Free Form Fever: When Players Run Wild

Via Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson

I want to take some time to talk about a strange anomaly I have noticed crop up when a player is brand new to tabletop RPGs. Some, but not all, players will fall prey to this condition when presented with the freedom of choice and action found in pen and paper gaming. I call this phenomenon Free Form Fever.

F.F.F. occurs when a player who is used to video games or other media is presented with the total freedom that comes with the tabletop. Their first instinct is to test those boundaries. This often results in them making a series of seemingly nonsensical decisions right off the bat. "I can do ANYTHING?" they muse. Then they test that idea out. The most common way I have seen players do this is by acting out. They will play their character as belligerent or corrupt. They will pick a fight with an NPC for no reason. They will choose to take blatantly evil actions for no good reason. 

Another category of Free Form Fever results in players trying to deliberately de-rail a game or purposely playing to lose. These players want to test the resilience of the DM, out of sheer curiosity. What if I choose not to save the princess? What if I refuse to leave the safety of the town? Such players might choose to turn the game into a farce, gawping and guffawing while they fail to accomplish anything useful. 

Why does this happen? Most often it is because they have never imagined a game that is so unrestricted and subject to the whims of their own imagination, so their first instinct is to try things that they wouldn't normally be allowed to do. (These players will often be initially drawn to evil or nefarious characters for this reason.)

Fortunately, this doesn't mean that they will keep playing like this forever. I have seen a lot of players start out this way and mellow out over time. They just need to come to the inevitable realization: This style of play just isn't that much fun. There is much more enjoyment to be gained by facing and overcoming the challenges of the campaign, by playing a character with complex motives and behaviors, and by engaging personally with their fellow players. It's just up to the group to help them realize this.

Via Animaniacs, Warner Bros.

Patience is key. I implore DMs not to give up on players who start out poorly. Allow them to work through these early stumbling blocks. Show them that their character's actions have consequences, and keep presenting them with the opportunity to move on and progress, Of course there may be some cases in which a problem player might not work in your group (which is why I encourage screening players for compatibility with your group before inviting them in) but in many cases, it's just a simple case of The Fever.

The biggest challenge of facing this issue is to not take it personally. The player is simply making a rookie mistake and following a style of play that they think will be the most fun for them. Their fellow players may or may not feel the same way. You may have to devise ways for them to work around the feverish player's antics. Keep in mind that the majority of the party may choose to veto a rambunctious players' antics if it is not in the party's best interest. In this case, your main goal should be to make sure it is all fun and games without hurt feelings or emotional distress. You may just have to play baby-sitter for a bit.

Above all, don't punish the players out of spite. Allow them to suffer consequences for poor or reckless action, but don't put yourself in an adversarial position against them. If they cross any boundaries that you feel will cause your play group to feel uncomfortable, it is time to take a time out and handle the problem outside the game. Otherwise, just keep patiently working with the player until they are ready to settle into the game.

Not everybody starts out with a knack for playing and interacting with a tabletop gaming group. Don't dismiss anybody out of hand because of it. Watch and wait, and these players just might surprise you. Yesterday's yokel might just become tomorrow's heroic adventurer. And that would be a satisfying journey for both player and DM alike!

Happy ventures!