Advice on player / character involvement


Advice


My players stay out, please.:

I'm running a game where the rogue has been kidnapped from the party and taken to meet her long-lost sister, now working for the villain in the enemy's fey army camp. Since that was one of the character's main goals, I thought it would result in some fun RP for the player, but her character has responded the same way she has responded to almost all other challenges - she withdrew into herself and is refusing to interact with her sister.

I'm kind of at my wit's end in thinking of ways to get this player/character more engaged with the story and the game. I do have one last trick up my sleeve, which is to have her sister kill an NPC the character clings to as a crutch, refusing to interact with the rest of the party. I'm hoping that a tale of revenge will prove more entertaining to the player than the mystery of what happened to her sister does, since she doesn't seem that interested in finding out (or even grilling her about the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, or doing other spy stuff).

Alternatively, she may forgive her sister, which opens the door to her redeeming someone from the enemy camp, which might also be interesting. I was planning on waiting for the party to catch up to her so they could witness (and join in on) this turn of events, but maybe it should happen while she's alone? It might be kind of badass for her to deal with it and escape on her own... but I have no idea if she'd actually try that. OK, I suspect she wouldn't.

I guess maybe I need an idea for a mini-adventure or hook or something that can engage the character to DO something. The player doesn't seem to be unhappy, and she's stuck with our group for over 10 years, so I really want it to pay off with something fun for her character to do while she's alone. While the rogue is technically a prisoner, she has the run of the army camp and the commander's tent. Can anyone give me good ideas for events that might happen that would be interesting for a shy, reticent character in her situation?


Bump?


Hey Rotolutundro,
sounds like you'll need to address this out of game,

share with her that you are trying really hard to help her invest her character in the story and you feel like she is not responding,

Trying to fix this in game will possibly cause further frustration for you and her, but explaining what you are trying to do will at least open up channels of communication.

Also ask her what being involved would look like for her, how she would like you to incorportae her, etc...


Sounds like you have a Watcher player type.

Player Types

There's literally nothing worse that you can do to this type of player than to put them in the spotlight. It's the most distressing, anti-fun part of roleplaying for them.


Good advice, Wesh. Thanks. I did ask her about what she felt would be a goal for her character previously, which is when she mentioned her sister, but maybe I'm going about it in the wrong way. Talking to the player more specifically about what she wants out of the game will probably help.

Gulthor: The game is pbem (and by PM while she's away from the rest of the party), so she's not exactly in the spotlight, she just has a chance to do things alone. Still, maybe that's not what she wants to do. I'll ask.

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