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View Full Version : Making a creative player a team player?



ElenionAncalima
2014-01-22, 11:19 AM
The long version:I have a situation in a two player game I am DMng. One of the players has been doing a really good job roleplaying his two characters, who are brothers. Last session the two of them had an argument, resulting in the younger one storming off to the tavern, tricking a dumb guy into an unwinnable drinking game and passing out. His older brother had to go find him, settle his tab and bring him home.

This was a fun off-rails adventure that I enjoyed, because I got insight into his characters and inspiration for next session. The problem is that the other player, who had already declared that her characters had gone to bed (which I gave her a chance to revise), was left sitting there for about 20-30 minutes, while this sub-plot resolved. She even commented that she needs to come up with her own side adventures. I worry this may become an ongoing problem. As per their backstories the older brother is supposed to be good friends with both of her characters...but there has been little to no interaction between them. I don't want to discourage his creativity and enthusiasm for his characters, but I also can't let him keep running off on his own, if the other player is going to be excluded.

Since her characters are going to be waking up a few hours early, I am going to give her a little time to do what she wants next session. However, I am not expecting much. She is a really good cooperative player, but she plays by numbers. She will happily follow the shenanigans of the other players or follow any rails that I set down, but she doesn't usually initiate stories.

I think I am going to have the guy the younger brother tricked confront him, in front of the whole party, next session to see if I can get her a little more involved in the subplot.

tl;dr;
I am running a two player game. One player is a good roleplayer, the other is a good team player. However, the good roleplayer is very focused on his own characters and side adventures. Does anyone have any advice for redirecting his creativity in way that includes the other player? Alternatively, does anyone have any advice for inspiring the other player to be a little more creative and assertive in her interactions with him.

valadil
2014-01-22, 12:49 PM
I don't think there's anything wrong with having a player do side adventures. 20-30 minutes isn't a huge amount of time to wait for the other person.

However you need to make sure both players get this time. I think the second player knows she has the option to have solo plot if she wants it. But that's not enough. If I were you, after the first player runs off for 20 minutes I'd declare that it as now 20 minutes of her time. It's her character's responsibility to fill that void. Maybe throw her some leads early on. Or don't even play out what happens, but have a discussion about the character. RP doesn't have to happen in real time - just think of it like a flashback in a movie.

Zharradan Marr
2014-01-22, 01:51 PM
The problem is that the other player, who had already declared that her characters had gone to bed (which I gave her a chance to revise), was left sitting there for about 20-30 minutes, while this sub-plot resolved.This is your failure as a DM. You should not have occupied yourself for 20-30 minutes with one player. After, let's say, 5 minutes, take a pause, turn to the other player, and say "and what are you doing at that time?"; his character is asleep? A sudden noise wakes him up - maybe from the sounds of that argument. Maybe that guy who passed out fell and broke something. It's up to him whether to go investigate or not.

And/or, talk to the 'active' player and ask him to get better at spotlight-sharing.

And I disagree with valadil, 20-30 minutes twiddling your thumbs is completely unacceptable in a 2-player game. Especially if it happens consistently. I can see it happening in a large group as the DM goes around the table, giving each player 2-3 minutes to do their thing, but with 2 players, never.

TriForce
2014-01-22, 02:12 PM
well the solution is pretty simple imho:

turn towards the "active" player and ask him to make sure that the other player isnt left alone doing nothing for 30 minutes. he might argue that "its totally what his character would do" and you will say "that doesnt matter, its no fun for the other player, and thats more important then a small character quirk"

ElenionAncalima
2014-01-22, 02:41 PM
To clarify, I did check in with her several times to ask if her characters wanted to do anything. I even suggested retconning that she went to sleep, if there was anything she wanted to do. All she did was appraise an item that they forgot about earlier, then went back to sleep. Its not that she didn't want to do anything, its just that she isn't particularly comfortable with solo situations and doesn't do well if you put her on the spot. At the same time, she doesn't want to be left out.

This is why I am concerned that there will be a disconnect. One player wants to run off and have side adventures, while the other doesn't know what to do with herself unless someone else is driving the story.

As of right now, I think I am going to start preparing some mini-plot hooks for her, just in case the other player goes off on his own again. However, ideally I would like the two of them to work together a little more, which is what I was asking for advice on how to achieve.

valadil
2014-01-22, 05:00 PM
And I disagree with valadil, 20-30 minutes twiddling your thumbs is completely unacceptable in a 2-player game. Especially if it happens consistently.

It's a matter of expectations. If I know that's the kind of game I'm getting into I'll make sure my phone is charged before it happens. If I expect a kick down the door smash the monsters and drink some beer game, I'll be disappointed. I prefer games where players have agency that's not necessarily aligned with the rest of the group, so I expect some down time while players run their own errands.

BWR
2014-01-22, 05:45 PM
Easiest and best solution: talk to the players - all of them at the same time. Explain that you don't want to leave the other players out in the cold to focus on a single one. Don't single one player out as the cause of this, just say that this has been a problem and is your fault and you will try to fix this. Sure, sometimes it will be inevitable, but you will do your best not to thrust one PC in the spotlight at the expense of the others.
If this player starts whining about not getting enough screen time after this, talk to him later and say that it's not fair to the other players to let him steal precious game time for his own things that the others have no part in.

You're not alone in having his happen. The exact same thing happened to me in my game, where one player, thanks to a backstory, ended up taking just about all the game time of two entire sessions. Partially, it was the players fault for wanting to split up at a certain time, partially it was the player's fault for being too damn slow in deciding what to do, mostly my fault for allowing it to go on as long as it did.

Jay R
2014-01-22, 10:35 PM
The BBEG of the main plot is out to kill the self-centered PC.

Voila, that character is always involved in the main plot.

Earthwalker
2014-01-23, 03:38 AM
Well of course onethly talk to both players about this and see if they can come up with a solution. See what they think of the situation.

Twothly you have one player that seems keen to engage with other characters and watch how situations between characters play out. Then you have him have two characters so he can do all he needs without the other player. If the role playing guy was only playing one character do you think he would involve the other players character more ?

What are you gaining by having them play two characters instead of one ? Also what are you losing ?

GungHo
2014-01-23, 10:53 AM
To clarify, I did check in with her several times to ask if her characters wanted to do anything. I even suggested retconning that she went to sleep, if there was anything she wanted to do. All she did was appraise an item that they forgot about earlier, then went back to sleep. Its not that she didn't want to do anything, its just that she isn't particularly comfortable with solo situations and doesn't do well if you put her on the spot. At the same time, she doesn't want to be left out.

This is why I am concerned that there will be a disconnect. One player wants to run off and have side adventures, while the other doesn't know what to do with herself unless someone else is driving the story.

As of right now, I think I am going to start preparing some mini-plot hooks for her, just in case the other player goes off on his own again. However, ideally I would like the two of them to work together a little more, which is what I was asking for advice on how to achieve.

Put a collar on their necks. If they are ever separated from each other by more than 20 meters, they start to hear beeping. If they let the beeping persist for more than 10 seconds, their heads simulaneously explode. Either the guy will stay inside for the night or the lady will tag along on his adventures.

Bonus points if they look like Rutger Hauer and Mimi Rogers.