troubles.....

[Regal Worm of Slopp]

So...im new on this thing, but i have a major (to me anyways) question that i really need answering. So here it is.

Im a new D&D player, and i have been playing for about 3 months now. our DM is a good DM, and he is the most experienced out of us all. So of course, he has high standards. And because of the huge difference in experience between the DM (about 2 years) and the players (between 3-7 months), we are terrible at roleplaying which is a must for our DM, and we still have the craving for action action action (though i can still have fun just talking). Our DM is frustrated because his older more experienced group has broken up, and he has us to deal with, and it is not going well. The sessions simply miss that spark that makes the evening all fuzzy in memory, and i have no idea how to fix it. Our DM is a bit moody, and prone to being a jerk when angry.

I desperately need a way to help us get that spark again, and i was hoping that you more experienced guys would know how to...

Trying is the key to failure.......

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

I've always found a good way to get more into roleplaying is to come up with a good backstory for your character. It helped me greatly and gave my DM a good way to tie my character into the game.

EDIT : Also, it would be good to possibly sit with your DM and the whole group and talk about what direction you all want to get the game going in.
I know it sounds silly, but it helps.

 

[kamosa]

Get to know your local NPC

In between hacking, take a few minutes out to talk to your barkeep, guard, shopkeeper or dog catcher. Before you know it, you'll be roleplaying up a storm, creating the 18 int rogue with all social skills so you can dominate the role playing action.

Seriously. Make up a back story about your character. When you come to a decision instead of doing what is best, do what you think the character would do. Try a scam at the local bar. Purchase all purple robes, especially if your a fighter.

Have fun.

 

[Crothian]

Ask him how you all can role play better. I agree with above, a good character background and personality helps. Some easy things that people miss are talk in character, refer to the character as I and not he. State things like I go up to the barkeep, and then speak to the barkeep.

 

[Regal Worm of Slopp]

I've always found a good way to get more into roleplaying is to come up with a good backstory for your character. It helped me greatly and gave my DM a good way to tie my character into the game.

EDIT : Also, it would be good to possibly sit with your DM and the whole group and talk about what direction you all want to get the game going in.
I know it sounds silly, but it helps.[/QU

We have backstories, but all the same some players will always degenerate into out of character playing.......and using out of character knowledge is pretty anoying, though they dont often use it.

 

[Samothdm]

I think Djeta's right - have the group talk with the DM outside of the game about everyone's goals and objectives for playing. Try to meet halfway.

All of the backstory suggestions are great. My group consists of mostly newbie roleplayers. We've been playing for 3 years now, and they've really gotten into their character backstories. They've gotten pretty good about the roleplaying aspects of the game.

Another thing they did which helped them was to also try to figure out how their characters all knew each other before the first session. It really helped them with the RP and also helped me as a DM craft adventures that were more tailored to their common history.

Edit: Welcome to EN World! There's a lot of cool people here full of advice, so you should be in good hands.

 

[the Jester]

First, welcome to the boards!

Now, prolly the single easiest way to throw some rp into your sessions is prolly to simply adopt a 'voice' for your characters. Maybe the fighter talks like Clint Eastwood in a spaghetti western; maybe the wizard has a high, quivering voice. Whatever- just so long as you use a voice different from your normal speaking voice, it'll do wonders.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

How is combat usually started in your games? Does the DM usually "throw" monsters at you, or do you just go looking for it?

Suggest that the group try a non combat session. Our group did that not long ago. We had the whole group go to a fancy party where we were to gain information about certain bad NPCs and their plots. But the whole affair was very snooty and not the sort of place where anyone pulling out a sword on the balcony would be taken well by other party-goers.

It helped our game a lot. We were forced inadvertantly to do nothing but roleplay.

Also, like Crothian said, refer to your character as "I" not "he" or "she" or even their name. Use "I".

It takes some practice, but eventually you'll get into it. You've just started playing and there is a lot to learn (rules/combat/spells etc.) and the way you roleplay is part of that whole learning process. It will come eventually.

 

[Regal Worm of Slopp]

Thanks

wow....i wasnt expecting this kind of response right away....anyways, thanks for the advice, and i will relay it to my DM, he should like it. And one final thing, how do we stop the videogame D&D-ing thing? Both of the other players i play with are gamers, and like alo9t of action really fast.....How can we limit this kind of mentalityu so that the key story parts are more interesting because we dont mess around?

Any thoughts?[

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

Also, do you enjoy roleplaying? Or do you prefer combat? Some people just prefer roll playing to role playing and there is nothing wrong with that.

I know people who've gamed for decades who prefer combat.

I suspect you do enjoy it, since you are asking, but I figured I'd ask.