Social Encounters: Does it Matter What and How PCs Speak to NPCs?

[Krachek]

what are your players expectation? You if they want to play character inspired by Deadpool and have fun and joking, you won’t be able to tame them and make them walk between the lines.

Otherwise in DnD for example, DM is never compelled to make a roll. He can decide the reaction of an NPC base on the speech the players make.
Rolls are done to solve uncertain situations.
If players actions let you think of an obvious reaction just apply it.

 

[MGibster]

I think it is generally a mistake to expect players to both write and act out perfect dialogue on the fly, which is what putting too.much focus on "what they say and how they say it" is. It is better, IMO, to put more weight on their intent and let them describe their approach instead of or in addition to speaking in character.

I like to think I'm a reasonable man, so I don't expect perfect dialogue from either the players or myself. A PC might be smooth talker while the player isn't, much in the same way a PC might be a mighty warrior and the player a pencil neck geek. But when the player deliberately has their character say something callous about the death of a spouse, a widow dressed in mourning who lost her husband within the last 48 hours, doesn't that inform me of their intent? Don't get me wrong. It's perfectly fine if a PC is a jerk. One of the PCs is playing a jerk and has a reputation as a boorish brute. He leans into it. It works.

Like I said in the open post, I'm just going to have to talk to some of my players. I think the divide here is that I have different expectations when it comes to role playing. A few of them aren't what I'd call strong roleplayers, which is fine, we're not actors here, but I do wish they'd make more of an effort.

It 100% matters how the PCs talk to the NPCs. When I'm playing the NPC, my first thought is always "what makes sense for them in this situation?" If the PCs are being jerks, good luck getting what they need. I run a very sandbox-y game, so it is 100% possible (and actually expected) that there are plenty of adventure hooks that will go unexplored. It's all up to how the PCs interact with the world.

I call this Consequential GMing and it's how I run things as well. I have NPCs react to situations based on their own personalities. i.e. I might have a cowardly NPC who caves at the first sign of a threat.

 

[Voadam]

I sometimes get the "I didn't actually say that in character." backtrack which is annoying when the context was more in character and it disrupts the flow of the game to straighten out whether to retcon a bunch of stuff or not. I enjoy a joking feel in my games but pacing and actual interactions in the game are also important to me and I really dislike retconning.

I find that with a group used to failing forward who enjoy the comedic turn arounds of bad situations that happens a little less than where people are super focused on always scraping out every advantage.

 

[billd91]

I think it is generally a mistake to expect players to both write and act out perfect dialogue on the fly, which is what putting too.much focus on "what they say and how they say it" is. It is better, IMO, to put more weight on their intent and let them describe their approach instead of or in addition to speaking in character.

Indeed, but sometimes I can get a pretty good clue about their approach from their words. If they starting off with "Hey, King-guy, I got words for your high-falutin'ness", I might inquire if that's the approach they really want to portray, but it sure doesn't sound like they intend to be particularly formal (or even respectful). And it's probably not going to help them.
But if someone says "I want to address the Duke in appropriate formal terms but I'm not sure what they are while I think my character would know. And I want to compliment him on his hospitality, so, um, here goes... Your Grace, thank you for opening your doors and hosting us with such a sumptuous dinner...blah blah blah" Then I'm going to work with them and their intent, more than the skill with which they can improv honeyed words.

 

[Voadam]

I will say that there was some video game dialogue from my son when he first started to play D&D. He was playing online with some of his friends and how they talk to NPCs in a video game where it it is structured differently came into play. It took some, "Is that what you say to the guard?" prompts from the DM to curb that. There are some funny lines thrown around from players at opportune times, but everyone knows that it is a player and not the PC just making a funny.

Can you give an example of the video game dialogue? I am not really picturing it.

 

[aco175]

Can you give an example of the video game dialogue? I am not really picturing it.

I cannot, I do not play them. I did get the sense that you walk up to a NPC in a video game and the interaction is limited to no matter what you say or do, you eventually get to move forward. The kids would try to do things to see if the game allowed and they could get away with it. Something like punching the innkeeper or pulling down their pants.

 

[Voadam]

I cannot, I do not play them. I did get the sense that you walk up to a NPC in a video game and the interaction is limited to no matter what you say or do, you eventually get to move forward. The kids would try to do things to see if the game allowed and they could get away with it. Something like punching the innkeeper or pulling down their pants.

I am watching Netflix's 3 Body Problem and there is a video game scene like that.

 

[Meech17]

I think it is generally a mistake to expect players to both write and act out perfect dialogue on the fly, which is what putting too.much focus on "what they say and how they say it" is. It is better, IMO, to put more weight on their intent and let them describe their approach instead of or in addition to speaking in character.

I like roleplaying, and I try to talk to my players in character, with the hope that they will do the same. My table is mostly new players so they are mixed on it.

I do find this helps. I'll ask them upfront "What are you hoping to convey with this message? What are you trying to pick up from this conversation?"

And on the flip side if I feel like they're struggling with an NPC because maybe my acting is poor, or perhaps they just don't catch certain clues I will sometimes break the wall and say "You get the feeling that this NPC feels like X"

There can be this weird thing in TTRPGs where charisma is the only skill you have to have in order for your character to have it. A dumb person can play a brilliant wizard or a weak person could play a hulking barbarian with good rolls, but we sometimes expect the less outgoing person to rely on their communications skills rather than their character's.

 

[Voadam]

There can be this weird thing in TTRPGs where charisma is the only skill you have to have in order for your character to have it. A dumb person can play a brilliant wizard or a weak person could play a hulking barbarian with good rolls, but we sometimes expect the less outgoing person to rely on their communications skills rather than their character's.

Brilliant as in high DC spell saving throws from the high intelligence score.

Seems similar to a dull player with an 18 charisma sorcerer having high DC spell saving throws.

Or a foolish player playing a wise cleric.

All will work well mechanically and be balanced in combat with the weak player high strength fighter and the clumsy high dex rogue.

 

[Ashley Cartwright]

Yes? Interacting with other characters is like the whole game.