RPG The Jack Traven Doctrine

R.P.G. (Ransack People's Gold) is the tale of four D&D/Star Wars/RPG players and their DM, who wishes he were a player. These intrepid players are, from left to right:
Kenneth, the over-achieving, yet under appreciated DM.
Adam, the guy who has a theater background but needs a girlfriend.
Barry, the munchkin power-gamer with a bad case of arrested development.
Josh, the straight-laced guy who just wants to play the game.
Kassi, Josh's homicidally-minded younger cousin, whom he regrets inviting.

A few weeks ago I got the privilege of watching another DM make a boneheaded calculation in negotiations with the party. Years ago, I learned the hard way that desperate/angry PCs tend to make very aggressive decisions that do not look like what your typical action movie hero does. I had to explain to this DM that angered players are always one poor scene choice away from uttering Captain Ahab's famous line, "From Hell's heart I stab at thee." As a player I have had PCs shot the hostage, murder "untouchable" villains in broad daylight, and detonate explosives on their own persons when the DM has so graciously provided my character means, motive, and opportunity with no reasonable (to the character) alternatives. As a DM you must realize that hope and the threat of additional loss are the only thing that can keep most players from going Liam Neeson on you. Remember, the dramatic death of a character is hardly loss to that PC when he kills the man who is trying to destroy the world, orphaned him, and most importantly destroyed is prized weapon.