Does anyone else wish their group did more Role Playing? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Does anyone else wish their group did more Role Playing? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Nightlore
03-10-05, 02:25 PM I really really really with sprinkles on top wish that my group was more into the role playing aspect of the game. I know all the guys I play with, they are all very good with the rules and know how to play the game. We have a fair DM who creates bleh storylines for us to go through. This seems fine to all the other players who seem to adventure solely for the purpose of making it to the next level to gain more feats or spells. They seem fine with the hack and slash style of play. Anytime a role playing situation comes up, they get very sarcastic and gloss it over as quick as they can.

I really wish that I could find a way to make them all more interested in the role playing aspect of the game. The DM is alright, he gets into his characters pretty well, voices, actions, the whole works. However, in my opinion, the other characters are maddeningly bad at this. I enjoy an intrige style of campaign more than hack and slash (maybe this is just because I'm playing a low level wizard who seems to constantly be in danger of dying, who knows!?). I wish I could find a way, in character, to provoke these sods into fleshing out their character's personality, IN GAME.

I don't want to leave the group because I know and like the guys I play with. Also, it is the only group that I know of in the area that plays regularly and I wish to keep active with them. However, do any of you other players find yourself in this situation? What have you done to help get your fellow D&Ders to get more into the role playing? I would like to find an in game solution if at all possible.

Any hints or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
UltimateReality
03-10-05, 02:38 PM Any hints or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.Have you talked to the DM and mentioned your concerns? If so, what'd s/he say?

If all else fails, you may need to write your own adventure and show the other players how to really do it right.

If they still think it sucks, you may need a new group. It took me a good six months, but I've finally convinced my DM that we need some new blood and that he likes RP ten times more than hack 'n slash. ;)
Nightlore
03-10-05, 02:43 PM I've not yet gone to the DM, no. I've been considering writing my own adventure/campaign, to take over for a while, refresh things a little bit.

I really wish there was some way I could lead the other characters in Game somehow. Try and set an example by role playing, etc.

If all else fails, I spose I could go to the DM.
VerinBlod
03-10-05, 03:33 PM Besides talking to the rest of the players you already mentioned part of your solution:

I really wish there was some way I could lead the other characters in Game somehow. Try and set an example by role playing, etc.

Just lead by example and talk to the rest of the players and the DM.

Hope this helps

VerinBlod
UltimateReality
03-10-05, 04:36 PM I've not yet gone to the DM, no.
<snip>
If all else fails, I spose I could go to the DM.I recommend going to him/her first, actually....it's part of the DM's job to ensure everyone's having fun, and if you're not, you should let someone know (tactfully and non-demanding/whiny-like). And also offer to show them what you want -- DMs like players who are willing to work with them.

The motto of this board is pretty much: "go to the DM first".
Roguemaster39
03-10-05, 07:22 PM If your DM is a good DM, then he would enjoy the roleplaying aspect of the game much more. Nothing is better for a DM to set up an intricate storyline and what as the players converse with each other and others to help figure it out, and what there next course of action should be.

The number one rule is have a story the grabs the players and makes them want to roleplay.
Aluroon
03-10-05, 07:30 PM Hell, I don't even want that much...

I just want players that know the name of the City there Characters are currently in, have a history for there characters, and know how to determain there attack bonus's and which dice to roll.

Aluroon
snowlynx
03-10-05, 07:49 PM Unfortunately, it sounds like you are in a disagreement with the majority of the players; people play RPGs for different reasons and you are the odd one out in the group. I would talk with your DM and if he/she wants more roleplaying, he/she can probably work with the group to help make their characters a little more involved with the parts of the world they shoudn't just hit with a sword or a lightning bolt. This is probably the easiest way to encourage roleplaying- I myself prefer mostly roleplaying to combat, but I have trouble making a role-playing character when I don't know how they fit into the world the DM has created. If this doesn't work, it's probably the group you're with, and you may have to look elsewhere for a group you're more suited to.
Vatras
03-10-05, 09:07 PM It depends.

