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kreossjmw
2016-04-10, 06:54 PM
Hey guys,

I'm a pretty new DM and my friends just got into the game recently. And I seem to have a bit of a problem.

I have a friend in my group that likes to Troll every time we play. She has a tendency to talk over me, mock the NPCs, and joke around alot. Now I'm all for a good joke and such but when I go out of my way to build a story and experience for me and my friends, it kinda gets on my nerves. I've talked to her to tone it down but she refuses, saying its fun and I'm being too serious. My others friends seem to enjoy her "jokes". I don't know how to deal with this. If I take her out of the game, our friends might have an issue with it. So what should I do?

goto124
2016-04-10, 06:57 PM
So... you, the DM, are the one who's not enjoyimg the game? Players-DM playstyle clash?

kreossjmw
2016-04-10, 07:02 PM
Well me and my friends enjoy the adventure before she came. This trolling friend of mine just recently joined our group and I feel she's been derailing the adventure I set up.

Vitruviansquid
2016-04-10, 07:05 PM
ok.

Kick her out.

goto124
2016-04-10, 07:09 PM
If you kick her out, tell her why - "you keep making jokes despite me telling you to stop it, you keep refusing amd going on with your disruptive behavior that makes the game less fun for everyone else".

Before that. First you said everyone else enjoyed the jokes. Then you said the campagn is 'derailed' (implying there were rails in the first place... why, DM, why?). But how do the others feel? Have you even talked to the other players? Probably not since you worry about them taking issue with her.

Don't kick someone out without deeper understanding of the situation. You haven't even asked the rest of the group about what they think of her.

You said she "has a tendency to talk over me [and] mock the NPCs". Specific examples please? Otherwise she won't even know what she did wrong. You may think she's purposely being obtuse and 'trolling', but you don't seem to have been more direct and clear on your attempts to let her know what's wrong. Describe, exactly, what happened, how you tried dealing with it, how she reacted, how the other players reacted.

kreossjmw
2016-04-10, 07:13 PM
Thanks goto124. This is why I came here to get advice on what I have to do. By derail, i mean that while I'm telling a story, she would either talk over me or choose to go somewhere else, separate from the group. My friends are also new to DnD and I don't want to turn them off with this situation. But yeah I will talk to them and ask what they think. Thanks

goto124
2016-04-10, 07:17 PM
I'm gonna ask for specific examples just to be clear on what's really happening, but I think if she's literally interrupting the DM all the time and not playing with the group despite multiple warnings she deserves a kick.

Vitruviansquid
2016-04-10, 08:04 PM
Usually I would not advise kicking people out, but the way she's acting is not just bad for DnD, it's kind of just simple bad manners.

BayardSPSR
2016-04-10, 08:59 PM
By derail, I mean that while I'm telling a story, she would either talk over me or choose to go somewhere else, separate from the group.

While it may be best to kick her out, it's possible that she's not disrupting things intentionally, and just isn't familiar with how the game is played. If that's the case, it may be worth talking to her and politely asking if she'd be less disruptive.

Of course, if you've already let her know that she's impeding other people's fun, you should ask her to leave.

goto124
2016-04-10, 10:03 PM
Of course, if you've already let her know that she's impeding other people's fun, you should ask her to leave.


I've talked to her to tone it down but she refuses, saying its fun and I'm being too serious. My others friends seem to enjoy her "jokes".

Well, OP seems to have already tried "let her know" (we're not sure how exactly OP has phrased to her, or how many times she was spoken to), but we're not sure if the other people even dislike the way she does things.

But she's really rude to the OP.

Let the other players know how she's talking over you all the time, so that they understand your issues. Ask them how they feel about her moving away from the party consistently.

Pull her aside and tell her that she is literally talking over you constantly and not even trying to follow the party, that this is the last chance she gets to play with you, and if she does any intentionally disruptive behavior again, she's out.

BayardSPSR
2016-04-10, 10:47 PM
Ah, somehow I missed that. Fair enough.

MrStabby
2016-04-11, 04:31 AM
Talk more quietly and just keep going.

If she talks over the top then other players are not getting the information they need. After a few times of suffering because the DM was being talked over they will also make it clear why this is inappropriate.

Also, just run a check from the other side. Make sure your descriptions are snappy, engaging and relevant. No two minute long descriptions of the mud on the cobblestones under the wheels of the merchant's cart. Ensure it is condensed enough that players talking over you are actually missing something. If your speaches are wasting their time that's on you; if the player is just being rude/arrogant then that's on her.

