alrighty my players dont want to roleplay [Archive] - Wizards Community

alrighty my players dont want to roleplay [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
guru7892
03-25-04, 09:54 PM ok most of my players dont know the definition of 'role playing' (is i really that hard??) when i asked them ' do you want to kill monsters, or do you want to kill monsters to a plot?' i got the reply ' i just want to kill monsters'

*sigh*

now this is the only group i know and im not going to find another group (least not a mature group my parents would let me play with). now personally i want to reform my players to become role players, but if you must suggest that i join another group, do so.

(also if EDM says that this is bull, its probably not true for him, and this only goes for a few of my players, not all of them. also i cant break the group because annoying ('nrp')people will follow me(well one of my players))

the main root of the problem is that since we play d&d at a school club, we have to let everyone in our games, so the dm cant kick anyone out, and to organize something afyter school would be tough.
Hurrichocobo
03-25-04, 10:30 PM It sounds like they are most interested in the Kick Down The Door game style. Where you just go from room to room ripping through monsters and collecting the goods. You could go to your local comic shop and ask around there to see if anyone plays there or you could ask a few people around school if they know anything about Role Playing. Thats your best bet. If your players don't want to Role Play then theres no way you can make them. My suggestion would be to stop running the game there and try to find some other players or explain to them why exactly you want Role Playing and why it would benefit from the overall experience of the game.
Lily_Knight
03-25-04, 11:04 PM I can understand why you want your group to roleplay, after DMing for a while I still sometimes get downcast when time after time my only success is seeing the players smile and think they are smarter then me.

But roleplaying is not the answer, nor solution to lack of DM enjoyment.

(BTW, I do know that the players and the DM are not enemies, so nobody flame me about it :mad: )

If they don't wanna roleplay, you can't change them. Either opt for somebody else to take your place, or create the toughest and most unique hack-n-slash/problemsolving/dungeon delving campaign you can. It is really rewarding when the players strain and fuss about a difficult challenge. They tend to show you alot of respect after one.

In and all, be unique and challenging. These are more rewarding then forcing players to roleplay.
StoryTellerSJEM
03-25-04, 11:55 PM I agree that you need to find another group. If you can't do your own at school, how much fun is it for you?

It sounds like you want something bigger, so, go look for it around your area.
Steelwill
03-26-04, 12:16 AM Are these players new to the game (if I missed that origionally sorry). Newer players typically want to see what they can do in combat, it almost always the initial draw. My advice, create some simplistic "hunt the orc infestation plagueing the small mining/farming community", and give them what they want. Most likely 2-4 sessions of just that, and the players will be dying for a plot to solve. During the combat missions, focus on getting the players to express some personality with their characters, even if its as simple as creative dialog or a unique battlecry, this will help the players invest persona into their characters, inevitably leading them to want to flesh out those personas, namely by "roleplaying" their characters reactions to different situations, also causing your players to develop a craving for storyline and roleplay. If your players have trouble getting into character, tell them to imagine it as an acting part, and they are the actors, the characters are the parts, that has helped me in the past, with newer players who did not quite understand what roleplaying entailed. Another simple task is to get the players to refer to other player's in their character names, and to try to keep all game relevant dialogue in character. This will help reinforce their "roles". It doesn't necessarily sound like you need a new group, you may just need to try to develop this one. I would only recommend a new group if the current one refuses or can not respond to any of your attempts to help them immerse into their characters and the game world, or if you just don't feel like its worth the effort to develop your current group. My 2 cents, I hope it helps.
Teh Lurv
03-26-04, 12:28 AM Guru, I have seven words for you:

"Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil"

If you are going to play hack n' slash, you might as well make it good hack n' slash. :D Trust me, by the end of the adventure, they will be hack n' slashed out.
guru7892
03-26-04, 12:42 AM ok i run a hack and slash, with a few traps and crap (he he he )
Transit
03-26-04, 01:38 PM I find the best way to encourage roleplaying is to give each player their own NPC "boss" that they HAVE to deal with on a regular basis.

For example, give the Cleric a nosy local Bishop (or whatever his superior would be in his particular religion) Every time the group returns from an adventure, the Bishop shows up asking the cleric questions. "Where'd you get all this treasure? Did you harm anyone to get this? Did you convert any followers during your adventure? How much of this money are you donating to the church?" etc. The player can't kill the bishop, or ignore him, or walk away. He HAS to answer the questions in character.

Another example, the Rogue might be ambushed by several high level thugs and get taken before the head of the local thieves guild. "Who are you and why do you think you can just come in and start operating on our turf without giving us a cut of the loot. We don't let free agents roam around our territory, you're going to have to join our guild or things will get rough." Make it obvious that trying to fight the guild is suicide. The player has to roleplay some sort of "deal" with the local quildmaster.

The party's spellcasters might have to get all their spell components from a grumpy old Wizard who won't supply the items until the players explain who they are, what they're planning on doing with the items, and why the grumpy old Wizard should bother to give them what they want.

