Help me encourage my "slayers" to roleplay

[doctorhook]

I'm a DM. I've been running a D&D game for about a year and a half now; 3.5E until this past June, and 4E since then. I had four players for 3.5E, and have six players now for 4E (three from the old group, and three new players). All of them had limited to no experience with PnP roleplaying games prior to joining my group. Most of them are video gamers.

Combat is fun, and it's important to me, my group, and my game. However, I'd like to believe D&D has some other things to offer, too. However, I almost always get a negative reaction from at least some of my players whenever we have a game session which involves any kind of extended interaction with an NPC. (And by "extended", I mean, "Let's try to understand where we are, what we're supposed to be doing, and why!" in brief terms.) I've had some success using Stalker0's Obsidian skill challenge system to encourage my players to think of how they interact with the world, beyond "Eldritch Blast" and "I [proverbially] rape his face with Twin Strike! Pwn'd!"

I'd really like it if I could get my players to engage their characters a little bit more; I worry that they see their characters more as avatars of themselves than as a people. I've been patiently hoping that roleplaying skills would develop with time, but lately it seems my players have been relapsing (and showing me just how little they've developed).

Any suggestions?

If it will help, here's a roster of my group, how long they've been in the group, and a description:

• John: 5 months. Shy, artsy guy; likes reading, drawing, and being unimposing. Very quiet at the table overall. Plays a Half-(Eladrin) Warlord.
• Sherm: 5 months. Flamboyant, ridiculous sort of person in RL; really enjoys background story and lore, but is not very adept at applying it in-game. Has trouble keeping his own qualities out of his character. Plays a (low-Int) Dwarf Paladin of Bahamut.
• Trev: 18 months. Quiet but very friendly guy; enjoys destroying monsters in combat, but is fairly patient about it between fights. Plays a Drow Archery-Ranger.
• Mat: 12 months. Boisterous, weird-sorta dude; likes making cutesy puns about monsters. Never especially serious whenever he's in character. Plays an Eladrin Wizard.
• Jeff: 6 months. Nice-but-slightly-arrogant guy; talks loudly or interrupts for my attention during other player's turns. Often makes plans for the same night as D&D, so he "needs to hurry" while he's here. Wants to make a new character whenever a new race appears. (I've already indulged him twice.) Regularly encourages other players to use metagaming tactics. Wants to read D&D monster books.(?) Often upset that the DM gets to use his judgement about interpreting the rules. Usually does much of the talking during roleplaying encounters. Currently plays a Gnoll Rogue.
• Kyle: 18 months. Quiet guy, but with a bad temper. Often claims he only plays D&D for the combat. Roleplaying is "gay". Gets angry during roleplaying encounters, saying, "Can we please play the game now?" Enjoys Obsidian skill challenges, as long as it doesn't preclude combat encounters. Tiefling (Fey) Warlock.

 

[Ktulu]

The pasta theory can work. Throw a bunch of different NPC's at them, only give smattering scenes: i.e. a local shopkeep who takes a liking to player and hooks him up with discount (same can work for a barmaid).

Introduce a captain of the watch in a city who is impressed with their skill and lets them off on a simple technicality when they get in a fight...

After a while, bring these characters around a little more frequently. Eventually, a PC will take interest in one (the sticky pasta).


Then, have the big bad kill/capture the one that sticks. If the players are at all interested in the RP side, they'll set their own vendetta against your villain.

 

[Leif]

I'm a DM. I've been running a D&D game for about a year and a half now; 3.5E until this past June, and 4E since then. I had four players for 3.5E, and have six players now for 4E (three from the old group, and three new players). All of them had limited to no experience with PnP roleplaying games prior to joining my group. Most of them are video gamers.
Combat is fun, and it's important to me, my group, and my game. However, I'd like to believe D&D has some other things to offer, too. However, I almost always get a negative reaction from at least some of my players whenever we have a game session which involves any kind of extended interaction with an NPC. (And by "extended", I mean, "Let's try to understand where we are, what we're supposed to be doing, and why!" in brief terms.) I've had some success using Stalker0's Obsidian skill challenge system to encourage my players to think of how they interact with the world, beyond "Eldritch Blast" and "I [proverbially] rape his face with Twin Strike! Pwn'd!"

I'd really like it if I could get my players to engage their characters a little bit more; I worry that they see their characters more as avatars of themselves than as a people. I've been patiently hoping that roleplaying skills would develop with time, but lately it seems my players have been relapsing (and showing me just how little they've developed).

Any suggestions?

I was going to suggest that you give up and find new friends, hehe. But, after seeing Ktulu's solution, I think that just might work! The onlyu problem that I see with it is how long it will take to put into effect. Well, that, and the fact that they would have to care at least a little about being let off on the technicality. It sounds to me like you have a bunch of people who would be much happier playing World of Warcraft. If you care, you might try turning them on to that game, and that might soak up some of their violence. (Or else it might worsen the problem tenfold!)

 

[Mallus]

Any suggestions?

Create NPC's that are interesting to talk to, instead of kill. Or at least 'interesting enough to talk to before killing' (sometimes that's the best you can hope for). In other words, try to entertain your players with something other than in addition to pretend fantasy violence.

Only be entertaining them can you show them a different way, Grasshopper.

And...

Kyle: 18 months. Quiet guy, but with a bad temper. Often claims he only plays D&D for the combat. Roleplaying is "gay". Gets angry during roleplaying encounters, saying, "Can we please play the game now?"

