Its a question of motivation... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Its a question of motivation... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DivineHammer
11-01-04, 12:37 PM We just started a new campaign yesterday and already I'm seeing problems with character motivation. Not for myself, but for the rest of the party.

Here is a basic summary of characters and plot so far:

Characters are level 4
Human Cleric of Nerull - (LE)
Latorian (lionman) Wizard - (CN)
Spryte bard(savage variant) - (CN)
Dwarf fighter - (LE)
Gnome Rog/ftr - (N)
(alignments other than my own are estimated on role play of the characters so far.)

plot - Cleric of Nerull (me) has had the graves of his family robbed and is on a quest to recover the bodies. All of the other characters were recruited by me to aid in this quest.

So far there is not really any reason for the other PCs to keep adventuring other than for the things I offered them to help. Is this something that I should worry about or should this be the DM's job? I feel like the entire campaign is resting on my ability to keep these characters together and on track. While I could probably continue on the quest without them I don't want to thought I feel no type of group cohesion at all. Its basically me leading them around and looking for clues while they complain and kill anything that moves.

This may just be a rant, but I would like opinions on the situation and maybe some possible solutions to get the group to feel more like a team instead of a character with an entourage.

Thanks in advance.
Yade
11-01-04, 12:48 PM I used to have trouble loking for in-game reasons for players to work together but then I realized that you all showed up on Sunday morning to play together in real life. Therefore, the DM should simply assume that the group does not need an elaborate motivation to work together; pretend like you are in-game friends.

I had a player once who had a similar problem. We started a campaign and after a game he said, I simply don't see why my guy would continue playing with these other guys. So The hand of god came down and killed him. I made him roll a new character and as soon as the character displayed a similar type of emotion I killed him again. The player was outraged and I said "You find a way to get here with us, your friends, every Sunday morning yet you cannot create a fictitious character that gets along with us in-game?" I promised to kill every character he made until he was inspired to create one that cooperated.

The players are the gods of their character and if they have out-of-game gotten together to cooperate then there should be NO need for motivation in-game to do so. My players now all make up backgrounds together that provide good reasons to cooperate, I don't even have to think about it anymore.

PS: That same player was killed 3 more times and I made him start his new characters at level one. When the party was all at level 8 he finally decided that he was behind the power curve a little and started cooperating.
jnrhayz
11-01-04, 01:13 PM When I first started playing I had a great DM who would let you start wherever you wanted and he would get the group together with a reason to be together. In the point, the DM did the work and let the players have their imagination.

When I started DMing, I constantly had the problem of trying to get the party together. I gave up, and when I DM now, I require the group to be friends and have some kind of intertwining background. Easy for me and it encourages group thinking before you ever start to play.

I don't know your group of friends, but your DM probably dropped the ball here. Most players don't want to feel 2nd best to someone else.

On the other hand, if you have a high Charisma, then you've got a personal army. I would start trying to learn as much as possible about them and if they try to leave the group I would blackmail them. Pick up Leadership at 6th level and have some guy whose sole purpose is to rat these people out if you ever die.

I wouldn't worry about their motivations as the DM may have something planned for one of the other characters after you find the lost bodies ( who are probably undead now). Thus trying to create group cohesion through shared experience. Just understand that group cohesion shouldn't be your problem and if it becomes so, then use it to your benefit.
Arak the mighty
11-01-04, 05:57 PM I've mostly DMed in my 18 years, and what I've found is EASIEST is to simply say "you're all friends when we start".

A friend of mine decided to DM, and wanted me in his game, and as he started his campaign, the PC's did not know each other. Well, before the end of the FIRST SESSION my character had come to blows with another PC, and the DM threw his hands up and said "f*** it."

Obviously, being just a PC, you can't make this decision for your DM, but ultimately it'll be up to the PC's to find reasons to stick together, from what it sounds like, so for the sake of the game, I would suggest doing it ASAP.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DivineHammer 11-01-04, 12:37 PM	We just started a new campaign yesterday and already I'm seeing problems with character motivation. Not for myself, but for the rest of the party. Here is a basic summary of characters and plot so far: Characters are level 4 Human Cleric of Nerull - (LE) Latorian (lionman) Wizard - (CN) Spryte bard(savage variant) - (CN) Dwarf fighter - (LE) Gnome Rog/ftr - (N) (alignments other than my own are estimated on role play of the characters so far.) plot - Cleric of Nerull (me) has had the graves of his family robbed and is on a quest to recover the bodies. All of the other characters were recruited by me to aid in this quest. So far there is not really any reason for the other PCs to keep adventuring other than for the things I offered them to help. Is this something that I should worry about or should this be the DM's job? I feel like the entire campaign is resting on my ability to keep these characters together and on track. While I could probably continue on the quest without them I don't want to thought I feel no type of group cohesion at all. Its basically me leading them around and looking for clues while they complain and kill anything that moves. This may just be a rant, but I would like opinions on the situation and maybe some possible solutions to get the group to feel more like a team instead of a character with an entourage. Thanks in advance.
Yade 11-01-04, 12:48 PM	I used to have trouble loking for in-game reasons for players to work together but then I realized that you all showed up on Sunday morning to play together in real life. Therefore, the DM should simply assume that the group does not need an elaborate motivation to work together; pretend like you are in-game friends. I had a player once who had a similar problem. We started a campaign and after a game he said, I simply don't see why my guy would continue playing with these other guys. So The hand of god came down and killed him. I made him roll a new character and as soon as the character displayed a similar type of emotion I killed him again. The player was outraged and I said "You find a way to get here with us, your friends, every Sunday morning yet you cannot create a fictitious character that gets along with us in-game?" I promised to kill every character he made until he was inspired to create one that cooperated. The players are the gods of their character and if they have out-of-game gotten together to cooperate then there should be NO need for motivation in-game to do so. My players now all make up backgrounds together that provide good reasons to cooperate, I don't even have to think about it anymore. PS: That same player was killed 3 more times and I made him start his new characters at level one. When the party was all at level 8 he finally decided that he was behind the power curve a little and started cooperating.
jnrhayz 11-01-04, 01:13 PM	When I first started playing I had a great DM who would let you start wherever you wanted and he would get the group together with a reason to be together. In the point, the DM did the work and let the players have their imagination. When I started DMing, I constantly had the problem of trying to get the party together. I gave up, and when I DM now, I require the group to be friends and have some kind of intertwining background. Easy for me and it encourages group thinking before you ever start to play. I don't know your group of friends, but your DM probably dropped the ball here. Most players don't want to feel 2nd best to someone else. On the other hand, if you have a high Charisma, then you've got a personal army. I would start trying to learn as much as possible about them and if they try to leave the group I would blackmail them. Pick up Leadership at 6th level and have some guy whose sole purpose is to rat these people out if you ever die. I wouldn't worry about their motivations as the DM may have something planned for one of the other characters after you find the lost bodies ( who are probably undead now). Thus trying to create group cohesion through shared experience. Just understand that group cohesion shouldn't be your problem and if it becomes so, then use it to your benefit.
Arak the mighty 11-01-04, 05:57 PM	I've mostly DMed in my 18 years, and what I've found is EASIEST is to simply say "you're all friends when we start". A friend of mine decided to DM, and wanted me in his game, and as he started his campaign, the PC's did not know each other. Well, before the end of the FIRST SESSION my character had come to blows with another PC, and the DM threw his hands up and said "f*** it." Obviously, being just a PC, you can't make this decision for your DM, but ultimately it'll be up to the PC's to find reasons to stick together, from what it sounds like, so for the sake of the game, I would suggest doing it ASAP.