Help a new player out! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Help a new player out! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
FortuneCookie
05-28-07, 02:35 PM ^^; Hi. I'm new to D and D, but I was dragged into it by my friends because they needed a few more people, and because I write fanfics and stuff, so character development and roleplaying was something I could bring to the table.

One of my problems is, however, finding ways to play a little better. I'm a lawful good knight, and as such I'll usually end up fighting by myself while everyone else searches and ransacks the dungeon. -_-;

Anyway. The main question (for now) is, how do you put stats into your roleplaying? It feels weird to say "I'll talk to him, I'm very charismatic!" and it's even harder to describe my wounds accurately to the cleric.

"Are you hurt bad?"
"Just bleeding a bit...I'm fine."
"Uhm...how damaged are you?"

then we go OOC to discuss HP and such. -_-; As you can probably guess, I'm a talker, so i like to RP...How do you guys get around that paper-versus-roleplaying line?
Rerecros
05-28-07, 02:47 PM any idiot can describe the symtoms of thier illness.

look at the bottom of page ten of the PHB, it gives general guidelines on how to RP stats.
DrMorganes
05-28-07, 02:57 PM First up, welcome to the game!

Second, don't mind Rerecros. While his advice is sound, his CHA is a bit on the low side and I think he forgot to put a few skill points into Diplomacy :wink

Third, don't leave your party if you can help it. As any slasher flick will readily illustrate, those who stray from the group generally meet a gruesome end :eek

As far as putting your ability scores into roleplaying:

Re-read the description of each in the Player's Handbook. Mental abilities are easier to roleplay than physical ones (how does one pretend to be strong?!). Charisma, ferinstance, is more about force of personality than good looks. If your knight has a high CHA, he could be
A natural leader A forceful drill sergeant type Really likeable Whatever personality he has, it's likely to be BIG. He won't shy from a conversation - either from a love of conversation or a desire to impart his opinion to all who will listen.

Healing is a bit trickier. There are times when a certain amount of metagaming is necessary, and knowing when to cast which healing spell is one of them. Simply roleplay the interaction, then ask Out of Character how that translates to a HP total. Remember the answer, so the next time you'll have a rough idea and won't have to break character to ask. Tell the DM which spell you cast, and drop back into character.
Rerecros
05-28-07, 03:19 PM Second, don't mind Rerecros. While his advice is sound, his CHA is a bit on the low side and I think he forgot to put a few skill points into Diplomacy :wink

:ahem: I think i have decent charisma, at least enough to take the goad feat unintentionally:raincloud
FortuneCookie
05-28-07, 03:57 PM ^^ thanks, both of you. I appreciate the help.
Keira
05-28-07, 04:19 PM FortuneCookie - If you want to describe physical wounds, then just be a little creative. Take a cue from the DM...if he tells you that the Orc smashed you with a club, tell the Cleric that your head really hurts and put your hand to your head. When you take away your hand, look at it, feign shock, and tell the Cleric your bleeding. Also the amount of hp you lost can be in relation to your wounds, if you only lost a few, you can have a few scratches or bruises. If you lost a lot, then you might have a few cracked ribs, a cut that might be really deep, you losing a lot of blood....etc. Remember to just like people, our characters have different tolerances to pain. One character might think he dying because he got a paper cut, another might have to be knocked unconscious before admitting that he's hurt. Just have fun with it and don't be too worried.
Waterhammer
05-28-07, 04:20 PM Something that might be helpful. Hitpoints are very abstracted. At higher levels you could be down several Hp, and not have a scratch on you. Perhaps your wrists are aching from parrying the axe-strokes of an ogre. You have to take into account what the attack was, and the percentage of hp that was done. It's strictly subjective of course.
FortuneCookie
05-28-07, 05:14 PM Thanks. Those are the sorts of things I try to do. Struggle with my shield if I keep blocking attacks with it, limp or generally avoid using a damaged body part...

^^ I do have fun with it. I play my knight as a champion for the poor and downtrodden, except she (like me) has a bit of a short fuse and tends to rush into things with anger instead of thinking.

Like, one time we were under attack by goblins, so I took to the front to protect the casters as best I could. The sorceror decided to use his explosive spells, damaging me and as many skeletons around me as he could.

Needless to say, despite a broken leg and many burns...I didn't hesitate to introduce him to the flat side of my sword afterwards..
Kouk
05-28-07, 09:06 PM A sort of cheesy way to explain your injuries is:

"Help, I'm about half dead!"

"Help, I don't think I can take more than 2 more hits like that!"

"I don't think I can stay conscious much longer..."

"If you happen to have a spare potion of Cure Light Wounds, that would probably be fine."

"It's just a flesh wound! I could get stabbed in the head like that at least 12 more times before I even notice."

Status Conditions:

"Can't... move..."

"I don't feel so good... *bleagh!*"

"Ah! My eyes! I can't see!"

