Moments of emotion

[Nareau]

A lot of the stories I'm interested deal with the Drama created when Conviction is driven by Circumstance to produce unpredictable results. These situations really define and enrich characters.

In one of the above examples: Sam (at first a rather unheroic character) has great love and respect for Frodo (his Conviction). The Circumstances of Frodo losing himself to the ring, being weak, etc. force Sam to act upon his Conviction in a way that is very heroic. That juxtaposition makes the character so much more interesting than the sum of its parts.

It can be hard to find the convictions of a PC. But once you do, it becomes easy to put them in situations where they act realistically and unexpectedly.

One of my best gaming moments was in an old Vampire game. My PC was meeting with his pregnant girlfriend's grandfather, who just happened to be head Giovanni in town. Grandpa wanted the woman and the unborn child, but I was willing to protect them at any cost. So, rather than give them up, I wrestled him out of a 20th-story window and sucked him dry before we hit the ground. It shocked the DM (and ended the campaign)...but I will never forget that scene.

Spider

 

[Kristivas]

One of my best gaming moments was in an old Vampire game. My PC was meeting with his pregnant girlfriend's grandfather, who just happened to be head Giovanni in town. Grandpa wanted the woman and the unborn child, but I was willing to protect them at any cost. So, rather than give them up, I wrestled him out of a 20th-story window and sucked him dry before we hit the ground. It shocked the DM (and ended the campaign)...but I will never forget that scene.

Spider

Why did it shock him so much and why end the game over it? I would have expeced something like that.. though, maybe not through a 20th story window. That added a little.. gusto, but nothing wrong with that. Why end the game?

 

[lior_shapira]

Those moments are so rare in my gaming history I'm not sure I can even think of one... Its hard to lower your cynicism and sarcasm shields and really connect to your characters like that. Though we are modern we're still basically a bunch of guys pretending to fight dragons... so I salute all of you who are able to achieve these moments. I think we're getting there though, gimme a few more years

 

[LostSoul]

If nothing else, check out Sweet20 -- it's an addon for D20 that handles XP based on the characters pursuing Keys, which are goals or motivations. If the players pick emotion- and relationship-based Keys, and everybody gets into the pursuit of Keys as a means of gaining XP, then you're literally guaranteed moments of emotional intensity in play. Seriously.

That's sweet. I've been looking for something just like that.

RW, I'd strongly suggest using something like Sweet20 for your game. D&D (RAW) doesn't facilitate the kind of play that you're looking for. Adding Sweet20 would change that.

edit: SweeneyTodd's suggestions are great. Also remember that it's about the players, rather than the characters.

 

[Wombat]

I've played a lot of systems and I have found that it's not so much the amount of time (in game) that you invest in any given character that creates for the depth and the richness, but rather the combination of circumstance, fellow players, acceptance of emotional display, and thought outside of the game that creates such scenes.

Over the years I have seen many times when players have burst out with spontaneous laughter over what is happening in a game - in many ways, the comic moments are the easiest. I have seen moments of pride & glory. Then I have seen the introspective moments and, on a few notable occassions, tears. I have seen players in awe over another player's self-sacrifice, I have seen terror over either monsters or situations, and moments of pure, unmitigated wonder.

Most of all, I have yet to find a single system that creates these scenes more than any other

So here is to Way'han Blackhand as he sat in deep meditation in the Dead Place. And here is to Johnny Laredo who got back up to take one last shot. And here is to the Sunwine Incident in Coronan. And here is to Bjorn's breakdown over his father's drunken ravings. And here is to the cries of "Sanctuary!' and "Let my people go!" by Nosferatu in Washington, D.C. And here is to the Last Defenders of Gelwich/Aquarda as Geleg broke the Stone Heart.

These and many others will live with me.

These moments are what gaming is all about.

 

[fusangite]

Less common, though, are those moments of emotion, those scenes without combat, without even strife. Just a feeling, moving, meaningful. When a woman quietly admits her love for a man while they look out over the dim light of frightened city at night before a war. When a warrior dies and makes a last request that crystallizes the heroism of his companions who must carry on. When a child thanks her saviors, and the adventure becomes more than just monsters and treasure.

Aside from the dying warrior thing, I would not put one of those scenes in a game I ran. In my personal experience, no good ever comes from trying deliberately to heighten emotional engagement with PCs or NPCs. I find it almost always leads to people inappropriately identifying with their character or other forms of pathological or otherwise narcisistic play.

I mean think this through: sure I could have a kid thank her saviours but if this emotionally resonated, this would mean that the child would be a fleshed-out NPC whom I, as GM, would be stuck playing. I don't enjoy playing cute, innocent, naive or any of the other things that would produce the kind of emotional identification you seem to want on a long-term basis that takes up significant playing time. Ditto for playing the love interest of the warrior.

There are lots of ways to make a game more than "monsters and treasure" that don't entail me spending significant amounts of playing time trying to be cute and naive or attractive and sexy, thanks very much.

 

[RangerWickett]

. . . don't entail me spending significant amounts of playing time trying to be cute and naive or attractive and sexy, thanks very much.

True. You're enough of those in your everyday life. I can see why you'd want your games to be a bit escapist.

*grin*

 

[fusangite]

True. You're enough of those in your everyday life. I can see why you'd want your games to be a bit escapist.

*grin*

 

[sniffles]

While it's definitely worthwhile to offer a game that can include those emotional moments, I think you have to let them happen when they happen, without trying to 'provoke' them. Sometimes players will be tired or distracted or just otherwise in the wrong frame of mind to experience the moment. Or you may have players who just don't get into that style of roleplaying and wouldn't get anything out of your efforts, leading to disappointment for you (you meaning generically the DM).

I think Fusangite has some good points, too. It can be a little scary to start identifying too closely with a character, and it's a lot of work for the DM to create NPCs with that much attachment to the PCs. I've personally found some games I've been involved in too stressful when we started roleplaying deeper emotional connections between the PCs. It made me think about the game too much and took some of the fun and spontaneity out of it.

 

[tennyson]

If nothing else, check out Sweet20 -- it's an addon for D20 that handles XP based on the characters pursuing Keys, which are goals or motivations. If the players pick emotion- and relationship-based Keys, and everybody gets into the pursuit of Keys as a means of gaining XP, then you're literally guaranteed moments of emotional intensity in play. Seriously.

* http://www.anvilwerks.com/src/sweet20/experience.html

Just out of curiosity, if a person goes against a Key and chose to drop it (gaining 7XP), do they immediately get to pick another one, or do they have to wait to gain it during levelling? And if they have to wait, how will they gain more XP without any keys (assuming they only had one to begin with).

Great system, otherwise! I think I'm going to give it a try!