How do I get a combat-heavy player interested in ROLE playing?!

[TheProphet]

One of my players (my wife to be exact) is only interested in combat. She's not a power gamer, since she cares about where her character is from, and doesn't min-max. But she doesn't care about any non-combat related scene at all. We go to a village: She hangs out by the fire and lets the other characters do the inquesting.

I want to have more roleplaying in the sessions, more non-combat oriented sessions. How do I get her onboard?

 

[Stormborn]

You don't.

There are some players who just like the combat aspect of the game. Trying to constanly hook them into roleplay just frustrates both of you. Trust me, I know where of I speak. I saw a friend constantly try and get her husband to roleplay, because that was what she thought the game was all about and wanted him to actually 'play'. He doesnt play with us at all anymore.

Occasionally you might think of things that would be of interest to her, your wife that is not her PC, and toss them in to see if she bites, but if she doesnt you just have to let it go. Maybe one time she will, but do not base a campaign or even a session on it.

Let her be happy playing the way she wants to play, and you be happy witht he fact that she plays.

 

[Fifth Element]

Ask her? Explain why you would like more role-playing, and ask her to give it a shot. If she tries and doesn't like it, no big deal. Heck, even if she doesn't try, no big deal. She's just not into that part of the game. As long as she's cool about the other players role-playing sometimes, there shouldn't be any problem. Not everyone likes to play D&D the same way.

Also, do you want more role-playing, or does the group as a whole want more role-playing? That's an important distinction. The DM is only one person in the group.

 

[Johnnii]

I think you have accept her favoring of combat over conversation. Since she isn't powerplaying, it is a very good sign and shows that she is interested in the action scenes of your adventures. And players always have different likings so you should focus the roleplaying on the other players of the group that find it more fun.

That said, I really think you should encourage her to ROLEPLAY IN COMBAT. Ask her how she swings her weapon/conjure her spell, let her say battlecries and cheesy one-liners, and describe flavorfully how her blade cuts off the limbs off her opponents/her conjured fires burns them to piles of ashes.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Ha! Talk about ditching the sterotype for female gamers
How long has your wife been gaming? For a lot of newcomers combat is exciting with all the dice rolling, tension, and hooplah that it generates (I distinctly heard hooplah!!) I remember my early games being very combat heavy too. If she has been gaming for a long while then she may just be an adrenaline junkie.

Why not just come out and ask her? Find out firsthand why she enjoys combat exclusively. More importantly try and find out what could be added to non-combat encounters that she would enjoy.

 

[Weregrognard]

That said, I really think you should encourage her to ROLEPLAY IN COMBAT. Ask her how she swings her weapon/conjure her spell, let her say battlecries and cheesy one-liners, and describe flavorfully how her blade cuts off the limbs off her opponents/her conjured fires burns them to piles of ashes.

To add to this, lead by example. If your enemies don't taunt, boast, and threaten the PCs in combat how can you expect the players to? I'm guilty of this one, getting lazy and letting combat devolve into "he hits"/"he misses" for the sake of expediency.

 

[malraux]

Asking her is a good first step. But I think its important to realize that some players just don't want to heavily roleplay. They might like watching others do so. They might just prefer update their character sheet while others get into detailed RP. Either way, its important to realize that playing that way is not wrong.

 

[Starbuck_II]

One of my players (my wife to be exact) is only interested in combat. She's not a power gamer, since she cares about where her character is from, and doesn't min-max. But she doesn't care about any non-combat related scene at all. We go to a village: She hangs out by the fire and lets the other characters do the inquesting.

I want to have more roleplaying in the sessions, more non-combat oriented sessions. How do I get her onboard?

You mean non-combat roleplaying?
Because she obviously loves Combat roleplaying.

Remember, just because you love combat doesn't make that roleplaying just a niche roleplaying. Not wll roleplaying is talky talk or interacting with non-violence.

Unless she slaughters people in real life (I'd hope not) she is acting (whenever you aren't being you) and therefore roleplaying.

Maybe you'd rather she roleplaying just like you: I can understand that. But didn't you fall for her because of her differences? (like boobs from the german word bubbi most girls have them; definately make a difference)

 

[buzz]

I agree with everyone that you need to simply talk about this with her.

However, I will ask this: Is it combat she's interested in, or simply engaging with the system?

One of the guys in my group jokes about he hates "dinner theater". That is, the typical (and stupid) "role"/"roll" dichotomy in traditional RPGs where any scene that does not involve combat is one where we all totally ignore the rules and just free-form play-act. He calls that "dinner theater", and he hates it. So, he avoids it at all costs and just likes to start fights. Because fights let him play the game instead of talking at length in funny accents.

I.e., maybe she hates hanging out in the village because, as is common, that's the part of the game where people yak-yak-yak, haggle over the cost of barding, etc. You know, the boring stuff where no one rolls any dice.

So, I would find out if it's that she loves combat, or that she hates free-form play-acting. Given that she has no interest in min-maxing or, it seems, tactics, I have to wonder if this is the issue. She likes combat, because combat is where the system is getting used, and her input is getting validated.

If so, I would try throwing some skill challenges her way, or even try some RPGs that have story-focused mechanics, e.g., The Shadow of Yesterday, Burning Wheel, Hero's Banner, etc.

Or, if she just loves the combat, let her love it and don't force her to participate in aspects of the game she dislikes.

 

[Umbran]

.... We go to a village: She hangs out by the fire and lets the other characters do the inquesting.

I want to have more roleplaying in the sessions, more non-combat oriented sessions. How do I get her onboard?

Well, asking her why she's not engaged except in combat might help. Mind you, it also might not, if she hasn't thought about it much. Not everyone analyzes their gaming experience.

In general, many players won't engage in social scenes if they don't think the scene is particularly relevant to them, is uninteresting, or they think that dealing with the scene is someone else's job. F'rex: any number of folks will step back and allow the character who has social skills and/or a high Charisma score to take the lead in such stuff.

One way to engage a player is to make the social stuff personal - something that the character with high charisma can't do for her.

F'rex - while she's sitting by the fire, a young apprentice boy runs into the inn, and hides behind her to escape a whipping from his cruel master. The master, rightfully or no, takes this as an action on her part, and suddenly she's involved in the local guild politics...