Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Evil DM Mk3 11-24-05, 03:32 PM	I have had the problem before that the players want to role play, but dont know how to interact with each other, prehaps the others arent interested, prehaps they end up dangling a conversation line or simmilar and no-one bites. Also they tend to lose bits of paper the write treasue/plans/maps on. I came to a new gaming group based at my university. I had met one player on my course and thought (rightly) that he may have some trouble getting into the swing. Things got a bit aqward during the very first seasion, little talk, little conversation. Everyone unsure as to what to say. They also began to forget thigs because no one took any notice, so PCs had to explain four or five times why their hobgoblin fighter was not carring a bow, as that violated his tribal honour code (Non-real life example). I had anticipated this and on a gut feeling produced a small blue book that I sugested they keep as a party journal (one entry per sesion on a rotary basis, on the idea that the PCs would wright when there was somthing to write about). The first entry was dissapointing, a long sentance of self glorification with a note in the margin stating that it was writen in terran, so that no other party member could read it. The second entry was much longer, but still a little dry. Still there was a referance to the date, the weather and a complaint about the dwarfs snoring (a snipe at the previous entrant). The next week after the entry was read a few referances where made to it and the level of role playing waxed. The following entry was from the outsider of the group, not being very new to any role playing games he hadnt role played much, his entry contained a sizable portion of background and ended up with the party TAKING A FOUR DAY DIVERSION TO VISIT HIS HOME TOWN! I was fortunate enought to have the party encounter a rather nasty monster and take a beating shorty after, why lucky? This \|/ why lucky. I was proud damn it PROUD when the next entry came in. He had torn a page (not one that had been writen on) out and used red/brown atercolours over parts of his entry as his character had taken the worst of the beating. Back round to player 1 and this time we get treated to a 1200 word essay about how all these bad things would never happen in his glorious home country (think 1984 but via the use of Psionics). I am told that this weeks entry includes a portion writen in draconic, translated into same by the use of the table of words in the Dracanomicon. I tell you it is well worth trying this, especially to bring those more reluctant palyers out of their skins.
On_the_wings_of_TPK 11-24-05, 08:56 PM	:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: I'm a gonna have to try that methinks.
AlphaSquirell 11-24-05, 09:10 PM	I was going to have each player keep a journal, but a party journal might be cooler.... (can't wait till our new party's first session in a week or so)
lifespeed 11-24-05, 09:18 PM	Back in the day (like a two years ago), my half-orc sorcerer/rogue (with a decent Charisma and sub-par Dexterity) kept a journal for a little while, but eventually things got too crazy in the campaign for me to bother writing everything down. It was pretty fun while it lasted though. I've got a group starting/starting back up in the near future, I thin I might use this idea with them, not because they can't/don't role-play, but because it would be cool anyways.