Roleplaying Tips

[KnowTheToe]

I was reading Dr Midnights "Why?" thread and noticed many people are looking for heavier Role Playing plots in their D&D campaigns. I grew up playing with one or two player games and they were all very heavy into story with minimal combat. I am playing face to face for the first time in years and am enjoying it, but we are entering RttToEE and will be dungeon delving for some time to come. I am looking forward to it. That last sentance is so my fellow players and DM do not think I am unhappy

My question is, How do you give heavy role playing campaigns with 4 or more players. I have always seen one or two players lead most of the situations and the rest sit back and wait for action. How do you keep everyone regularly involved and interested in a heavy plot low combat campaign??

 

[LostSoul]

I don't think you have to have lots of "role-playing" - that is, talking to joe commoner and all that. You want to have developed characters who do thier own thing and a plot that revolves around them, instead of a plot that introduces new and stronger monsters/dungeons/treasures (like a video game) whenever the PCs level up.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

Another important thing is interaction between the PC's. The PC's need to get to know each other. They don't need to get along, but they need to talk and discuss things. Just like any group of people trying to work together do. That can give lots of roleplaying potential.

 

[Xarlen]

I have characters who like their RP. It just depends on how you handle it. Just going into a dungeon for cash, profit, and death to monster isn't going to get it. Give them a little meat. For example, the first adventure my boys went through was simple enough, but I inflated with RP potential.

Instead of using Cannon Fodder for your humanoids, give them some material. Set up their social situation; their rituals, their customs. How about a town wanting to expand, but the local tribe of lizardfolk won't pass up the land. So the town hires the party to kill them... and the lizardfolk don't put up a fight? Or, the party tries to go the negotiational route.

How about a murder mystery?

A twist: The monster hiring the PCs.

 

[Cullain]

it's difficult to keep a large number of people involved all the time. My group used to have 4~5 players in it, and it was pretty easy to keep everyone involved. Now we have 7~8 players in it, and it has become much more work on my end to make sure everyone still feels like part of it.

Some tips: Make sure some NPCs take a direct interest in the less-assertive role-players. The more assertive ones will always find a way to stay involved. Taking the time to make sure the others feel like part of the game will make the experience better for everyone.

Talk to your more experience rp-ers in the group. Voice you concerns with them, ask them to try and keep everyone involved in it.

Never, EVER, forget someone's turn in combat. This might seem like a minor thing, but if you start skipping people, they'll feel like you're ignoring them, even if that's not the case. And they'll start to tune out in other areas of the game.

Any other tips I'd welcome, I'm still not all that skilled at handling large groups myself.

Cullain

 

[Umbran]

Don't expect to have all players equally involved every moment of a session. Expect instead to have the focus shift around the party over time.

The best way I've seen to keep everyone invovled is to make sure each character has a personal interest in what's going on. If all thge plot revolve around the one expatriate-prince trying to regain his throne, everyone who isn't an expatriate prince will soon lose interest.

Each character should have some plot that focuses on themselves - their personality, their growth, their abilities. Just as in a combat-heavy game you create encounters that will allow each character to shine, you design a role play heavy game to give a spotlight to each character in turn.

Know your players. Know what they want, know what thier characters want. Talk separately to each player about what the character's goals and thoughts are. If you have that information, you can make the game more interesting.

 

[madriel]

Never, EVER, forget someone's turn in combat. This might seem like a minor thing, but if you start skipping people, they'll feel like you're ignoring them, even if that's not the case. And they'll start to tune out in other areas of the game.

Any other tips I'd welcome, I'm still not all that skilled at handling large groups myself.

Cullain

This came up in a campaign I was in. Here's a tip that's simple and cheap (always a good combo).

Write up a short blurb on every PC on separate 3 by 5 index cards. Include stats like AC, Search Spot & Listen, Initiative and any special abilities. Do up cards for the monsters. At the start of each combat, go around the table and ask everyone what they rolled for initiative and assemble the cards in order. Roll for you bad guys and insert their cards in the proper spot.

Nobody gets forgotten and you have a handy reference for common combat and adventuring stats.

 

[Patrick-S&S]

Well since I am gaming with the same group as I have the past thirteen years we all have come to know what to expect of each other (except for the dude who was killed by the zombies in this thread). There are some ideas you can use that we have found invaluable (and I am not talking about acting and such for that craves experience and "talent").

Always use a leader. When I say leader I mean someone who will lead the group towards a certain target, get all the gears together, and so on. He acts as a speed-up person who kills the uneccessary talks, moves etc. that do not need to be played out.

Example: The players have been discussing with each other at an inn what to do with the merchant that has stiffed them cold. The agree to go to him, brush pass the guards, and demand their money back. The leader of the group tells the GM/DM "We pack our things, pay the innkeeper and say farewell, and move towards the merchant's house, keeping an eye on our purses, until we reach it. Then I go forward and knock on the door."

That is when the other players step in. This saves an increadible amount of time and speeds up play without killing the fun for the other players.

Another thing you could do is to look at each player at the table clockwise or in which turn they are walking (the first, then the second in a dungeon and so on). That way each person gets to say and do what they want.

Last you could steer the gaming to such that all people are involved in say a plot to rescue someone they all know and care about. Use emotions often because if the PCs are good friend, be they evil or good characters, they will usually interact better.

At least at my gaming table.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Murder Misteries and other Detective Stories are always a good way to make roleplaying important and interesting.

A wizard might talk with the local wizard about the incidents, a bard or a rogue goes through the bars and taverns, and so on.
Than, if everybody got some pieces of the puzzle, the group can discuss together...

It is also fun if the players and maybe even the characters do no who is the villain, but can`t just kill him. (He is evil? Who cares. Give me proof for his illegal actions! Or: Yes, he is evil, but damn, he is one of the most important people here. You must give us some proof...)
If they lack the proofs, interrogating the villain is fun, for the master as well as the players.

The problem seems to come at higher levels, when Diviniation magic make setting up such mysteries really difficult.

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Umbran]

Always use a leader. When I say leader I mean someone who will lead the group towards a certain target, get all the gears together, and so on. He acts as a speed-up person who kills the uneccessary talks, moves etc. that do not need to be played out.

I'll insert a dissenting voice here - only use a leader if you've got a player who is really good at it. Party leaders have the (perhaps unintentional) tendency to focus on what they want to do. Actions other than those approved of by the party leader tend to get edited out or overlooked, which is not good for keeping everybody interested.

A skilled and able party leader is a good thing, but the level of patience, objectivity, and fairness required isn't common. Plus, if he's doing his job right, the player acting as leader is likely forced to think in out-of-character terms frequently, thus lessening his own role-play experience.