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So, I've had something gnawing at the back of my mind in the few short years that I've been playing. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I find myself secretly (and inexplicably) disappointed by a session of gaming more often than not. I'd started to wonder if I like the idea of tabletop RPGs more than I actually like playing tabletop RPGs.
Then I read the final book of Paolini's "Inheritance" series and I think I might have figured it out. When I finally met the BBEGs of the Inheritance series, my first thought was "Oh, sh*t." Reflecting on the games I've played and run, everything has always been scaled nicely to be within the player's realm of possibility. I've never felt the "Oh, sh*t!" factor in a game. That's great for PC confidence and all - I know player's want to feel important - but I don't think that style of play evokes any visceral response. It FEELS like a game to me, and not a dynamic story.
Does anyone else see what I'm getting at here? How have you GM's dealt with this? How can I evoke real emotion in my games as a GM (and feel it as a PC)? Is the answer to just throw in the occassional insurmountable challenge? Or how else have you done it?
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Use you players's roleplay "weaknesses" for these OH SH- moments.
Nothing like being told that the boat your family lives on to follow you on your quest is burning in the horizon, vomiting more black smoke while heavy agitation shatters the port as you are getting closer to discover what happened there.
Receiving a ransom letter with what appears to be a finger for his newborn baby... while being a paladin.
The classical, complex mindf#!@ plot reversing is always efficient too.
One way is as you say, "insurmountable challenge." It's the easiest way actually. However as an experienced writer, I try to make my stories as epic as possible, while introducing memorable NPCs and unforgettable scenarios. Same goes with when I don't GM. My character's backstories are usually as long as the character sheet itself, and I try to develop them as we go along, and I ask my own players to do the same. I enjoy promoting sophisticated roleplaying. This to me makes things more emotional, especially during player deaths and epic battles.
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In our last campaign, I had multiple opportunities in-game to get that real emotion you speak of. We ran across a man who looked like my PC's murderer. It was several sessions later that I learned that it was that man's body, but another creature was in control of it. My PC died and was raised, which got everyone down. Blowing the main cathedral of the most evil god in the world? More emotion (my character had been killed by the former high priest of said religion). Oh, and saving the world from an infernal invasion? Add that to the list.
Real emotion requires a strong attachment to the character and is greatly assisted by having a background that your GM can work into the campaign with appropriately strong emotional events, IMHO. I've felt a lot less for some of my PCs who had less drama in their backgrounds or whose backgrounds were left unused. The best stories in my gaming experience come from those games where you, the player, are emotionally invested in some way.
+1 to Lathiira
I've always wanted to do this, but haven't had the continuity and capacity to do so yet in a campaign.
NPCs are the key, in my mind. Make them care about NPCs. I thought about creating a "loner" sorceress (who is part of a small group of sorcerers and other not quite respected casters) in a city who would appeal to the player of a sorcerer in our game - make it someone he would care about.
Another 2 PCs (together in real life) have their characters together in the game as well, and I thought about hostage situations involving one of them as a potential powerful tool.
The main villain, all the while, is similar to the Joker from Batman, in particular "The Dark Knight"'s version of him - someone who create chaos and the like for the sake of chaos. Someone who would rather see the PCs live with their decisions than die and be free of the worries of the living.
One scenario I thought up (involving the sorcerer's player) would be to have his female friend (or girlfriend, or wife, whatever she became) kidnapped by the villain, and held hostage. When the party busts in to rescue her, she's not where they think she is, and the villain offers a choice to the player (and only he can decide, not a party decision, though they can all pitch advice) - save the girl, or save the town they're in - an artifact hidden away will destroy virtually the entire 4,000 person town unless stopped in five minutes. Save the town, and he kills the girl with ancient magics in such a way that she can never be revived. Save the girl, and the party is guaranteed a way out, but the blood of the innocents lost is on their hands forever. Since the player likes to play dark, mostly neutral characters that lean toward chaotic, I honestly couldn't guess what way he was going to go. More importantly, with a mostly good party (including a Paladin), he may go against the will of the group in order to save his desires - which re-affirms his alignment even more "A neutral character takes risks to protect those important to them, but generally won't for strangers."
By creating characters who are important to the players, and then forcing the difficult decision upon them, you create a real sense of danger, excitement, and distraught in the players of your games.
Some people don't make the connection. Some stories aren't worth the connection. Some characters don't last long enough to grow the roots for real emotion. Some fellow PCs don't want emotional connection they want a feeling of power or sucess or just think it is cool.
It used to be certain undead drained levels as lame as that sounds. That is a terrifing possibility. Your level 12 fighter who is awesome fails a saving throw and has to reach back in the folder for his level 7 incarnation. Sure the fluff was loss of recent memories, but it felt like those monsters were basically meta game monsters. But I will tell you people worried when they faced one.
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It all depends on the players, the GM and the "culture" you've created at your table.
My old group's games had a lot of story and emotive push to them, the PCs were Characters and the Players, while not actors, certainly tried to make them as "real" as anything you might find in a roleplaying game.
