Encouraging combat role-play among fellow gamers [Archive] - Wizards Community

Encouraging combat role-play among fellow gamers [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Callista
02-22-05, 04:51 AM I'm part of a group who's been playing together for... Hmm... a year now, I think.

Generally, they're the hack-and-slash type; but I've seen them role-play in a non-combat situation, and they'd blow your average drama major right out of the water--they're that good.

Thing is, when it comes to combat, it's like their characters lose all life and color and revert to the flat, uninteresting piles of numbers; and it seems as though they can't RP at all. Generally, the person whose initiative is up is the only one paying attention in combat--everyone else is chattering off-topic stuff or looking at PrCs or whatever. Not everyone is like this--there is one notable exception--but I've seen the DM get more than a little annoyed when no one pays attention to what he's saying.

Sources of the problem, in my opinion:
1.)Several of the group don't really understand that D&D is not about the numbers... well, not completely, anyway; I like a well-made character as well as anyone.
2.) We play in a semi-public area--a dorm common room--and sometimes, we get spectators. We can't move to someone's private room; dorm rooms (just the rooms, not anything else) are gender-separate, and too small besides. So we end up with spectators.
3.) Shyness.
4.) Not taking the game very seriously. For some of them, it's more of a board game than a team sport... so off-topic chatter and lack of RP doesn't seem very odd to them, no more than it would if they were playing Monopoly.
5.) Not owning the books. Only three of our group of eight own the three core books--which means that people are always looking through our books during sessions. And, no, they won't buy them--too expensive an investment. (It's not--$50 on e-bay is less than 10 hours of work at a minimum wage job... but they would rather spend it on movies, apparently.)
6.) A large group. It's easy to get ignored if you *are* role-playing, because the off-topic chatter is louder than you.. so that kind of discourages things. And, of course, the DM can only have his attention one place at a time.

Now, I can't up their level of dedication to D&D, because that's their decision to make. But I know they CAN role-play; and I know they enjoy it when they get into it... they just get so easily distracted! (And here I am, the one with ADD... and they're getting distracted? Ironic.)

I'm pretty sure I'm part of the problem: I'm not as good at role-playing as some of them, though I do try (for example, I'm only one of two people who writes character backstories). I'm kind of naturally shy, too, though that's changing. But I've found myself doing things like referring to "My character" rather than "Anya" or "Kady" or whatever... or just rolling dice and reporting damage rather than describing what I'm doing... Yeah, I'm guilty. I don't do the off-topic chatter thing, and I have books of my own, and I listen to the DM... but that's about all I've got going for me.

(We use a rotating DM system, among three DMs. So we don't have just one person I could talk to about this issue...)

So how can I change my style, try to give an example, to show these kids that D&D is more fun when you role-play?
strcpy
02-22-05, 06:56 AM Seems to me like you already know what all the problems are.
Instead of trying to find a way around the problems, solve them.
psionichamster
02-22-05, 08:44 AM next time you DM (if you do...if you don't, now may be the time to do so)

institute "viewtiful points"

from the game Viewtiful Joe, basically, the cooler the moves you pull, the more "points" you acquire

mechanically, this can be a circumstance bonus (the +2, -2 circ. bonus is the DM's best friend, IMO)

or give them a free action point that may only be used on this task...

action points, for those that are unfamiliar, are "heroic luck" or something similar, that allows the char to roll an extra d6, then add that # to a d20 roll (attack, save, etc...)

the rule comes from d20 modern and the Eberron CS, and really spices up combat, especially at lower levels...often times, it's the difference between my lvl 5 wiz/spellfire wielder hitting with his rays or missing horribly...

basically, you can reward "good" combat RP with nice bonii...

hope this helped,

namaste,
the hamster

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Callista 02-22-05, 04:51 AM	I'm part of a group who's been playing together for... Hmm... a year now, I think. Generally, they're the hack-and-slash type; but I've seen them role-play in a non-combat situation, and they'd blow your average drama major right out of the water--they're that good. Thing is, when it comes to combat, it's like their characters lose all life and color and revert to the flat, uninteresting piles of numbers; and it seems as though they can't RP at all. Generally, the person whose initiative is up is the only one paying attention in combat--everyone else is chattering off-topic stuff or looking at PrCs or whatever. Not everyone is like this--there is one notable exception--but I've seen the DM get more than a little annoyed when no one pays attention to what he's saying. Sources of the problem, in my opinion: 1.)Several of the group don't really understand that D&D is not about the numbers... well, not completely, anyway; I like a well-made character as well as anyone. 2.) We play in a semi-public area--a dorm common room--and sometimes, we get spectators. We can't move to someone's private room; dorm rooms (just the rooms, not anything else) are gender-separate, and too small besides. So we end up with spectators. 3.) Shyness. 4.) Not taking the game very seriously. For some of them, it's more of a board game than a team sport... so off-topic chatter and lack of RP doesn't seem very odd to them, no more than it would if they were playing Monopoly. 5.) Not owning the books. Only three of our group of eight own the three core books--which means that people are always looking through our books during sessions. And, no, they won't buy them--too expensive an investment. (It's not--$50 on e-bay is less than 10 hours of work at a minimum wage job... but they would rather spend it on movies, apparently.) 6.) A large group. It's easy to get ignored if you are role-playing, because the off-topic chatter is louder than you.. so that kind of discourages things. And, of course, the DM can only have his attention one place at a time. Now, I can't up their level of dedication to D&D, because that's their decision to make. But I know they CAN role-play; and I know they enjoy it when they get into it... they just get so easily distracted! (And here I am, the one with ADD... and they're getting distracted? Ironic.) I'm pretty sure I'm part of the problem: I'm not as good at role-playing as some of them, though I do try (for example, I'm only one of two people who writes character backstories). I'm kind of naturally shy, too, though that's changing. But I've found myself doing things like referring to "My character" rather than "Anya" or "Kady" or whatever... or just rolling dice and reporting damage rather than describing what I'm doing... Yeah, I'm guilty. I don't do the off-topic chatter thing, and I have books of my own, and I listen to the DM... but that's about all I've got going for me. (We use a rotating DM system, among three DMs. So we don't have just one person I could talk to about this issue...) So how can I change my style, try to give an example, to show these kids that D&D is more fun when you role-play?
strcpy 02-22-05, 06:56 AM	Seems to me like you already know what all the problems are. Instead of trying to find a way around the problems, solve them.
psionichamster 02-22-05, 08:44 AM	next time you DM (if you do...if you don't, now may be the time to do so) institute "viewtiful points" from the game Viewtiful Joe, basically, the cooler the moves you pull, the more "points" you acquire mechanically, this can be a circumstance bonus (the +2, -2 circ. bonus is the DM's best friend, IMO) or give them a free action point that may only be used on this task... action points, for those that are unfamiliar, are "heroic luck" or something similar, that allows the char to roll an extra d6, then add that # to a d20 roll (attack, save, etc...) the rule comes from d20 modern and the Eberron CS, and really spices up combat, especially at lower levels...often times, it's the difference between my lvl 5 wiz/spellfire wielder hitting with his rays or missing horribly... basically, you can reward "good" combat RP with nice bonii... hope this helped, namaste, the hamster