This is sort of the TTRPG version of Letters to the Editor.

I’m going to be pulling out some commonly asked TTRPG questions. If you’re familiar with Strong Bad Emails of YouTube fame or Dragon Mail of Dungeons & Dragons fame, this kind of thing will look familiar. This is going to be a series about responding to TTRPG questions in a Letter to the Editor style format.

Questions can be emailed to JeffsGameBox@gmail.com. Please try to keep emails on point and as brief as reasonably necessary. I’ll try to get to them as soon as possible. Please let me know if you want your name included with the question/response.

Some of these articles will be done in the form of parody since I have no actual questions to work with yet. Plus I just want to have some fun with it. I really recommend checking out Homestar Runner on YouTube, btw. Strong Bad is by far my favorite character.

Disclaimer: Statements expressed in this article are strictly my opinion. If you disagree or have a different opinion, that’s okay. I’m not an expert on everything. I’m not always right. I’m just writing from my experience as I know it. Your mileage may vary.

First example:

Stan the Vulture GM writes:
One of my players has clearly been off his prescribed psych meds for a while now. We’ve all noticed his behavior is more and more erratic every time we see him. It’s beginning to affect things both in-game and out. He’s even putting us all on blast with his YouTube channel. What should I do as the GM?  

My response:
Your primary job as a GM is to run the game and keep things running smoothly. If you the GM or the group determine the player is being too disruptive, pull the player aside and give them notice that if their antics continue, they will be asked to leave the session. If the antics continue, ask them to leave. (If things get out of hand or turn violent- call the police immediately.)

If the player is asked to leave DO NOT engage with them again until they’ve had a day or two to cool off. The player in question may come back to the next session as long as they agree to talk to the group about what happened and can work out a solution to ensure it won’t happen again. Otherwise, they’re gone from said gaming group, but they can still be a friend.

I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist. This is not professional mental health advice. This is friend on the Internet advice.

I will say, as someone’s friend, it’s okay to contact the family of your friend who has gone off meds and express some concern about their behavior. It’s a very difficult subject to approach. Explain what’s been going on with said player and cite examples of the erratic behavior. There could be any number of situations going on with someone’s mental health behind the scenes that we don’t see. It’s okay to distance oneself and set boundaries when dealing with other people.

It’s okay to try to help, too. I recommend keeping it out of game, though. Yes, gaming can be therapeutic, possibly even cathartic. However, it is not the responsibility of the GM to manage someone else’s mental health (*Unless that person is under their professional care and/or the game is a group therapy session.)

It’s going to sound dumb but use your best judgement and try not to take it too personally. Try to keep the game separate from the conflict(s) in question. Yes, friendship is valuable, but sometimes other people’s issues can drag us down with them and it’s important to look out for one’s own wellbeing, too.

Second question.

A GM who wishes to be known as One Angry Nerd writes:
I recently posted a video on YouTube about how bad my players suck because they’re always on their phone, never listen to my NPCs, and only pay attention when it’s their turn in combat. All some of them want to do is make fart jokes and eat pizza. Now they’re all mad at me just like the Old School Tabletop Roleplaying Game community (OSR.) They’re all a bunch of liars and hypocrites. How do I find another group now that my reputation is being unfairly dragged through the mud everywhere?
(*Editor’s Note: I edited out all the four letter words and pasted this much of the question back together. The original email was a touch difficult to read with all the extra profanity.)

My Response:

Have you considered possibly finding an online game? I firmly believe there is a right group out there for everyone. Maybe it’s a difference between your game mastering style and their play styles as to why your old group is acting in a way that doesn’t resonate with you.

Otherwise have you considered taking a break from group games and trying a solo game? Almost any system can be adapted for solo play as I have discovered. It can be a quite rewarding pastime if you give it a chance. Maybe give solo play a try until your next group comes along.

If you haven’t completely abandoned your old group, maybe try soliciting some feedback from them. Maybe it’s a difference in opinion or play styles. Maybe some of them need accommodations at the tables to keep them occupied because they have ADHD or something similar. Have you checked in with any of your current group to see what’s on their minds? Maybe the campaign has changed from what was originally presented to them.

If the game is going to break up, try coming up with a new campaign and sending them all the elevator pitch. See if anyone wants to stay and what they would want to change about the current game. Maybe a new group can be built with some old and some new players.

The last thing I want to address is please consider not airing your grievances with the group out on social media, especially YouTube. It might not be helping your monetization efforts if your channel is under 1,000 subscribers and 3,000 watch hours. (Yeah, the struggle is real. I know.) Not to mention players might not be as eager to trust a GM who turns around and berates his players on social media. Scream at the wall, punch a pillow, maybe talk to someone outside of the game who you trust. Dragging the fight out in public will probably just make things worse and then your reputation might grow to be one you don’t want with current and prospective players.

Sometimes I can only give the best advice I know.

None of my answers are ever guaranteed to be 100% perfect. Please take what resonates and leave the rest. I’ve seen a fair share of tough situations both in game and out. There’s always a solution even if it’s not the most ideal outcome.

Be safe. Be kind. Most of all have fun with the game. Everything will work out eventually.

Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.