Player Tips – How to Deal with Confrontation at the Gaming Table

December 22, 2015

Hello gaming enthusiasts. If you are like me you had been playing games for quite a while and confrontation at your gaming table is inevitable. People are people and regardless of how many things in common you might have with your fellow gamers eventually an argument or disagreement will happen.

The hard part is figuring out what to do then. Small things like how has to buy the next round or grab the next bag of chips is small in comparison to the large arguments that can happen. I personally have done table top role playing with over 50 people in my rich history and probably played board games with another 20-30. You see gaming is fun and an important part of my life.

Player Tips for Your Gaming Table

Role playing begins to add even more problems to the situation. You have a players personal life issue compounded by the stress of the situational problems. Over reactions can happen and what should a person do when confronted by a disagreement at the gaming table.

Here is one example that happened at our table years ago. We have one player who in real life is very much against any religion, to each their own. I will call him player 1. The second player, Player 2 is playing a bard. In the setting we are playing Maltritus, the wrathful god of the oceans, demands some kind of tribute to any who go on a sea vessel or bad things tend to happen. Most sailors if they do not worship him pay him lip service and always utter a prayer before boarding the ship. As the party was informed of this one by one they approach the gang plank and utter a quick prayer, even if it is only to utter, Please Maltritus don’t sink us.

Player 2 notices the resolute look on Player 1s face at this and asks are you going to offer a prayer before boarding. Player 1 responds with a terse ‘no.’ Player 2 then uses his bardic charm to force him to actually do it. Player 1 fails his saving throw and threats begin to fly. Neither player is one who controls their temper very well and it gets very ugly for everyone else at the table. Before fists start flying other players step in and help calm the situation.

No one at the table was aware how sensitive Player 1 was about religion and therefore we had no way to predict this outcome. So even when you know your fellow players ask yourself how WELL do you know your fellow players?

Player Tips – Things that could have helped out this situation:

Player 1 could have voiced his opinion to the DM, me, about his sensitivity to this situation. He could have acknowledged that it is just a game and moved on. He could have kept everything in game and moved against Player 2s character later in the game with planned vengeance. He could also have thanked player 2 for a well thought solution to the problem where his own character resoluteness refused to make the choice to do it. Player 1 did not think about the group only his own personal feelings.

Player 2 could have reacted better as well. He could have asked out of game Player 1 can I do this so we do not face hardship while we are at sea and discussed this. Most players are not going to think about this, but it is a possibility. When the other player freaked out, he could have calmly apologized and tried to use logic and let the other player see that he was offering a solution and that it was not an attack against the player or his character.

So from time to time we need to remember that we are gathered for a game and to have fun. Too many times the fun can be ruined by one player or character making a fuss about one thing or another and it really is not worth it. Revel in the story that is unfolding. Enjoy the groups success or failure and in each others company. After all if you are gaming together to some extent you are friends and while the game can and probably will change there is no need to damage a friendship over a game.

Thanks for reading, if it applies to you have a Merry Christmas, if that did not apply have a Happy Holiday Season. Always remember Until Next Tome, Stay Nerdy!