Discussing Player Types - The Power Gamer

Welcome to the Corner! It's here that we will discuss the different player types, in particular, the Power Gamer! Understanding your players will only make you a better DM, and that's what this is all about!

Oh man, this player type. I'm going to be honest, most of us out there have a little bit of Power Gamer in us. Regardless of your dominate type, a little bit of power gamer flows through our veins! And that's important, and definitely not a bad thing. If a Power Gamer is your main trait, you're not alone, so don't sweat it!

Power Gamers love one word above all other in the history of forever. "Optimize". These players pour into the pages and pages of content: core books, modules, play test, and even homebrew, all with the goal in mind to be at the peak of their power. These players love to collect powerful items and to loot the foe they have just vanquished to improve their arsenal for the next set of baddies. If this all sounds a bit familiar, guess what, you got some Power Gamer in you!

Accumulating items and growing in levels is a cornerstone of the tabletop world, and Dungeons&Dragons is no different. It feels good to gain a level and unlock that higher level spell slot, or get that extra attack, or rank that ability score to max! Being a little (or alot) of a Power Gamer is perfectly fine, and can sometimes make the job of being a Dungeon Master easier! Its pretty effortless to tempt a player into whatever session you have planned with a nice rumor of loot as your driving incentive. Not sure how to call your players into that Hydra's cave? If you have a player at the table that would enjoy a shiny new Staff of Fireballs, you have your in! Or how about a sword that resembles a phoenix that grants Resistance to Fire and Ice Damage (Unknown to all but you that the blade has a morbid past and a powerful curse! See MagicItemMonday for some more ideas on good loot!) to help lure that player into the Siren's underwater cove? The great thing about Power Gamers is that they are easy to please. If it's big and powerful, they'll want it.

These players are drawn to combat, and prefer it over role playing or puzzle solving situations. Rolling dice is very fun, and rolling big dice with big numbers is huge for the Power Gamer, and as a DM, it's very easy to satisfy these desires. The best ways to keep these players excited is to throw something unusual their way, give them a One and Done item that lets any and everything happen all at once.

You will find a ton of information on character and class guides that are completely focused on optimizing. "What's the best way to play X, the best race to play it with X, the best feats, background, sub-classes, mathematical averages for damage, etc." It can be overwhelming at times, but I'll be honest, I've jumped into consuming that content from time to time. That's how my boy Grit was born... Half Orc Fighter with 20 Strength at level 1! He's a beast! But I've changed as a player and a Dungeon Master, and discovered that I'm much more an Actor than anything else. But hey, maybe there is someone out there that grows and becomes a great Power Gamer, and more power to you!

Things to be wary of - Power Gamers get a bit obsessed with optimizing and being as powerful as possible, they want to be able to do it all: swing the biggest weapon or cast the best spell. It gets dangerous, and you as the DM have to foot down on occasion. A lot of conversations I've had starts out of game with a "Hey, I found X on this website, can I try it?", and I'll look at X and see that it's a bit COMPLETELY INSANE for what I'm running... So, sometimes, you have to say "No, you can't be a werewolf/vampire hybrid that deals 3d6 of all damage types just because you flexed an earlobe at level 1...".

Closing Thoughts - Power Gamers are a value in their own right, and like we've established, almost all of us have a little Power Gamer in us. They want to be effective, formidable, and be a presence on the battlefield. These players can be relied on to seek the loot, to go for the reward, and use everything they can to secure the win.

Power Gamers can take on nearly any form as far as classes, but you can bet they will pick the most powerful way to play it! They will even throw some classes that you may have to research on your own in order to understand it. If your table is casual and in it just for the crazy adventure, then these players will be a good fit! If you're a bit more of a serious DM that likes the role play, exploration, or puzzle solving aspects of the game, these guys will get restless. But like we discussed, give them the rumor of nice, shiny loot, you got yourself a powerful ally!