I need DM advice with a player I have. He want a to make his player this OP Jon Snow Mary Sue and like whenever I give his character challenging objectives he just lets other players do it and now is whining that his character is boring cause he doesn't do anything. When I give him so many opportunities. Also he is always on his phone playing on apps. He honestly makes me want to quit the campaign. Like I'm not gonna my campaign the story of his character but ugh
Can I just say, this reminds me of a player I had in my campaign, minus the Jon Snow/Mary Sue aspects. To put things bluntly, I kicked them out (so I apologize for my bias in this situation). But let me go into more specifics and offer some solutions.
First, here’s my take on the situation. Having a Jon Snow character that is incredibly uninteresting and not very nuanced can be very very dull and boring to run for. I’ve seen/run for a couple of characters like that. There is really only one thing you CAN do in this situation, and that’s give them interesting objectives and opportunities to let their character grow. Which, you are literally trying to do. So honestly in this situation I think you’re doing everything you can while at the table. But the problem here is that your player is refusing to play along and evolve their character. It’s like in improv (which tabletop games are in some regards) but the person you’re trying to improv with just keeps saying, “Nah.” That’s just bad roleplay and probably a bad attitude. And that’s even more evident by the fact that your player is avoiding everything you lay out before him and then being an ass by complaining and going on his phone instead of playing the game.
I’d also say the fact he’s playing on his phone and actively ignoring the game is already a HUGE problem in itself, and I’d say is worth kicking out a player. And on top of the other stuff? Yikes.
But for the sake of fairness, let’s assume this person isn’t trying to be an ass while playing and is just not having fun. How do we help them have more fun if they keep saying, “Nah I’m good”? Well first and foremost, they need to actively choose to participate and have fun. That’s on them. So we need to communicate with this player and let them know that running for them is frustrating and ruining your experience. How you choose to approach this is up to you, but I believe this could be helpful.
Second, I’d offer them some solutions. Reiterate you are attempting to give them chances to play and they need to participate or else they shouldn’t be playing in your game. Another solution could be having your player start a brand new character. This can honestly be a really great way to get them back into the action if they are just not having fun with their current character. Trying out a new class could change the entire experience for them and allow them to be more engaged.
Now, there’s a good chance they’re going to Jon Snow/Mary Sue it up again. And if they’re playing and actively participating, even if it’s a bit lame I’d say let them have their fun (as long as it doesn’t ruin your fun or anyone else’s fun). One day they might branch out and have more developed characters or even later down the line evolve this one by becoming a dynamic character rather than a static character.
However, if those things don’t seem to be working out… I’d say kick them out. I don’t have time for players who refuse to play the game and generally disrespect me. You’re a DM, you put a lot of time and effort into your campaigns. If the player doesn’t get that, that’s just not gonna fly. I hope you find the best solution because having a player experience that is so bad you want to quit is… Awful. Good luck and feel free to let me know how things go!
