D&D General Player Responsibilities

[Reynard]

This sort of came up in my mind in another thread and I did not want to derail any further.

What do you consider to be player responsibilities in actually sitting down and playing D&D as a group? I don't mean stuff like bringing snacks or not being abusive, etc... I mean as it relates directly to play.

My #1 is that players need to create a character that both WANTS to go on the adventure(s) at hand (roleplaying reluctance is fine as long as it doesn't lead to actual avoidance) and a character thatworks within the context of the PC party. That last bit is both a roleplaying consideration and a mechanical consideration.

Beyond that, all the players should form the party in a way that makes sense for whatever setting and scenario is presented, and allows for a relatively easy process of coming together and bonding. A group of lone wolves is just trouble waiting to happen.

What do you think players should be responsible for in terms of actual play?

 

[Ancalagon]

Reading the rules.

I learned recently that one of my players, who played a monk and struggled a bit with the class mechanics, never read the monk class. This was in a nearly 2 year 5e campaign...

 

[Reynard]

Reading the rules.

I learned recently that one of my players, who played a monk and struggled a bit with the class mechanics, never read the monk class. This was in a nearly 2 year 5e campaign...

Yeah. "Know how your character works" is a good one.

 

[iserith]

I expect players to do the following:

1. Describe what they do including a goal and approach - what they want to do and how they set about doing it.

2. When deciding what to do, choose the thing that is fun for everyone and that contributes to an exciting, memorable story.

3. Pay attention and act immediately when they are in the spotlight.

4. Keep things moving by saying "Yes, and..." to their fellow players' ideas.

I lay this down in my table rules which all players are given before the game.

 

[jasper]

BITE THE FREAKING PLOT HOOK OR I SWEAR WE ARE GOING TO PLAY UNO WITH OUT THE WILD CARDS..........
sigh
1. PC is an adventurer.
2. Player knows his pc with in a certain time limit.
3. Goes on their initiative.
4. Drops $20 in my lap at the end of the session.

 

[Sacrosanct]

1. Visualize your archetype and work with me for a backstory. It helps me plan and incorporate those things into the campaign
2. I don't expect you to know all the rules, but I do expect you to know the rules for your character. With all the class/subclass combos, I can't memorize every ability or spell. You should know how that works (had one player of rogue who after 2 years still didn't know how sneak attack works)
3. Be involved. Participate. Pay attention. This is extra hard with virtual as it's easier for players to watch youtube on their screen while playing the game.

 

[billd91]

My #1 is that players need to create a character that both WANTS to go on the adventure(s) at hand (roleplaying reluctance is fine as long as it doesn't lead to actual avoidance) and a character thatworks within the context of the PC party. That last bit is both a roleplaying consideration and a mechanical consideration.

Yeah, those are probably paramount considerations of mine as well. I don't even mind characters that are evil as long as they play well in the group with respect to the type of campaign we've chosen to play.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Having a character that will bite the hook of the game is so important. If my hooks aren't appealing, that's a different conversation, but if you're just going to try to walk away from the campaign (I had a player that would routinely need to be convinced by all the other players why he should want to Do The Thing. I no longer game with that person, but in hindsight, I should've just told him "okay, your character walks into the sunset; now make your new character that is motivated to be a part of this campaign.") or are going to hold the campaign hostage so that you can extort more imaginary gold pieces from the quest giver, that's going to make the game so much less fun for everyone.

My #1 is that players need to create a character that both WANTS to go on the adventure(s) at hand (roleplaying reluctance is fine as long as it doesn't lead to actual avoidance) and a character thatworks within the context of the PC party. That last bit is both a roleplaying consideration and a mechanical consideration.

Other than that, showing up is important. I get that life gets in the way sometimes, but don't show up every few months and act like I should thankful that you finally made it.

Knowing what you're going to do on your turn is another thing. It's fine if you have some questions, but few things kill momentum like that dead air as a player's gears grind.

Finally, players have a responsibility to other players. It just makes a game better when the PCs interact with each other, exalt each other, and work as a team.

As for the rules, I'm fine if a new person isn't sure on the rules. They have to start somewhere and I want them to have a fun time. Now, if a person has been playing a while and consistently gets it wrong, that's another problem. That means every time that PC does something, I have to stop to look it up to be sure that they're not way off-base. It's like if you've been playing for years and can't figure out what your spells do, maybe you shouldn't always play a spellcaster.

 

[Burnside]

Knowing the rules is wonderful, but I play with a huge range of players, some very casual and some very new. The degree to which they are willing to learn the rules varies a lot.

I do insist that they play characters who want to go on adventures and are willing and able to function as part of a group.

I encourage back stories but often don't get them; I find that asking a player to come up with a reason their character needs 200 gold pieces is often an easier approach that helps players who are daunted by the prospect of creating a full backstory.

 

[Reynard]

I encourage back stories but often don't get them; I find that asking a player to come up with a reason their character needs 200 gold pieces is often an easier approach that helps players who are daunted by the prospect of creating a full backstory.

This is a very good idea.