my players won't roleplay! [Archive] - Wizards Community

my players won't roleplay! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Miles_Gloriosis
12-03-03, 04:34 PM I run a small game and my players don't roleplay . One didn't even write a history bio hair color ect and doesn't know the other party members characters names What should I do?
Kalanth
12-03-03, 04:47 PM Let them know the game is about roleplaying, and provide them situations where the only way through it is to roleplay. If this don't work, look for some serious players.
Miles_Gloriosis
12-03-03, 04:49 PM ok I'll try that thanks for the advice Kalanth.
MarcusAurelius
12-03-03, 05:38 PM Hails!

There are probably a few different tricks you can try.......

Bonus XP for back story (a little late, I know)......(this should only be a small bonus, but enough to be an incentive)

Bonus XP for good role playing...........

Putting them into situations where role playing takes precedence over combat (Not just role playing with the good NPC's either - putting the characters in a situation where they HAVE to talk to the villain is very entertaining, especially if you have, erm, really good BBEGs)

Talk to the players and let them know you are interested in the role playing aspect to the game.........

Use what back story info they give you as hooks for your story so the story takes on a more "personal" feel for the charcaters.....

As for the one who failed to write up a description? Since he/she did not make up a description, that means it is in your hands .....(insert evil laugh)......start having people insulting his/her looks ......ie: the ladies of the court commenting on his straw like hair..........the BBEG making fun of the way his/her face scrunches up like a prune when he swings his sword.......I would not take this too far though, afterall this would just be to make a point to the player, not to make him/her feel picked on........
Dougan Axehammer
12-03-03, 08:41 PM An idea:

Anytime you decide you want to refer to a particular PC in-game (for whatever the reason), use the character name instead of the real name.
blix_the_drow
12-03-03, 10:26 PM Hey. To start, I feel your pain. It's very hard to pull non-roleplayers to roleplay. Here's how our group semi-solved the problem.

We started by announcing to everyone that from this point on, the focus of the game, go figure, will be roleplaying. Actually playing out your character and remaining in that character until game's end. Then we set up a point system. Each player started out with 1000 XP. Each time a player diverted from his character (ex. talking about movies, cars or anything other than the game at hand) they were docked 100 XP. This helped out the game a lot. The players concentrated on the story and game more and they picked up their respected class profile. The DM went a step further with this recently by introducing alignment shifts. He created a 3 strike system. He created a sheet with all the alignments on it and each alignment had 3 slots up and down. When a player went against his alignment, he/she got a shift. (Ex. When a paladin curses or helps the party slay an innocent) So, a player that's N, slips out of alignment to the bad 3 times, either way, he has an alignment shift and automatically loses 500 XP off the 1000 Roleplay XP.

Now if your players are like any other player, they crave that XP. It drives them because without XP, your character doesn't progress. And without progress, your character will always be a 1st level nobody. Who wants that?

Hope this helps out, it did for us! I agree with the other posts as well, reward them for creating a player history. Doesn't have to be huge, just pick a neighboring town and give a few details of growing up. Also, reward them for using accents. Or take XP back for a dwarf that's not loud, drunk and obnoxious! Hehe. Just don't give up hope.

Good luck! You'll need it!
Trydan
12-04-03, 10:42 AM Make it tangible for them. E.g.

DM: Okay, so you're walking down the street and you see two guards coming towards. They come up to you are start asking questions. And, for the point of this section, until I say otherwise, what you say out loud, counts as being said out loud in front of the guards, got it!

Players: Yeah, sure, whatever, etc...

Guard: One, hey you there... what're you doing out on the streets this late:
Player 1: My character says he's looking for the escaped kobold.
Guard: Your character? What are you, peasant? Some sort of doppleganger (draws sword)
Player 1: ???
Guard: And who's this? (DM points at Player 2
Player 1: Who?
Guard: This elf standing next to you... who the hell do you think I mean?
Player 1: What? Oh... hey, Hans, what's your characters name?
Player 2: It's... (reads character sheet)... Kunchmin
Guard: Waaaaaiiiit! You mean to tell me that you don't know your friends name, and you are talking like you don't even know your own. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with me back to the barracks. Walk in front, don't attempt to resist, and keep your hands away from your weapons.

etc.
Bromabaz Silvertwister
12-05-03, 02:06 AM all you need are the Five Words:

Is That What You Say?

that and having an invisible halfling steal all there gear when they leave the table for snacks in the middle of a fight.
Avalon
12-05-03, 04:20 PM Good roleplaying is rewarding for the player. Give them in game rewards that don't have anything to do with xp. "A," the roleplayer gets invited to the ball; "B" doesn't.