Anonymouswizard
2016-04-11, 04:54 AM
Hey guys,

I'm a pretty new DM and my friends just got into the game recently. And I seem to have a bit of a problem.

I have a friend in my group that likes to Troll every time we play. She has a tendency to talk over me, mock the NPCs, and joke around alot. Now I'm all for a good joke and such but when I go out of my way to build a story and experience for me and my friends, it kinda gets on my nerves. I've talked to her to tone it down but she refuses, saying its fun and I'm being too serious. My others friends seem to enjoy her "jokes". I don't know how to deal with this. If I take her out of the game, our friends might have an issue with it. So what should I do?

Is it negatively impacting your fun? Have you told her this? If the answer is yes to both then she is in the wrong, she is demanding that you bend over to let her have fun, which is just plain rude. It's as if you were running a light-hearted game and I insisted on giving every NPC's dark and troubled back story.

I suggest talking to the group about this, just so people realise all the extra effort that you're putting in, and that you're fine with some joking around but the current level is just making it stressful.

Lacco
2016-04-11, 04:58 AM
Also: maybe it's not her joking, but her character. In that case - consequences! :smallsmile:

hifidelity2
2016-04-11, 05:45 AM
Talk more quietly and just keep going.


I have used this esp when the party (Players) get a bit loud - normally late a night after a few to many beers

Once the party broke into a large house with a walled garden. After giving the description I quietly went "Woof, woof" every now and then. The party was dithering and would ask me questions, which I would answer, and then go "Woof, woof" but a bit louder.
At the last minuet they realised what I was doing and jumped back over the wall just as a few Hell Hounds came round the corner - it made the listen more carefully for the erst of the session

PoeticDwarf
2016-04-11, 06:09 AM
I'm gonna ask for specific examples just to be clear on what's really happening, but I think if she's literally interrupting the DM all the time and not playing with the group despite multiple warnings she deserves a kick.
Honestly this. She won't listen to you so just kick her. First one session and if she goes on longer

Khedrac
2016-04-11, 06:23 AM
If her character goes off on their own describe the nothing they find as briefly as possible (e.g. you spend two hours searching to no result) then refuse to let them do anything until the rest of the party have had at least as much time pass. Enforce that as there are more players in the rest of the group they get proportionally more of your time (unless the party decides to send one character off to do something and waits for the result).
It is very easy to attention hog when a character is off solo, (e.g. "OK then I try this"..."Now I do this") and it is important to keep a rough track of time so they don't get too much in game time (as well as play time).

Hopefully they will quickly become bored with sitting around doing nothing while the rest of the party get on with the adventure.
If they try to talk over you while their character is not there you have solid grounds for asking them to stop/kick.
If they offer advice you can point out their character is not there and ask them to stop. If they won't - repeat and if necessary kick.

Do, however, make it clear that the reasons this is happening is because they chose to go off and leave the rest behind in a group game.
If they respond with "it's what my character would do" the response is "fine, your character chose to leave the group, make a new character if you want to stay in the game which is about the group".

Mastikator
2016-04-11, 06:59 AM
I second the notion of kicking her out, she's unapologetically selfish and rude, she will never change or have empathy, she might be a narcissist so probably steer clear of her in all situations.

If the other players object tell them she has ruined the experience for you, they either accept the ruling or accept not having a DM. You should not have to make any compromise at this point IMO.

nedz
2016-04-11, 07:42 AM
I wouldn't kick her out for this. She has promise as a pro-active player which is invaluable if you ever decide to run a sandbox.

... she's been derailing the adventure I set up.
Players do this - all of the time.

Thanks goto124. This is why I came here to get advice on what I have to do. By derail, i mean that while I'm telling a story, she would either talk over me or choose to go somewhere else, separate from the group. My friends are also new to DnD and I don't want to turn them off with this situation. But yeah I will talk to them and ask what they think. Thanks
Characters going off by themselves can be annoying, unless they have good reason. This problem can be solved IC - you either ignore them or put them in a situation where they run away or die - the player will learn.
Peer pressure is a very powerful tool for handling all manner of issues but it can work both ways. If you kick her, and she is more popular than you, you will lose the group. Alternatively: you can prompt other players to talk to her, this is especially good at getting around players with either personality clashes or problems with authority.

goto124
2016-04-11, 09:16 AM
She's less 'derailing the adventure' and more 'disruptive the DM and players'.

