My Eberron players. [Archive] - Wizards Community

My Eberron players. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ChronosCrow
09-19-04, 02:49 PM I've got this issue with my PC's. They don't act/think like their characters. They mostly act on their own instinct and don't think at all about how a person stuck into a certain scenario would actually react to something. Any thouhgts on fixing this little problem?

The reason I ask here is b/c I run an Eberron game and I'd like any ideas tied back to Eberron. But other ideas are free range as well. I've already given them a good questionaire about their characters and so far I've gotten positive feedback from them, but I wanted something else besides that.
ChrisTheS
09-19-04, 03:02 PM Dangle a really nifty magical item over their heads, but only let them have it if they act in character. If even that doesn't work, suggest to them that they make characters that are more in line with their own personalities (for instance: a player with an obsession with oriental culture and a major sarcasm complex, playing a monk with Cha 6.)
ChronosCrow
09-19-04, 03:10 PM Dangle a really nifty magical item over their heads, but only let them have it if they act in character. If even that doesn't work, suggest to them that they make characters that are more in line with their own personalities (for instance: a player with an obsession with oriental culture and a major sarcasm complex, playing a monk with Cha 6.)

But they've basically done that already. That was their first few sets of characters really. It's about time they learned how to have well rounded characters I think. They've been gaming for a few years now, I expect more out of them. 'Course I suppose I might be a bit harsh. It's just the fact that all their characters seem sooo 2 Dimensional.
ChrisTheS
09-19-04, 03:21 PM You might have to get them into a 'weird character' stage first. Start randomly flipping through the MM or Savage Species and dropping subtle (or not so subtle) hints that a <insert creature here> <insert class here> would be really cool, wouldn't it? Eberron's usage of monster races makes it one of the best suited worlds to do that in.

You can achieve more or less the same effect by killing one of the characters and bringing them back with a Reincarnation spell instead of the more usual resurrection magic (we had a game once where one character died four times and was brought back as a different creature each time).

I don't recommend that, however, unless the character just happens to die because of the player's bad judgement.
Whakapapa
09-19-04, 03:28 PM you could also try to talk with them and explain that you want more roleplaying from them and reward/compliment it when they do role play.
Zagumus
09-19-04, 04:28 PM Before we start each game we warm up. I ask the players what they did with there down time a role play a conversation between the group, just a bar seen or what ever. I also from time to time have my players answer simple, relativlt usless questions before we start like; what is your birthday? what was your father like? do you enjoy festivals? gets people out of there own heads and into the characters head.

Works for us, hope it work for you too.
ChronosCrow
09-19-04, 05:22 PM Before we start each game we warm up. I ask the players what they did with there down time a role play a conversation between the group, just a bar seen or what ever. I also from time to time have my players answer simple, relativlt usless questions before we start like; what is your birthday? what was your father like? do you enjoy festivals? gets people out of there own heads and into the characters head.

Works for us, hope it work for you too.

those simple life questions are really good to do before a game, that's a great idea!
DwarvinJedi
09-19-04, 10:14 PM also I found online somewhere, a questionaire for your players to fill out about their characters. CLICK HERE (http://evildm.datavortex.net/pdf/eberron/historyq.pdf) and tell them what you think
Ch@pel
09-20-04, 12:54 AM We could probably help more if you let us know what classes/ races the chars are. You can design very specific encounters/ scenes that will force them to act or think in character, but only if you know what you're trying to get out of them. Also bear in mind that you should really not have your own idea about how their character should be. Let them decide how they want their character to be, but make sure they stay consistent.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ChronosCrow 09-19-04, 02:49 PM	I've got this issue with my PC's. They don't act/think like their characters. They mostly act on their own instinct and don't think at all about how a person stuck into a certain scenario would actually react to something. Any thouhgts on fixing this little problem? The reason I ask here is b/c I run an Eberron game and I'd like any ideas tied back to Eberron. But other ideas are free range as well. I've already given them a good questionaire about their characters and so far I've gotten positive feedback from them, but I wanted something else besides that.
ChrisTheS 09-19-04, 03:02 PM	Dangle a really nifty magical item over their heads, but only let them have it if they act in character. If even that doesn't work, suggest to them that they make characters that are more in line with their own personalities (for instance: a player with an obsession with oriental culture and a major sarcasm complex, playing a monk with Cha 6.)
ChronosCrow 09-19-04, 03:10 PM	Dangle a really nifty magical item over their heads, but only let them have it if they act in character. If even that doesn't work, suggest to them that they make characters that are more in line with their own personalities (for instance: a player with an obsession with oriental culture and a major sarcasm complex, playing a monk with Cha 6.) But they've basically done that already. That was their first few sets of characters really. It's about time they learned how to have well rounded characters I think. They've been gaming for a few years now, I expect more out of them. 'Course I suppose I might be a bit harsh. It's just the fact that all their characters seem sooo 2 Dimensional.
ChrisTheS 09-19-04, 03:21 PM	You might have to get them into a 'weird character' stage first. Start randomly flipping through the MM or Savage Species and dropping subtle (or not so subtle) hints that a <insert creature here> <insert class here> would be really cool, wouldn't it? Eberron's usage of monster races makes it one of the best suited worlds to do that in. You can achieve more or less the same effect by killing one of the characters and bringing them back with a Reincarnation spell instead of the more usual resurrection magic (we had a game once where one character died four times and was brought back as a different creature each time). I don't recommend that, however, unless the character just happens to die because of the player's bad judgement.
Whakapapa 09-19-04, 03:28 PM	you could also try to talk with them and explain that you want more roleplaying from them and reward/compliment it when they do role play.
Zagumus 09-19-04, 04:28 PM	Before we start each game we warm up. I ask the players what they did with there down time a role play a conversation between the group, just a bar seen or what ever. I also from time to time have my players answer simple, relativlt usless questions before we start like; what is your birthday? what was your father like? do you enjoy festivals? gets people out of there own heads and into the characters head. Works for us, hope it work for you too.
ChronosCrow 09-19-04, 05:22 PM	Before we start each game we warm up. I ask the players what they did with there down time a role play a conversation between the group, just a bar seen or what ever. I also from time to time have my players answer simple, relativlt usless questions before we start like; what is your birthday? what was your father like? do you enjoy festivals? gets people out of there own heads and into the characters head. Works for us, hope it work for you too. those simple life questions are really good to do before a game, that's a great idea!
DwarvinJedi 09-19-04, 10:14 PM	also I found online somewhere, a questionaire for your players to fill out about their characters. CLICK HERE (http://evildm.datavortex.net/pdf/eberron/historyq.pdf) and tell them what you think
Ch@pel 09-20-04, 12:54 AM	We could probably help more if you let us know what classes/ races the chars are. You can design very specific encounters/ scenes that will force them to act or think in character, but only if you know what you're trying to get out of them. Also bear in mind that you should really not have your own idea about how their character should be. Let them decide how they want their character to be, but make sure they stay consistent.