How do i get my players roleplaying?
SonOfLilith
First Post
I like the "Roleplay for an hour" idea, i'll have to suggest it to my DM. I think a nice adjustment might be to play a game in-character, like poker or something. I think the one problem might be that my fellow players characters have...well,.....have no character. I would relly like that to change, but I don't see it happening. Worth a shot however.
What is wrong with this picture?
If the players are having fun and they don't want to roleplay, you seriously need to examine YOUR motivation for forcing it on them.
I've always considered it my responsibility as a DM to give the players more of what THEY want, not to FORCE them to do what I want.
If they want a fun, challenging and rewarding adventure that does NOT involve much roleplaying, then that is what I give them. If they want to take the time to converse at length with NPC's and use roleplaying to flesh out their character, then that is what I give them.
The notion that it is ok to force your players to roleplay because that is what YOU want is ridiculous.
If the players are having fun and they don't want to roleplay, you seriously need to examine YOUR motivation for forcing it on them.
I've always considered it my responsibility as a DM to give the players more of what THEY want, not to FORCE them to do what I want.
If they want a fun, challenging and rewarding adventure that does NOT involve much roleplaying, then that is what I give them. If they want to take the time to converse at length with NPC's and use roleplaying to flesh out their character, then that is what I give them.
The notion that it is ok to force your players to roleplay because that is what YOU want is ridiculous.
Maldur
First Post
I agree with Barsoomcore. Roleplay and thell roleplay back. if they dont they might miss vital clues etc. Make good roleplaying bonusses, like: a good talk to a guard is rewarded by a +2 circumstantial bonus on the Bluff roll. ( if you are stumped when they have you gasping for answers make it an automatic succes
, that always inspires confidence in roleplaying)
sorry a bit OT, but:
Barsoomcore: How much do you write down on each NPC? Statblock and description? just a statblock? only a description? Do they level up in time and how do you measure the xp for a good bartender?
I tend to write just a short description, adding while I play. But im curious, on how others do this.
, that always inspires confidence in roleplaying)sorry a bit OT, but:
Barsoomcore: How much do you write down on each NPC? Statblock and description? just a statblock? only a description? Do they level up in time and how do you measure the xp for a good bartender?
I tend to write just a short description, adding while I play. But im curious, on how others do this.
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Thanee
First Post
It also helps a lot to better define the characters. Writing up background and such is very useful to accomplish this.
When you only have your sheet of playing stats, you will maybe see them just as this - stats, but if you have a descrition of a real person, with motivations, goals and personality, you will see more behind these stats hopefully!
Bye
Thanee
When you only have your sheet of playing stats, you will maybe see them just as this - stats, but if you have a descrition of a real person, with motivations, goals and personality, you will see more behind these stats hopefully!
Bye
Thanee
Re: What is wrong with this picture?
this is my point of view as well. as long as the players are having fun, even if they aren't "role-playing" as much as you'd like, why change anything? let them have fun.
for the last 3e campaign i DMed, i gave the players a survey to see what elements they liked and wanted to emphasize in the game. everyone listed "combat" as their #1 choice, and almost everyone had "character development" and "interaction with NPCs" at the bottom of the list.
(incidentally, this group was 2 males and 4 females, so that kind of dispels the stereotype that all female gamers prefer storytelling over combat...)
so i ran an unabashed hack-n-slash campaign and everyone had a great time.
burdett said:
this is my point of view as well. as long as the players are having fun, even if they aren't "role-playing" as much as you'd like, why change anything? let them have fun.
for the last 3e campaign i DMed, i gave the players a survey to see what elements they liked and wanted to emphasize in the game. everyone listed "combat" as their #1 choice, and almost everyone had "character development" and "interaction with NPCs" at the bottom of the list.
(incidentally, this group was 2 males and 4 females, so that kind of dispels the stereotype that all female gamers prefer storytelling over combat...)
so i ran an unabashed hack-n-slash campaign and everyone had a great time.