Dump him. It sounds like he doesn't play well with others.

 

[fba827]

"Pasta theory" wow that had me laughing with the visuals it brought to mind of literally throwing NPCs against theyand watching them slide or stick down the armor-coated PCs...

In my (albeit limited experience) the pasta theory could go very right or it could go very wrong -- it depends on the players and also the method of implementation. They could just get annoyed by all the NPCs. So keep the interaction with them limited until they seem to want to talk more. And also don't make every NPC that they connect with end up being captured -- that is actually one reason I've had players _not_ want to connect with NPCs in the past, they always had the feeling that the NPC would just be picked off later by bad guys forcing them in to difficult moral situations.

What methods do you as the DM, and they as players, use to get info about the next mission? Rumor and gossip hooks are good (non-imposing) ways to get PCs to interact with NPCs to get the initial info on where they need to go to kill stuff.

Maybe the NPC that they run in to at the tavern or on the side of the road happens to have some connection to the NPC: an uncle, an old nieghbor, or the old fisherman that used to sell fish to his family. That NPC has a plot hook if they talk to him (if he doesn't, then it will seem wierd for him to be there and not have anything other than chit-chat). Basically, mine the PC backgrounds for potential NPCs and sprinkle one in somewhere. Sherm's background seems to have the most potential there.

Another option is to combine the combat with the NPC interaction -- they arrive at a scene to find badguys fighting with an NPC. Or perhaps the NPC is already unconcious and if they rescue her/him at the end of combat she/he will be ever so greatful and latch on to whomever is her/his rescuer talking about how great the PC is like some rabid fanboy. It's a way to test the waters and see how the player and the character react to a chance to show more personality. Also, when they go back to town, a couple people (but not everyone) seems to recognize the particular PC as the guy that was the hero... some asking to see his sword and what not.

 

[Umbran]

Create NPC's that are interesting to talk to, instead of kill. Or at least 'interesting enough to talk to before killing'....

Or, for this bunch, to start with perhaps you ought to create NPCs who make the killing more interesting. "If you talk to folks, the combat is more fun" might be a good motivator...

You can combine this with some things found in the Creative Combat Objectives thread. Sure, anyone can walk in and kill everything. But if you talk to folks, and learn a bit more about what's going on, more complicated options - with more interesting rewards, become available.

 

[Rechan]

Part of the trick is using the most significant difference between RPGs and CRPGs: You don't have scripted responses. When you can't kill it to reach your objective, then you have to think. For instance:

A magical, intelligent door. It's impervious to damage (so hacking it isn't going to work). Whatever's behind it is what the PCs want.

The trick to getting the door open is to trick the door. You have to get the door to say a specific word or phrase, Or convince the door that it should open for you (and this requires more than just a skill check; come up with an argument to use).

Another solution is to take advantage of the Video Gamer mindset of: Kill to get XP and magic items to kill more things. These guys recognize the value of magical items, right? Well, let them know some sweet item or two is being held by Entity X.

The catch is that Entity X is too powerful to just be stomped by these guys. Maybe Entity X is the God of a River, or the collective intelligence of a forest, or whathaveyou. Entity X has the magic item, and he will give it to the PCs if they do something for him in exchange. Or, they offer Entity X something else that it considers worth the item. This, thus, requires the PCs to bargain and talk to the NPC, in order to get what they want.

Also, a murder mystery. Or, condense the murder mystery down to something more along the lines of "Find out what you need to kill"; the movie The Thing is a good example. The Thing is obviously inside Someone. The trick is finding out who is the imposter, and killing them. But, you can't kill everyone, so you have to find a social way to decide who's it, so you can kill them.

 

[Hella_Tellah]

I've found this pdf really useful. It contains 365 questions to ask of a character that don't involve "how many points do you have in that stat?" Try asking a question at the beginning of each session as a warm up, and go around the table having the players answer. It'll get them thinking in-character and on their feet.

I also like to get my players involved with setting a scene, often at the beginning of the session. I'll say something like, "Ms. Haypenny visits each of you on the morning of October 25th. Where are you, and what are you doing, when she finds you?" It's another good intellectual warm-up activity.

If your players are into it--and this might take a shift in philosophy for the group--try some improv warm-ups. They're kind of like practicing for "Who's Line Is It Anyway." It's a change of pace, and it gets people moving around and feeling silly and more comfortable with each other. Freeze Tag, Emotional Mirror, and "Yes and..." are really good training for paying attention to other players, accepting their offers, and making a good scene from it.

I like Ktulu's pasta method, too.

 

[Wootz]

I have a problem much like this, but the one person who actually kept getting annoyed at RPing got kicked (very problematic player) as for the rest though, they seem like they just can't quite initiate. All you have to do is find a way to get them going on it, and they'll pretty much be set. Try Ktulu's idea, it's a great way to prove NPC's can actually mean something and aren't just a stupid precursor to rolling dice. Otherwise, yeah, stick em to WoW

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

Make killing an option that leads to a really bad result (e.g. character death). Meaning, they have to interact with the town guard to bring alleged murderers in alive for questioning instead of killing the murderers in broad daylight or else the town guard will reign down upon them like the wrath of God. Maybe the alleged murderers are upstanding citizens, and the townsfolk will swell over them if they attempt to kill them.

If they work with the guards, they get tangible benefits (magic items and gold). I know it's not a popular option, but carrot and stick works well for slayer-type groups to help steer them in the right direction. Reward them with actual stuff they can CRUNCH on paper.