About every other week, a request from a frazzled GM appears in the forums regarding "the murderhobo problem". It is always the same pattern. The gaming group, in part or in whole, is murdering NPCs instead of playing the game. They refuse to follow the plot or take advice. They are a lawnmower of killing. Sometimes the GMs don't know how to fix it. Sometimes the GMs tried something already and it didn't work. The GM and players aren't all having fun, and that is a problem.
The discussions about solutions are always heated. GMs want to punish players for playing the game wrong. Players complain that this is a valid way of playing. GM versus player fights break out. Because of all this misdirected emotion it is sometimes hard to get to the bottom of the problem and how to solve it.
Why is murderhoboing bad? Generally, the answer, is that the gaming group (players and GM) has not chosen to play a TTRPG just to kill stuff over and over again. There are video games for that exact experience. TTRPGs are socially shared storytelling, and stories need more than just mindless killing. They need all of the literary elements that make a good story. When someone posts about murderhoboing, it is because they are unhappy with the mindless killing.
The first line of defense against game problems for a GM is setting expectations. Before players jump into a game, they need to know what the game is going to be about and what social contract is in play. This is where the GM can explain that they are expected to move the plot forward. The GM can also address forbidden topics. Most importantly, the GM can set the playstyle expectations for the game.
My suggestion is to first throw out any expectations of fairness. Fair implies that the players have a chance of winning any fight. The world is a big place. There are lots of opportunities for murderous PCs to start a fight they cannot win. This is the price of player agency. They can start murdering commoners in the middle of Waterdeep. It doesn't mean they are going to escape alive. They can drive a semi off the cliff, if they choose to, and they will die. This world is not safe. It does not mean the GM is out to get them. It means the GM is not their nanny; the world is not their safe little playpen.
Second, throw out PvP and evil alignments, unless you really have a reason not to. I'm not going to address all the intricacies of running evil campaigns here, but needless to say, it is an exercise best left to an experienced GM. PvP and evil alignments are a leading cause of murder hoboing, primarily because players believe that because their players can do anything, without considering consequences. Dumb and evil combined are a problem best avoided in game.
Third, the GM can set a clear expectation for realism. I like realistic games in realistic settings, so I tell my players that the world will react to them. What this ultimately means is that if they help the mayor save the town, the town will love them and the mayor will give them rewards. If, however, they murder the mayor, the town guard will hunt them down, and if they are lucky, imprison them, try them, and execute them. When they murder bad guys, the repercussions may be even more severe. When the players hit, the world, for good or bad, hits back. Without action and reaction, we are back to the railroading video game.
Now, keep in mind that all of this is addressed before the game starts. Murderhoboing is basically off the table at this point, both by the gaming style chosen and the social contract in place. Expectations has been set. Those characters that do murder, kill, and cause mayhem will be facing consequences in game. Still, that doesn't solve the problem.
For the next step, lets discuss murderhobo mentality. Murderhoboing can be a symptom of a couple of things. First, and most likely, it is the natural response to the freedom of playing a roleplaying game where a character can do anything. This is doubly so, if the character is evil. Players want to push their character to do things they can't do themselves. This natural response is fine, if it fits into the game being played by the group. When it doesn't, the GM needs incite the player restraint. This is best done out of game by talking to the player. In game, other players often exert social pressure to for not doing stupid things to get the whole party killed. This, in fact, is how most new players learn.
The second reason that murderhoboism emerges is boredom. I am bored talking to NPCs, solving puzzles, or whatever, so I am going to start combat every chance I get to make the game exciting. When this happens, there are two options. Change the game to keep the player or players engaged. Sometimes this works; sometimes this is futile. If everyone in the group wants to play a different style, it is a no-brainer. When one players is causing the other players and/or the GM not to have fun we have to revert to the other option. Talk to the player to discuss their disruptive behavior, and if necessary, remove them from the game.
A key point is that at no point does the GM punish a player. There is no need for emotion or confrontation. Everyone is at the game to have fun, and when that fails, have a talk and change things. The GM only has the power that the players give, and that is not the power to punish for character actions. Play the game, adjust as needed, and don't let it get personal. If everyone is not having fun, then it is something that has to be fixed. It really doesn't matter who is wrong or right. It only matters that things get fixed so everyone can have fun.