At first the players might hate dealing with these difficult NPCs but later on they'll be using them as contacts, the cleric going to see the Bishop for a favor, or the Rogue asking the head of the thieves guild for some local information, etc. The players will learn that roleplaying can actually help them get ahead in the game.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
guru7892 03-25-04, 09:54 PM	ok most of my players dont know the definition of 'role playing' (is i really that hard??) when i asked them ' do you want to kill monsters, or do you want to kill monsters to a plot?' i got the reply ' i just want to kill monsters' sigh now this is the only group i know and im not going to find another group (least not a mature group my parents would let me play with). now personally i want to reform my players to become role players, but if you must suggest that i join another group, do so. (also if EDM says that this is bull, its probably not true for him, and this only goes for a few of my players, not all of them. also i cant break the group because annoying ('nrp')people will follow me(well one of my players)) the main root of the problem is that since we play d&d at a school club, we have to let everyone in our games, so the dm cant kick anyone out, and to organize something afyter school would be tough.
Hurrichocobo 03-25-04, 10:30 PM	It sounds like they are most interested in the Kick Down The Door game style. Where you just go from room to room ripping through monsters and collecting the goods. You could go to your local comic shop and ask around there to see if anyone plays there or you could ask a few people around school if they know anything about Role Playing. Thats your best bet. If your players don't want to Role Play then theres no way you can make them. My suggestion would be to stop running the game there and try to find some other players or explain to them why exactly you want Role Playing and why it would benefit from the overall experience of the game.
Lily_Knight 03-25-04, 11:04 PM	I can understand why you want your group to roleplay, after DMing for a while I still sometimes get downcast when time after time my only success is seeing the players smile and think they are smarter then me. But roleplaying is not the answer, nor solution to lack of DM enjoyment. (BTW, I do know that the players and the DM are not enemies, so nobody flame me about it :mad: ) If they don't wanna roleplay, you can't change them. Either opt for somebody else to take your place, or create the toughest and most unique hack-n-slash/problemsolving/dungeon delving campaign you can. It is really rewarding when the players strain and fuss about a difficult challenge. They tend to show you alot of respect after one. In and all, be unique and challenging. These are more rewarding then forcing players to roleplay.
StoryTellerSJEM 03-25-04, 11:55 PM	I agree that you need to find another group. If you can't do your own at school, how much fun is it for you? It sounds like you want something bigger, so, go look for it around your area.
Steelwill 03-26-04, 12:16 AM	Are these players new to the game (if I missed that origionally sorry). Newer players typically want to see what they can do in combat, it almost always the initial draw. My advice, create some simplistic "hunt the orc infestation plagueing the small mining/farming community", and give them what they want. Most likely 2-4 sessions of just that, and the players will be dying for a plot to solve. During the combat missions, focus on getting the players to express some personality with their characters, even if its as simple as creative dialog or a unique battlecry, this will help the players invest persona into their characters, inevitably leading them to want to flesh out those personas, namely by "roleplaying" their characters reactions to different situations, also causing your players to develop a craving for storyline and roleplay. If your players have trouble getting into character, tell them to imagine it as an acting part, and they are the actors, the characters are the parts, that has helped me in the past, with newer players who did not quite understand what roleplaying entailed. Another simple task is to get the players to refer to other player's in their character names, and to try to keep all game relevant dialogue in character. This will help reinforce their "roles". It doesn't necessarily sound like you need a new group, you may just need to try to develop this one. I would only recommend a new group if the current one refuses or can not respond to any of your attempts to help them immerse into their characters and the game world, or if you just don't feel like its worth the effort to develop your current group. My 2 cents, I hope it helps.
Teh Lurv 03-26-04, 12:28 AM	Guru, I have seven words for you: "Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil" If you are going to play hack n' slash, you might as well make it good hack n' slash. :D Trust me, by the end of the adventure, they will be hack n' slashed out.
guru7892 03-26-04, 12:42 AM	ok i run a hack and slash, with a few traps and crap (he he he )
Transit 03-26-04, 01:38 PM	I find the best way to encourage roleplaying is to give each player their own NPC "boss" that they HAVE to deal with on a regular basis. For example, give the Cleric a nosy local Bishop (or whatever his superior would be in his particular religion) Every time the group returns from an adventure, the Bishop shows up asking the cleric questions. "Where'd you get all this treasure? Did you harm anyone to get this? Did you convert any followers during your adventure? How much of this money are you donating to the church?" etc. The player can't kill the bishop, or ignore him, or walk away. He HAS to answer the questions in character. Another example, the Rogue might be ambushed by several high level thugs and get taken before the head of the local thieves guild. "Who are you and why do you think you can just come in and start operating on our turf without giving us a cut of the loot. We don't let free agents roam around our territory, you're going to have to join our guild or things will get rough." Make it obvious that trying to fight the guild is suicide. The player has to roleplay some sort of "deal" with the local quildmaster. The party's spellcasters might have to get all their spell components from a grumpy old Wizard who won't supply the items until the players explain who they are, what they're planning on doing with the items, and why the grumpy old Wizard should bother to give them what they want. At first the players might hate dealing with these difficult NPCs but later on they'll be using them as contacts, the cleric going to see the Bishop for a favor, or the Rogue asking the head of the thieves guild for some local information, etc. The players will learn that roleplaying can actually help them get ahead in the game.