Recently here at RoleplayingPro we’ve engaged in a few lengthy discussions revolving around roleplaying.  I know that’s really not too surprising given the title of this blog.  Specifically though, we have been discussing encouraging roleplaying at the table.  On one thread we were mostly focused on rules, and specific games and whether or not they promoted roleplaying.  Overall the discussion was interesting and well written, and the participants articulate and well mannered.  Thanks to all.

But while reading through the thread I began seeing an underlying theme amongst many of the comments.  The theme touched upon was that of the DM’s responsibility toward promoting and encouraging roleplaying.  Although the focus of the discussion was rules, more than one commenter mentioned having a DM who either; brought out creativity and roleplaying or shut it down when players attempted to do more roleplaying.  This got me thinking about the role of the Dungeon Master, and the players for that matter, in fostering an environment that is conducive to roleplaying.

All of us who participate in RPG’s have some ides and assumptions about the responsibilities of the gamemaster.  Many of these things are pretty obvious; you need fairly strong rules knowledge, a solid grasp of the setting, and good descriptive communication skills.  Less obvious, but no less important is being prepared, staying flexible, and making each player feel important.  Other factors that come in to play but are sometimes overlooked (especially among beginner GM’s) include; having an understanding of story and plot structure, game and campaign pacing, and the ability to weave the characters into the story and the story into the characters.  All of these factors contribute to successful gamemastering.

Players too have certain responsibilities; knowing how their character works (rules-wise), coming to the table prepared, and paying attention while gaming.  You could also add that players should be cooperative with each other and the GM, have an understanding of the rules and setting, and be motivated to play the game.  These traits, combined with a good relationship between the players and the GM go along way to creating a good gaming environment.  Additionally there are a few things that both sides of the screen can do, to not only make a better gaming experience, but to also encourage more roleplaying all around.

Tips for Gamemasters

For many players the death of roleplaying occurs when the GM fails to be open and flexible.  One of the primary reasons people enjoy RPG’s is the freedom to do “whatever they want” with their character.  Granted, it’s difficult to be so open that the players could truly do “anything” but the key is help maintain the illusion while keeping them engaged with the story.  So how do you maintain the illusion of limitless options and character free-will?  Here are a few things the GM can do to help set the stage for roleplaying to flourish. 

Set the roleplaying tone.

• Ultimately the GM needs to set the tone for roleplaying at the table.  When the GM puts effort into colorful descriptions, intricate plot lines, and realistic NPC’s players begin to respond in kind.  If the GM ignores detail (it’s just a typical village) or only provides detail for things directly related to his plot, players start ignoring the world and focusing on simply grinding through the story.  If the DM doesn’t seem to care enough to paint a vivid, living picture of the world, why should the players do that with their characters? 

Prepare a “Grab Bag”.

• This contributes directly to being flexible.  To avoid players feeling “railroaded” the GM has to be ready to adjust and respond when players open an unexpected door.  Since you can’t possibly anticipate every possible thing the characters might do, create a grab bag of options and responses that can easily be plugged into whatever the characters do.  My grab bag includes the following:
  • List of random names for things: people, places, historical events, holidays, temples, inns, towns, groups etc.  Naming things not only builds realism and adds detail to the campaign but builds player interest in the world around them, giving them things to focus on other than treasure and leveling-up.
  • Several interesting NPC’s each with a possible adventure hook or two.  Cool NPC’s involved in their own lives and adventures also builds realism and detail.  I’ve found that players love social encounters with “interesting” people.
  • Several “random encounters”.  I always have prepared at least one ambush, bar fight, street crime, chase scene, roaming beast, assassination attempt, and angry mob encounter ready to go.  Sometimes I’ll connect the encounter to the plot, sometimes to one of the characters personally, and sometimes its just random.
  • A bullet-point list of each character’s history, background, and goals.  It’s a perfect opportunity to tie the character into the story by focusing on some personal hook when the characters move in an unexpected direction.

Let the players contribute.