In the end, the game is a success if the players and the GM are engaged and having fun. This can happen a number of ways. Hopefully these tips can help you avoid problems, especially murder hobos, in your game.
The discussions about solutions are always heated. GMs want to punish players for playing the game wrong. Players complain that this is a valid way of playing. GM versus player fights break out. Because of all this misdirected emotion it is sometimes hard to get to the bottom of the problem and how to solve it.
Why is murderhoboing bad? Generally, the answer, is that the gaming group (players and GM) has not chosen to play a TTRPG just to kill stuff over and over again. There are video games for that exact experience. TTRPGs are socially shared storytelling, and stories need more than just mindless killing. They need all of the literary elements that make a good story. When someone posts about murderhoboing, it is because they are unhappy with the mindless killing.
The first line of defense against game problems for a GM is setting expectations. Before players jump into a game, they need to know what the game is going to be about and what social contract is in play. This is where the GM can explain that they are expected to move the plot forward. The GM can also address forbidden topics. Most importantly, the GM can set the playstyle expectations for the game.
My suggestion is to first throw out any expectations of fairness. Fair implies that the players have a chance of winning any fight. The world is a big place. There are lots of opportunities for murderous PCs to start a fight they cannot win. This is the price of player agency. They can start murdering commoners in the middle of Waterdeep. It doesn't mean they are going to escape alive. They can drive a semi off the cliff, if they choose to, and they will die. This world is not safe. It does not mean the GM is out to get them. It means the GM is not their nanny; the world is not their safe little playpen.
Second, throw out PvP and evil alignments, unless you really have a reason not to. I'm not going to address all the intricacies of running evil campaigns here, but needless to say, it is an exercise best left to an experienced GM. PvP and evil alignments are a leading cause of murder hoboing, primarily because players believe that because their players can do anything, without considering consequences. Dumb and evil combined are a problem best avoided in game.
Third, the GM can set a clear expectation for realism. I like realistic games in realistic settings, so I tell my players that the world will react to them. What this ultimately means is that if they help the mayor save the town, the town will love them and the mayor will give them rewards. If, however, they murder the mayor, the town guard will hunt them down, and if they are lucky, imprison them, try them, and execute them. When they murder bad guys, the repercussions may be even more severe. When the players hit, the world, for good or bad, hits back. Without action and reaction, we are back to the railroading video game.
Now, keep in mind that all of this is addressed before the game starts. Murderhoboing is basically off the table at this point, both by the gaming style chosen and the social contract in place. Expectations has been set. Those characters that do murder, kill, and cause mayhem will be facing consequences in game. Still, that doesn't solve the problem.
For the next step, lets discuss murderhobo mentality. Murderhoboing can be a symptom of a couple of things. First, and most likely, it is the natural response to the freedom of playing a roleplaying game where a character can do anything. This is doubly so, if the character is evil. Players want to push their character to do things they can't do themselves. This natural response is fine, if it fits into the game being played by the group. When it doesn't, the GM needs incite the player restraint. This is best done out of game by talking to the player. In game, other players often exert social pressure to for not doing stupid things to get the whole party killed. This, in fact, is how most new players learn.
The second reason that murderhoboism emerges is boredom. I am bored talking to NPCs, solving puzzles, or whatever, so I am going to start combat every chance I get to make the game exciting. When this happens, there are two options. Change the game to keep the player or players engaged. Sometimes this works; sometimes this is futile. If everyone in the group wants to play a different style, it is a no-brainer. When one players is causing the other players and/or the GM not to have fun we have to revert to the other option. Talk to the player to discuss their disruptive behavior, and if necessary, remove them from the game.
A key point is that at no point does the GM punish a player. There is no need for emotion or confrontation. Everyone is at the game to have fun, and when that fails, have a talk and change things. The GM only has the power that the players give, and that is not the power to punish for character actions. Play the game, adjust as needed, and don't let it get personal. If everyone is not having fun, then it is something that has to be fixed. It really doesn't matter who is wrong or right. It only matters that things get fixed so everyone can have fun.
In the end, the game is a success if the players and the GM are engaged and having fun. This can happen a number of ways. Hopefully these tips can help you avoid problems, especially murder hobos, in your game.
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