"I feel as weak as a newborn"
darkhunter2007
05-29-07, 08:16 AM Welcome to DnD!

well... if you want to describe you'r wounds-you can allways cut/pierce/blunt your self:):D
sensestaker
05-29-07, 07:43 PM Anyway. The main question (for now) is, how do you put stats into your roleplaying? It feels weird to say "I'll talk to him, I'm very charismatic!" and it's even harder to describe my wounds accurately to the cleric.

This is a typical source of difficulty (which is why my char's always have a CHA of 8:P ) As a DM I just look for the players to have the general attitude of their character. If they neeed to be diplomatic and they do well on their own, I don't even make them role, I just take action as appropriate. If they are in a tight situation that the player couldn't get out of in real life, but their lvl 18 Sor has a CHA of 28 and clearly could, I have them role a check and apply a roleplayinmg bonus if it seems like they're trying. If they're really stuck on what to say or do, I'll have them make a straight diplomacy check. But if they treat then NPC like dirt or roleplay counterproductively then try to use that same high char CHA, I'll penalize, or even disallow a diplomacy role and just tell them that they fail. Or let them know that by having the NPC attack:D
9JACK9
05-30-07, 08:53 PM Heh... Fortune and I have a bit in common! My Friday night group hardly (more like dosn't) roleplay at all!

Well, Fort, I can tell you this, each group has it's own way of "getting around paper vs. roleplaying" aspect.

And, the long and the short of it I've found, is this:
It depends on everybody at the table.

1)Everybody roleplays but one? That one person feels like they just wandered into a LoTR screenplay reading.
2)Everybody meta-games but the one guy playing a Paladin? It's weird and awkward on his "HAVE AT THOW, Foul devil-spawn!!! I shall SMITE THEE!!" turn.

(I happily fall somewhere in the middle, where I don't tell other players my stats or current hitpoints, but my half-elf character yells "Sonnava-crap, dire wolf!" not, "prithee, yon enraged wolf-spawn commeth-forth!" ESPECIALLY not in a crowded gaming store.)

I'd say find a happy medium.
You want to do something better than have your buddies have to play the "high or low" game with you hit points? Add your own flavor text to your attacks and defenses.
Describe how your character steps in front of the defenseless mage in your party, bangs his sword against his shield, and bellows out a challenge to the charging orcs.
Encourage you friends to find their own comfort levels in roleplaying, ask your rogue player what his characters leather armor looks like, or the sorceror what color his magic missiles are, or what shape they take on when he fires them.

Wow. What a ramble. Sorry bout' that, all in all, I recommend encouraging all of your companions to baby-step their way towards roleplaying, at least up to a certain comfort level that they're happy with. Then all of you can roleplay out your injuries together, all the way to the local cleric in town.

