From:	Wordman wordman@*******.com
Subject:	Independent Characters
Date:	Tue, 3 Oct 2000 14:23:07 -0400

> >From: "Wordman"
> >
> >This thread originated when someone basically said 'I
> >want my campaign to go this way, but one of my players
> >doesn't.' Most of they responses have been making the
> >assumption that the solution is to somehow 'deal' with
> >the 'problem player'.
> >
> >Then: "Nexx"
> >
> >Actually, Wordman, it's more like a player said "I want
> >the campaign to generally go along with what the GM has
> >in mind" but his character said "No! Fuck you. This is
> >my life, and you can go to Hel."
>
> Thank you, Nexx, that's what I was thinking. Wordman, I think he's right.

Got it. So, the player wants to go along with thing, but the character is
rebelling? The solution to this seems pretty clear to me: let the character
out of the campaign. If it is not in character for a PC to remain in the
campaign, then the _player's_ job is to remove that character from it and
make a new one. If the player cannot be convinced of this, then the player
needs to be removed from the campaign. Since, in this case, the player seems
to want to go along with the GM, I wouldn't think this would be much of a
problem.

There are some compromises as well. The GM might start a mini-campaign with
just that player (on a different night) to see where it leads, while the
player plays a different character with main group.

If the player is overly resistant to abandoning his character, it might seem
cruel to dump him from the campaign, but the way I see it, the player
holding on to a character that doesn't mesh with the group is spoiling the
game for the rest in the group. If one ruins it for many, then, I'm sorry,
but the many must take a priority.