In a couple of different groups that I've played with, there is one player who takes more than their fair share of loot. Is there a good way to deal with this?
Group 1 is a homebrew campaign that is online. In this group I am one of the players. The sorceress took multiple magical cloaks. Obviously, she cannot wear multiple cloaks at the same time. Instead of giving the unused cloak to one of the other players (who do not all have cloaks), she put the unused cloak in her pack. Later, she essentially destroyed the extra cloak to use as scrap fabric. This character also claims magic items (they will literally say "gimme gimme") that are clearly meant for other classes. This character also hides in combat and contributes the least (although in their defense the player has really bad luck when rolling dice).
Group 2 is in person. In this group I am the DM. In the last session, the cleric took ALL of the treasure – a wand of secrets, two potions of healing, and two silver daggers. The cleric did not share the wand or the potions, even though the warlock was the one who identified the wand. The cleric did finally share one of the daggers, but only when the group encountered a lycanthrope, and even then only with the husband's character.
As a player, I want to distribute the magic items in the way that benefits the group. Ideally, that distribution would also be fairly even.
As the DM, I want all of my players (not just one) to feel that they are receiving a fair share of the loot. At the same time, I don't feel comfortable stepping in and divvying their loot up for them.
Note: This is Fifth Edition, so magic items are less common than previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons. Both are home games, not Adventurers League organized games.
Each group is a circle of friends. I don't believe that the issue in either group has escalated to the point where I would exclude a player.
I've so far discussed the issue with only one of the players (my fiancee, who has played in both groups). Based on the answers below, I should discuss with other players as well.
Edit: I've played with someone before who I did believe made the game toxic. I don't consider either of these players to be toxic. The 1st scenario is more about improving my personal enjoyment of the game. In the 2nd scenario, I am actually concerned about players being less engaged in the game. I believe that the group as a whole will be more engaged, if they are encouraged to "share" the loot.
Best Answer
There are two things I'd advise here:
Talk in character:
If there is a greedy character in a group, who takes all the items and never shares, the natural thing is that sooner or later, their companions will comment on that and discuss this with them.
Since some groups consider any kind of intra-party friction to be anathema to the play style, you should start such a conversation being extra polite, even if it's not quite in character. Let them know that that the other characters are not okay with this behaviour. Ask the character to explain their motivation in being that greedy. (While it might be unlikely, one should never automatically assume the player knows their character's behaviour is frowned upon).
Should the character refuse to share, even after an discussion, you should as player make sure that you don't respond too extremely to this refusal. This is not only to prevent out-of-game animosity, but also to stay in character: Would your character really try to stab the greedy guy in the dark just to get a magical cloak?
When it comes to splitting up magical items, make sure to not go into a "loot screen" where things are discussed on a meta-level. Consider the fact that the characters are literally standing somewhere, with a pile of treasure, and probably are discussing that problem of dividing up the spoils just like you players are. So don't feel bad for speaking up when one character grabs all items before the others have a chance to react: This is actually in character.
If the in-character dispute does not result in a good solution, including things like characters no longer wanting to adventure with the greedy one, then it is time to
Talk about it out of character:
After a session, bring up the topic for discussion. Be polite, don't accuse, but state your opinion. "Your guy keeps stealing all the stuff" is confrontational and will not endear the problem player to hearing you out. "I'm not happy that your character took both potions today" is better, because they can't dispute your feelings. Ask them for their viewpoint and motivations, and don't dismiss their opinions as invalid.
Make sure to involve everyone at the table, not just yourself and the one you consider a problem. See what the group opinion is. Maybe the others don't care, but maybe they do, and just haven't spoken up yet, either.
Probably, there is some kind of basic misunderstanding about the kind of game that is being run. Maybe the player doesn't consider the whole game as cooperatively as the other players. Maybe they consider acquiring everything as their "win" condition.
Try to find some kind of compromise. If it doesn't work out, then follow the adage "No roleplay is better than bad roleplay" and split the group in some way. If the group consensus is that the greedy player is the problem, they should be excluded. If you find yourself isolated in the discussion, it will probably be time to find a new group.