How can I fit into my party? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

How can I fit into my party?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
haijae
Feb 11, 2013 6:51:39 I am playing a knight who follows bahamut and I get the feeling my party is going to be into doing some shady stuff that would really go against how I want to roleplay my character. Basically I am looking for advice on how people find in game reasons to go along with a party of lower moral standards.

Example:
We started at level 5 and played 2 sessions. We retrieved an artifact and traded it back for a reward. Now the party wants to steal back the artifact because they feel the person who has it isn't responsible enough to protect it. I agree because it will be fun for my group but really I don't have any good in game reasons for doing so. How can I still feel like I'm playing an honorable knight and also let my rogue buddy rob someone blind or execute a prisoner or something.
#2
Beldak_Serpenthelm
Feb 11, 2013 7:36:54 Ideas:

The person is more evil than previously believed, rather than merely sub-competant, and the theives discover this when "casing the joint" to put it in modern terms. While your knight knows that they are dishonorable enough to consider tis kind of theft, s/he (pronoun please?) knows that they still care enough about right and wrong not to trick him/her into thinking that somebody is evil just so s/he leaves them alone.

The person's sub-competance got him killed by a more evil person, and now the party has to go after him before he figures out how to make the artifact work.

***

Less that-scene-specifically:

The knight believes in personal honor, but not in shoving it down other people's throats when their methods actually work for them without crossing the line between dishonorable and evil.
Throughout the campaign, the different sides are trying to convince with each other that their own methods would work better for the world in general, while each admits that the other side is basically good, just annoying, and has gotten his own methods to work very well for himself at least, even if they think that somebody who tried to copy the other's methods without knowing what they were doing and why would make things a lot worse than they had to be and their own methods work better in general.
#3
iserith
Feb 11, 2013 9:48:30 Kudos to you on approaching this in what I consider the best way: You're asking how you can make it work rather than dwelling on why you can't.

That said, I would ask my fellow players out-of-character what they think the solution would be. Check out the "Yes, and..." link in my signature, too. It will show you some techniques on how other players can establish things about your character that add new dimensions in ways you might not have imagined yourself.
#4
Krusk
Feb 11, 2013 19:44:39
You could feel some obligation to them, or have some reason you want to redeem them.

Alternatively, maybe you shelf the character for this game and play it in a future game. Some concepts just don't work for all games.
#5
Bohrdumb
Feb 12, 2013 2:07:52

You could feel some obligation to them, or have some reason you want to redeem them.

Alternatively, maybe you shelf the character for this game and play it in a future game. Some concepts just don't work for all games.

I too was thinking the redemption route. Your character wants to see his friends survive and succeed and tags along. He uses the oportunities present to offer up morally better choices in hopes that the party will make better decisions, but does not chastise them if they choose differently.
#6
ghost007
Feb 12, 2013 6:41:03 Watch Book of Dark Vile. See how a lawful good paladin of pelor joins a thoroughly evil adventure party lead by a unscruplus sexy chick And goes about handling himself, hiding his alignment. Get your motivation from there. I thought it was well played. being lawful good does not mean having to directly challenge a party everytime they doing evil, knowing if you do it may be bad for you. Its not lawful suicide or stupid. You can make a excuse not to participate in the act, but you don't have to directly challenge your party. Only motivation you should have is why you are with your party, reason younare running with not so good pc's. That background story should provide all the motivation you need to justify looking the other way and/or minimally participating in your party's questionable actions, and yet sticking it out with them. Maybe...the rogue is your brother hehe.
#7
Omegasupreme651
Feb 14, 2013 19:16:05 I suppose there's nothing wrong w/ going along w/ the party, if you learn that the person with the artifact is going to use it to harm others potentially. That's still honorable!
#8
da_duke
Feb 17, 2013 3:38:04
I would ask my fellow players out-of-character what they think the solution would be. Check out the "Yes, and..." link in my signature, too.

Agreed. Johnstonian cooperative gaming technique would work well here.
#9
trashoon
Mar 09, 2013 10:15:29 yeah, read lawful good alignment phb 19 you go get em sir kinght.
#10
Centauri
Mar 10, 2013 3:27:41
I am playing a knight who follows bahamut and I get the feeling my party is going to be into doing some shady stuff that would really go against how I want to roleplay my character. Basically I am looking for advice on how people find in game reasons to go along with a party of lower moral standards.

Example:
We started at level 5 and played 2 sessions. We retrieved an artifact and traded it back for a reward. Now the party wants to steal back the artifact because they feel the person who has it isn't responsible enough to protect it. I agree because it will be fun for my group but really I don't have any good in game reasons for doing so. How can I still feel like I'm playing an honorable knight and also let my rogue buddy rob someone blind or execute a prisoner or something.

As advised, ask your fellow players and DM. If no one comes up with a good idea that can be accommodated, change to another character rather than turning into the party police officer.

You have a healthy disconnect between yourself and your character. You see that what they want to do will be fun, but you don't see how to play your character. It's possible and potentially fun to have a character that is at odds with the other characters, when the players actually get along well. Again, this requires conversation, and negotiation. Maybe your character goes along with it, but vows to teach the other characters a lesson down the road. If you have the buy-in and agreement of the other players, they can even be on the lookout for when that lesson could be taught.