"A" gets a better deal on buying equipment even if he has a lower diplomacy score.

"A" gets more attention in the game and more "talk to" time because he actually talks. "B" gets to be more bored.

Try to go an hour without rolling any dice (don't tell them that that is the goal) and everything that happens gets decided based on actions and words.

Start the game without even getting out dice and setting up. Don't use dice or hard and fast rules so much until you declare "well, I think with that we should get some dice."

But then I greatly prefer completely diceless games.
Miles_Gloriosis
12-09-03, 03:58 PM sorry for the lack of replying 9we don't play often)
Winternova
12-09-03, 05:52 PM I use some XP rewards for RP - not really much at all, but it's XP and it's basically free. I do let the players know that it's an RP bonus, and i give them examples of why their bonus is what it is - letting them know that their reluctance to fight in front of the cop shop/their home/the church was on par with what they'd said of their character; that their choice to shoot at this target instead of that target, deal with this problem that way (instead of how the player themselves would deal with it) was exellent, and harmonious with their presented character design. I have my whiners though - players who get less xp (we're talking a couple hundred - 200 as opposed to 500 or so) will complain and rattle on ("oh my god that's stupid! how can you tell me i wasn't RPing?" when they literally said to me "I push my talk button - what does he say?") It has bugs, but it works on the whole.
Dreamstryder
12-09-03, 06:13 PM Mostly good advice, but I wouldn't do the alignment shift thing becasue it takes too much roleplaying freedom out of the players' hands. If one is concerned about such stuff, the DM should emphasis that characters need a reason to change their life outlooks.
CaptinKebler
12-09-03, 10:33 PM what i like to do is give my players a daily dairy, they write down certian key momnets of that day and keep a recored of enemies they have made and so on.

then, at the end of the game i grade the dairy in percentage form. after finishing up the exp, multiply all the pc's score by that percentage.:devil:

this will work best if you force the pc's to read there passages out lowd.
Lord QZip
12-10-03, 07:46 PM Forcing them to roleplay is what I'd do but if they really don't want to then don't force them to just stop being a gm. Here's a good idea of how to make them roleplay. Maybe this dwarf hates an elf but both of them have half of the key that the players need to get out of the doungeon. The problem is because neither of them will help each other instead of just rolling dice to see if your character's persuade them make them persuade you as a gm (that's what I do). Now your players must talk to you as their characters.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Miles_Gloriosis 12-03-03, 04:34 PM	I run a small game and my players don't roleplay . One didn't even write a history bio hair color ect and doesn't know the other party members characters names What should I do?
Kalanth 12-03-03, 04:47 PM	Let them know the game is about roleplaying, and provide them situations where the only way through it is to roleplay. If this don't work, look for some serious players.
Miles_Gloriosis 12-03-03, 04:49 PM	ok I'll try that thanks for the advice Kalanth.
MarcusAurelius 12-03-03, 05:38 PM	Hails! There are probably a few different tricks you can try....... Bonus XP for back story (a little late, I know)......(this should only be a small bonus, but enough to be an incentive) Bonus XP for good role playing........... Putting them into situations where role playing takes precedence over combat (Not just role playing with the good NPC's either - putting the characters in a situation where they HAVE to talk to the villain is very entertaining, especially if you have, erm, really good BBEGs) Talk to the players and let them know you are interested in the role playing aspect to the game......... Use what back story info they give you as hooks for your story so the story takes on a more "personal" feel for the charcaters..... As for the one who failed to write up a description? Since he/she did not make up a description, that means it is in your hands .....(insert evil laugh)......start having people insulting his/her looks ......ie: the ladies of the court commenting on his straw like hair..........the BBEG making fun of the way his/her face scrunches up like a prune when he swings his sword.......I would not take this too far though, afterall this would just be to make a point to the player, not to make him/her feel picked on........
Dougan Axehammer 12-03-03, 08:41 PM	An idea: Anytime you decide you want to refer to a particular PC in-game (for whatever the reason), use the character name instead of the real name.
blix_the_drow 12-03-03, 10:26 PM	Hey. To start, I feel your pain. It's very hard to pull non-roleplayers to roleplay. Here's how our group semi-solved the problem. We started by announcing to everyone that from this point on, the focus of the game, go figure, will be roleplaying. Actually playing out your character and remaining in that character until game's end. Then we set up a point system. Each player started out with 1000 XP. Each time a player diverted from his character (ex. talking about movies, cars or anything other than the game at hand) they were docked 100 XP. This helped out the game a lot. The players concentrated on the story and game more and they picked up their respected class profile. The DM went a step further with this recently by introducing alignment shifts. He created a 3 strike system. He created a sheet with all the alignments on it and each alignment had 3 slots up and down. When a player went against his alignment, he/she got a shift. (Ex. When a paladin curses or helps the party slay an innocent) So, a player that's N, slips out of alignment to the bad 3 times, either way, he has an alignment shift and automatically loses 500 XP off the 1000 Roleplay XP. Now if your players are like any other player, they crave that XP. It drives them because without XP, your character doesn't progress. And without progress, your character will always be a 1st level nobody. Who wants that? Hope this helps out, it did for us! I agree with the other posts as well, reward them for creating a player history. Doesn't have to be huge, just pick a neighboring town and give a few details of growing up. Also, reward them for using accents. Or take XP back for a dwarf that's not loud, drunk and obnoxious! Hehe. Just don't give up hope. Good luck! You'll need it!
Trydan 12-04-03, 10:42 AM	Make it tangible for them. E.g. DM: Okay, so you're walking down the street and you see two guards coming towards. They come up to you are start asking questions. And, for the point of this section, until I say otherwise, what you say out loud, counts as being said out loud in front of the guards, got it! Players: Yeah, sure, whatever, etc... Guard: One, hey you there... what're you doing out on the streets this late: Player 1: My character says he's looking for the escaped kobold. Guard: Your character? What are you, peasant? Some sort of doppleganger (draws sword) Player 1: ??? Guard: And who's this? (DM points at Player 2 Player 1: Who? Guard: This elf standing next to you... who the hell do you think I mean? Player 1: What? Oh... hey, Hans, what's your characters name? Player 2: It's... (reads character sheet)... Kunchmin Guard: Waaaaaiiiit! You mean to tell me that you don't know your friends name, and you are talking like you don't even know your own. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with me back to the barracks. Walk in front, don't attempt to resist, and keep your hands away from your weapons. etc.
Bromabaz Silvertwister 12-05-03, 02:06 AM	all you need are the Five Words: Is That What You Say? that and having an invisible halfling steal all there gear when they leave the table for snacks in the middle of a fight.
Avalon 12-05-03, 04:20 PM	Good roleplaying is rewarding for the player. Give them in game rewards that don't have anything to do with xp. "A," the roleplayer gets invited to the ball; "B" doesn't. "A" gets a better deal on buying equipment even if he has a lower diplomacy score. "A" gets more attention in the game and more "talk to" time because he actually talks. "B" gets to be more bored. Try to go an hour without rolling any dice (don't tell them that that is the goal) and everything that happens gets decided based on actions and words. Start the game without even getting out dice and setting up. Don't use dice or hard and fast rules so much until you declare "well, I think with that we should get some dice." But then I greatly prefer completely diceless games.
Miles_Gloriosis 12-09-03, 03:58 PM	sorry for the lack of replying 9we don't play often)
Winternova 12-09-03, 05:52 PM	I use some XP rewards for RP - not really much at all, but it's XP and it's basically free. I do let the players know that it's an RP bonus, and i give them examples of why their bonus is what it is - letting them know that their reluctance to fight in front of the cop shop/their home/the church was on par with what they'd said of their character; that their choice to shoot at this target instead of that target, deal with this problem that way (instead of how the player themselves would deal with it) was exellent, and harmonious with their presented character design. I have my whiners though - players who get less xp (we're talking a couple hundred - 200 as opposed to 500 or so) will complain and rattle on ("oh my god that's stupid! how can you tell me i wasn't RPing?" when they literally said to me "I push my talk button - what does he say?") It has bugs, but it works on the whole.
Dreamstryder 12-09-03, 06:13 PM	Mostly good advice, but I wouldn't do the alignment shift thing becasue it takes too much roleplaying freedom out of the players' hands. If one is concerned about such stuff, the DM should emphasis that characters need a reason to change their life outlooks.
CaptinKebler 12-09-03, 10:33 PM	what i like to do is give my players a daily dairy, they write down certian key momnets of that day and keep a recored of enemies they have made and so on. then, at the end of the game i grade the dairy in percentage form. after finishing up the exp, multiply all the pc's score by that percentage.:devil: this will work best if you force the pc's to read there passages out lowd.
Lord QZip 12-10-03, 07:46 PM	Forcing them to roleplay is what I'd do but if they really don't want to then don't force them to just stop being a gm. Here's a good idea of how to make them roleplay. Maybe this dwarf hates an elf but both of them have half of the key that the players need to get out of the doungeon. The problem is because neither of them will help each other instead of just rolling dice to see if your character's persuade them make them persuade you as a gm (that's what I do). Now your players must talk to you as their characters.