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Cilvyn
2009-02-16, 08:11 PM
Hey ppl,

I have a group IRL wich I would like to encourace to roleplay their actions more than they do now. They simply do what they say they do, but there is totaly no interaction or whatsoever about what they are doing.

an example:
The blind ranger walks in front of the group in a tunnel. They encounter a trap, and the rogue simply put his character in front of the ranger and begins to pick the lock. How can I make him communicate with the rest what he wants to do?
What i would like to hear him say: I shout to the front <ranger name> what is going on over there? bla bla.. I walk past the rest and take out my thievery tools and begin to try to disable the lock.

What can I do as DM to encourige this kind of roleplaying? Need i to discribe the enviroment? Let NPC's do this kind of roleplaying as it was a sort of example?

I would like to have some tips or arguments what I should do!

Thanx alot!

Cil

Nohwl
2009-02-16, 08:14 PM
give out experience for roleplaying.

Cilvyn
2009-02-16, 08:24 PM
well ye i already do, and i also encourage good roleplaying, i just would like a more consistent (or whats the word) hogher quality of roleplaying.

Nohwl
2009-02-16, 08:38 PM
you could do what one of my old dms did and threaten to drop rocks on your character if you dont roleplay.

crimson77
2009-02-16, 08:41 PM
The blind ranger walks in front of the group in a tunnel. They encounter a trap, and the rogue simply put his character in front of the ranger and begins to pick the lock. How can I make him communicate with the rest what he wants to do?

Get rid of the battlemat or what you are placing your figures upon. Tell the players the description of what is in front of them. Roll some dice and tell players what they spot or hear. Tell the rogue that he sees that the tunnel a head is trapped and the ranger is about to walk into the trap.

Just bring out the battlemat for battles. Remember only do this after the PCs (or monsters) have said they are attacking.


What i would like to hear him say: I shout to the front <ranger name> what is going on over there? bla bla.. I walk past the rest and take out my thievery tools and begin to try to disable the lock.
What can I do as DM to encourige this kind of roleplaying?

You have to change a players experience from a board game to a roleplaying game. The board game exists in on the table (and sometimes our encounters are board games). However, the roleplaying game exists in the players' mind. It is dynamic and complex. Therefore, you must foster this and remove distractions (e.g. figures) so that players will break out of the mode of moving plastic pieces on a table.


Need i to discribe the enviroment? Let NPC's do this kind of roleplaying as it was a sort of example?

YES!

I would say you need to describe the environment. Players take cues from the DM. The DM needs to model the appropriate behavior. Describe the environment. Tell the players what NPCs are doing and how they are interacting with the players.

herrhauptmann
2009-02-16, 08:46 PM
Promise XP penalties if they fail to do a 'minimum' of roleplay?

Or if there's 5 players, there should be a 1 in 5 (20%) chance they get targeted in the first round of combat in a random encounter (encounters that happen due to the story should go as planned, regardless of roleplay). Tell them, if they keep on NOT roleplaying, there'll be a 25% or 30% chance they'll be targeted. Not enough to cause an instant player death (usually), but enough to punish them in game for a lack of RP.

The party ranger is blind?

Avor
2009-02-16, 08:49 PM
The problem with D&D is that some people only look at the "G" in RPG. If somebody doens't like to RP, you can't realy force them.


give out experience for roleplaying.

I have a few bamboo sticks, and I prefere negative reinforcement :smalltongue:



you could do what one of my old dms did and threaten to drop rocks on your character if you dont roleplay.

My DM would smite bad players with turtles. No lightning for us, a turtle falling at mach 3 was our fate.

"Hey, that one didn't go through you, it's suck, look at it's legs kick."

Cilvyn
2009-02-16, 08:58 PM
Thanx, Yes i think that would be a very good idea. And for me it creates the oppertunity to focus more on discribing what i have prepared. And i should prepare more, wich I like. I just didn't know what to do realy, We just kept going with no real idea of how we could improve our play.

Mh then I will workout the NPC's a bit more..:)

Ye the ranger is blind, he has some kind of tremor sence ( 5 ft. + 5 for each level.)

Well i dont like the idea of real punishment IC for acting or lacking in RP. however XP punisment is OK by me, but not drop rocks or other random heavy object on my party^^

More people got experience or usefull tips? Thanx all who have posted yet, much appriciated!

Cil