All in good fun or too offensive

[DonTadow]

I have a message board for my game, which allows the players to talk in character throughout the week and plan what they are going to do more effectively the next session. We just got a new player into the fold last week. She's playing a weretiger scout whom doesn't speak common very well and has never come across such a large group of non-elves (the elven lands have been secluded for 400 years and there are very few human tribes left). The way the party met the woman was not all flowers and sunshine, they assumed she was an assailant and attacked her, pinned her down and nearly beheaded her (which i was not going to let happen if it gotto that point). But after talking to everyone they figured out that she'd be a good guide for the world and asked her to take them to the nearest town.

On the message board they've been asking her a few questions and she finally answered the, however, i am feeling two things.

As a DM who loves for players to stay in character and play their character how they want to and logically the conversation makes perfect sense, they tried to kill her a few days ago and only several of them ahve been mildy pleasant from them.

As a DM metagame thinking I think one of the players (the one who takes her character very TOO seriously) and may have been offended by the responding comments. I'll post the comments. My question is should i say something about it or let it be as good ICC chat. Here is the comments Sadiyah is the new woman. Alexandra is the woman priest.

Sadiyah- Shee...what's with all the questions? And nice that you don't ask 'em *before* you go attacking people! You know, if I were a genuinely spiteful person, I'd feed you lots of false info; disavow all knowlegde of you once we got to Hyvenshire; and bring a nice bag of marshmallows to pass around at the fire when they burned you at the stake.

BUT I only do that on Tuesdays.

No, I'm not an elf. And what's a gnome? I'd just assumed you were just an extremely ugly hafling....
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Alexandra - Ok...what would it take for you to tell us the truth here Sadiyah. It should be obvious to you about now that we mean no harm and are generally good people out to do good deeds. Is there something we need to do to persuade you to help? A little information about the city and your mission shouldn't be hard. Please don't make me resort to other methods of finding out. I find that distasteful to do on comrades. I would rather you just be candid with us.

No pet to me? How about a staunch defender of the noble way of life Nikylik...you could be the captain of my defense guard.

I guess if Sadiyah will not help us other than to lead the way there...we can wait outside the city and find out from passersby what it is the city holds for us.
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Sadiyah- Look'ere ya batty old shrew -- let's get a few things straight:

One: I am NOT your "comrade"!

Two: If you want anything at all from me, you're gonna take that high-falutin' attitude of yours and cram it up yer ass. People may have fallen at your feet at whatever rock it was you crawled out from under; but you're on MY turf now, and I ain't gonna take that from you.

Three: My "mission" -- as you call it -- is nunna yer damn business. What you call secrets, I call Not-Spillin'-My-Guts-To-The-First-Imperious-Windbag-Of-A-Cleric-I-Find-In-The-Woods -- and unless you wanna go home in a box, you'd be well advised to do the same. I don't even even know your name, yet I'm supposed to regale you with my entire life story? I don't THINK so. When I have something you need to know, I'll tell you...til then, sit down, shut up, and have a beer and a smile!

NOW, if no one else has two coppers they feel compelled to throw in....<*glare*>

Alright then. (leans back against tree)

Looking at this group, the Little Guy is right: your best bet is to split up. In addition to being spineless, the Hyvershire Gilden are a suspicious lot. As foreigners, you'll need to keep a low profile...and between Miss Mouth Almighty here and the shambling scrap heap over there; I don't see that happening. You, Little Guy: you seem to have enough brains between your ears to keep quiet; the Dark-Haired One here does too. You'll probably need your Scaly Friend to communicate: Hyvenshire's a bit of a backwater as towns go, so there may not be all that many people around that speak Common. You three should go; I'd suggest you leave the rest behind -- out here, and WELL out of sight of the road.

Leave your magic toys behind, too. Like I said: Hyvershire's a backwater. They probably don't have any good means of detecting magic, but preventing "accidents" -- which this crew seems to be prone to -- wouldn't hurt.

You might find a few here who aren't in to the Gilden's rule; but statistically, your chances aren't good. You really won't like what happens to you if you open up to the wrong person.

And none of your idle chatter about gods and stuff. The Gilden aren't the religious sort. It's about the only thing we agree on.

There. Happy?

Now seriously, Little Guy: what's this "gnome" thing you say you are...?

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Alexandra-Well...its obvious that whatever has happened to you and put you in such a horrible mood was well deserved. You have the filthiest mouth and lack of respect for anyone that I have ever seen in a person. Maybe you aren't a person...that could be the problem. From where I see it, you have single handedly made me doubt believing in the "unreal" at all. I think that you should go on your merry way if you feel that strongly about everything. I wouldn't want to keep you from whatever useless meanderings you happen to be following. I'll take what information I need from you and will not bother you a bit from here. I do not want to be stuck in this Isis forsaken land one minute longer than necessary... so getting on your good side until you decide to "spill your guts" is at the bottom of my to do list.