Amphetryon
2016-04-11, 09:28 AM
Talk more quietly and just keep going.

If she talks over the top then other players are not getting the information they need. After a few times of suffering because the DM was being talked over they will also make it clear why this is inappropriate.

Alternately, the rest of the group will howl in outrage at the DM not making a 'good faith' effort to ensure the PCs had the information they needed, and consider the DM to jerkwaffle in the situation, rather than the Player whose behavior the DM is passive-aggressively trying to 'correct' by this method.

Quertus
2016-04-11, 09:31 AM
If she is talking over the DM while he is (briefly) narrating, describing the setting in a way the other players have previously enjoyed, consider kicking her out for being unwilling to modify her behavior when requested. If her character is talking over the NPCs, then she is playing her character in a way the other players enjoy - consider kicking the DM out if he cannot modify his expectations to appreciate it, too.

EDIT: is that an option? Is there anyone else who could DM if your style and hers are incompatible?

Segev
2016-04-11, 10:01 AM
Ultimately, if you're not having fun, don't run the game. You can let her know that if she doesn't stop, you're going to either ask her to leave or you're going to stop running, because you deserve to have fun, too.

It's always a delicate situation, but if she's really as rude as you describe, she's not being a good friend. Telling somebody they're "being too serious" as a reason to dismiss their issues with one's behavior is abusive. It might be only "mildly" abusive, but it is. If she really thinks you're too serious for her to have fun with, she should leave your game, not disrupt it and scold you for not liking it.

Douche
2016-04-11, 10:15 AM
Calmly explain that there is a time for making gags, and if she really wants to make them then do it when you're finished speaking.

I imagine that she is interrupting you mid sentence, to chime in with some class-clown remark.

Now imagine if you did that at work or school. Some people might start yawning as your boss is explaining "the dynamics of a cast stone thermosorb system in the presence of helium ions while powering your hydraulic boring drill-" then she interjects "BORING?!?! You mean like this speech!?!?!?!?!?! LOLOLOLOLOLOL I M SO FUNNEH" as she guffaws you can hear her 12 chins slapping together and rippling through the cosmos

Then your boss would be all "Get out"

D&D might be a game, but there is still a public speaking aspect as a DM and having someone chime in every 5 seconds just makes your job harder, especially if they want to make you look like a fool. Don't put up with that crap. Tell her firmly that she can say all the dumb jokes she wants when it is her turn to speak. Your players will respect you more than if you let it keep going.

Nightcanon
2016-04-11, 10:35 AM
She's less 'derailing the adventure' and more 'disruptive the DM and players'.

I agree with this- although the initial comment was that she 'derailed the adventure', with clarification the problem is in fact that she's derailing the game itself.
Question: is this problem player new to gaming herself? If so, she might not realise that, particularly for inexperienced players, the DM shoulders a disproportionate amount of the work in terms of prep time and so on. Players can turn up and learn as they play, but the poor DM has to provide something for them to do. It seems to me that messing around when the DM is trying to run a game session, and particularly if that involves talking over him/her or mocking her/his portrayals of NPCs, is just rude.
Possibilities:
*this is non-deliberate, and stems from ignorance of the game and what the DM puts in (she's messing about just as she would if you were all playing a boardgame socially)
*despite the fact she's joined a gaming group, she isn't all that into gaming (why is she there?), and is acting that out
*she's critical of the way you are running your game, and is being deliberately disruptive
*she dislikes you, and has joined up specifically to wreck a leisure activity you enjoy

In any event, I think a quiet word to say how you feel, and that as things stand her behaviour is spoiling the game for you, is required.
One thing that may be useful is instituting a houserule that when the PCs are engaged in dialogue with NPCs, all talk at the table is In-Character unless it is describing a PC's actions ('while the guard is talking, I cast an eye over his equipment and its state of repair and wear'). Treat any interruptions, impersonations or mockery as being in character, and have the NPCs react accordingly. Peasants are surly and grudging with their cooperation, town guards react like the most obnoxious immigration official you ever met, nobles, quest-giving wizards and the like are the most fearsome teacher/ professor who ever tried to teach you. Innkeepers and barmen surreptitiously spit in ale. Inattention results in sharp remarks, either insulting ('bit simple, are you?') or exasperated ('now pay attention, 007'). If players try to retract, it's up to you whether you allow this, or whether the NPC react to this as well ('we orl 'eard you'/'Madam! I am neither hallucinating nor stupid!'). Reiterate that when NPCs are talking, players are by default in character. Consequences are at your discretion (rewards reduced, info not given, detention by militia as a likely troublemaker).