Good luck!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
FortuneCookie 05-28-07, 02:35 PM	^^; Hi. I'm new to D and D, but I was dragged into it by my friends because they needed a few more people, and because I write fanfics and stuff, so character development and roleplaying was something I could bring to the table. One of my problems is, however, finding ways to play a little better. I'm a lawful good knight, and as such I'll usually end up fighting by myself while everyone else searches and ransacks the dungeon. -_-; Anyway. The main question (for now) is, how do you put stats into your roleplaying? It feels weird to say "I'll talk to him, I'm very charismatic!" and it's even harder to describe my wounds accurately to the cleric. "Are you hurt bad?" "Just bleeding a bit...I'm fine." "Uhm...how damaged are you?" then we go OOC to discuss HP and such. -_-; As you can probably guess, I'm a talker, so i like to RP...How do you guys get around that paper-versus-roleplaying line?
Rerecros 05-28-07, 02:47 PM	any idiot can describe the symtoms of thier illness. look at the bottom of page ten of the PHB, it gives general guidelines on how to RP stats.
DrMorganes 05-28-07, 02:57 PM	First up, welcome to the game! Second, don't mind Rerecros. While his advice is sound, his CHA is a bit on the low side and I think he forgot to put a few skill points into Diplomacy :wink Third, don't leave your party if you can help it. As any slasher flick will readily illustrate, those who stray from the group generally meet a gruesome end :eek As far as putting your ability scores into roleplaying: Re-read the description of each in the Player's Handbook. Mental abilities are easier to roleplay than physical ones (how does one pretend to be strong?!). Charisma, ferinstance, is more about force of personality than good looks. If your knight has a high CHA, he could be A natural leader A forceful drill sergeant type Really likeable Whatever personality he has, it's likely to be BIG. He won't shy from a conversation - either from a love of conversation or a desire to impart his opinion to all who will listen. Healing is a bit trickier. There are times when a certain amount of metagaming is necessary, and knowing when to cast which healing spell is one of them. Simply roleplay the interaction, then ask Out of Character how that translates to a HP total. Remember the answer, so the next time you'll have a rough idea and won't have to break character to ask. Tell the DM which spell you cast, and drop back into character.
Rerecros 05-28-07, 03:19 PM	Second, don't mind Rerecros. While his advice is sound, his CHA is a bit on the low side and I think he forgot to put a few skill points into Diplomacy :wink :ahem: I think i have decent charisma, at least enough to take the goad feat unintentionally:raincloud
FortuneCookie 05-28-07, 03:57 PM	^^ thanks, both of you. I appreciate the help.
Keira 05-28-07, 04:19 PM	FortuneCookie - If you want to describe physical wounds, then just be a little creative. Take a cue from the DM...if he tells you that the Orc smashed you with a club, tell the Cleric that your head really hurts and put your hand to your head. When you take away your hand, look at it, feign shock, and tell the Cleric your bleeding. Also the amount of hp you lost can be in relation to your wounds, if you only lost a few, you can have a few scratches or bruises. If you lost a lot, then you might have a few cracked ribs, a cut that might be really deep, you losing a lot of blood....etc. Remember to just like people, our characters have different tolerances to pain. One character might think he dying because he got a paper cut, another might have to be knocked unconscious before admitting that he's hurt. Just have fun with it and don't be too worried.
Waterhammer 05-28-07, 04:20 PM	Something that might be helpful. Hitpoints are very abstracted. At higher levels you could be down several Hp, and not have a scratch on you. Perhaps your wrists are aching from parrying the axe-strokes of an ogre. You have to take into account what the attack was, and the percentage of hp that was done. It's strictly subjective of course.
FortuneCookie 05-28-07, 05:14 PM	Thanks. Those are the sorts of things I try to do. Struggle with my shield if I keep blocking attacks with it, limp or generally avoid using a damaged body part... ^^ I do have fun with it. I play my knight as a champion for the poor and downtrodden, except she (like me) has a bit of a short fuse and tends to rush into things with anger instead of thinking. Like, one time we were under attack by goblins, so I took to the front to protect the casters as best I could. The sorceror decided to use his explosive spells, damaging me and as many skeletons around me as he could. Needless to say, despite a broken leg and many burns...I didn't hesitate to introduce him to the flat side of my sword afterwards..
Kouk 05-28-07, 09:06 PM	A sort of cheesy way to explain your injuries is: "Help, I'm about half dead!" "Help, I don't think I can take more than 2 more hits like that!" "I don't think I can stay conscious much longer..." "If you happen to have a spare potion of Cure Light Wounds, that would probably be fine." "It's just a flesh wound! I could get stabbed in the head like that at least 12 more times before I even notice." Status Conditions: "Can't... move..." "I don't feel so good... bleagh!" "Ah! My eyes! I can't see!" "I feel as weak as a newborn"
darkhunter2007 05-29-07, 08:16 AM	Welcome to DnD! well... if you want to describe you'r wounds-you can allways cut/pierce/blunt your self:):D
sensestaker 05-29-07, 07:43 PM	Anyway. The main question (for now) is, how do you put stats into your roleplaying? It feels weird to say "I'll talk to him, I'm very charismatic!" and it's even harder to describe my wounds accurately to the cleric. This is a typical source of difficulty (which is why my char's always have a CHA of 8:P ) As a DM I just look for the players to have the general attitude of their character. If they neeed to be diplomatic and they do well on their own, I don't even make them role, I just take action as appropriate. If they are in a tight situation that the player couldn't get out of in real life, but their lvl 18 Sor has a CHA of 28 and clearly could, I have them role a check and apply a roleplayinmg bonus if it seems like they're trying. If they're really stuck on what to say or do, I'll have them make a straight diplomacy check. But if they treat then NPC like dirt or roleplay counterproductively then try to use that same high char CHA, I'll penalize, or even disallow a diplomacy role and just tell them that they fail. Or let them know that by having the NPC attack:D
9JACK9 05-30-07, 08:53 PM	Heh... Fortune and I have a bit in common! My Friday night group hardly (more like dosn't) roleplay at all! Well, Fort, I can tell you this, each group has it's own way of "getting around paper vs. roleplaying" aspect. And, the long and the short of it I've found, is this: It depends on everybody at the table. 1)Everybody roleplays but one? That one person feels like they just wandered into a LoTR screenplay reading. 2)Everybody meta-games but the one guy playing a Paladin? It's weird and awkward on his "HAVE AT THOW, Foul devil-spawn!!! I shall SMITE THEE!!" turn. (I happily fall somewhere in the middle, where I don't tell other players my stats or current hitpoints, but my half-elf character yells "Sonnava-crap, dire wolf!" not, "prithee, yon enraged wolf-spawn commeth-forth!" ESPECIALLY not in a crowded gaming store.) I'd say find a happy medium. You want to do something better than have your buddies have to play the "high or low" game with you hit points? Add your own flavor text to your attacks and defenses. Describe how your character steps in front of the defenseless mage in your party, bangs his sword against his shield, and bellows out a challenge to the charging orcs. Encourage you friends to find their own comfort levels in roleplaying, ask your rogue player what his characters leather armor looks like, or the sorceror what color his magic missiles are, or what shape they take on when he fires them. Wow. What a ramble. Sorry bout' that, all in all, I recommend encouraging all of your companions to baby-step their way towards roleplaying, at least up to a certain comfort level that they're happy with. Then all of you can roleplay out your injuries together, all the way to the local cleric in town. Good luck!