How to inject some bloodlust into "roleplayers"?

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I've got these guys who act like D&D is amature theater. They insist on calling me the "director" and they refer to themselves as a troupe. When I throw another wave of half-fiend Ogre monks at them they whine about not being able to use thier diplomacy checks. They wanted to have an entire session where they sat around a campfire with some local nobles and do nothing but talk and make bluff & diplomacy checks! When I hit the campout with six Umber Hulks they got pissed! How many charisma checks can one make in a day? I try to explain that D&D is a game of high adventure where a man makes his way in life by the skill of his swordarm and the quickness of his wits. One makes ones name and fortune exploring lost tombs that have been sealed for centuries and battling the forces of evil and corruption. But they say they want to throw a party next session and invite the local nobles over to schmooze. They will probably bitch when the Pit Fiends attack...

 

[Leopold]

I roll to disbelive that this really happens in a game..

 

[Werewolf_26]

Find something that the party just can't logically handle any other way.

Pull a "Willow" on them; have a villain searching for a special child(ren), and the goal of the villain is to, well, we've all seen Willow.

This might inspire the group to take action, especially if the kid(s) has been found.

Otherwise, attack them with natural animals; it doesn't matter how diplomatic you are, a T-Rex still has to eat

 

[Mark]

"Flexor the Mighty!"

LOL Still one of my favorite screennames on the boards...

 

[SHARK]

Greetings!

Interesting...some of my players are quite like this--they love to role-play social stuff, and combat is far lower on their list of priorities. In your case, as well as similar ones, I find that it can inspire some bloodlust by having a company of elite half-ogres attack a group of their noble friends as they ride out to some bucolic forest meadow for a party. When the players go looking for their missing noble friends, they find that some of their fine noble friends have been brutally raped, skinned alive, and crucified on a nearby hill!

That usually works.

Then the local village with the friendly Mayberry villagers?--They get the same treatment--men, women, children, young and old. They are all broken to the might of the forces of darkness!

Try it. My players then realise that play-time is over, and while it's great to make sweet-talk, they must remind themselves that they live in a vicious, brutal world that needs heroes of righteousness to stand against the forces of darkness!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Tsyr]

I'll go with "Sarcastic tounge in cheek spoof of 'How can I force my players to roleplay?'" for 200, Alex.

 

[Wolfen Priest]

Flexor, is this a joke thread? Or are you serious?

If you are going to play D&D like that, why not just go to a posh cocktail party and pick your teeth with a toothpick and say, "oh yes, old boy, that was a smashing win for the polo team last week."...?

I think there is a word to describe the kind of characters these guys are playing: "fop."

 

[Uller]

Ahem....that's good...

Just do what power-gamer players do to DMs when they throw too many RP situations at them...next time your players insist on parlaying with an obvious enemy, just make yourself comfy on the couch, tell your players "The Troll has a +5 to Sense Motive checks. Wake me when your ready to fight," and take a nap until they are done talking.

I've seen players do that. Why shouldn't a bored DM get to take a nap?

 

[Mahiro Satsu]

If they like roleplaying so much then why dont you set them on a "mystery" type adventure. While they are investigation the noble, he sends some human assassins in to snuff them. After a few adventures with "planned" brutality, then unlease some non-plot essential encounters on them.

If they start thinking that combat is an intrical part of the "script" then you can dupe them later.

 

[Nikchick]

Run 'em through Hell in Freeport.

Hell in Freeport is all about being tricked and used like tools. It's even better if the players spend a lot of time in the early stages roleplaying, using their diplomacy checks, and being all noble. By the end of that adventure, if they can't summon up some bloodlust and eagerness to slaughter the bad guys, there's simply no hope.

Alan Seyberth has been posting a Hell in Freeport blow-by-blow report on the Green Ronin forums, if you need a little inspiration.


That's not even a blatant plug! I'm serious.

Nicole