Tabletop Problem Player

[cjspyres]

Our group has a particular problem with a certain player. As good a friend as he is, he min/max's all of his characters to hell. He makes his characters so strong and perfect to the point that the DM, completely fair and just, has to ramp the difficulty to the point of nigh impossible for the rest of us, but leaves barely a scratch on him. He absolutely refuses to have flaws in both character abilities and in his bio/personality.

As an example, our group rolls out 3 sets of abilites, and you choose which one you prefer. All of us, rolled pretty great, but chose the ones most suited to our characters. He, on the other hand, rolled a good set, a great set, and a near perfect 18,18,18,17,18,18. Despite being a solider class (we were playing a revamped Star Wars d20 we created), he chose the latter. He absolutely refuses to take any scores less than 16, even if it makes no sense. Please tell me I'm not the only one that thinks this is ridiculous.

 

[Wolfram23]

I don't know what any of that means (the numbers), but why not just throw situations that expose his "mins"?

 

[cjspyres]

I don't know what any of that means (the numbers), but why not just throw situations that expose his "mins"?

That's what the problem is. He has none.

Our group has a particular problem with a certain player. As good a friend as he is, he min/max's all of his characters to hell. He makes his characters so strong and perfect to the point that the DM, completely fair and just, has to ramp the difficulty to the point of nigh impossible for the rest of us, but leaves barely a scratch on him. He absolutely refuses to have flaws in both character abilities and in his bio/personality.

As an example, our group rolls out 3 sets of abilites, and you choose which one you prefer. All of us, rolled pretty great, but chose the ones most suited to our characters. He, on the other hand, rolled a good set, a great set, and a near perfect 18,18,18,17,18,18. Despite being a solider class (we were playing a revamped Star Wars d20 we created), he chose the latter. He absolutely refuses to take any scores less than 16, even if it makes no sense. Please tell me I'm not the only one that thinks this is ridiculous.

This is why the whole concept is tabletop games is unappealing to me.

This is yet another time where someone goes "X is too good, wah wah wah". So what, why not try to be good then?

If you don't want to match them then deal with it.

It's not that he's making a "good" character, it's that he's making a flawless character, and that makes the game boring. It's like he's playing a game on god mode.

 

[Legendairy314]

That's why we go with a point buy in system and don't roll for attributes. You want 18 Strength? Go for it, just know that you'll not be getting above 10 in anything else. It's a little restrictive but I find that 16 is just fine for your main abilities and you can still have 14 and 12 in 2 others. Plus, everyone's on level playing fields.

 

[Atmos Duality]

That's why we go with a point buy in system and don't roll for attributes. You want 18 Strength? Go for it, just know that you'll not be getting above 10 in anything else. It's a little restrictive but I find that 16 is just fine for your main abilities and you can still have 14 and 12 in 2 others. Plus, everyone's on level playing fields.

^This.
Use point-buy or an Array of preset scores.
If he complains, tell him that it's the most fair system possible.

That way, if he does min-max, he will always have some sort of weakness.

(and if he refuses to use it, well, he's just being an asshole of a player. Can't do much about that.)

 

[Kahunaburger]

Sounds like he got some crazy good rolls. If random variation in starting character stats is a problem, have you guys considered switching to some sort of array and/or point buy system?

 

[Wolfram23]

Alternatively, have the DM make his character contract a disease and reduce his points.

 

[CAPTCHA]

Set up encounters to be challenges to overcome with the mind. Throw spanners in the players plans and see what they do to get out of it. Successful roles don't mean successful solutions. Most of the fun comes from divising a plan and out-thinking the DM. The dice is just an abitrator to that end and shouldn't be relied on. And so what if the role is stacked on the side of your friend, as the DM, whether or not he even gets to roll that dice is in your hands.

 

[Swyftstar]

Since his character is obviously on god mode compared to the other players he's gaming with, the DM in this case should either insist on him using another roll set, do something curse or disease wise to limit him or cater the adventure so that you receive a moderate challenge and his god mode character gets separated or singled out by the more powerful enemies. Honestly, it really seems like your DM is at fault here, he's the master for a reason and if lucky dice Dennis doesn't like it he can go break somebody else's game.

 

[Fappy]

Not sure how much you changed the Star Wars system, but Soldiers were always pretty weak against force-based Sith. Fear him. Bye, bye god-character.

 

[Rack]

Sounds like he cheated.

http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=377

In a hundred million rolls that simulation didn't come up with something better than 18,18,18 17, 17, 17

 

[A-D.]

Dear OP: Your friend is a Munchkin. That is really all there is to it. If he can also quote the whole Rulebook from memory without being incorrect once, he is a Munchkin AND Rules Lawyer, if that should be the case, never play with him again.

Your DM should simply revise the difficulty for him and only him, meaning you guys get the usual difficulty with nice loot, he gets teeth-grinding difficulty and a toothpick as weapon, that should fit him.

In any other type of Roleplay Scenario, your friend would be called a Powerplayer or Godmodder, and be shunned by literally everyone except his "own kind" as it were.