Different player types hogging the spotlight?

So I realized something was happening at our table that I would like to deal with, but I just don't think it's possible because no one is actually doing anything wrong or unusual.

I have 2 players that are the exact opposite gamers. One is a powergamer/optimizer who likes to read D&D crunch and focuses heavily on combat. The other is a casual gamer that doesn't care to read much outside of the game, doesn't really like combat, but really enjoys roleplaying and social interaction with NPCs.

I enjoy roleplaying a lot myself, but I've been focusing heavily on hack-n-slash with this group because no one really roleplays with my NPCs. But I'm missing the verbal interaction and I can tell I'm getting really rusty at it. Plus, I think the casual gamer needs more roleplaying opportunities.

Players have told me that a lot of the time they don't understand what the plot is in an adventure even after they complete it. I've explained that in order to understand things, they gotta talk to NPCs rather than kill them on site every single time. So this last adventure I was trying to remember to do more NPC dialogue when the PCs encountered them. I haven't had much luck striking up a conversation with the PCs and I'm beginning to feel lame trying. Then our last encounter over the weekend was the "boss" encounter. I assumed this was going to be my chance to do some good roleplaying, let the casual roleplayer do some roleplaying, and hopefully the players would understand the BBEG plot this time.

They step into the room and see the BBEG. The BBEG tells them to 'go away and leave his treasure alone unless they are interested in buying his wares from him' (he's sort of a merchant). The powergamer was already trying to interrupt me to let me know he's attacking. I ignored him until I could finish my dialogue. Then the casual gamer tries to ask the BBEG what his asking price is for his wares and as soon as he replies with his price, the powergamer interrupts me again to tell me he's casting a spell. So I tell everyone to roll initiative.

It was late so we ended up stopping the game at that point because the battle could take awhile. But the powergamers hack-n-slash gameplay is starting to grind on me. It wasn't a problem before because most of the group prefers combat...but I'm also needing to cater to my interests and I feel bad for the casual gamer who hasn't been getting any enjoyment out of the game lately.

I don't think the powergamer is doing anything wrong because he sees a fight happening sooner or later and he just wants to get to it (like so many gamers do). But if I can't even have a conversation in game with the 1 guy that can clear up any confusion with the players, then I don't know what else to do. I place letters as treasure to give away bits of the plot, but I need some roleplaying interaction too!

What are your thoughts?

XP penalties for ignoring plot.

Make them want to know why they are killing things.

that's all I got...

Talk to the player(s) and let them know that you have an important story coming up and your concerned they'll miss out if they continue their hack and slash ways and you'd appreciate them calming down a bit for a while just to try it out.

If that doesn't work try putting most of the BBEG's treasure in a place only he knows about. The only way to get it from him is by talking / beating / interacting with him.

It's harsh but after killing the head of the cult of the golden dragon and getting the 27 gold in his pocket and a letter saying something like, "Yeah boss we got the rest of that priceless treasure stored away in the secret place you told me about." they'll (hopefully) be a little slower off the draw.

It's better to talk it out since they might very well assume your penalizing them for playing the way they want to play but you gotta have your fun as well.

You could also make some ambiguous situations where jumping in sword first could have bad consequences. (doppelgangers etc.) or situations you just can't handle with combat. Try making your roleplayer a diplomat with his party as his bodyguard. Maybe some spies (who can be crushed in combat to satisfy everyone's bloodlust ) and a diplomat who can't be killed without bringing some seriously bad mojo down onto the own kingdom and has to be dealt with differently.

Anyhoo just some ideas. Good luck!

werk said:

XP penalties for ignoring plot.

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Instead, how about plot penalties for ignoring plot. Maybe the town guards are walking by when they begin to attack the "innocent merchant." If they attack and wipe out the town guards, make sure there are plenty of bystanders noticing it and passing the word.

At the very least make being in town uncomfortable. At the most (assuming they continue the pattern of activity), have them actively hunted by the law of the land. If they are constantly dealing with towns realizing who they are and running them out of town, dealing with bounty hunters and dealing with troops hunting them down then they might get the message.

There is no tactical advantage to shouting "I attack now! Now! Now!" the moment a target is in sight.

There are huge potential disadvantages to attacking the wrong person.

A good mystery creates ambiguity about who is a bad guy, at least in the outset. Create NPCs who have important information about motivations of others.

Glyfair said:

have them actively hunted by the law of the land. If they are constantly dealing with towns realizing who they are and running them out of town, dealing with bounty hunters and dealing with troops hunting them down then they might get the message.

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I guess it's easy to figure this player out huh?

Three town guards found him looting a bad guy in the street after he killed the guy. The guards asked for a bribe to keep their mouths shut but he instead killed them :\ There was no roleplaying on his part...he just attacked them.

So now he's a wanted man (he doesn't know yet) and I will be introducing new bounty hunters pretty soon. So he has the captain of the guards hunting him & there will be several bounty hunters hunting him. I'd say I could get some good roleplaying scenarios out of it but I'm sure it'll end up being pure hack-n-slash.

Oryan77 said:

I'd say I could get some good roleplaying scenarios out of it but I'm sure it'll end up being pure hack-n-slash.

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Well, you could just put him in an overpowering situation where he has no choice but to talk, or die. Of course, what that situation is depends on the level and type of character.

Actually, I put this "slippery slope" path in because I expected other objections from some. "What if he kills everything?" Just keep the pressure where you want it. If you want it to stop, don't be afraid to build up to a "dead end." If you just want pressure on him, apply as much as feels right.

werk said:

XP penalties for ignoring plot.

Make them want to know why they are killing things.

Click to expand...

Or go the other way. Give them XP bonuses for identifying plot points. The first few times you do this, tell them straight out that if they can figure out X they'll get Y bonus XPs. When/if they start getting the hang of things stop being so obvious and just tell them when they've achieved the bonus.

"You got the BBEG to tell you why he has been sacrificing virgins, extra 500 XP all around!"

I don't normally get much roleplaying out of BBEGs and the like. Most of the talking comes from the patron encounter - the bit when an NPC hires the PCs to go the Dire Fortress to rescue his daughter, or whatever. Oh yeah, prisoners, another source of roleplaying. Or how about an investigative scenario, like a murder mystery with witnesses and suspects for the PCs to question?

Do the other player's know that he killed the guards and are they alright with it?

Either way you could hook them up with a quest to get the bad guy who killed the king's son who was out doing a stint with the guards to prove that he understood the people he would soon be ruling. Don't let them know that he was with the guards though just send them on a wild goose chase for some random guy who they think did it. The whole time a dozen other adventuring parties are closing in on THEM.

If they get caught by the other parties obviously the prince's assassin has allies and they're trying to stop you from finding the killer.

Unless they talk to them of course. In which case they find out that... dun dun DUN! Bob is the killer of the prince. Oops.

Then you might have a TPK as Bob fights the rest of the party or not. Probably not the way you want the game to end but if he's killing guards left and right and he doesn't have a lot of allies he's going down soon anyway unless he flees to another country or something. Either way you could get a laugh and a good story out of it if the party wouldn't mind you jerking them around like that.

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I like Merkuri's idea of exp for figuring out what's going on in the game. Nothing spells player contentment like a fistful of XP.