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My group is fantastic. They are all excellent roleplayers and we have wonderful time when PCs are investigating, carousing, etc. Then combat comes and any RPing goes out the window as players count squares, ask about AoO, and add up their die rolls. I would love to increase the in character RPing through combats. I have houseruled that "Trash Talking" an enemy doesn't count as an action of any sort and can take as long as the PC would like, but other than that, any suggestions?
Thanks,
Mags
My group is fantastic. They are all excellent roleplayers and we have wonderful time when PCs are investigating, carousing, etc. Then combat comes and any RPing goes out the window as players count squares, ask about AoO, and add up their die rolls. I would love to increase the in character RPing through combats. I have houseruled that "Trash Talking" an enemy doesn't count as an action of any sort and can take as long as the PC would like, but other than that, any suggestions?
Thanks,
Mags
As with almost any attempt to increase roleplaying, my suggestion is almost always the same. Lead by example. Demonstrat what you would like to have the players do with your NPCs. Don't make a big deal about it, don't beat your players over the head with it, just play it out. If it is interesting enough they will start doing it themselves. If they are not interested then maybe you just have to change what your expectations are for them, though you can certainly still play up the NPCs as you see fit.
I find my players respond well when I RP out the NPCs actions in combat. Do you narrate the action? Try describing each hit/miss of the NPCs, and try to encourage your players to do the same. If it is important enough to you, you could go so far as to offer bonuses for doing so (this is too far for me, but YMMV)
Cheers! :)
I’m afraid I have little to offer, but I did want to express my support for your question. I have had the same frustration for years. Waaaay back in the first edition there were optional rules that made the combat more “real” and you could visualize what was happening, so it made the role playing easier and better. For example, that 4hp you took was an arrow in the thigh making walking painful and slow. But those locations of damage and such just bogged down the combat all the more, so it wasn’t worth it.
What I wish (and maybe it already exists, if someone could point me in the right direction) is a card deck similar to the Critical Hit and Critical Fumble decks that had random descriptions of the damage based on weapon time and level of damage. Then the DM could quickly translate it into the current scenario. This would give combat a very cinematic feel without really altering the game mechanics. I suppose such a deck could be made from scratch if you are particularly creative and willing to put in the effort.
Other than that, I can only think that any optional rules that simplify combat as much as possible would help. Also, if every player really knows the rules, that will eliminate a lot of the questions. Rolling the damage dice at the same time that you roll the d20 helps, too. Anything you can do to minimize the focus on the rules and dice will mean more time for the role playing.
David Marks' suggestion is a very good one, and it's also what I do. I tend to take a few moments to describe things. There are a few fantasy authors who are really good at that--George R.R. Martin, RE Howard and David Gemmell are in my opinion the best. Just add in things like "the ogre takes a mighty swing at you with his greataxe; you feel your arm shiver through your shield as you parry the blow!" I tend to do that kind of thing and keep track of hit points lost and successful blocks or dodges on a sheet of paper with a quick chart.
Before every session I'll have a sheet with the names of pcs, cohorts and important npcs on it, and just quickly make a note of hit points lost or regained, feats used up, spells and so on. I also ask players to let me know as we start an adventure what spells they have ready, what bonuses they are aware of for combat and how they plan to use them, that kind of thing. That way all that is out of the way long before combat starts. If changes are made we also discuss that.
I would add that it might be too optimistic to want everything in combat to be roleplayed out. Every swing, every miss, every spell, etc. I would start by worrying about the big ones, crits and such, and then work in more as necessary. You know it is sort of like describing rooms in a dungeon. In the first couple you might describe the color of the stones, the smell, various little plants/lichen but as you go along and most of these basic details are the same from room to room, you don't want to keep repeating yourself and so you focus on what is different in each room. Well when describing combat, if you describe every single sword swing in great detail, it gets repetative as well, the pleasure of roleplaying is lost. Whereas if you focus on the "critical" combat actions it can keep the pleasure alive.
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Thank you all for the good advice. I try to be descriptive in battles, but as a new DM, I sometimes forget and get too busy keeping track of stats and next actions. I will need to work on it.
Besides description of actions, any other ideas? I agree that they could get repetitive when overused.
I actually get up out of my chair and act out particularly fantastic hits or misses. Give your monsters and NPCs a life beyond the statblock. The PCs aren't the only ones who should be trash talking. Adopt a particularly grim expression and point an angry finger at the fighter's player, threatening that "Grimward's axe will rake your bones tonight!" The more heated and intense your combat gets, the more your players will get "into it."
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I suspect in the end you will find that the problem is the map, along with all the very precise tactical combat rules of 3.5.
Dump the map, get the players into just playing it by ear, and get used to cheating, aka "making it up as you go along" and "doing whatever seems most dramatic", as things happen.
I have played with many people who are great roleplayers, but the moment combat breaks out they go into Chess Grandmaster Overload Mode, and everything has to be an excercise in embodying the least particle of the rules.
I suspect in the end you will find that the problem is the map, along with all the very precise tactical combat rules of 3.5.
Dump the map, get the players into just playing it by ear, and get used to cheating, aka "making it up as you go along" and "doing whatever seems most dramatic", as things happen.
I have played with many people who are great roleplayers, but the moment combat breaks out they go into Chess Grandmaster Overload Mode, and everything has to be an excercise in embodying the least particle of the rules.
I agree, and this works very well in a "theare of the mind" kind of way, but sometimes good use of miniatues, terrain, maps and props can help rather than hinder, depending on how you use them.
I think it all comes down to a matter of style. If you are a new DM, you'll have to flesh this out for youself. Try all of the suggestions you've gotten here. Keep what works for you, drop the ones that don't. Don't be afraid to try new stuff.
Oh, one more suggestion - do you use background music? Good "soundtrack" music can do wonders without changing anything else.
Besides description of actions, any other ideas?
Battle Crys.
Bad guy dialogue.BBEGs that talk smack.
If you want your players to role play in combat its up to you to lead by example.
I suspect in the end you will find that the problem is the map, along with all the very precise tactical combat rules of 3.5.
I don't agree. The map has nothing to do with players yelling battle crys, BBEGs talking smack, describing good hits and bad misses or acting out being knocked prone (though getting something more gritty and realistic then high pitched renditions of of "I've fallen and I can't get up" may prove difficult).
With and without a map you'll see this. What seems to work best for me and my style is to sow the PCs what you're looking for. Have the NPCs do all the things you want them to do.
My groups have used them all, talking trash, acting out motions, mood music, accents, YMMV (as stated above) but something is likely to take root there.