Sometimes roleplaying has led to serious problems, like when the LG knight and the CN barbarian went at the others throat about slaying the defeated drow.
There have been players killing their partymembers by roleplaying their not-so-good characters - or the other way round (e.g. a disguised devil offered them the object of their quest, if they would kill a partymember for it; each player was told alone without the others listening - this led to the demise of the party´s rogue, whom the wizard believed to be a secret assassin; he would even have been right, but his initiative ended that :)).
So in that respect I am often happy when the players dont overdo the roleplaying.

Sometimes things have gotten so out of whack, that I wished they would roleplay a little more (like the druid slipping into his sacrifical clothing with the rubber gloves bundling up an assortment of knives, wooden sticks, oil and leather strips and tells the group "I´ll have a short chat with the prisoners, guys.", and the paladin says "Time for a smoke break then...any of the pretzels left, btw?").

When I played myself under various DMs, I was not too happy with the extreme roleplayers (takes 20 minutes to order a beer in a tavern), and the rollplayers were also not my thing.
I am for the middle things overall :cool:
UltimateReality
03-11-05, 12:55 AM If your DM is a good DM, then he would enjoy the roleplaying aspect of the game much more.No, a good DM finds what his party wants and, providing it matches what he wants, does that.

The number one rule is have a story the grabs the players and makes them want to roleplay.Yes, but some players don't want a storyline beyond "We'll pay you money to go decimate these guys". And that is a perfectly valid, enjoyable, even "good" campaign.

If the DM falls on the opposite alignment to you on the hack 'n slash vs. rp scale, that does not make them a bad DM. It makes them not the DM for you.
Neely
03-11-05, 02:27 AM We've had the opposite situation.
Our groups consisted of mostly role-players and there was one player who only wanted to bash heads and kick in doors, and as much of that at the same time.

I had tried to DM a moment with that player, see if I could fit everyone's needs, had some kicking, had some thinking, had some talking. Despite the effort he left on his own.

I hope you'll find a more suitable group for your style some day. In my opinion converting other players from their style is very hard, if not nearly impossible.
TMX
03-11-05, 05:32 PM Role play a battle instead of fighting it :)

In a Dragonlance campaign, we roleplayed a pub brawl.
With that sort of thing, you aren't limited to just the standard actions, you can do things like grabbing someone by the ankle and throwing them out the window (or as my minotaur's cohort, a barbarian did, dual-wield pesants :) )
Dark_Tide
03-12-05, 09:05 AM No matter what kind of players you have, a good story will result in roleplaying, since PCs must communicate their character's ideas and opinions.

A hack-n-slash set-up with a deep storyline kills two birds with one stone, allowing all types of players to enjoy the game.

Personally, a hack-n-slash game is loads of fun, but I don't seem to care if my character dies. I never got a chance to role-play much with him, so I didn't know him. I think DnD without plenty of roleplaying is no better than a 50 dollar videogame and can't even be considered roleplaying.
recluce1
03-12-05, 03:33 PM Yeah I had that problem, and eventually left my group. I am still looking for a new one. I don't have any advice though sorry. But I have always enjoyed LARPing for the roleplaying aspect.
Arandar
03-13-05, 04:33 PM How about asking your DM if he has any intrigue-style scenarios lined up for the campaign? Might help if you were in a city, they just bashed the heads of the nobles, and in the end got jailed, killed, mutilated or what not.
Lady LG 2Shoes
03-17-05, 07:52 PM We have a simliar problem in our group. 3 of us REALLY like to RP. 3 not so much, and 1 gets into it off and on. Now for the strange part. Our group is 3 women and 4 men. Can you guess who is who? The RP'ers are 2 guys and 1 girl. The non are 2 girls and 1 guy. The off and on one is a guy.