(Alexandra utilizes a full 7 points of magic to gain as much info from her mind on where the city is and anything she knows about the crystals...celestial elves...the tome...and anything else interesting I can find out...oh and I'll use every action card I need to in order to get the info)

Oh...and because I like you sooooo much...I was wondering if you could use a bow. I think you and Shiva would get along famously.
_________________
Holy Mother of Horus! (Batman?)

 

[tetsujin28]

There's being in character, and there's ruining the game for everyone else.

 

[William_2]

Which side is supposed to be offensive?
Looks like too decent role-players at work, to me. The characters are not going to resolve their issues, clearly - that happens. I don't see who would be offended outside of the game, though.
It looks as though the new player needs a new character with a less unpleasant relationship with the group, I think. If there are still problems, then it might be a player's personality that is causing them. At this point it just looks like circumstances.

 

[Gold Roger]

Members of one gaming group are supposd to work to make their chars at least a little cooperative. I think the blame lies in the priests player. The Weretiger is cooperative where needed, the charakter just has a bad mouth. There seriously is no need for the clerics behavior, it's outright rude, yes, even more rude than the behavior of the weretiger. The scout wants to keep it's privacy, so what? She gave the needed advice, she compromised, where's the cleric players compromise? This is after all D&D and not Spanish Inquisition!

 

[DragonLancer]

That looks like RP to me. Its kinda nice to see such RP happening rather than a party just accepting a new character into the group just because they are player. Breath of freash air.

In this case, has the new player expressed an concern about that post OOC? I'd check if they haven't said anything but I'd also make it clear that IC RP is a desired quantity in a game and that they shouldn't take anything personally.

But as I say, check with the new player and make sure they are ok with the sitch.

 

[reveal]

It's roleplaying, as far as I can tell. However, that doesn't make it great. When new players come into a campaign, you can do one of two things: Roleplay and figure out if the new people like/trust each other or roleplay and just make a metagame decision to like/trust the new person. I know some people look at metagaming as "cheating" but this game is about having fun. At the moment, it looks like you're going to have two people who won't trust or like each other the rest of the campaign unless one of them "proves" themselves to the other, which usually involves the DM installing a situation just for this (but isn't that metagaming as well?).

I recommend that both people step back and realize that if their characters don't like each other, it's just going to be non-fun for everyone involved.

 

[DonTadow]

No one has expressed that they were offended and I have been in communication with both players and neither has brought it up (I did not talk to them about it either). This is me wondering if this is something festering or just "as said" two good role players playing their characters.

I have talked to the new character that she needs to make sure her character has reasons to be with the group.

 

[Elf Witch]

It's roleplaying, as far as I can tell. However, that doesn't make it great. When new players come into a campaign, you can do one of two things: Roleplay and figure out if the new people like/trust each other or roleplay and just make a metagame decision to like/trust the new person. I know some people look at metagaming as "cheating" but this game is about having fun. At the moment, it looks like you're going to have two people who won't trust or like each other the rest of the campaign unless one of them "proves" themselves to the other, which usually involves the DM installing a situation just for this (but isn't that metagaming as well?).

I recommend that both people step back and realize that if their characters don't like each other, it's just going to be non-fun for everyone involved.

I so disagree. I hate metagaming. Yes players should make characters that can work together but they don't all have to be bosum buddies. Who knows in time these characters may just become good friends. As someone who likes the role playing fun part of the game I would find conversations like this fun.

 

[DonTadow]

I so disagree. I hate metagaming. Yes players should make characters that can work together but they don't all have to be bosum buddies. Who knows in time these characters may just become good friends. As someone who likes the role playing fun part of the game I would find conversations like this fun.

I see where reveal is getting at and I instructed to all players (before and after the new player) that somehow we'll all have to get along. Though everyone is great friends outside of character., in game, as one of the players just pointed out to me, is full of players whom have some kind of mistrust for one another in some way (last game one of the players torched a players NPC daughter to kill an oncoming enemy), and normally I don't mind it because it never gets out of hand. The priestess though has been on the extreme end of some of the conflicts though. She plays her character very "holier than thou" but at times too holier than thou. Again last game she torched the one person in the group whom trusted her daughter (even though her reasoning was somehwat ok -the monster was attached to the girl and was trying to make the girl kill herself- ). I can't think of one person in the party character wise whom likes her. Even the magical weapon she's bonded with finds her annoying. But I can't tell a player how to play their character.

OR should I????

 

[reveal]

I so disagree. I hate metagaming. Yes players should make characters that can work together but they don't all have to be bosum buddies. Who knows in time these characters may just become good friends. As someone who likes the role playing fun part of the game I would find conversations like this fun.

If people aren't having fun, than there's a problem. If metagaming is needed, then so be it. I would hate to see a group of players at each others throat constantly simply because "that's what my character would do." Where's the fun in that?