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This installment of Random Thoughts embarks on a brave new adventure.
It is a series of "How To" columns that I have titled, rather dramatically,
"How To
(also, "A Journey of Discovery in Which We
Learn if you Really Will Do as I Say")"
Before you continue reading, please send me money. I accept Paypal,
so please send all inquiries to the link at the bottom of this page.
If you've gotten this far, it shows you know better than to do what I say
(and no, there are no refunds). So, you're either really, truly bored,
or have some morbid curiosity about what I could possibly be writing
this month that isn't a list. I wasn't kidding, this How To installment
is titled "How To Install Roleplaying in your (pen and paper) RPG."
Without further ado . . .
How To Install Roleplaying in your RPG:
- Take your Role Playing Game.
- Insert Roleplaying.
- Shake Well.
And that's it. You get what you pay for.
Before the threats begin (for those of you that actually did pay me), I
suppose I will expand on each of those points. Here we go:
1. Take your Role Playing Game
First, let me explain what Role playing is. It is not dice, although
they play a small part of it. It is basic interaction between two or more
people who are playing a part.* A Role Playing Game takes that and adds
some rules. All too often people find themselves in the following scenario:
Get together with gaming group.
Characters travel a bit, meet the Monster Du Jour, and kill it.
Repeat if time allows.
Contrary to many people's popular belief, this is actually Role playing.
It can just get a bit boring after a while (at least after one runs out of
different monsters to fight). If that's all you want to get out of your
game, then you might as well be playing something on the computer. There
are plenty of games that would give you much more of a story than that, and
would probably be more fun. Heck, there are lots that would give you just that.
It's the human (meaning the players, not necessarily what you're playing)
interaction that makes it special.
But what if your game does just involve that, and you do want more? Well,
that's ok. You have the basics already. It really doesn't matter what you're
playing, although some games seem to lend themselves to dice-fests a little
more than others. It doesn't make it impossible, though. I've played many a
night of Battletech where we didn't even touch dice. It might be a little
extreme, but what can you do when you forget them?
On to the next step . . .
2. Insert Roleplaying
This is easier said than done, and it needs to involve all the players and
the GM. If even one of them holds out (this is especially apparent when you're
only playing with one other person), then it makes things very hard. If there's
a disagreement on this, a consensus must be made. Maybe play one game that
involves more interaction, and another that is just a continual series of
fighting. Maybe just roll a die. Either way, it helps if everyone is on the
same team. After all, you can lead a Roleplayer to dice, but you can't make
them roll (unless you bribe them with free food, first).
After that, try to look at things you might normally skip past. So the
characters are travelling for a few days? What might they talk about in this
time? As the GM, try not to *poof* time away as often. As a player, try
starting up a conversation before your GM does. There's more to character
development than picking skills. If you're starting a game, or starting a new
PC in an existing game, try coming up with a personality, maybe a short example
of an encounter they've had, and go over it with the GM before the game starts.
As a GM, you have some extra power with this. Sometimes you have to hit
your players upside the head with a big stick (figuratively, not literally . . .
although that seems necessary sometimes, too) in order to get them to actually
play things out, but this can be worthwhile. One way to do this would be not
to prepare any fights for that night. It will be up to the characters to
entertain their own players. Make sure you do this on a night that you can
provide good food, so it will keep them there. Or, you could come up with a
storyline where the PCs are all forced to depend on each other's skills (some
in combat, some out) in a less than usual way. This idea usually involves
more work, though, so it's understandable if you take the first. Otherwise,
just cow them with awesome displays of GM might. I find players to be suitably
impressed when I juggle knives (or I would, if I could actually do so).
In any case, try to notice times where you (as a player), or you (as a GM)
would say something like "This article sucks," and replace it with the phrase
"This article is so good, that I really will send Chris money."
Sorry, just making sure you're still reading.
Look for times when you might paraphrase what your character might do and
actually play it out. You don't have to do this all the time (that would be
tedious, you're playing this game because it isn't real life), but you should
do it sometimes. As a GM, you should do it randomly regardless of the encounter.
If you only play out a scene where something happens, then your players will
expect something to happen, and maybe (subconsciously or not) act accordingly.
What do I mean? Here's an example of paraphrasing the actions:
| GM: |
You approach a small town on your way to the capital city of Thatcountryinmycampaignia. |
| Player1: |
Yeah, so I ride into town, stable my horse and play with my new sword. |
| Player2: |
Hey! Me too! I follow along and stuff. |
GM: |
Ok, you do so. |
This is an example of playing it out.
| GM: |
The party approaches a small town. Smoke rises from various chimneys, and a few kids are tormenting some squirrel a bit off in the distance. The pleasant smell of popcorn drifts through the air, reminding you of that really awesome kettle corn stuff from those people that would stop by your village occasionly when you were a kid. |
| Player1: |
I look for an inn . . . is there any visible? |
| Player2: |
Uh-oh, my character is the paladin. I say "Stop, evildoers!" and approach the kids. |
GM: |
See? This is much more fun than the last example. |
As you can see, the second example is much better than the first example.
More fun too, as the players in it were sure to agree.
This section was really long, and if you have an attention span like me, you
might be wondering what you had been doing for the past five minutes or so. Let
me summarize, then, repeat after me (out loud is preferable, it helps the memory
or something):
Dice are not bad.
PC interaction is not bad.
Together, both are good, more than the sum of the whole.
Boy, do I sound stupid saying this out loud.
Hey, quit looking at me like that!
3. Shake Well
Don't stir.
* - Yes, it is possible to roleplay with just one person. Having multiple personalities
helps, but I know I wouldn't trust me - make sure they don't cheat.
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