[RPG] How should I deal with a player telling other players when and what to roll

dnd-5eproblem-players

I have a player who tells the other players what rolls they should make and when, usurping my role as a DM – they don't try to narrate the story, but do jump in to demand rolls.

For example, in their first session, the players enter an inn and their first course of action was to get wasted. Said player buys a barrel of alcohol, and the party goes to town. Before anything else happens, he tells the player who's most drunk to make a constitution roll "for consciousness"- not exactly a bad call, but unneeded. I proceeded to stick to a "roll with it" attitude and let the roll proceed.

Another example is when the players were attempting to tie rope together to make a longer rope to climb. The troublesome player told the others to roll survival for the sturdiness of the knot. I didn't say anything this time either, because he said what I was going to say word-for-word.

This happens often with dice rolls. I don't know where he got it from, but he's taking control of the game when he doesn't need to. How can I gently remind him that I'm the DM and that he shouldn't tell the other players what to do?

I have talked to him about it, and it seems to be out of habit. The player doesn't want to do anything malicious, but they seem to have an affinity for telling others to roll dice. It doesn't help that he also does so to my reclusive player who doesn't like bad luck streaks (described in “A player 'shuts down' after some bad rolls”).

Best Answer

When he:

Contradicts you

Absolutely unacceptable as a matter of general habit. Talk to him, lay down the position that he needs to accept at least the fact that mid-session, you're the one responsible for adjudicating the rules.

There's some subtlety in how you might want to adjudicate disagreements, but ultimately, mid-session, this is your job.

Says something you disagree with or interferes with you running the game

Disagree with him openly, and see what happens. If he rolls with it perfectly well, there's nothing to do. If he contradicts you, see above. If he doesn't contradict you outright, but this interaction rubs him wrong, discuss this situation with him and phrasings he can use to make this pattern easier. Things such as "Ask the DM if you need to make a check" instead of "make a check".

Says something you were about to say or that you would have wanted to say in retrospect

Roll with it. This isn't a problem. You're getting a free assistant.