Red Fel
2016-04-11, 10:48 AM
I wouldn't kick her out for this. She has promise as a pro-active player which is invaluable if you ever decide to run a sandbox.

First, this. She is having fun, which isn't inherently a bad thing.


She's less 'derailing the adventure' and more 'disruptive the DM and players'.

Second, not this. In fact, the OP stated:


My others friends seem to enjoy her "jokes". I don't know how to deal with this. If I take her out of the game, our friends might have an issue with it.

This tells me that she isn't disrupting the DM and players; she's just disrupting the DM. The players seem to enjoy her contributions. Therefore...


Ultimately, if you're not having fun, don't run the game. You can let her know that if she doesn't stop, you're going to either ask her to leave or you're going to stop running, because you deserve to have fun, too.

This. Despite the knee-jerk reaction of "boot the disruptive player," this isn't a player who's ruining things for everyone. It is, however, a player who is ruining things for the DM, and that's problematic. The solution is either for the player to leave or for the DM to step down.

And there's no shame in stepping down as DM. It's possible that the other players like the tone of campaign that this player brings. It's possible they want more of what this player does. And it's possible that the OP might enjoy such a campaign more as a player than as a DM.

Now, the OP mentioned that the other players are fairly new to the game. This might mean that no substitute DM is available. In that case, yes, asking the player to leave may be appropriate. As Segev points out, though, this is a delicate situation that might result in some hurt feelings. But you have to do what is best for your game - and sometimes, that means doing what is best for you as DM.

Nightcanon
2016-04-11, 11:43 AM
I wouldn't kick her out for this. She has promise as a pro-active player which is invaluable if you ever decide to run a sandbox.


Out of interest, what leads you to this conclusion? My reading of the problem as presented is that she's barely interested in playing at all, let alone a pro-active player. I know we've mention of 'derailing the adventure', but unless you are playing a Belkar Bitterleaf type, even in a sandbox, persistently mocking the NPCs and making jokes from the sidelines isn't much of a contribution (which was kind of Shojo's point in 606), and frankly it sounds more like she's mocking the OP and his running of the game rather than making a conscious decision to have her PC mock NPCs IC.

The Fury
2016-04-11, 12:06 PM
While I haven't done a lot of dealing with trolling players I've been a trolling player for a some time. Back when I was new to RPGs the DM and the other players would frequently ignore me, any time I asked for clarification on the rules the DM would just tell me to read the book. At least if I had my character light the inn's bedsheets on fire, people would be at least moderately interested in what I was doing.

Unfortunately, this behavior carried over to much less deserving groups because for years I thought that was just how you had fun. Here's how some DMs dealt with me:

Sometimes trollish behavior bites you in the butt-- So she's going around insulting NPCs? What happens when one of those people is a crime boss that won't suffer such indignation? She gets the party to split up? OK, don't pull any punches in any fights they get into-- some characters might die. You can even remind the other players that this troll doesn't give such great advice.

More effective was showing that playing legitimately could be a lot of fun too-- One of my all-time favorite campaigns, the DM made a point of working with a player to make their character's backstory an integral part of the campaign. This was probably the first time I saw that a Player Character didn't have to just be witness to the events around them, they could be a part of the events too. Granted, this isn't something that every DM can pull off, and it's not keeping in style with every campaign.

Lastly, there's the nuclear option-- You'd probably want to save this for when the campaign is so thoroughly derailed you don't really care about preserving its story anymore. Do your best to out-crazy the troll and make the NPCs a bunch of trolls too. Trolling can be fun when you're a troll in a world of legit characters, but when you're a troll in a sea of other trolls, trolling is actually kind of boring.

Also one final piece of advice, don't have the troll's character accidentally take drugs-- a few DMs tried that on me and it did not help.

Quertus
2016-04-11, 12:12 PM
Also one final piece of advice, don't have the troll's character accidentally take drugs-- a few DMs tried that on me and it did not help.

... Drugs were several DM's go-to solution for trolls? :smallconfused:

Mind Rape Drugs - what can't they solve?

The Fury
2016-04-11, 12:36 PM
... Drugs were several DM's go-to solution for trolls? :smallconfused:

Mind Rape Drugs - what can't they solve?