The 3 RP'ers have "ticked" off the non-RP'ers more than once. For instance, my paladin refuses to follow the CG half-drow (one of the other RP'ers) because the half-drow would not give details about where he was taking us. My paladin has also caused a fight with the barbarian in our group because, the barbarian (the other RP'er) cheated a local authority figure.

NOW for the helpful part. Perhaps, you could talk to your comrades in arms. I found out the reason my spouse doesn't RP his character so much, is that he is afraid he will be seen as "dumb" and that he can't think of anything "good" to say. In this case, perhaps, you could suggest what our group did. Campfire chats. Yes. We each had to write out a bit on what each of our characters would have said around a given campfire on a given evening. For example, my character described herself fully, not something most people do in character. (You know what your character looks like, but does everyone else? ) She also told about her family, (she hates her sister), how she got the scar on her face, where they got the unusual weapon, favorite foods, ect. It will give you the RP person something to bring up on game and use to drawn them in.

Just a thought.
LordHell
03-17-05, 09:30 PM I award a +10% bonus XP at the end of the session for good roleplaying and +15% for excellent roleplaying. There is also less combat as a side effect of this, giving more time for roleplaying and so forth. I may also give XP bonuses for exceptional bios, and players seeking things like portraits and the like on their own initiative.

To help stimulate roleplaying amongst the group, I send 'whispers' to players with subtle hints about things during the game that stimulate roleplaying.
For example, if only one player sees something, then I only tell that player and thus force him to 'roleplay' what he sees to the group.

The bonus XP however really encourages people to do more roleplaying. Sometimes players are like pets, they have to be given positive reinforcement for the good things to 'train' them :) The 'excellent' roleplayer bonus is for the good roleplayers in the group to give them a little bit extra and encourage them in their efforts.

Really at the end of the day your games develop along the lines of the DM. If the DM doesnt reward good roleplaying then it probably won't develop. Many people may feel 'cheesy' about roleplaying and the key is to break the ice and get everyone doing it, then everyone has much more fun.

