D&D 5E How to deal with Metagaming as a player?

[Corwin]

Inspiration does not happen in a vacuum.

I'm afraid human history disagrees with you.

 

[Maxperson]

Actually....that's a great example.

Let's say that's Jezal's background. Even though I am a dirty, low-down, good-for-nothing metagamer (and proud of it!) if I were playing Jezal then YES I would pretend to not know about trolls. His unique and specific background gives him a reason to not know about trolls. That makes it different, and thus interesting, and will therefore surprise the other people at the table when I do it (especially because, as noted, they all expect me to metagame), and will help bring his unique background to life.

You'd be disappointed at my table as all the players would expect you not to metagame, so it would be no big deal when you didn't.

If you assume that most adventurers don't know about trolls, on the other hand, then it becomes uninteresting material for roleplaying. If everybody is ignorant, then it doesn't add any depth or color to any of the characters who exhibit that ignorance. It would be like roleplaying getting dressed in the morning, or drinking water, or using a Scottish accent to play a Dwarf. Sure...I guess those are all examples of roleplaying, but...really?

For some people what the PCs had for dinner at the inn is also uninteresting, but my players enjoy roleplaying that out as well. Don't make the mistake of thinking that what YOU find uninteresting is not interesting to other people.

 

[Maxperson]

Because those players would be bored?

No. Because I would be bored. Organized play is waaaaaay too inflexible for me. At least prior to 5e. From what I hear, 5e organized is much more flexible than prior editions, but I have no idea if it would be flexible enough. I don't really have time to try it.

 

[Maxperson]

I'm afraid human history disagrees with you.

Nah. Those things were also inspired by something in the real world.

 

[Corwin]

No. Because I would be bored. Organized play is waaaaaay too inflexible for me. At least prior to 5e. From what I hear, 5e organized is much more flexible than prior editions, but I have no idea if it would be flexible enough. I don't really have time to try it.

You might be pleasantly surprised and the empowerment and flexibility permitted in AL vs. the RPGA of old. Though, like most things TTRPG, it varies greatly table to table.

 

[Corwin]

Nah. Those things were also inspired by something in the real world.

All of them? Everything? Are you sure?

 

[Guest 6801328]

However, what do you think of it when the player whose character just happened to try the burning log is the same one who just happened to try a silvered dagger against a lycanthrope and who just happened to pull out a mace on first seeing skeletons - even though her favoured weapon has always been longsword? At what point do the bounds of credulity stop stretching and just snap?

I think that that player is probably stuck at a table where people are policing his thoughts and he's not putting much effort into appeasing them.

In other words:
1) He could be coming up with more creative rationales than "I just happen to try..."
2) And/or, because it would be easy for him to do that, the other people at the table could stop thought-policing him and just worry about what their own characters are thinking.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Yes it's reasonable. I would leave a game where metagaming was okay.



I normally don't alter posts, but since you're asking what bugs me I made some changes in bold to make it accurate



Inspiration does not happen in a vacuum. For the new player to have that inspiration, there were clues and such to let it happen. Those same clues are fine for the player with information to have the same "inspiration".

The only thing I require is that the origination come from within the game. Aaron's example earlier was one where the player just invented a weak justification to metagame. Had that character been roleplayed consistently as paranoid and accusatory throughout, I would have been okay with his example.

So you're saying it's impossible for the new player to use the burning log without any cues? Just because he thinks it sounds cool? Or it's what he imagines somebody in a movie would do?

Because you pretty much evaded answering the question by adding something to the scenario.

 

[Maxperson]

You might be pleasantly surprised and the empowerment and flexibility permitted in AL vs. the RPGA of old. Though, like most things TTRPG, it varies greatly table to table.

I keep meaning to try a game at the conventions I make it to, but I usually end up in some game tournament or other.

 

[Guest 6801328]

That's because you have a different definition of metagaming.

I'll cede the point that it is much easier to remain consistent when your definition of metagaming is "all metagaming that I don't like".