Editing Powergamer (section)

=== In Roleplaying ===

Kill them.

Being the GM of a party with a munchkin/powergamer can be quite tricky, since it can radically unbalance the group in many situations. For example, if he's somehow got himself infinite ''(figuratively speaking)'' armor-class then introducing a hard hitting counter to him could be absolutely devastating to the rest of the group if they aren't also powergamers.

Best thing to do would be to speak to them away from the gaming table and discuss winding it back a notch, or at the very least concentrate his powergaming efforts onto just one thing in particular and stop being a do-it-all [[Mary Sue]]. Unless your powergamer is a dick you may find that this works best and keeps tears to a minimum.

Failing that, you can always read their character sheet to see precisely what will work against them, though this may require a lot of work on your part to piece it all together. The unkillable party tank may be weak against compulsions or fear effects, or the god-like wizard becomes useless in a magical dead-zone or wild-magic area, which would force him and the party to come up with more creative solutions rather than "throw the powergamer at it"

If that doesn't work or if you cannot find an easier solution, then a stern reminder is in order. A powergamer is beholden to the rules of the game, even if he twists them to his own advantage to create something more powerful than the sum of its parts. A good GM is, but <u>a bad GM is not</u>. Still, When dealing with a fun-sucking powergamer, it's not bad GMing, it's <u>saving the fucking game</u>. You are the Neo to the gamer's Agent Smith and you can invent things on a case-by-case basis to give the powergamer a spanking. 

:''Unkillable PC Barbarian? Meet the "actually" unkillable barbarian with axe of instant death, he kills you but the party's weak-ass rogue could one-shot him to death by stabbing him in the neck. That's not in the rules you say? I'm the GM and can rationalise whatever I like in the world I built. That's not fair you say? Did you really think I'd let you walk over my game every week? [[Oberoni_Fallacy|Is that you Oberoni?]] - said the GM, before getting a chair in the face.

Can be harsh, but if your GM style is not harsh in the the first place ''(i.e: anything other than Killer GM)'' then your players should have realised that powergaming was absolutely unnecessary in the first place and that there isn't really a "winner" in a game that only goes on as long as the GM can be bothered putting up with you guys.

Of course the other side of the coin is definetely worth remembering as well. There is only going to be a game as long as people find it fun. And being rail-roaded by a DM and his army of NPCs who are better at everything than the PCs because they use magical DM powers that let them ignore the rules isn't fun, so you probably won't have players for long. This holds especially true when it's done because the DM couldn't be bothered enough to actually make encounters that would be challenging for the group as a whole without ignoring the rules (when all he had to do was use his brain and target the big dumb guy with the huge sword with a "mental" spell.)

So all in all it's very important to look at what's going on and TALK to people about any problems that are perceived. If both parties are willing to actually listen in an attempt to understand and NOT just waiting their turn to respond, then you can almost always find a solution (unless one or both are petty cunts).