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NPC preperation
This is in response to the several people asking what sort of prep GMs do for NPCs to make them more 'interactable' with. Personally, I take the approach of preparing only those things which I expect the players to interact with. Namely:
1) A picture. The way someone - especially a stranger - looks often is a major component of how we assess and relate to them. Thus, most of my NPCs have a portrait which gets given to players as a handout when they are encountered. Not being a very artistic person myself I usually steal from places like Elfwood ( http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/ Lots of fantasy-themed art, including many a portrait).
2) List of relevant things NPC knows which the party may logically ask about or which may come up in the conversation. Life goals and long-term plans don't often occur in casual conversation so this tends to include information about local happenings or immediate goals and concerns. The fellow running the city guard, for instance, is likely to have information on recent local crimes and detailing that may be more usefull than thinking up a reason he decided to dedicate his life to upholding the law.
3) Some idea of general character traits and tendencies so that I have some way of determining what happens when the players throw something at the NPC that I didn't expect them to. This usually involves determining a few dominant behavioural traits - the town mayor is a lot easier to play in a versetile manner when I know he is 'greedy and overly concerned with his own reputation' or 'prone to jump to conclusions and pedantic about having everything done by the book'.
What I don't usually do is stat (non combat) NPCs or provide them with detailed histories unless they happen to be recurring figures and important to the wider goals of my PCs. This sort of information tends to eat up a lot of time and very rarely comes directly into play (and even when it does, it is easy enough to just wing it).
Anyway, just my two cents.
Yours,
Altin
This is in response to the several people asking what sort of prep GMs do for NPCs to make them more 'interactable' with. Personally, I take the approach of preparing only those things which I expect the players to interact with. Namely:
1) A picture. The way someone - especially a stranger - looks often is a major component of how we assess and relate to them. Thus, most of my NPCs have a portrait which gets given to players as a handout when they are encountered. Not being a very artistic person myself I usually steal from places like Elfwood ( http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/ Lots of fantasy-themed art, including many a portrait).
2) List of relevant things NPC knows which the party may logically ask about or which may come up in the conversation. Life goals and long-term plans don't often occur in casual conversation so this tends to include information about local happenings or immediate goals and concerns. The fellow running the city guard, for instance, is likely to have information on recent local crimes and detailing that may be more usefull than thinking up a reason he decided to dedicate his life to upholding the law.
3) Some idea of general character traits and tendencies so that I have some way of determining what happens when the players throw something at the NPC that I didn't expect them to. This usually involves determining a few dominant behavioural traits - the town mayor is a lot easier to play in a versetile manner when I know he is 'greedy and overly concerned with his own reputation' or 'prone to jump to conclusions and pedantic about having everything done by the book'.
What I don't usually do is stat (non combat) NPCs or provide them with detailed histories unless they happen to be recurring figures and important to the wider goals of my PCs. This sort of information tends to eat up a lot of time and very rarely comes directly into play (and even when it does, it is easy enough to just wing it).
Anyway, just my two cents.
Yours,
Altin
Re: What is wrong with this picture?
Not just the players should have fun. Me, as a DM dont find Hack'n'slash fun and since the players havent even TRIED roleplaying, i find it fair to do an RPgame.
But thank you for your great answers.
But as somebody else has said too, could you please go a little in depth with your ideas?
burdett said:
Not just the players should have fun. Me, as a DM dont find Hack'n'slash fun and since the players havent even TRIED roleplaying, i find it fair to do an RPgame.
But thank you for your great answers.
But as somebody else has said too, could you please go a little in depth with your ideas?
This should work
When my players refuse to roleplay, I write special adventures. Ones with zero combat, and all skill, charisma based ones to be exact. Try conversations, (say an unstopilbe new golem arrives and the only way to kill it rests in its inventor's talkative head). Remember be sure not to tell the players there way be zero combat, just let it happen.....
When my players refuse to roleplay, I write special adventures. Ones with zero combat, and all skill, charisma based ones to be exact. Try conversations, (say an unstopilbe new golem arrives and the only way to kill it rests in its inventor's talkative head). Remember be sure not to tell the players there way be zero combat, just let it happen.....
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