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How far is too far when describing what a PC senses and feels?
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<blockquote data-quote="DEFCON 1" data-source="post: 7598533" data-attributes="member: 7006"><p>This is precisely how it is at my tables. We are mostly all theater people, some of us are also longtime improvisers. I will make offers on how the PCs might feel about the situations they are in all the time. The players can then choose to accept it and add on additional material, or say "Well, actually..." and make a different offer to what they think (which I will then accept wholeheartedly.)</p><p></p><p>I don't force anyone to take what I give them, but I also don't pretend as though a default emotion or thought for the situation doesn't exist. If the group is in an area where their PCs probably should be frightened, I'll tell them that. Which then allows one or more of them to fight against that fear and act bravely/rashly/stupidly by overcoming it... and allow some of them to perhaps play into that fear and wallow in it. As opposed to not making any indication of what they could/should/might be feeling and just hope they choose to embrace the emotion of the situation, rather than the entire table just no-selling the whole thing.</p><p></p><p>Players will oftentimes NOT make choices at all, because to make a choice is to take a risk, and players can be extremely risk-adverse. But without risk there is little reward. And if that means I occasionally nudge them into taking risks with their characters by suggesting they actually emotionally connect to what is happening and then watch them react to it... then their reward for doing so will be much more emotionally fulfilling.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DEFCON 1, post: 7598533, member: 7006"] This is precisely how it is at my tables. We are mostly all theater people, some of us are also longtime improvisers. I will make offers on how the PCs might feel about the situations they are in all the time. The players can then choose to accept it and add on additional material, or say "Well, actually..." and make a different offer to what they think (which I will then accept wholeheartedly.) I don't force anyone to take what I give them, but I also don't pretend as though a default emotion or thought for the situation doesn't exist. If the group is in an area where their PCs probably should be frightened, I'll tell them that. Which then allows one or more of them to fight against that fear and act bravely/rashly/stupidly by overcoming it... and allow some of them to perhaps play into that fear and wallow in it. As opposed to not making any indication of what they could/should/might be feeling and just hope they choose to embrace the emotion of the situation, rather than the entire table just no-selling the whole thing. Players will oftentimes NOT make choices at all, because to make a choice is to take a risk, and players can be extremely risk-adverse. But without risk there is little reward. And if that means I occasionally nudge them into taking risks with their characters by suggesting they actually emotionally connect to what is happening and then watch them react to it... then their reward for doing so will be much more emotionally fulfilling. [/QUOTE]
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How far is too far when describing what a PC senses and feels?
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