(I realize that it's also harder IRL than online)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Nightlore 03-10-05, 02:25 PM	I really really really with sprinkles on top wish that my group was more into the role playing aspect of the game. I know all the guys I play with, they are all very good with the rules and know how to play the game. We have a fair DM who creates bleh storylines for us to go through. This seems fine to all the other players who seem to adventure solely for the purpose of making it to the next level to gain more feats or spells. They seem fine with the hack and slash style of play. Anytime a role playing situation comes up, they get very sarcastic and gloss it over as quick as they can. I really wish that I could find a way to make them all more interested in the role playing aspect of the game. The DM is alright, he gets into his characters pretty well, voices, actions, the whole works. However, in my opinion, the other characters are maddeningly bad at this. I enjoy an intrige style of campaign more than hack and slash (maybe this is just because I'm playing a low level wizard who seems to constantly be in danger of dying, who knows!?). I wish I could find a way, in character, to provoke these sods into fleshing out their character's personality, IN GAME. I don't want to leave the group because I know and like the guys I play with. Also, it is the only group that I know of in the area that plays regularly and I wish to keep active with them. However, do any of you other players find yourself in this situation? What have you done to help get your fellow D&Ders to get more into the role playing? I would like to find an in game solution if at all possible. Any hints or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
UltimateReality 03-10-05, 02:38 PM	Any hints or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.Have you talked to the DM and mentioned your concerns? If so, what'd s/he say? If all else fails, you may need to write your own adventure and show the other players how to really do it right. If they still think it sucks, you may need a new group. It took me a good six months, but I've finally convinced my DM that we need some new blood and that he likes RP ten times more than hack 'n slash. ;)
Nightlore 03-10-05, 02:43 PM	I've not yet gone to the DM, no. I've been considering writing my own adventure/campaign, to take over for a while, refresh things a little bit. I really wish there was some way I could lead the other characters in Game somehow. Try and set an example by role playing, etc. If all else fails, I spose I could go to the DM.
VerinBlod 03-10-05, 03:33 PM	Besides talking to the rest of the players you already mentioned part of your solution: I really wish there was some way I could lead the other characters in Game somehow. Try and set an example by role playing, etc. Just lead by example and talk to the rest of the players and the DM. Hope this helps VerinBlod
UltimateReality 03-10-05, 04:36 PM	I've not yet gone to the DM, no. <snip> If all else fails, I spose I could go to the DM.I recommend going to him/her first, actually....it's part of the DM's job to ensure everyone's having fun, and if you're not, you should let someone know (tactfully and non-demanding/whiny-like). And also offer to show them what you want -- DMs like players who are willing to work with them. The motto of this board is pretty much: "go to the DM first".
Roguemaster39 03-10-05, 07:22 PM	If your DM is a good DM, then he would enjoy the roleplaying aspect of the game much more. Nothing is better for a DM to set up an intricate storyline and what as the players converse with each other and others to help figure it out, and what there next course of action should be. The number one rule is have a story the grabs the players and makes them want to roleplay.
Aluroon 03-10-05, 07:30 PM	Hell, I don't even want that much... I just want players that know the name of the City there Characters are currently in, have a history for there characters, and know how to determain there attack bonus's and which dice to roll. Aluroon
snowlynx 03-10-05, 07:49 PM	Unfortunately, it sounds like you are in a disagreement with the majority of the players; people play RPGs for different reasons and you are the odd one out in the group. I would talk with your DM and if he/she wants more roleplaying, he/she can probably work with the group to help make their characters a little more involved with the parts of the world they shoudn't just hit with a sword or a lightning bolt. This is probably the easiest way to encourage roleplaying- I myself prefer mostly roleplaying to combat, but I have trouble making a role-playing character when I don't know how they fit into the world the DM has created. If this doesn't work, it's probably the group you're with, and you may have to look elsewhere for a group you're more suited to.
Vatras 03-10-05, 09:07 PM	It depends. Sometimes roleplaying has led to serious problems, like when the LG knight and the CN barbarian went at the others throat about slaying the defeated drow. There have been players killing their partymembers by roleplaying their not-so-good characters - or the other way round (e.g. a disguised devil offered them the object of their quest, if they would kill a partymember for it; each player was told alone without the others listening - this led to the demise of the party´s rogue, whom the wizard believed to be a secret assassin; he would even have been right, but his initiative ended that :)). So in that respect I am often happy when the players dont overdo the roleplaying. Sometimes things have gotten so out of whack, that I wished they would roleplay a little more (like the druid slipping into his sacrifical clothing with the rubber gloves bundling up an assortment of knives, wooden sticks, oil and leather strips and tells the group "I´ll have a short chat with the prisoners, guys.", and the paladin says "Time for a smoke break then...any of the pretzels left, btw?"). When I played myself under various DMs, I was not too happy with the extreme roleplayers (takes 20 minutes to order a beer in a tavern), and the rollplayers were also not my thing. I am for the middle things overall :cool:
