Should the DM foster Party Conflict?

[Utrecht]

I am asking this becuase I have to *potential* for an interesting conflict within my party, but am concerend that forcing the issue could break the party.

The situation is this.

Party member A is a CN Half-Orc Barbarian that worships Gruumsh - specifically the aspects of the strong triumphing over the weak and the unbridled lust for battle. His plan is to eventually sanctify this relationship with Gruumsh by becomming a chosen of Gruumsh.

Party member B is a CG Elf Cleric of Celleron Laerethien (sp).

Obviously the two gods do not get along - but how far should I extend it to their followers? If I was truly nasty about this the Gods would at best forbade one from traveling with the other or at worst insist on a Steel Cage Grudge match......

Thus far, I have not forced the issue - felling that it should be a roll-playing issue (and I think that there is good potential there) and that forcing it feels to much like railroading.........

Thoughts?

 

[Sodalis]

yeeeaaaahhhh

you should really leave it up to the players to fill in that part. The DM should not have control over how a PC is played.

But, you can drop hints that the two GODs dont get along

but since the Gruumsh Orc believes in Strong over weak, maybe the Cleric is not weak enough for him to enforce his beliefs. Rather, he is waiting for a chance to kik him while he is down...

And teh Cleric could be feeling too just to start quarrels with a person of a lesser race/ or worship

basically, I dont think you should touch it. players dont like it when a DM tells them how to play their char...

but you should let them know this ahead of time- maybe they just did not see the worshipping aspect before- and now they will play a more funny (slapstcik) duo.

 

[Dingleberry]

Just make sure that when the time comes for the barbarian to lose his eye, the elf is the one who takes it.

 

[Oni]

Would be kinda of cool if the barbarian somehow managed to get the cleric to remove his eye in emulation of his god.

 

[War Golem]

Obviously the two gods do not get along - but how far should I extend it to their followers? If I was truly nasty about this the Gods would at best forbade one from traveling with the other or at worst insist on a Steel Cage Grudge match......

Thus far, I have not forced the issue - felling that it should be a roll-playing issue (and I think that there is good potential there) and that forcing it feels to much like railroading......... [/B]

Hi Utrecht,

I agree that it would be out of place for you to tell the player of the orc barbarian how to run his character.

But for the elf cleric, well, I think that is one area where not only is it ok, but you should feel obligated to direct his character somewhat. One of the "costs" of playing a cleric (which is a strong class) is that the character is responsible to his God. If the player doesn't self-initiate this aspect of role-playing a cleric, this can usually be handled through the temple. I would encourage you to have this cleric's superiors inform him that he risks disfavor in the eyes of the temple and of their God by fraternizing with a half-orc follower of Gruumsh. It may start at that level of rebuke, but as the half orc grows in power and stature, all the while proclaiming the glories of Gruumsh along the way, the elf cleric's temple may decide that the orc has to go, and instruct the elf cleric to "handle it".

 

[Conaill]

Talk to your players!!!

It takes a somewhat mature group of players to be able to handle inter-party conflict without this spilling over into hurt feelings or frustration out of game.

If your players feel like this is something they would like to develop further, and you think they can handle it without damaging the group dynamics between the players, go for it!

On the other hand, the players may have made these characters without knowing about each other, and may actually be concerned about ruining party unity. Or you may suspect that such infighting might ruin the experience for the other players in the group.

 

[Kurtz Tote]

If you've got good players, I don't think you'd have to force the issue at all. Something is bound to come up that will force the issue for you, and if you are anxious to see it then just put the players in scenarios that will naturally lead to the conflict.

However, if your players aren't exactly roleplaying well, you would probably be in line to at the least point it out. If the half-orc just keeps beating up helpless people just because he can, for instance, and the cleric does nothing about it, it would be well within your rights to point it out. If the cleric still does nothing, then you could punish him for it (loses favor with his god, has to switch alignment, etc)

So you don't need to foster it. But you could definetly encourage it.

 

[Forrester]

It's pretty obvious that the barbarian needs to kill the cleric. Gruumsh no like Corellan Twinkethian.

Highly unrealistic for them to be travelling together -- I mean, elf-boy put out his god's EYE! Time for some vengeance, baby!

Smashee Smashee! I just hope the barbarian makes his Will save against Hold Person . . .

 

[EOL]

This is a situation that should probably have been handled at the beginning. Either by setting down party guidelines such that thematically this wouldn't occur. Which BTW brings up an interesting question how did these two characters ever end up together?

Assuming that you allow the two characters in the same campaign then you would have to explain up front that there is going to be a lot of conflict and make sure the players are okay with that.

Generally I prefer to leave role-playing angry hateful and other negative encounters to the NPC-PC arena and try and discourage such things in the PC-PC interactions. just because it can cause problems, and generally does.

 

[Glyfair]

I tend to agree about not forcing the roleplaying on the characters. It takes a certain kind of player to keep it all in-character and to not take it too far. Both players have to be able to handle this for it to work.

However, if they do, there is no need to actually "force" the issue. Just demonstrate it. Whenever one of them has to deal with their church their church will certainly make their prejudices known. They will also want to know why the characters aren't living up to their religious roles. Even if the players decide their characters are civil, there is conflict right there to use to develop a story.

Glyfair of Glamis