There's A Huge Difference Between Power Players and Cheaters

We all have a story about that one player. You know who I'm talking about. The guy who, through some convoluted formula, can disappear right in front of you, no matter what senses you have. Maybe it's that one girl who, even on a 2, will not only hit the big bad, but chop off a third of his health with a swing of her greatsword. Or it's that one player who, because he's been the DM for so long, always builds characters capable of astonishing feats, so that the rest of you feel like hobbits following Gandalf around.

What do you mean none of you took a specialty in parkour?

Most of us refer to these folks as power players. They know the game like the back of their hands, and they can stack their characters' abilities to ensure that when they tell you they are the most skilled swordsman in the land, or the deadliest rifle marksman, or even the most powerful enchanter, you can believe them. However, too often we use this term as a pejorative. As if people should be ashamed for actually playing a game by the rules. While we shouldn't shame players who lack the knowledge and experience of power players, or who simply choose not to use that knowledge if they have it, the same is true of those who choose to go full Batman from time to time.

You see, power players understand the game. They know which bonuses stack, and which ones don't. They know when they're operating at negatives, and when they don't. They are following the rules the table has agreed upon. There are some players, though, who try to camouflage themselves as power players. They declare with confidence that certain abilities work one way, when they don't. They'll stack bonuses that can't go together, and they'll ignore penalties or negatives when it's convenient for them.

These people are not power players. Call them what they are. Cheaters.

Power Players Obey The Law

Let's create a scenario here. You have two people, both of whom made the same amount of money. Neither of them paid taxes. The first gave to certain charities, kept the receipts from business trips, declared all the tax write-offs he qualified for, and at the end of the year, he legally owed no taxes to either the state, or the federal government. The second person just didn't pay his taxes.

And one of them has committed a crime.

This is the essential difference between genuine power players, and cheaters. A power player achieves their results through game-legal channels. A cheater will bend, ignore, or deliberately misinterpret the rules in order to get the results that they want. And while that kind of cheating is harder to catch than someone who rolls a 12 and calls it a 19, it's a member of the same family.

Now, it's important to mention that we're not talking about honest mistakes here. If someone participates in organized play, for example, they might not realize that the actual rules of the game are different than organized play rules. Alternatively, a new player who wasn't there for your Session 0 might not realize that the way a given ability works at your table is not the way it works by the rulebook's description. Those are mistakes, and everyone makes them. What you're looking for is a pattern of deliberate misuse and misinterpretation.

A Clear Definition

All of this seems pretty cut-and-dried. After all, when you get together to play your RPG of choice, you all agree on what rules to use. Whether it's, "everything as it stands, no 3rd-party books," or "just the core," or, "X, Y, and Z classes and races aren't allowed in this campaign, for reasons," you've set out what rules you're allowing, and not allowing. Players can use any rules they want to build their characters within that accepted rule set.

Even the expanded 3.5 errata.

The whole reason I decided to write this Monday's post, and why it seems like I'm playing the same tune in a slightly different key, is that we all seem to be using different definitions when it comes to our games. You see, several weeks ago, when I posted You Cannot Contain Power Players (So Try Working With Them Instead) one of the most common themes of the comments I saw was that power players couldn't do what they do if they didn't bend the rules. The assumptions, and experiences, of the commenters was that you couldn't do these things in game if you actually held to the rules.

I will admit, there are certain players out there who act that way. Just like there are shyster lawyers who will lie to their clients, the judge, and anyone else in order to win a case, there are players out there who will boldly claim that an ability works one way, even while you're pointing out that it doesn't in the text. In both situations, people are breaking the rules. Actual power players are more like trial attorneys. They have an intricate knowledge of a narrow subject, and they build an argument that is meant to perform a certain function.

And, just like a trial attorney, when you need one on your side, you're really glad to have one.

As always, thanks for stopping by this week's Moon Pope Monday post. If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, then why not stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to leave some bread in my jar? As little as $1 a month gets you some sweet swag, and it helps me keep bringing you the content you want. Lastly, if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, then why not start today?

Crit Confirm is The Place For Gamers Looking For a New Podcast

Finding places that bring together community, information, and fun isn't always easy when it comes to the tabletop gaming community. Forums like Reddit are great for finding a lot of gamers in one place, but it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Facebook groups are another good place to go, but sometimes you have to join five or six groups before you find the ones that are right for you. YouTube channels run by long-time gamers are beautiful for those of us who want to be entertained with amusing shenanigans, or to find just the right combination of abilities for that ideal character build, but they're not all that great for interaction.

Crit Confirm brings you the best of all worlds, and it does it without costing you a single penny.

They don't have silly goats though, so here's one on the house.

I've talked about Crit Confirm before, but the site has gone through something of a phoenix molting since then. The group began with a podcast centered in Indianapolis (Gen Con country has made for some fun casts in the past), and it's since grown and re-organized into a one-stop shop for gamers, movie lovers, and comic book fans.

The site contains articles on a variety of topics, ranging from movie and game reviews to roleplaying and DMing tips. The podcast comes in a few distinct flavors, one of which is D20 Debut where individuals on the show talk about how to best build famous characters, or even real world celebrities like Bruce Lee. There are also gaming videos on their YouTube channel (which is admittedly a bit heavy on the Minecraft), and the main site boasts a forum where gamers of all kinds can meet, greet, and start "spirited discussions" about the things they love best.

This sounds an awful lot like a sales pitch...

In the interest of full disclosure the last time I wrote about Crit Confirm was just to help boost the signal for a group of gamers who are doing their best to provide great content. Since that previous writing though I have become a contributor for the site which has published articles of mine like Tips and Tricks For Making Memorable Towns and the divisive The Sliding Scale of Technology and Magic where I discuss why people lose their damn minds over classes like the gunslinger.

So some of the site's content does bear my name, but if you're a regular Improved Initiative reader then that should just give you an extra push to go check out Crit Confirm for yourself!


Thanks as always for stopping in at Improved Initiative, and if you'd like to support me and my blog then go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page and become a patron today! If you want to make sure you don't miss any of my updates then stalk my social media pages on Facebook and Tumblr while you're at it!