Not several, a few. As can be imagined, all it really accomplished was to make a strange character even stranger. That's not even including the times I had characters have apparent drug trips without actually taking any kind of substance, which is still confusing to me.

runeghost
2016-04-11, 03:18 PM
Characters who are excessively disruptive will result in a private chat with the player - often there's miscommunication going on, and maybe things can be made to work, or maybe that particular game just isn't a good match for what that player wants to play. No harm, no foul, we all move on as best we can. But when its the player who is disruptive and isn't changing, well, there really isn't a good solution short of "kick the troll". I've very seldom seen players who are regularly disruptive improve, and these days I no longer try.

Geek social fallacies (http://www.plausiblydeniable.com/opinion/gsf.html) are something you might want to look at.

It's okay to tell someone they're being rude. It's not okay to be completely inconsiderate of your friends and acquaintances. Just because you're friends with someone, doesn't mean that everything you do has to be something they like, and vice versa.

If you don't like Game of Thrones and your friends do, its better to do something else on GoT night, instead of showing up, mocking and talking through the show. And if your friend hates superheroes, they don't have to play in your supers game. You can still be friends.

And its okay to point all the above out, as long as you're polite about it. Wheaton's Law should always be kept in mind, but it works both ways.

CombatBunny
2016-04-11, 05:20 PM
My others friends seem to enjoy her "jokes". I don't know how to deal with this. If I take her out of the game, our friends might have an issue with it. So what should I do?


I also believe that this could be the root of the problem.

If everyone is having fun except for the GM and she has that amount of energy, this could be pure gaming gold in the hands of an expert GM.

Here is my advice:

1) Ride the wave; RPGs are collaborative games and with such an amount of energy she can relieve you a lot from the burden of preparing.

If she makes mockery of your NPCs, make them even goofier, more cartoonish. If she takes her own path then change to a non-party narrative. Just warn her that if she strays far too away from the rest of the PCs (thus starting a whole different thread), she will be out of the scope of the adventure and she will have to use another character while her former character decides to return.

Whatever assumption she or your player’s state from your world, make it happen and incorporate that on the adventure.

Yes I know, that’s maybe not the flavor that you want to give to your adventure, but remember: It’s not your adventure!, it’s a collaborative game whose result is the sum of each other’s expectations. So in the end it would something in between goofiness, seriousness and the mix of everyone’s collaborations.

2) Being as “disruptive” as she is, is the perfect chance to make the big jump and do what many GMs eventually do, that is being ready to run a session completely unprepared.

Plan only the starting scenario (and manytimes you can create that on the spot as well) from which everything else will go on directions unknown. Don’t arrive to the session with a plot or a story, let everything come alive in the spot taking everything you get from the players and moving forward those same inputs.

Don’t hold back, don’t fear to break your story or the game, if your train is derailing then make it derail whole, but make it explode and crash in the most spectacular way, just don’t plan that crash, flow with it.



So that’s my advice, I know running 100% improve games can be intimidating, but if this girl is going to disrupt it anyway, is your chance to let your fears aside and go beyond to where no one dares and on your way cross the line forevermore. For once in life pretend like you don’t care, that nothing matters and now you dare!

Break taboos, make your weirdest ideas come alive, disrespect the system and make a dragon land on the village and let the player’s slay him with a single blow in its heart.

I’m being serious. We as GMs tend to respect a lot books, rules, systems, balance, etc. But once you remember that it’s just a game and break all boundaries, then that’s exactly when you really start to play.

Now then, traditional old-school GMs and DMs, you may jump over me and destroy me whole.

tensai_oni
2016-04-11, 06:03 PM
Yes I know, that’s maybe not the flavor that you want to give to your adventure, but remember: It’s not your adventure!, it’s a collaborative game whose result is the sum of each other’s expectations.

You are wrong.

Okay, let me try that again - you are right in saying that it's a collaborative game whose result is the sum of every players' expectations.

But you are wrong in assuming that because of that, the game master is not allowed to feel disappointed in the player's actions and should just roll with the punches.

The game master is as much of a participant as everyone else. He's not there just to play host for the players, he is there to have fun too. And if the GM doesn't have fun - then there's a problem. There'd also be a problem if any other player likewise didn't have fun at the table.

BayardSPSR
2016-04-11, 07:05 PM
The game master is as much of a participant as everyone else. He's not there just to play host for the players, he is there to have fun too. And if the GM doesn't have fun - then there's a problem. There'd also be a problem if any other player likewise didn't have fun at the table.

