Help with a player

[ShademasterX]

I am having trouble with a player I have been gaming with awhile and for some reason all of a sudden he is complaining that he needs to roll checks to investigate. An example is they had just killed some undead paladins and i was having them look at the bodies for clues. When he asks to look I asked him to roll an investigation check and he went off saying why he had to roll. I tried to exsplain to him the higher he rolls the more he will see, but that does not seem to be enough for him. Any advice?

[DeTess]

You're not doing anything wrong. If the player keeps complaining, have a talk with him after a session is done. Talk about why you think he should be rolling, and why he thinks he should just be getting stuff for free. If, after that talk, he continues being an annoyance, suggest that if he doesn't want to do this, he could play somewhere else. If he doesn't leave, and keeps complaining and being an annoyance, boot him.

[Unoriginal]

I am having trouble with a player I have been gaming with awhile and for some reason all of a sudden he is complaining that he needs to roll checks to investigate. An example is they had just killed some undead paladins and i was having them look at the bodies for clues. When he asks to look I asked him to roll an investigation check and he went off saying why he had to roll. I tried to exsplain to him the higher he rolls the more he will see, but that does not seem to be enough for him. Any advice?

Was it the first time he had to search for anything?

Did he want to use WIS(Perception) instead? Or maybe he just wanted to loot the body?

[stoutstien]

Yeah I think I need a little bit more insight on this. What exactly was the investigate check for? So when I have something like this I have different Gates of knowledge includes that are hiding behind multiple ways of reaching them. So what exactly was the clue?

[Pex]

Has he played in another game where that DM didn't require a roll for his character to look at something? When two DMs require different solutions for the same task that could be a problem for a player. If this is the case you're not wrong, but the player is reacting poorly to the differences. His confusion isn't wrong either, only how he is reacting to it.

[ShademasterX]

Was it the first time he had to search for anything?

Did he want to use WIS(Perception) instead? Or maybe he just wanted to loot the body?

He has used investigation before and perception back in 4e he used it allot actually. So this is why I was really suprised by the complaint. If he wanted to use perception I would allow it but he said he should not roll at all. Also on looting the bodies I have them roll that too, not to see if they get anything at all but if they roll high I like to award extra loot.

[ShademasterX]

Yeah I think I need a little bit more insight on this. What exactly was the investigate check for? So when I have something like this I have different Gates of knowledge includes that are hiding behind multiple ways of reaching them. So what exactly was the clue?

The clue was to see that the skeletons in armor had symbols of good gods on them, but scratched out. So if they rolled the dc I would tell them that info. The dc was low 5 because it would not be too hard. I would also accept perception skill for this as well or if someone made a religon check.

[ShademasterX]

Has he played in another game where that DM didn't require a roll for his character to look at something? When two DMs require different solutions for the same task that could be a problem for a player. If this is the case you're not wrong, but the player is reacting poorly to the differences. His confusion isn't wrong either, only how he is reacting to it.

He has only played for me and I have always required rolls. For some reason he was trying to say he should see it because of his passive perception which says in the book is not used in that situation.

[Unoriginal]

Eh, try talking to him and ask him why he was displeased at the situation. He might have just been grumpy about something else, and if he was just upset about that check it should be simple enough to explain to him what you told us and make everyone happier.

[ShademasterX]

You're not doing anything wrong. If the player keeps complaining, have a talk with him after a session is done. Talk about why you think he should be rolling, and why he thinks he should just be getting stuff for free. If, after that talk, he continues being an annoyance, suggest that if he doesn't want to do this, he could play somewhere else. If he doesn't leave, and keeps complaining and being an annoyance, boot him.

If it did happen again I was going to pull him aside and talk about it outside of game that is a good idea. D&d even though is a "nerd" game has allot to do with people skills. I have also asked the other players if they think they should have to roll and they agree it should be a roll. Thank you for the advice.

[ShademasterX]

Eh, try talking to him and ask him why he was displeased at the situation. He might have just been grumpy about something else, and if he was just upset about that check it should be simple enough to explain to him what you told us and make everyone happier.

That is true, he has been going through a few things lately. Thank you for the advice.

[Unoriginal]

That is true, he has been going through a few things lately. Thank you for the advice.

You're welcome, but as an added advice, I'd tell you to avoid waiting for a "next time he does this" and just go talk to him ASAP. He might need to talk to a friend, and even if he doesn't, the sooner that kind of things are dealt with the better.

Issues between players can fester if left untouched, sometime. No reason to be pushy if it's nothing, though, and if he does have a problem he doesn't want to talk about, give him space but let him know you're here to lend an ear or a hand if and whenever he needs it.

[Throne12]

He has only played for me and I have always required rolls. For some reason he was trying to say he should see it because of his passive perception which says in the book is not used in that situation.

Ask him are you looking at this body or are you doing something else. Because if you are looking at the body your Focusing your attention to the body meaning you are using a action to look your not just Passively see it while doing something else.