• Don’t be afraid to let the characters participate in world and story creation.  I encourage my players to add detail to the world as we play.  For example, when the heroes ride into town maybe one of the players says; “My cousin lives here”.  The player might even give me a name an occupation for the cousin.  Not only does this give me a possible hook to work with but it gives the players a sense of “campaign ownership”, they become more invested in the story and setting, not just their character sheet. 
• That being said I do draw the line at a player crossing the boundary between roleplaying element and game rule.  It’s fine for a player to tell me his cousin Arnnan is the village blacksmith, but it’s something altogether different to also tell me that his cousin will give him a 90% discount on all weapons and armor and his blades are inherently +2 due to quality.  I’m fine with asking about a discount but you never know, maybe his cousin thinks that his “big, famous adventurer cousin” could throw a little cash his way. 

Don’t be a slave to your own story.

• This is one that has taken me years to get my head around.  It’s all too easy for a GM to fall in love with his creation, be it the setting, certain NPC’s, or the finely crafted story he has created.  The problem is that the more we focus on our preconceived notion of how the story should go, and what should happen, the less we focus on the players and their characters.  As GM’s we sometimes become victims to our own creation.  Instead of reacting to the players decisions and evolving the campaign story based on their choices and actions we may find ourselves “railroading” them along our story, not theirs.  When players start feeling like their decisions have no actual impact on the story, many will simply shift into “I’m along for the ride” mode.  A player who is just hanging out watching the GM tell a story isn’t going to participate much in roleplaying. 

Tips for Players

Players also contribute significantly to the roleplaying environment.  Here are a few things that players can do, not just for their own character, but for the gaming group as a whole that help create an atmosphere for roleplaying.

Get to know the setting.

• Setting knowledge can be a huge help in roleplaying a character.  The character most likely has a solid understanding of many of the setting’s elements such as; gods and religion, the major power groups, people and culture (especially their own), local geography and weather, and significant historical events.  A player should also strive for some basic knowledge about the setting.  Word of warning though, what a character “knows” could always be false, misleading, or completely opposite of “reality”.  Even in a published setting the GM may change some details.  Regardless, a player should never hesitate to ask the GM for a general outline of things his character would know about the world around him.  And don’t be afraid to use that information in creative ways.

Create hooks for the GM.

• Currently here at RoleplayingPro I’m in the middle of a multi-part series on designing more memorable characters.  The key element of the series lies in the creating of interesting character hooks.  When a player creates good hooks it not only makes the character more realistic and complex but also gives the GM things to use to help weave the character into the story.  Creating a good background, interesting quirks, and complex motivations for a character are some great roleplaying elements.  Work with the GM to help create opportunities for these elements to surface during the game.

Think “in character”.

• This is a fundamental element to roleplaying but is worth reminding ourselves of from time to time.  Remember what you, the player knows, is different then what you, the character knows.  Sure there is always going to be a little metagaming crossover but try to see the world through the character’s eyes.  This is why having an understanding of the character’s motivations, ethics, and personality can be so useful in portraying the character.  Even though I DM more than play I still think about the world through the eyes of the NPC’s, what are their goals, how are they going to succeed, what do they know. 

Involve your character.

• I like to encourage players to get involved in the campaign.  What I mean is for the players to take an active part in telling their character’s personal story, while simultaneously participating in the campaign’s story.  This is a balancing act between the GM’s story and each of the characters’ stories and requires trust and cooperation between everyone at the table.  As a player look for opportunities to weave your character’s goals into the party’s goals and the GM’s goals.  In my campaign the players who seem most satisfied with the experience are the ones who talk to me away from the table about their character’s involvement with the story and the world around them.

As always the most important thing to remember is that playing an RPG is a collaborative effort.  Each of us at the table has a responsibility to help make the game enjoyable for the rest of the group as well as ourselves.  The fundamental keys to achieving this are cooperation, communication, and trust between the players and the GM.  Regardless of preferences and play styles it takes a group of people (the players and GM) working toward the same end (having fun) to make the game a great experience for everyone.