PCs who don't seem to want to meet

[vagabundo]

It's occurred in nearly every group I've been in. It's not just one group doing it, it's as though it's the normal attitude for players around here.

Stop the session and ask the players for feedback. Ask "why aren't you joining the group?"

 

[Is_907]

Stop the session and ask the players for feedback. Ask "why aren't you joining the group?"

I can agree with this... Since I consider RPGs to be a collaborative storytelling experience, I don't mind (on a rare occasion) breaking everyone out of character and out of the story to discuss our "collaborative strategy."


Recently, I've found myself in a game exploring Undermountain... each PC found him or herself somewhere near the inn with the well leading down into Undermountain, and the GM had come up with compelling events that could hook us to the same sponsor, who gave us a quest.
We each had different reasons for joining, but all were tied together in short order. Worked out nicely.
Granted, it helps that we're all good friends and expect, up front, to be adventuring as a *group.*

 

[jasper]

because players are stupid.

or they seem to think you've designed some sort of multi-player sandbox where everybody goes on solo adventures

or they are obstinate and refuse to go where the GM is making them (namely, to join the party so they can get the game going)

I've seen it, and it's annoying.

To me, it's the same mentality that drives a player to think "I'm going to make an evil PC that screws the party over" is somehow devious when in fact, it is ridiculously easy because the player got a free pass into the party that his PC would not have been granted had he been an NPC.

Da.... large stone and cement struture used for holding back water.
can't give you xp now. but you summed it up quicker and better me.

adding.
There have been times I wanted to just break out Candyland and play until the group goobers decide they wanted to game that night.
and once I did get some neg feedback when I said Are you here to play D&D and play the adventurer, or just sit at the table waiting for me to say pretty please jion the group.

 

[ahayford]

I think sometimes people forget its collaborative story telling not GM story hour. They feel like its the GM's job to drag them along rather then trying to meet him halfway. Also, for new players, roleplaying can be intimidating. Sometimes they don't really know what they are suppose to do.

 

[Janx]

Because I was playing my character, not my god, nor the god of dreams. I was deciding what was within my purview to decide, not what was outside of it.

I think the consensus from page 2 is, if you "roleplay your character" into NOT joining the party, that's on you.

after you've lost the big argument with the group to go left, and the groups starting to go left, the onus is on you to make up some reason to stick with the group anway. Or be left behind.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Out of curiosity - given that you, as a player, presumably knew that you decision about how to play your PC was in danger of disrupting the game, why did you not decide that you had a dream, or some other intuition, that going with this priest was what you were destined to do?

Because I was playing my character, not my god, nor the god of dreams. I was deciding what was within my purview to decide, not what was outside of it.

Personally I'd have worked with the DM. Went aside and said "look, my character doesn't really think he should join the party for these reasons, but I don't want to slow things down too much. A dream would probably convince him to join and then we could get this started. It doesn't overstep any boundaries to try and help the DM out when you can.

 

[Janx]

Personally I'd have worked with the DM. Went aside and said "look, my character doesn't really think he should join the party for these reasons, but I don't want to slow things down too much. A dream would probably convince him to join and then we could get this started. It doesn't overstep any boundaries to try and help the DM out when you can.

or, within the direct domain of the PC, the player could have decided that paladin volunteers to go with, to make sure this quest is on the up and up. If it truly is a noble quest, it's going to need a cooler head and a better moral compass than the Chaotic Nutjob can provide.

People can rationalize doing ANYTHING in real life. How hard is it for the player to RATIONALIZE why his PC would join the party, unless he's playing a dark elf and the party is a bunch of bed sheet wearing goose steppers.

 

[korjik]

or, within the direct domain of the PC, the player could have decided that paladin volunteers to go with, to make sure this quest is on the up and up. If it truly is a noble quest, it's going to need a cooler head and a better moral compass than the Chaotic Nutjob can provide.

People can rationalize doing ANYTHING in real life. How hard is it for the player to RATIONALIZE why his PC would join the party, unless he's playing a dark elf and the party is a bunch of bed sheet wearing goose steppers.

?

All the dark elf would need is a bedsheet and a vial of poison....



I kinda straddle the line here. I can see both sides of the arguement, but this should have been taken care of before the game started.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

I kinda straddle the line here. I can see both sides of the arguement, but this should have been taken care of before the game started.

Probably. I never fail to overestimate players though. I go into situations thinking "they can't possibly be stupid enough to do that" ("that" in this case is this, but it can be any number of things depending on the situation). Then lo and behold they do whatever "that" is, and I'm left scrambling. And next time I trust them not to be stupid again. I'm not really sure why I have such faith in them.

 

[Pentius]

Probably. I never fail to overestimate players though. I go into situations thinking "they can't possibly be stupid enough to do that" ("that" in this case is this, but it can be any number of things depending on the situation). Then lo and behold they do whatever "that" is, and I'm left scrambling. And next time I trust them not to be stupid again. I'm not really sure why I have such faith in them.

Haha, yeah. I was running a game once when a player wanted to switch his old character out for a new one, and I was fine with that. We made him a new one and I told him since we were in town, it would be a convenient enough time for his old character to say his goodbyes. He promptly narrates that his new character approaches, stabs his old character from behind, and takes his seat. Jaws dropped. A chorus of "DUDE, what the CRAP, man?" arose from the table. Fun Fact: the old character was a Thief. The new one was not.


I've seen the siblings thing work fairly well, though. I was in a game once where a friend and I went as a Half-Orc Paladin and a Half-Elf Druid, polar opposites in looks, outlooks and attitudes, but with a fierce brotherly bond. Whenever a PC or NPC tried to question the sibling aspect, they were met with two angry half-humans shouting "Our mother was a saint!"