Yeah... This is looking more and more like an interesting problem, by which I mean one that sucks because it lacks an obvious solution (contrast that thread where someone's bothered by the fact that their group doesn't have a problem player).

I've run games where none of the players got along in-character and all of them drove me up the wall, and everyone but me had a fantastic time. I still don't know how to solve that problem, and I need to, because the whole group is related to me and we get in two sessions a year, like clockwork, when we get together at holidays.

SirBellias
2016-04-11, 08:23 PM
Hmmm. My advice would be to first talk to your other players alone to get their individual opinions on kicking her or someone else DMing. If most of them don't want to kick her, step down if you really aren't having fun. This is more than likely a play style difference, though, and the rest of your group seemed to enjoy a more serious game before.

What I do when I have varying expectations at the table is to run multiple games with different players. It may relieve some of the issues you are currently having about this game not being the style you like if you have another game going that is exactly the style you enjoy. I run a random, easy going, low prep hex crawl for my group that hates when I guess what they're going to do next (I guess), and I run a much more serious game for my friends that enjoy the role playing aspect of things. If too many people show up to my less serious game and start annoying me, I bust out paranoia. Good fun (for me, at least)

goto124
2016-04-11, 09:59 PM
Individually talk to the other players, relating to them of your issues with her (she talks over you all the time, you can't talk without getting disrupted, etc). Then ask what they think of her, if they like or dislike her.

At least do that to figure out what's going on and keep everyone informed. The OP has so far only guessed that the other players are enjoying the problem player's jokes.

nedz
2016-04-12, 06:50 AM
Out of interest, what leads you to this conclusion? My reading of the problem as presented is that she's barely interested in playing at all, let alone a pro-active player. I know we've mention of 'derailing the adventure', but unless you are playing a Belkar Bitterleaf type, even in a sandbox, persistently mocking the NPCs and making jokes from the sidelines isn't much of a contribution (which was kind of Shojo's point in 606), and frankly it sounds more like she's mocking the OP and his running of the game rather than making a conscious decision to have her PC mock NPCs IC.

I could be wrong, because we only have a few bits of evidence to go on, but it seems she gets bored and wanders off trying to make something happen. This, if better directed, is a useful trait - it could just need focussing.

Lycanthrope13
2016-04-12, 08:25 AM
When all else fails do what a friend of mine did. Sadly, I was not present for this, but he told me he got fed up with a disruptive player and said, "You know the chair you're sitting on? It just turned into a platinum dragon and ate you. Roll a new character." Sounds harsh, but she'll either change her behavior or quit the group.

Nightcanon
2016-04-12, 08:33 AM
I could be wrong, because we only have a few bits of evidence to go on, but it seems she gets bored and wanders off trying to make something happen. This, if better directed, is a useful trait - it could just need focussing.

Fair enough. I get more of a disruptive/not interested in playing vibe but as you say evidence is minimal. Thanks for the reply.

tensai_oni
2016-04-12, 02:28 PM
I've run games where none of the players got along in-character and all of them drove me up the wall, and everyone but me had a fantastic time. I still don't know how to solve that problem, and I need to, because the whole group is related to me and we get in two sessions a year, like clockwork, when we get together at holidays.

Is your group aware that this is a problem for you? Did you inform them? From their POV they had a blast so it's hard to realize someone else didn't, especially if it's the game master because far too many people assume that running the game is the GM's "job" and he's automatically getting entertainment and satisfaction just from that.

If for some reason you're unwilling/can't tell them about the problem, have you considered not being the game master? Tell them you were too busy to prepare an adventure. Perhaps someone else would like to replace you. Do you think you may have more fun as a player?

Lastly, if the players are aware it's a problem for you but refuse to do anything about it, it's time to examine your priorities. Is this issue small enough that you still have fun despite it? From what you said it seems not, you're not having fun. Now, step two - what will happen if you refuse to play with those players? Hurt feelings, awkward social situation, etc? You have to judge if the consequences are more weighty than the feeling of unfun you get from running the game for those people. And if they are not (which should be the case for most scenarios), it's time to say good-bye to the game.

Angelmaker
2016-04-13, 05:44 PM
If she talks over your npcs, treat any remarks as made in character and don't give into the interruption. After a while npcs will either refuse to talk to her because of her impoliteness or if they are powerful individuals they'll have her thrown out. I don't think kicking out really solves the problem if she is generally well received within the group. Otoh, having a stern and staunch approach to this, will make it clear that the joking has gone quite a bit too far and you'd like to run a game and not a stand up comedy show.