How to make a quest for an inert player?

[HoboKnight]

I have in my group 4 very active players and one we may call Sleepy. While other four engage with NPCs, serously approach combat, take notes and take great pleasure in solving puzzles, Sleepy just likes to hang out with a group and makes a minimal necessary contribution in combat. However - guy does "wake up" and enjoys it if properly roped in with roleplay and responsibility. Usually its always the group that solves (combat, roleplay) challenges for him and I'm wondering how to make a quest/challenge just for him while the group helps him?
A very crude example would be Silence cast on everyone but him in a roleplay encounter or an NPC that would only be willing to talk to him. This is however, too crude and forced.

Guy plays a paladin of Helm and I'm thinking of a sidequest in which Sleepys' character is of vital importance and is, at the same time, the only one able to solve the situation (there have to be stakes/consequences in this quest, since he responds well to this).

Dnd is a cooperative game, but I want to create something special in this case just for him, without separating him from the rest of the party.

How could I pull this off?

Thanks!

[Unoriginal]

I have in my group 4 very active players and one we may call Sleepy. While other four engage with NPCs, serously approach combat, take notes and take great pleasure in solving puzzles, Sleepy just likes to hang out with a group and makes a minimal necessary contribution in combat. However - guy does "wake up" and enjoys it if properly roped in with roleplay and responsibility. Usually its always the group that solves (combat, roleplay) challenges for him and I'm wondering how to make a quest/challenge just for him while the group helps him?
A very crude example would be Silence cast on everyone but him in a roleplay encounter or an NPC that would only be willing to talk to him. This is however, too crude and forced.

Guy plays a paladin of Helm and I'm thinking of a sidequest in which Sleepys' character is of vital importance and is, at the same time, the only one able to solve the situation (there have to be stakes/consequences in this quest, since he responds well to this).

Dnd is a cooperative game, but I want to create something special in this case just for him, without separating him from the rest of the party.

How could I pull this off?

Thanks!

Be aware that if the player is having a good time, other players sre having a good time, and you're having a good time, it's not your role to "fix" the player, and any "solution" is likely to only be working for a bit.

That being said, he's Paladin of Helm, so involving Helm and his church seems the natural way to give this PC more involvement.

How about that: the PC receives a dream showing him a location. The next day, the group encounters several Paladins of Helm, one by one, who all got the same dream and are traveling to said location. Here, Helm has prepared a test, and those who succeed will be given an Epic Boon fitting the god.

[HoboKnight]

I should start paying you :D Thanks!

[Cygnia]

Yeah, the hubby learned this the hard way in our game that some players don't really WANT to be in the spotlight. When in doubt, ask the player.

[HoboKnight]

There are no doubts. Player loves to be in a spotlight, but needs to be roped in. All I need is ideas.

[KorvinStarmast]

Be aware that if the player is having a good time, other players sre having a good time, and you're having a good time, it's not your role to "fix" the player

,Plus Eleventy.

How about that:
the PC receives a dream showing him a location. The next day, the group encounters several Paladins of Helm, one by one, who all got the same dream and are traveling to said location. Here, Helm has prepared a test, and those who succeed will be given an Epic Boon fitting the god.

Nice example.

Yeah, the hubby learned this the hard way in our game that some players don't really WANT to be in the spotlight. When in doubt, ask the player.

+10

[Sigreid]

First, I think you would know better than us what had caught his interest in the past.

Second, some people enjoy being in the spotlight now and then, but would find it unpleasant if it's too often.

Third, some people know they have main character syndrome and purposefully take a back seat most of the time because they've decided giving others the spotlight is more important than feeding their own needs.

[KorvinStarmast]

Third, some people know they have main character syndrome and purposefully take a back seat most of the time because they've decided giving others the spotlight is more important than feeding their own needs.

Yes. I have that going on, particularly in our Star Trek game.

[MagneticKitty]

I think it'd be useful to watch: Different Kinds of Players Running the Game (Matthew Colville)
and perhaps Catastrophic Failure Running the Game

Either way, tldr
some players want some content and some want others. it's not your job to decide which content which players like but to offer a variety of content to try and appeal to multiple players. They will engage with the content they enjoy