Discussing Player Types - The Slayer

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

These players are often mistaken for Power Gamers because they too optimize with the best of them. There are some pretty big differences between the Power Gamer and the Slayer though. Slayers are efficient, focused, and DEADLY!

These players find joy in beating the ever loving snot out of everyone and everything that isn't an ally. Beating the bad guy is a clear, black and white victory for Slayers, and they will do it with terrifying skill. As a result of their need to vanquish the enemy, they will sometimes make choices that may look reckless or not be favorable to get to the action quicker.

I've encountered Slayer players that are the type to beat the baddie to a pulp, succeed in punching teeth out, than ask the villain how they feel about how badly they were beaten before finishing the job. haha Yeah, it was brutal. Some Slayers may not be as "enthusiastic" in their work as others, but you can easily see how these players operate. Beat the bad guy: it's their business, and business is good.

Slayers are even easier to make happy than the Power Gamer. These players love feeling powerful, and having overwhelming presence on the battlefield will put a huge smile on any Slayers face. Let's be honest, who doesn't want to wield a weapon a bit to big for them and get that critical hit that decimates everything in a 10 foot radius?

The Slayer differs from the Power Gamer in another way that is pretty obvious as well. Where Power Gamers will optimize any class to maximize effectiveness, Slayers will optimize too, but will often be more melee focused. They will be the Barbarians, the Fighters, an most importantly, the Paladin! Paladins have incredible burst damage, that Divine Smite makes everyone who uses it feel like a power house! If your Slayer approaches you with a Paladin/Sorcerer build, get ready to crank your monsters HP to max, and than add 30 more, it's that dangerous! But I gonna stop before I get to far off track. haha

Keeping these players happy is pretty self explanatory, they enjoy combat, so give them some great encounters! Oh, and weapons too. The bigger the hit, the more fun to be had! Slayers enjoy being a big deal on the battlefield, but it goes beyond just dealing damage. Crowd control, stuns, elements of limiting your opponents abilities is huge for Slayers, because it puts them in an even higher state of advantage. Why beat the bad guy when you can completely crush them? haha

It goes beyond just weapons though, items can truly be just as helpful and exciting to your Slayer. Frightening Masks, Hypnotic Crystals, Tethering Nets, SIEGE WEAPONS! I did say "not just weapons"... But these are different! Promise! Think about it, how fun is it for your group to work together to successfully operate a ballista or catapult to make that dragon feel the hurt before moving in for an epic fight.

Things to be wary of - Slayers like to flex their power, and that can lead into uncomfortable situations for the group as a whole as well as the DM. I'll just say the player got into using torture and it upset the other players. It was difficult to field. Slayers enjoy feeling powerful, and that was a situation where they had all the power. It got messy for the group, and conversations had to be had. It got resolved, but it put everyone in a spot they didn't want to be in.

Closing Thoughts - Slayers are incredibly powerful, and their focus is deadly. They are truly a force to be reckoned with! They are the player that when you show them a bad guy, be ready, because they may just straight up start swinging! Combat gets their blood flowing, which in turn causes blood to soak the battlefield! These guys are strong, and have a lot of influence in combat. They get bored out of combat though, so be aware of that! No matter how you slice it though, Slayers will destroy every bad guy you throw at them!