UltimateReality 03-11-05, 12:55 AM	If your DM is a good DM, then he would enjoy the roleplaying aspect of the game much more.No, a good DM finds what his party wants and, providing it matches what he wants, does that. The number one rule is have a story the grabs the players and makes them want to roleplay.Yes, but some players don't want a storyline beyond "We'll pay you money to go decimate these guys". And that is a perfectly valid, enjoyable, even "good" campaign. If the DM falls on the opposite alignment to you on the hack 'n slash vs. rp scale, that does not make them a bad DM. It makes them not the DM for you.
Neely 03-11-05, 02:27 AM	We've had the opposite situation. Our groups consisted of mostly role-players and there was one player who only wanted to bash heads and kick in doors, and as much of that at the same time. I had tried to DM a moment with that player, see if I could fit everyone's needs, had some kicking, had some thinking, had some talking. Despite the effort he left on his own. I hope you'll find a more suitable group for your style some day. In my opinion converting other players from their style is very hard, if not nearly impossible.
TMX 03-11-05, 05:32 PM	Role play a battle instead of fighting it :) In a Dragonlance campaign, we roleplayed a pub brawl. With that sort of thing, you aren't limited to just the standard actions, you can do things like grabbing someone by the ankle and throwing them out the window (or as my minotaur's cohort, a barbarian did, dual-wield pesants :) )
Dark_Tide 03-12-05, 09:05 AM	No matter what kind of players you have, a good story will result in roleplaying, since PCs must communicate their character's ideas and opinions. A hack-n-slash set-up with a deep storyline kills two birds with one stone, allowing all types of players to enjoy the game. Personally, a hack-n-slash game is loads of fun, but I don't seem to care if my character dies. I never got a chance to role-play much with him, so I didn't know him. I think DnD without plenty of roleplaying is no better than a 50 dollar videogame and can't even be considered roleplaying.
recluce1 03-12-05, 03:33 PM	Yeah I had that problem, and eventually left my group. I am still looking for a new one. I don't have any advice though sorry. But I have always enjoyed LARPing for the roleplaying aspect.
Arandar 03-13-05, 04:33 PM	How about asking your DM if he has any intrigue-style scenarios lined up for the campaign? Might help if you were in a city, they just bashed the heads of the nobles, and in the end got jailed, killed, mutilated or what not.
Lady LG 2Shoes 03-17-05, 07:52 PM	We have a simliar problem in our group. 3 of us REALLY like to RP. 3 not so much, and 1 gets into it off and on. Now for the strange part. Our group is 3 women and 4 men. Can you guess who is who? The RP'ers are 2 guys and 1 girl. The non are 2 girls and 1 guy. The off and on one is a guy. The 3 RP'ers have "ticked" off the non-RP'ers more than once. For instance, my paladin refuses to follow the CG half-drow (one of the other RP'ers) because the half-drow would not give details about where he was taking us. My paladin has also caused a fight with the barbarian in our group because, the barbarian (the other RP'er) cheated a local authority figure. NOW for the helpful part. Perhaps, you could talk to your comrades in arms. I found out the reason my spouse doesn't RP his character so much, is that he is afraid he will be seen as "dumb" and that he can't think of anything "good" to say. In this case, perhaps, you could suggest what our group did. Campfire chats. Yes. We each had to write out a bit on what each of our characters would have said around a given campfire on a given evening. For example, my character described herself fully, not something most people do in character. (You know what your character looks like, but does everyone else? ) She also told about her family, (she hates her sister), how she got the scar on her face, where they got the unusual weapon, favorite foods, ect. It will give you the RP person something to bring up on game and use to drawn them in. Just a thought.
LordHell 03-17-05, 09:30 PM	I award a +10% bonus XP at the end of the session for good roleplaying and +15% for excellent roleplaying. There is also less combat as a side effect of this, giving more time for roleplaying and so forth. I may also give XP bonuses for exceptional bios, and players seeking things like portraits and the like on their own initiative. To help stimulate roleplaying amongst the group, I send 'whispers' to players with subtle hints about things during the game that stimulate roleplaying. For example, if only one player sees something, then I only tell that player and thus force him to 'roleplay' what he sees to the group. The bonus XP however really encourages people to do more roleplaying. Sometimes players are like pets, they have to be given positive reinforcement for the good things to 'train' them :) The 'excellent' roleplayer bonus is for the good roleplayers in the group to give them a little bit extra and encourage them in their efforts. Really at the end of the day your games develop along the lines of the DM. If the DM doesnt reward good roleplaying then it probably won't develop. Many people may feel 'cheesy' about roleplaying and the key is to break the ice and get everyone doing it, then everyone has much more fun. (I realize that it's also harder IRL than online)