Otherwise, declare that your paladin was given very specific orders about working with this group. He doesn't know why and it's not his place to question, so he goes along, even though he doesn't agree. Something like that.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 haijae Feb 11, 2013 6:51:39	I am playing a knight who follows bahamut and I get the feeling my party is going to be into doing some shady stuff that would really go against how I want to roleplay my character. Basically I am looking for advice on how people find in game reasons to go along with a party of lower moral standards. Example: We started at level 5 and played 2 sessions. We retrieved an artifact and traded it back for a reward. Now the party wants to steal back the artifact because they feel the person who has it isn't responsible enough to protect it. I agree because it will be fun for my group but really I don't have any good in game reasons for doing so. How can I still feel like I'm playing an honorable knight and also let my rogue buddy rob someone blind or execute a prisoner or something.
#2 Beldak_Serpenthelm Feb 11, 2013 7:36:54	Ideas: The person is more evil than previously believed, rather than merely sub-competant, and the theives discover this when "casing the joint" to put it in modern terms. While your knight knows that they are dishonorable enough to consider tis kind of theft, s/he (pronoun please?) knows that they still care enough about right and wrong not to trick him/her into thinking that somebody is evil just so s/he leaves them alone. The person's sub-competance got him killed by a more evil person, and now the party has to go after him before he figures out how to make the artifact work. *** Less that-scene-specifically: The knight believes in personal honor, but not in shoving it down other people's throats when their methods actually work for them without crossing the line between dishonorable and evil. Throughout the campaign, the different sides are trying to convince with each other that their own methods would work better for the world in general, while each admits that the other side is basically good, just annoying, and has gotten his own methods to work very well for himself at least, even if they think that somebody who tried to copy the other's methods without knowing what they were doing and why would make things a lot worse than they had to be and their own methods work better in general.
#3 iserith Feb 11, 2013 9:48:30	Kudos to you on approaching this in what I consider the best way: You're asking how you can make it work rather than dwelling on why you can't. That said, I would ask my fellow players out-of-character what they think the solution would be. Check out the "Yes, and..." link in my signature, too. It will show you some techniques on how other players can establish things about your character that add new dimensions in ways you might not have imagined yourself.
#4 Krusk Feb 11, 2013 19:44:39	You could feel some obligation to them, or have some reason you want to redeem them. Alternatively, maybe you shelf the character for this game and play it in a future game. Some concepts just don't work for all games.
#5 Bohrdumb Feb 12, 2013 2:07:52	You could feel some obligation to them, or have some reason you want to redeem them. Alternatively, maybe you shelf the character for this game and play it in a future game. Some concepts just don't work for all games. I too was thinking the redemption route. Your character wants to see his friends survive and succeed and tags along. He uses the oportunities present to offer up morally better choices in hopes that the party will make better decisions, but does not chastise them if they choose differently.
#6 ghost007 Feb 12, 2013 6:41:03	Watch Book of Dark Vile. See how a lawful good paladin of pelor joins a thoroughly evil adventure party lead by a unscruplus sexy chick And goes about handling himself, hiding his alignment. Get your motivation from there. I thought it was well played. being lawful good does not mean having to directly challenge a party everytime they doing evil, knowing if you do it may be bad for you. Its not lawful suicide or stupid. You can make a excuse not to participate in the act, but you don't have to directly challenge your party. Only motivation you should have is why you are with your party, reason younare running with not so good pc's. That background story should provide all the motivation you need to justify looking the other way and/or minimally participating in your party's questionable actions, and yet sticking it out with them. Maybe...the rogue is your brother hehe.
#7 Omegasupreme651 Feb 14, 2013 19:16:05	I suppose there's nothing wrong w/ going along w/ the party, if you learn that the person with the artifact is going to use it to harm others potentially. That's still honorable!
#8 da_duke Feb 17, 2013 3:38:04	I would ask my fellow players out-of-character what they think the solution would be. Check out the "Yes, and..." link in my signature, too. Agreed. Johnstonian cooperative gaming technique would work well here.
#9 trashoon Mar 09, 2013 10:15:29	yeah, read lawful good alignment phb 19 you go get em sir kinght.
#10 Centauri Mar 10, 2013 3:27:41	I am playing a knight who follows bahamut and I get the feeling my party is going to be into doing some shady stuff that would really go against how I want to roleplay my character. Basically I am looking for advice on how people find in game reasons to go along with a party of lower moral standards. Example: We started at level 5 and played 2 sessions. We retrieved an artifact and traded it back for a reward. Now the party wants to steal back the artifact because they feel the person who has it isn't responsible enough to protect it. I agree because it will be fun for my group but really I don't have any good in game reasons for doing so. How can I still feel like I'm playing an honorable knight and also let my rogue buddy rob someone blind or execute a prisoner or something. As advised, ask your fellow players and DM. If no one comes up with a good idea that can be accommodated, change to another character rather than turning into the party police officer. You have a healthy disconnect between yourself and your character. You see that what they want to do will be fun, but you don't see how to play your character. It's possible and potentially fun to have a character that is at odds with the other characters, when the players actually get along well. Again, this requires conversation, and negotiation. Maybe your character goes along with it, but vows to teach the other characters a lesson down the road. If you have the buy-in and agreement of the other players, they can even be on the lookout for when that lesson could be taught. Otherwise, declare that your paladin was given very specific orders about working with this group. He doesn't know why and it's not his place to question, so he goes along, even though he doesn't agree. Something like that.