Social Encounters: Does it Matter What and How PCs Speak to NPCs?

[MGibster]

In my games the answer is yes. Allow me to give you an example. In my Deadlands game, a PC went to go talk to the recently widowed woman of a man two other PCs were currently sitting in jail for allegedly murdering. I don't remember what the PC said, but he started the conversation by saying something completely insensitive to the grieving widow, so I had him make a Persuasion roll at -2, which was successful so I didn't toss his character's butt out onto the street.

Later in the same session, the PCs decided they wanted to talk to a powerful man they know is a bad guy, think of a cattle baron type character, and when they arrived at his house discovered it was an armed camp. A guard at the gate stopped the PCs asking them what their business was. I hadn't intended for this to be an insurmountable barrier, but the PCs, for reasons I can't quite understand, refused to tell the guard what their business was. They wanted to see the boss, which was fine, but refused to tell the guard what specific business they had with him. I gave them an opportunity to clarify their intentions, specifically telling them the guard was getting agitated because you wouldn't answer his question, but either they didn't get the hint or didn't care and left when the guard told them to piss off. No conversation with the boss.

I want to stress that these aren't bad players I'd general label as a problem as I've been gaming with them for years. But the two players who are much better at talking to NPCs weren't at the session tonight, so we made due with what we had. And I'm going to have to take some of the blame here because I've never sat down to talk to them about my expectations when it comes to social encounters. That's on me, and it's something I shall rectify at our next game session. When the players interact with NPCs, it's my responsibility to have them react to what the PCs say and or do according to the circumstances, so I don't care how charming a player things their character is, if they say or do something offensive they're going to have a more difficult time getting along with the NPC.

But why do players (at least mine) and GMs make communicating with PCs difficult?

Some players just want to watch the world burn. Let's get this one out of the way first. There are players who just like to stir the pot, sow the seeds of chaos, or muck about for whatever reason. Some players derive a great deal of delight of messing it up for everyone else, but others genuinely think this is fun for everyone.

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Some players just think it's fun to be insulting or sarcastic and still get what you want. Like Rick Sanchez or Sterling Archer. The GM is going to give them the the information needed to go kill the monsters, so why not have a little fun with this? This one is actually okay depending on the situation.

Any more reasons anyone can come up with?

 

[MGibster]

I thought of another one.

If you want to keep a secret, you must keep it from yourself. I have had several instances of PCs who were investigating something do everything they could to avoid being direct with NPCs about what they were looking for. The PC might roll into town looking for a Miner George and sit around in a saloon all day hoping to hear rumors about the dude instead of asking anyone if they know about his whereabouts. I'm sympathetic to players who engage in this kind of behavior because it often means a GM hurt them in the past. But, man, if you want to talk to people you've got to give them a reason to talk to you.

 

[payn]

Political intrigue is my jam so it certainly does. That said, I try to be keen on what a player is trying to accomplish. If they are looking for someone but don't want to tip their hand ill play along. Sometimes I offer advice about what the character knows in the moment the player might not. Ill use probing questions too. I do my best to even things out so the players feel like they are rolling with it like I am and that I'm not going to meta game their plan into a trap.

In the case of the gate guard, I'm going to make it clear if the NPC don't want to chat. Otherwise, ill improvise if the players feel like they lack the club handshake or secret passage. As the PCs walk away ill have a dude ride up on a horse and gate guard call them back. Turns out said NPC wants to talk to them too. Its a classic troupey scene that is fun to play out. Sometimes you gotta think on your feet to move things along if the players are being too cautious or what have you.

 

[Clint_L]

It 100% matters how the PCs talk to the NPCs. When I'm playing the NPC, my first thought is always "what makes sense for them in this situation?" If the PCs are being jerks, good luck getting what they need. I run a very sandbox-y game, so it is 100% possible (and actually expected) that there are plenty of adventure hooks that will go unexplored. It's all up to how the PCs interact with the world.

 

[dbm]

It definitely matters in my opinion and in the games I run. The context of the world is really important, too, in shaping how the NPCs will react. This can be really tricky if the players haven’t gotten their head around the campaign world yet.

For example, I have recently started running a Deadlands Lost Colony game (think Firefly meets Event Horizon) and the PCs suspect that the local doctor of some shenanigans so they go try to speak with him. But appointments are hard to come buy so they are waiting in the surgery waiting room and decide to escalate things, threatening to beat up the receptionist who is just some 20 year old desk clerk unless they are allowed to see the doctor right now. A couple of the other waiting patients (it’s a mining colony - there are some tough people there) confront the players and ask them to leave, but they intimidate the locals and push into the doctor’s office to interrogate him. About 3 minutes later the marshal turns up with armed deputies and they are whisked away to cool their heals in the jail.

In a fantasy game with no fast communications, little organised law enforcement, and heroes who are literally untouchable by mortal folk that behaviour might fly. But in a world modelled after the frontier west and a rule system which keeps threats credible (doubly so with guns in the equation) that isn’t going to work. They pushed the world and the world pushed back.

 

[aramis erak]

In Traveller and D&D, it provides a modifier of up to ±2 on the 2d6 reaction roll I make. Charisma also applies. I do it this way to prevent dump-statting in D&D.

 

[aco175]

I will say that there was some video game dialogue from my son when he first started to play D&D. He was playing online with some of his friends and how they talk to NPCs in a video game where it it is structured differently came into play. It took some, "Is that what you say to the guard?" prompts from the DM to curb that. There are some funny lines thrown around from players at opportune times, but everyone knows that it is a player and not the PC just making a funny.

 

[Reynard]

I think it is generally a mistake to expect players to both write and act out perfect dialogue on the fly, which is what putting too.much focus on "what they say and how they say it" is. It is better, IMO, to put more weight on their intent and let them describe their approach instead of or in addition to speaking in character.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

I can't imagine playing a game where the answer to the title question was no. Even some high-concept thing where (say) there was a Babel Effect going on and people can't understand each other's languages, your approach to whatever other forms of communication are in use (gestures, interpretive dance, TNG-style metaphor-speech) is going to matter.

 

[Greenwheat]

Of course it matters; that's what makes it roleplaying.

I don't expect play-acting from my players. I'll treat a scenery-chewing performance of 'Pray, milord, might my companions and I trouble you for a night's lodging?' the same way as 'I ask the Baron nicely if we can spend the night.' Which, depending on the disposition of the Baron towards the characters, is likely to be a favourable response, or a bonus to any relevant action resolution.

If the same characters demand accomodation under threat of violence, then they can expect to be ejected from the castle. Forcibly if necessary. Unless of course that's what the situation demands.