What is your favorite Roleplaying tip?

[Michael Morris]

Here's mine. At session start I have all players close their eyes and concentrate on their breathing - on their sensations and on totally relaxing all the muscles in their body (This is an acting warm up routine). At the end of this, with their eyes still closed, I describe the opening scene.

What is your favorite roleplaying tip?

 

[SpringPlum]

Mine would have to be--if, during an rping scene, you have something to say, say it and don't worry about sounding stupid.

 

[diaglo]

Have Fun...and Game On.

 

[Whisper72]

Not sure if it's my favorite, but it sure keeps the players focussed and on their toes:

Everything they say is said by their PC, in other words, unless the player specifically states that he or she has a question/remark that is to be taken OOC, then everyhting they say is IC, whether intended or not.

 

[frugal]

Here's mine. At session start I have all players close their eyes and concentrate on their breathing - on their sensations and on totally relaxing all the muscles in their body (This is an acting warm up routine). At the end of this, with their eyes still closed, I describe the opening scene.

What is your favorite roleplaying tip?

When we introduce a new PC or NPC we always ask the question: "Who would play them in the movie version?" It really helps to give a visulisation to the characters. It is so much easier to interact with the seductress rogue if you can visulise her as being Cathrine Zeta-Jones from Zorro as opposed to the bearded Welshman across the table.

The other tip would be to exagerate the accents / mannerisms. As you are trying to convey a personality by speech alone it really helps if you can separate character from player. In our campaign we have a Spanish sounding noble lady, a East-end London ganster Doppleganger, an upper class British Merchant. The more outrageous the accent the more identifiable the character, and the more separate the character is from the player.

 

[Pynchon]

Players First.

Make the player characters the center of the game world. This sounds obvious but I've encountered many GM's who have created marvelous detailed campaign worlds but then seem afraid that the players will break it if they tamper with it too much. Too often these games become a sort of guided tour. I try in the intial sessions to get to know the characters and then shape the adventures around the goals and ambitions of the PC's. Their growth in power allows them to join higher and higher social and political circles. If they damage the map in the process so be it.
By the way I often use the 'who would play them in the movie' for NPCS. You get an instant visual discription.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Mine would have to be--if, during an rping scene, you have something to say, say it and don't worry about sounding stupid.

Quite similar to my advice, being: Relax... No one here's going to get an Oscar, but no one's getting tomatoes thrown at them, either.

 

[Bregh]

My favourite tip is found in the Afterword of the DMG:

It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. Never hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, if it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to major rules systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters given in the {rules volumes}, you are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a whole first, your campaign next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing {the game} as it was meant to be. May you find as much pleasure in so doing as the rest of us do!

 

[JesterPoet]

No matter what, friends are more important than the game.

 

[Henry]

It is so much easier to interact with the seductress rogue if you can visulise her as being Cathrine Zeta-Jones from Zorro as opposed to the bearded Welshman across the table.

Frugal, if it's all right by you, I'm using this statement in my .sig; it's too good to lose. If you would rather I didn't, just e-mail me! Thanks!