Player wants to play their one favorite character and nothing else, but that character can't work in this setting

Question

I'm a helper DM for a West Marches style of game, using a heavily homebrewed setting and mechanic set.

One of our prospective players has a character concept that simply cannot work with the setting at all, mostly due to being from other settings (and thus implying dimensional travel and setting crossovers that we're not comfortable with, even without knowing what those other settings are).

• Trying to talk them into adapting the character to this setting without the external attachments and backgrounds was rejected because the character 'wouldn't be worth playing without them'.
• Naturally, I suggested they try a different character concept, but their response was that they only have any interest in playing this one character and do not want to play what they call "a throwaway character".
• I suggested that they find a different game in which they could play this character, but their response is that they want to play in this game.

I am at a loss here. I won't be budging and allowing the original concept, but they're also not budging on any of these three points. I could ultimately tell them to get lost until they have another concept, but that's a last resort, as I'd rather convince them to try a new concept here.

Those of you who have dealt with this particular type of player, how did you get them to try a new concept?

Answer 1

Understand their underlying motivation

Like in every negotiation, often one of the most powerful things you can do is to understand the real, underlying needs of the other party. It is not uncommon that the demand differs from the actual need, and if you can figure out a way to satisfy the real need, you can find a solution that works, even without fulfilling the original demand.

That said, my read on the situation here is that this player is way too invested into their character, and primarily cares about playing that exact character to make them more powerful (this is based on the comment of not wanting to play a "throwaway character"); they seem to have no interest in your actual world, and I suspect the reason they want to play in your "West Marches" style game is just that: because it is an open format they can run their PC in and gather more XP and power for them. And maybe you are a bit too eager to have someone, anyone, join your game.

So I would ask them why they are so interested in playing in this campaign? If they are not caring about the world and how their PC fits, why do they want to play there in the first place? And, probably, count my blessings to say "Sorry, this does not work", if it turns out they really are not interested in the game at all, and will turn out to be a problem player all about their character.

Answer 2

“I’m here for the basketball tournament” ... “Sir, this is the table tennis club.”

This is basically the conversation I’m hearing. You and the rest of the group have showed up to play one sort of game, and this person is here to play a different game. And just as it would be incredibly rude for me to bring a basketball to the table tennis club meeting and expect everyone to play basketball instead of table tennis, it is incredibly rude to try to force one sort of character into a roleplaying game where it doesn’t belong.

So just tell them:

This is the table tennis club, please leave your basketball at home.

This is the game and setting we are playing, these are the sorts of characters that are allowed, please leave characters that are not appropriate for the game and setting at home.

I don't think anyone reading your question can tell you how to convince them to budge. You can't make people do things they don't want to do, so offer them the alternatives that you find agreeable, and let them make the decision to either play or walk away.

As a final note, it was pointed out in comments that we might be able to refine the analogy further. Enkorvaks offered the example of bringing a bowling ball to a basketball game and insisting everyone else play basketball with the bowling ball. Or, to continue with the disruption of the table tennis club, imagine bringing a basketball and expecting everyone else to play table tennis with the basketball. We cannot bring inappropriate equipment or materials to a game and expect others to allow us to play with them using that equipment. You bring appropriate equipment or you don't play.

Answer 3

"I'm afraid this is not a good fit and I wish you luck finding a game that suits you better."

I would strongly advise you to let the player go. Be polite but tell them firmly that they will not be playing in your game. They are being problematic even before the game starts, I can guarantee that if you yield here and let them play the character, they will find more things once the game starts that they will refuse to budge over.

About the only job players have is making a character that works within the setting that the DM wants to run and this player flat out refuses to do this and rejects any solution you suggest without suggesting any of their own. People like that who refuse to compromise are not good players. Kick them from the game and be glad you dodged a bullet.

Answer 4

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out”

This player has trouble written all over them. Tell them to move along and consider yourself fortunate to have avoided them. Write their name in your little black book so you remember to keep avoiding them.

Your table, your rules - a player who can’t understand that isn’t welcome.

Whenever I start a new table, I always have bans precisely so I can screen for this type of player. “No gnomes, no artificers, no crossbows” - a player that says “why” instead of “ok” can move along. Ok, to be fair, a player that persists in saying “why” after I explain “because I’m the DM and they don’t fit my world concept” is out.

Answer 5

Is the problem some backstory or theme of the character that does transfer well? or just the knowledge that they "exist" somewhere else?

The former you'd just have to say no. That's like rocking up with a Jedi to a star trek game. Unless it was some casual, mad, fun game it would ruin the theme for the rest.

But the later case, are they able to be an identical clone and their backstory exists in this universe not the other? No dimension hopping required. Just like you can have humans exist in two different settings, no issue you can have a character exist in two. That's kind of how alt-history settings work as well same person different world. Does the other worlds exist as far as this world is concerned? Who knows? who cares, if there is no travel?

End of the day if they aren't flexible at even minor backstory changes then that shows they care nothing for your world's setting, so suggest they go join their old game or solo DM in their own world.

Answer 6

Have them be a reincarnated isekai

Their character's real soul has been reincarnated in a local version. There's no way to travel back and forth, and no access to the other plane or any magic from it. They can play their original character, and when they die, can return to their original setting.

If any other DMs in other games wish, they might carry back with them loot or magical powers.

Tell them that delusions of there being other worlds are punished harshly

If they talk about their old setting they'll be seen as mentally ill by NPCs, so they need to pretend to be a native of the world while around NPCs, and perhaps around players.

This means they can feel like the same person without any actual need to act like such a person in public. I've found this has helped people who aren't that creative and want to play the same person everywhere.