Help, my players are scared!

[Philip]

As the campaign progressed my players have become ever more anxious about conflict and their PCs try to avoid combat whenever possible. It is now not uncommon to play one or two sessions without any combat at all. When they do enter combat, its often amidst screams of "we can never win, we are all going to die!".

As a DM I like having a tense combat now and then. And when we do have a combat the players always say they enjoyed it. But still they are getting ever more scared. By now I feel that I have to force the PCs into combat to get them to fight anything. What am I to do?

 

[Crothian]

Get their confidence back: rig the fights. Have them have some easy encounters that they can win. Role play enimies running away, and have the town's people throw a party for their heriocs.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Have a session that *makes* them fight - make it seem that all odds are agains them... and then let them win.

They need their hero-egos stroked a bit.

 

[skinnydwarf]

As the campaign progressed my players have become ever more anxious about conflict and their PCs try to avoid combat whenever possible. It is now not uncommon to play one or two sessions without any combat at all. When they do enter combat, its often amidst screams of "we can never win, we are all going to die!".

As a DM I like having a tense combat now and then. And when we do have a combat the players always say they enjoyed it. But still they are getting ever more scared. By now I feel that I have to force the PCs into combat to get them to fight anything. What am I to do?

Have NPCs call them wusses and cowards, and have NPCs fight their battles for them (making it clear they get no XP or treasure). <KODT>That should do the trick- I mean, what self respecting PC is going to take that from a NPC loser?</KODT>

 

[DarrenGMiller]

When was your last TPK? Does a PC die in every (or almost every) fight?

DM

 

[Philip]

Get their confidence back: rig the fights. Have them have some easy encounters that they can win. Role play enimies running away, and have the town's people throw a party for their heriocs.

I sometimes throw in rigged fights, but they manage to avoid many of those as well. Of course, it not always possible for them to see in advance if the fight is rigged. I make enemies run away almost every fight, since unless they are automatons or dumb monsters, the enemy will flee as soon as it is apparent they cannot win.

And I am doing my best to stroke their hero ego's. Parties are thrown in their honor, they get medals and awards, children try to emulate them, they are asked to sponsor shops, etc. etc. I don't know if this is the answer.

 

[Philip]

Have NPCs call them wusses and cowards, and have NPCs fight their battles for them (making it clear they get no XP or treasure). <KODT>That should do the trick- I mean, what self respecting PC is going to take that from a NPC loser?</KODT>

You know, I think this might actually work! Excellent reverse psychology. I can make encounters where I can count on them avoiding combat, and make NPCs be the hero of the day.

 

[Crothian]

I sometimes throw in rigged fights, but they manage to avoid many of those as well. Of course, it not always possible for them to see in advance if the fight is rigged. I make enemies run away almost every fight, since unless they are automatons or dumb monsters, the enemy will flee as soon as it is apparent they cannot win.

And I am doing my best to stroke their hero ego's. Parties are thrown in their honor, they get medals and awards, children try to emulate them, they are asked to sponsor shops, etc. etc. I don't know if this is the answer.

Okay, then how about a contribied battle they must win. THe local orphanage has been taken over by a band of orcs/devils/demons/whatever is a good challenge for them. Our heroes are the only ones that can rescue the children. They go in, win the day, all is well.

What about negative reinforcement. PEople start seeing them as the cowards that they are. They get made fun off by children, women scoff at them. people want nothig nto do with them since they are not acting like heroes.

Or the out of game approach where you suit down with the polayers and ask them why they are ruining your game. Ok, maybe don't put it like that but sometimes talking to the players actually helps.

 

[S'mon]

From experience I'd say there isn't an ideal solution, but I suggest making the fights as easy as possible, around EL 2 under party level rather than = party level. That should encourage bravery. Of course they get less XP.

 

[Celebrim]

It sounds like your player's are adopting a mature approach to combat. Combat is dangerous. Hense, it should be avoided except when it is absolutely necessary, and even then preferably you should only fight when the odds are rigged in your favor.

Besides, running around killing everything is more of a mark of a sociopath than anything else. Real good guys are interested only in killing the minimal number of people necessary to bring about peace. Why expect your heroes to desire to kill the maximal ammount just because the players - if they were metagaming - know that that is the best way to advance thier characters using D&D's violence promoting XP system?

In order to get mature players to get involved in combat, the best strategy is to make villians which are so despicable that the player's (and of course characters) are emotionally involved in wanting to 'get these guys'. Figure out what your players (or thier characters if they are exceptional roleplayers) find utterly offensive and inexcusable, then design your villains accordingly. Your players will still probably try to avoid as many fights as possible, but they will also actively seek out fights with the villian(s) and his or her minions.

Overall, I think it sounds like your problem stems from not having enough of a 'mission' structure to your game. Heroic PC's are generally motivated by the same sorts of things that motivate police officers or soldiers. Soldiers or police officers do not desire to get into combat. In combat, they can be killed. If there is a way to avoid the combat, they will. But there are things that soldiers and police officers love more than they love life. If the mission calls for a solider or police officer to put themselves into harms way and get into combat, then for the sake of the mission that is what happens. It's not a desire for violence. It's a desire to see a mission accomplished. It's a desire to see that the bad guys don't win, that thier ideas don't carry the day, and that the way of life they desire for thier community is protected.

If that's not the motivation behind your PC's characters, then its going to be very very hard to force them into combat no matter what you do. If your PC's characters are basically self-interested, then of course they will always avoid combat. The potential risks will NEVER out weight the potential rewards.