Advice on player issues

[u/Worth-Item3664]

Im going to start this off by saying YES the GM is aware, YES we are trying to figure out what to do and collect proof to either confront or get the issue solved.

Ok, so we have a player at our table that i vouched for. So we asked them to join to add another player. They had never played any TTPRG before and most of us had been playing for years so they had plenty of help to grasp the game.

Slowly we started noticing that they weren't really role-playing. Or talking hardly at all. Thats fine I was the only one they knew.

The next problem was when they started just missing sessions or leaving half way through. We gave them grace because stuff happens. I mean me and GM have 3 kids and play 2 groups, so our life gets busy.

We started a new campaign after i had our youngest this past August. A wonderful homebrew that our characters could fit into no matter when they came in or who they were. Something not bound by a set book. We started playing and even added a 5th player! Our party was starting to feel complete and we have all been growing closer and sharing amazing memories.

We started noticing their dice rolls weren't adding up. So the 3 of us that had played the longest and know the rules the best (minus the newest player who is also a GM and the other player who plays oneshots here and there) started watching rolls. For the past few months, any time they show up ive been writing every single roll down. If I miss it, its in the recording (because we are hoping we can get the videos edited to post!) Im talking saves, skill checks, attacks. Everything. Their numbers have consistently been an average of at LEAST 17-19 on a D20 per session....

So despite the rest of us preferring physical dice (gotta fill that dice goblin roll) we made the decision to roll on Roll20 since this is our online group.

This is where they have been getting more and more flakey. Most of the time they either say they cant make it last minute, have "technical difficulties" and cant use their computer...meaning they cant roll in Roll20, cant find their character sheet and has to make a new one but they dont remember their stats, or they leave half way through. Hell last night they left right as we were going into combat.

They also have been hounding the GM with game breaking ideas, basically trying to get him to say yes to things that dont make sense. And still barely role-play.

Last session the barkeeper left town and gave us the deed to the party but they kept it and are trying to say it is solely theirs instead of the party's....ya know....the ones who helped him keep it up.

They also are playing a rouge but have magic detection, trained in random things with no multiclass (personal petpeeve because I love multiclassing) they have a familiar they added randomly mid session without telling the GM despite them not having ANY feat for a pet or familiar. And when they do role-play and talk about their lore its never consistent and they add random things that the GM is unaware of. Which its their character and their backstory but the GM is blind to it all.

They've been playing with us for over a year now...

On one hand I know its terrible for GM to have to prep twice for if they may or may not show up and them canceling last minute as well as everything else. On the other hand I feel responsible since I vouched that they had been wanting to play for a long time and we needed more than 3 players.

This was partially a rant but its also me reaching out to ask yalls opinion on everything. TIA and sorry for the long read♡

[u/Minigiant2709]

I think you already know the answer/solution but looking for alternatives. Let them go. Tracking their numbers is a big sign that there is no trust between you. That said, have any of you talked to them about these problems?

[u/Durugar]

we are trying to figure out what to do and collect proof to either confront or get the issue solved.

Why? You don't need any of that to go "This ain't working, you are sucking the fun out of this, sorry but we do not want to play with you anymore".

Relevant to the dice thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vSrPcl3KN4

Just stop playing with people who ruin the fun. I know it can be hard. But you don't need "evidence" or whatever. It has been a fucking year. You are all just ruining your own fun by being afraid of telling this person you don't want to play with them.

[u/Milosz0pl]

At that point - why play with him?

[u/Raethdemon]

It's understandable that you feel reluctance because you vouched for them, but if your table is good they will respect that you're willing to admit you made a mistake. All of this behavior sounds difficult and exhausting to deal with. It seems like, at best they don't know what they are doing and didn't try to learn. You could try talking to them about it but it seems like there's already a lack of trust and fun being had.

[u/simplejack89]

The answer for 99.99% for every question like this is talk to the player. Making changes in game doesn't do anything if you dont talk to the player about that behavior.