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Player vs. DM: Drinking and D&D, or D&D&D
9 years ago
Gather 'round and let me tell you of the last time I DMed a game with a drunk player at the table. It's an informative tale, I assure you. This is a situation that all new DMs should be aware of. It can happen to you. DMs beware!
Some years ago, I had a group of players that would meet up at my place for the game. It was easier than hauling books around to other people's places. It was also the first year that I was the DM. It was a rather monumental experiment, as I had not played D&D in nearly a decade.
I had a solid group going at the time. It was fairly exciting. It was my first adventure to present to people! Well, the group was solid, all except for one guy. Let me fill in a few details before I proceed. This particular player was involved in an after-work activity known as “hashing”. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, it's a group running activity designed to promote being healthy while having fun and socializing with much food and beer along the way. (And more beer at the finish line... It sounds unusual, I know.) Directly afterward, he'd come over to play D&D. (There was no off-duty driving here. This was on a military base overseas. Everyone walked.)
Needless to say, he was often late. While I don't begrudge players being a half-hour late while partaking in a scheduled event, this event encourages the consumption of alcohol. As a result, some days he'd be 30 minutes late. Some days he would not show up at all. Anytime he did show up, though, he was pretty smashed.
I also don't begrudge anyone that wants to have a couple drinks at the table. I myself tend to have a beer in hand, as it helps me loosen up, talk easier, and get into the improvisation that roleplaying revolves around. But. There are limits. One fateful night, that player clearly stumbled right past them.
An hour late into the game that Friday night, he knocks on the door and comes in. He sits down and we fill him in with what's going on. Well, he points out that he bought some more beer on the way over and asks if he can drink it. I swear everyone else looked at each other like this has bad news written all over it. I ask him, “Are you sure that's a good idea? You've been out drinking like a fish already.” And of course, he assures me he's going to be fine. Well, I don't say no because some of the other players sometimes have a drink at the table. My novice social experience tells me to not single him out.
Fast forward an hour and we're in the middle of the session. Things are well under way and we're getting deep into the game. The drinking player decides he needs to pause for a break and he goes to get up. As he returns, he stumbles over everyone and lands directly on his beer. Stuff is flying everywhere, his beer is soaking books, notes and character sheets, getting all over the carpet and all over himself and other players. It was an unmitigated disaster.
It was chaotic for a good 15 minutes, with one of the other players shouting at the drunk, everyone else running around trying to save sheets and books, and me rubbing my temples. Once we got everything cleaned up to the best of our ability, I think everyone calmed down, but no one was happy. I kept the game going because, as they say, the show must go on. For about a month afterward, the room smelled distinctly of old, warm beer. It was after that event that I decided the heavy drinker would not be permitted to bring beer over anymore. He eventually stopped showing up to the games and I don't think anyone missed him after that very much. We got along just fine without him.
From that point on, it has become a long standing rule in my games that if you partake in alcohol, I don't mind it, but I'll end the game early if people are getting a little too loose. Some things just aren't worth dealing with.
(I sincerely apologize for the lack of postings lately. I have been caught up in college work and spring projects, to include the construction of a workshop for my hobbies. My posting may spread out, but I will try to ensure the quality of the reading does not go down.)
Happy gaming,
fluffygryphon
Some years ago, I had a group of players that would meet up at my place for the game. It was easier than hauling books around to other people's places. It was also the first year that I was the DM. It was a rather monumental experiment, as I had not played D&D in nearly a decade.
I had a solid group going at the time. It was fairly exciting. It was my first adventure to present to people! Well, the group was solid, all except for one guy. Let me fill in a few details before I proceed. This particular player was involved in an after-work activity known as “hashing”. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, it's a group running activity designed to promote being healthy while having fun and socializing with much food and beer along the way. (And more beer at the finish line... It sounds unusual, I know.) Directly afterward, he'd come over to play D&D. (There was no off-duty driving here. This was on a military base overseas. Everyone walked.)
Needless to say, he was often late. While I don't begrudge players being a half-hour late while partaking in a scheduled event, this event encourages the consumption of alcohol. As a result, some days he'd be 30 minutes late. Some days he would not show up at all. Anytime he did show up, though, he was pretty smashed.
I also don't begrudge anyone that wants to have a couple drinks at the table. I myself tend to have a beer in hand, as it helps me loosen up, talk easier, and get into the improvisation that roleplaying revolves around. But. There are limits. One fateful night, that player clearly stumbled right past them.
An hour late into the game that Friday night, he knocks on the door and comes in. He sits down and we fill him in with what's going on. Well, he points out that he bought some more beer on the way over and asks if he can drink it. I swear everyone else looked at each other like this has bad news written all over it. I ask him, “Are you sure that's a good idea? You've been out drinking like a fish already.” And of course, he assures me he's going to be fine. Well, I don't say no because some of the other players sometimes have a drink at the table. My novice social experience tells me to not single him out.
Fast forward an hour and we're in the middle of the session. Things are well under way and we're getting deep into the game. The drinking player decides he needs to pause for a break and he goes to get up. As he returns, he stumbles over everyone and lands directly on his beer. Stuff is flying everywhere, his beer is soaking books, notes and character sheets, getting all over the carpet and all over himself and other players. It was an unmitigated disaster.
It was chaotic for a good 15 minutes, with one of the other players shouting at the drunk, everyone else running around trying to save sheets and books, and me rubbing my temples. Once we got everything cleaned up to the best of our ability, I think everyone calmed down, but no one was happy. I kept the game going because, as they say, the show must go on. For about a month afterward, the room smelled distinctly of old, warm beer. It was after that event that I decided the heavy drinker would not be permitted to bring beer over anymore. He eventually stopped showing up to the games and I don't think anyone missed him after that very much. We got along just fine without him.
From that point on, it has become a long standing rule in my games that if you partake in alcohol, I don't mind it, but I'll end the game early if people are getting a little too loose. Some things just aren't worth dealing with.
(I sincerely apologize for the lack of postings lately. I have been caught up in college work and spring projects, to include the construction of a workshop for my hobbies. My posting may spread out, but I will try to ensure the quality of the reading does not go down.)
Happy gaming,
fluffygryphon
"Roll the dice to see if I'm getting drunk!"
We were usually preteens, with an occasional aunt or uncle in the mix.
Beer and Pretzel gaming is good though!
I usually have him start rolling a d20 the more he drinks, and depending on what he rolls he'll take damage from alcohol poisoning. I think this helps him from not drinking too much irl during the game as well...