention kind of creepy. No, I can't explain why he's one of my best friends.

In the end, we came to an arrangement. He'd DM on a completely different night from me, so that players could be in both campaigns. Now, mine continued to gain popularity until enough people wanted in that I started a mega game that I'm currently running with 10 players. My friend's? Died. In a pitiful, horrible way. He convinced a few of my players, and even myself, to attend at least once. It was during that session that it was discovered how bad of an idea this was. He railroaded and punished attempts to end his railroading, his "plot" was laughable both in it's simplicity and how serious he tried to have us take it, and degenerated remarkably fast into a sexual fetish roleplaying session (I really, really wish I was kidding. And that it wasn't primarily about gang rape) when most of us vacated the game within three weeks.

Basically- let him have his chance on a different day. Talk to him and help plan that out. Hell, show up to his first session at least as a sign of good faith. If he turns out bad, then the players will leave his game and his big head will deflate.

[Diggorian]

Tell the guy you've got a problem with his DMing.

If he insists on running a game, let him. Have everyone write down their problems with that game session, then confront him with them.

If he waves'em off, remind him his job as DM is to entertain y'all. Suggest he learn by running some games online to develop his chops. Your RPG time is too preciuos for him to waste it.

If he accepts that he's needs some work, and is open to your input, train him in the proper style of your group.

Really, the only way to handle this ... legally :smallwink:

[PinkysBrain]

No one in the group wants him to DM but you are afraid the group will fall apart if he leaves? Really whats the problem with him running an adventure lasting a couple of sessions? If it goes bad at least you can say you gave him a chance.

[Laurellien]

Take a leaf out of Stewie's book from Family Guy

"Where's my money?"

Seriously, youtube that.

[Dervag]

That about sums it up, except instead of a 9mm pistol, he brings the immaturity of an eleven year-old playing the Halo 3 beta.Then why would others willingly go to play his game instead of someone else's? How does the fact that he might take his toys and go home to play by himself pose a threat?


Except, while he's one of my best friends, he's a total jackwad and completely unimaginative, not to mention kind of creepy. No, I can't explain why he's one of my best friends.I love hearing stuff like this. It's always funny.

[TOAOMT]

My advice, let him DM. He'll grow from it when (if he sucks) everyone decides to stop playing. A friend of mine tried DMing and sucked at it so my character walked off, my action description being "Isaac, like his player, has lost any and all interest in the events."

[The Glyphstone]

Just make sure he doesn't throw any bricks through your windows, and you're fine.:smallbiggrin:

[Dausuul]

In the end, we came to an arrangement. He'd DM on a completely different night from me, so that players could be in both campaigns. ... Basically- let him have his chance on a different day. Talk to him and help plan that out. Hell, show up to his first session at least as a sign of good faith. If he turns out bad, then the players will leave his game and his big head will deflate.

This is the best solution I've so far seen posted. I concur.

[Meschaelene]

Let him DM, and use the opportunity to play the most twisted, screwed-up character you can imagine. Encourage your friends to do the same.

Did they ever update the Greenwood Ranger? It was a ranger that slowly turned into a tree... I played one that refused to speak anything other than Entish. My travelling companion was a fire elementalist/arsonist based loosely off the imprisoned arsonist in Backdraft.

After my travelling companion burned down the bar where we were meeting our contact, I was left to handle the negociations. Let me just re-interate, "Iiiit taaaakes aaaaa llllooooonnnnggg tiiimmmme tooo ssssaaaayyyyy aaaannnnyyyyytttthhhhiiinnnnngggg iiiinnnn Eeeennnnnttttiiiiisssssshhhhh."

This one didn't even last a session.

[Jayabalard]

These two statements are contradictory. If no one wants him to DM, who is going to leave your game for his? And if everyone besides you and your DM want him to have a go at it (as implied by everyone leaving), then perhaps you should give him a chance.By "noone wants him to DM" he means "I don't want him to DM" ... or at least that's what it sounds like