Part Two of "How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Players"

I'm gonna try to make this a thing I do, since some folks out there actually read blogs; hopefully my experience with roleplaying and game-mastering will be able to help others develop themselves and their characters into dramatic powerhouses... or, at the very least, something more fun than it may already be.

In the second installment, I'm gonna address a big one: dealing with Mary Sue characters.

A Mary Sue, for those who haven't heard the terminology, is a character that is so very powerful that they unbalance a game, in many cases simply by being there. They have ungodly amounts of power, are well-nigh invincible, and usually tend to try to make an RP completely about how awesome they are.

Sadly, many of them don't even realize how LAME they truly are.

Characters have flaws; it's a part of life. NO ONE is perfect, which is a portion of the reason they make these characters - to be the surrogate avatar of perfection they wish to be themselves. Though that might sound cool, in practice it's a total MESS. Mary Sues tend to ruin fun for everyone else because they're too busy trying to have their OWN fun; a good RP is about SHARING the spotlight, not stealing it every chance you get.

DEALING with a Mary Sue can always lead to headaches and TONS of butthurt, but I can give you a few ideas to ponder about how to work them down to an acceptable point.

Now, I will state that the techniques I'm going into here are for dealing with MATURE people; when dealing with children and immature morons, all bets are off.

The Situation [cue suspenseful music]:

You've had an RP going for a while, and folks enjoy it. In the OOC Thread, you converse with someone who says they'd like to try, and you agree... but instead of adding a character rich with RP possibilities, they instead add a Mary Sue that begins PROMPTLY sucking all the fun out of the story for everyone else, causing people to complain and threaten to leave.

Solutions [heroic trumpet-laden fanfare]:

First and foremost, remember that it's YOUR game; you have every right to toss them out unceremoniously on their asses if they think they'll just take over the RP from you - and staff will back you on it, if need be. Don't put up with RPirates.

That being said, a true mark of a Damn Good DM is how they deal with Mary Sues. There are a few ways to do this, and if you're lucky? The player will see their OP-ness hanging out, and will try to put it away before anyone else has to see it... just like college.

What about this: FIRST AND FOREMOST, TELL THEM. Believe it or not, most players with Mary Sues don't even realize they HAVE one; they'll tell you, 'oh, no - I'm not invincible; you just have to get through the magic shield, the inches-thick armor, the Danger Sense and the spell that makes them immortal... then they can be killed'. Look, let me break reality down for you Mary Sue types: If there are more than TWO steps required to make your character hurt (physical, mental OR spiritual), then there are TOO MANY SAFEGUARDS - ditch some, and we'll talk. Bottom line, folks: COMMUNICATE with your player and tell them that their character is OverPowered, and they should tone it down. If they listen, great! If not, well... that's what the other suggestions are for.

What about this: Work the character into an important position that requires self-control. Oh, that Mary Sue is simply doing whatever the Hell they want to, with no semblance of control? Then GIVE them something to keep them occupied, like a shiny new position of importance. Maybe, since this character is so powerful, they are charged with the safety of a group of children? A baby? A delicate pet? Make it seem like a BIG responsibility, and keep them active with it. Don't give them time to think - just like REAL children. You can keep them juggling for as long as you want to, but make sure to toss some NPC praise at them every now-and-again for maintaining control.

What about this: Steer them into the parts of the RP that can handle it. You've got the equivalent of the Mane 6, but the Mary Sue is trying to be Celestia, Luna AND Discord, all at once. The power levels are WAY out of proportion, and your players are getting peeved. Well... if the Mary Sue wants to play, then send them to the proper ballpark. They wanna rival alicorns? Let them meet alicorns and start a frigging fight - as long as it's away from the rest of the group, it won't bog THEIR plot down with the MS's posturing.

What about this: Give 'em a taste of their own medicine. That Mary Sue is quite a bastard/bitch to deal with, aren't they? Well, if your players feel the same way, then perhaps turnabout is fair play after all. Gather a consensus with the other players FIRST and let them know your plans ahead of time; they'll appreciate the heads-up, and they'll probably be looking forward to seeing the MS get theirs. Then, create a new NPC - and make it better than ANYTHING the MS can do, effectively showing them what it's like for everyone else to play with their MS. This option comes with a warning, however - make SURE your other players are okay with this first. If you simply toss another OP character into the mix without warning, they'll assume it's how you want the story to go... and will probably quit. Plus, if you do this - STAY LEVEL HEADED; Mary Sue players tend to pitch a fit when this option is used on them, so there's no need to make it worse with petty arguments; just do it long enough to make your point, then exit the OP NPC, stage right.

What about this: Give the other characters the win. The Mary Sue is making your players feel useless? Well, then give your players a situation where ONLY a non-OP character can succeed - and feel free to fudge it as much as you like. The Mary Sue tries to vaporize the villain? Nope - that was a clone; the REAL villain is in hiding, and they won't deal with ANYONE... except the other characters. The MS is monopolizing the thread? Then have the entirety of conversation happen through a telepathy spell... that the MS isn't invited into. Keep it up, and they'll either take the hint and change, or leave. Both work just fine.

Oh, and the bottom line? If all else fails, then toss 'em.

You're trying to have fun with other REAL roleplayers, and you DO NOT have to put up with immature, overbearing and selfish players. If you can't fix the problem, then DITCH THEM. If you have a massive missive to write to them about their behavior, do it in a PM to them; on the OOC Thread, keep it classy and simply state that they are being removed from the RP. Don't bring drama to the OOC; just inform the players of the change, and PM the Mary Sue gamer your issues.

Nobody likes Mary Sues... hopefully, this will help those players to straighten up and put their OPness away.