On Behavioral Realism

[doctorbadwolf]

I obviously misinterpreted your initial comments. My apologies.

I wasn’t clear. My bad.

 

[dragoner]

Part of my feeling of the PC's wanting to sleep outside, is that they have presented a perfect opportunity to mess with them, like:
PC's: "We're going to camp outside in the woods."
Me: "Really?" Menacing chuckle, looks in book, rolls some dice, "Wow!" Evil laugh. "So who is taking first watch?" Grin.

Usually they will pack up and head to an Inn or somewhere.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I like it when the PCs are exemplary for what they do different than (most of) the rest of the world rather than just because they happen to be PCs.

Ok, but do your players like it? (I'm guessing not, or you wouldn't have started this thread.) Again, it sounds like you want to impose an aesthetic.

There are lots of people who don't take baths, and/or who sleep outside of town in the woods. Sure, most of them are homeless. But there are some wealthy eccentrics who do really weird things.

It seems like your "Behavioral Realism" is close to synonymous with "normal" behavior. I, for one, don't want my players (or my characters) to be bound by what is statistically most likely.

 

[Reynard]

Ok, but do your players like it? (I'm guessing not, or you wouldn't have started this thread.) Again, it sounds like you want to impose an aesthetic.

There are lots of people who don't take baths, and/or who sleep outside of town in the woods. Sure, most of them are homeless. But there are some wealthy eccentrics who do really weird things.

It seems like your "Behavioral Realism" is close to synonymous with "normal" behavior. I, for one, don't want my players (or my characters) to be bound by what is statistically most likely.

I am not trying to impose anything. I am trying to encourage a thing. There's a world of difference. I don't think my players have a "don't tread on me" attitude so much as they just don't really think about it. They aren't intentionally playing Howard Hughs level eccentrics, they are just pinching pennies for better gear.

Ultimately, I think that it's not up to me. I can describe the world as a place where you really, really want to take a bath after climbing out of the dungeon, but I can't make them do it.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Reynard]

Spoken like a parent.

"Don't you know that other kids are starving? WHY CAN'T YOU EAT YOUR VEGETABLES?"

I do have 2 kids, and they don't take baths either.

 

[Longspeak]

I have not really encountered this problem.

Now... most of the time, players don't want to RP this. They want to say "I get a room, a bath, a meal, and some sleep. What's next?" And that's valid. Some don't even want to have to say it. It falls under the category of "uhh.... duh!" for them. Of course they get a room, wash up, eat and sleep. Why did we have to waste time discussing it?"

I've had players who want to explain or narrate details. "I get a room in the finest in, have a hot bath in water scented with lavender, eat a delicious meal of succulent roast pig with potatoes and fresh greens, then take the serving wench to bed with me if she be willing. What's next?" Or Cheaper versions. "I get the cheapest room I can find, and eat my own rations..."

I've had players who want to RP some of the minutia. "I want to haggle with the innkeep over the price. May I?" "I'd like to see a menu for dinner, please?"

And there have been times when I wanted to introduce something during this down time. "Your baths are uninterrupted, but as you're enjoying your supper...."

But for the most part, these are background details the players IME don't generally want to waste a lot of time on. When they DO, it's as framing for something else they want to play. "As we're sitting down to supper, I have a question I want to ask Rolf about his actions in that last combat..."

As GM, part of my job is to let the players have the scenes they want between the scenes I create. So I always let them, though there's a balance. You can't let one player frame a dozen scenes while the rest twiddle thumbs.

In my current D&D and Numenera, last time I narrated reaching town, first thing half the players did was ask about places to bathe, or soft beds. One asked for any food that "wasn't burned over an open flame."

 

[LordEntrails]

I've started giving out stronghold benefits (Dragon Heist) such as when the party takes a long rest in their nice comfy beds in the tavern they own (Trollskull Tavern) they get 2 temp hit points. Really doesn't affect the combats, but they love it.

One could do something similar by increasing healing rates, granting advantage on the next saving throw, temp HPs, etc. Or, one could go the other way and every long rest not taken in a comfortable environment (warm safe bed) reduces their hit point maximum or the amount of healing they receive from long rests. (i.e. after 5 days in the wild, you gain all but 5 hit points from a long rest, you have to use healing dice or magic to get those back).

Depends upon the game you are playing

 

[Shiroiken]

It really depends on your players. My group very much roleplays in a realistic manner (other than suicidal tendencies to adventure). A PC noble will buy the nicest room in the inn, another might buy rounds of drinks for people in the tavern, while another might try to seduce someone with gifts. Admittedly 5E D&D helps with this, since money has little use outside of buying better armor (and potions of healing if permitted by the DM). Other RPGs (such as L5R) don't focus on money, allowing more freedom for characters to act as they feel they should.

 

[MGibster]

A few years back I was participating in a one shot GURPS Fantasy game as a player and the adventure depended on all the PCs being in the same inn for the night. We had pre-made characters and one of the players picked the ranger and insisted that he would sleep in the woods outside the gated city while we slept in the inn. After a few minutes of other characters trying to coax him into staying at an inn the GM just skipped it and let us go get him when we found out adventure was afoot. What I learned from this GM is that sometimes it's better to just let the player dig their heels in even if it's silly and find a way to work around it.