But, my more recent groups have been flat, lifeless affairs where it's all down to the battlemat and counting 5' squares and that's it. There's no way to evoke emotion no matter what the GM does.
So, again, it's more picking your players than it is altering elements within the game--because if the players don't appreciate it or "bite", it won't matter...
Details.
I make stories my main thing, and I make sure my players get that. Off the bat, I tell them that each character needs a backstory, 500 words no less. I use this to give them traits based off their characters as well as side "filler" modules that divert from the main story of the campaign, but are intended to develop their characters through the means of connections or continuations of their backstories as well as choices that would be difficult just because of the characters' personalities and upbringings. We are mostly roleplayers and writers with the exception of the barbarian and the druid is quite new to storytelling, which kind of helps. And usually when I tell new players about my style of GMing, they get quite excited to write their stories, because they get the thrill of starting a campfire story and passing the flashlight to someone else.
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+1 to ValmarTheMad
It all depends on the group.
Personally, I love RP: heavy back stories incorporated and woven into the main story, memorable and reoccurring enemies, epic plots against Demons and Gods, and truly playing a PC as per the traits, race, class, stats, etc.
However, with one exception, my current IRL group is purely about KILL! FIREBALL! SWORDS! No matter how many plot hooks, interesting NPC's, or choices I throw at them, they just kill everything. I mean everything. No questions asked. The plot is merely a backdrop for them to have martial and magical prowess over the world of things to blow up.
Pick people who WANT to have an epic story, and know how to roll with it. Having a group that puts emotions into their character is the only real way to put emotions into a campaign, for both the players and the GM.
I agree with a lot of what was said here. Story, story, story, plus a deep connectivity to the NPCs and setting.
I, like Squack, require a character backstory. Making them invest time and thought into their character's history, their family, their allies, and their enemies means that I have a laundry-list of things to exploit to evoke certain emotions.
One tactic I used in my current game, was to introduce the ultimate villain they were destined to clash with on day 1. Fresh off the boat, they're nearly arrested by an overbearing, violently tempered, thoroughly corrupt watch-captain. By making sure this first encounter was as detestable and inconvenient to the party as possible, I planted a small seed of hatred that I helped to grow with future encounters with him.
He harried them constantly, always standing behind his lawful rights to abuse his power and make life hard for the would-be heroes. To cement this, about halfway into the campaign, I made him actually lash out at them with a city-wide manhunt on trumped-up charges that forced the party to retreat into the city sewers for nearly a week. Their final retreat into the sewers actually involved a violent conflict as he tracked them down and they got a chance to fight him.
Since then, he's harbored a deep hatred for them (increased by the fact that in the sewer-retreat combat he lost an eye to one of the party members). With that small victory over him and their successful escape, I gave a little giving them a bit of a chance to feel heroic, while taking from them at the same time, since a retreat into the sewers was ultimately the result of their efforts.
The party eventually returned to the city surface after the watch-captain (the 'Sinister Cyclops', as they now know him after taking his eye) was publicly reprimanded by the lord mayor for using city resources to enact a personal vendetta.
In any case, the game's close to over and the players are bristling for his blood. They've managed to oust him from his seat as the captain of the watch and have him on the run in the city. They now just have to track him down and kill him.
So, in short, its a give and take. Make them react by planting the right seeds at the right time. Give them little victories. Every once and in a while (though don't overdo it), take the victories away. Make them love or hate whoever it is you're looking to be the source of the emotional evocations. By making memorable NPCs, giving them personal ties to the party members, and by exploiting those ties you can -- with a bit of practice -- really get a response.
Oh -- another example. Sorry for being so wordy...!
Recalling past events. Its a big deal. When the players feel their actions, for good or bad, have effected the world around them, they can slowly get more and more immersed, making it easier to get an emotional response.
In the same game I mentioned above, the players captured two drug-addled street thugs who had earlier ambushed a lone party member and robbed him blind. They were brothers and while one was obviously evil, the other was cowed, subdued, and largely just a lackey with no real force of will of his own. Just a tool for his cruel brother. When he constantly stated 'its not my fault', the players took note of it, but still sent him to be arrested with his foul brother.
Monthly, the city hosts a 'hanging day' in which convicted criminals whose crimes were bad enough to get them executed are publicly hanged with all the pomp and pageantry the city can afford. Its both a warning and a spectacle to keep the public in-line.
When the two brothers were brought up onto the gallows, the vile, evil one was stoically silent. His brother, however, was weeping, weak, and terrified, constantly calling out 'this be a mistake!' and 'I were jus' doin' as I was told!'. He was hanged.
This little story line ended a few in-game weeks later when the party was taking shelter in the basement of an inn owned by a friend. They awoke in the middle of the night to a chill breeze. The staircase trapdoor leading up to the alleyway outside the inn was open and faint moonlight was cast down into the basement. The candle on the lone table was burned to nearly a nub and a shadowy figure stood silhouetted between the party and the light, making him hard to see.
Before the players could react, I - using the same voice as the weak, sniveling brother mentioned above - shouted 'You KILLED ME!'.
They all jumped in their seats, two of them went white, and before they could say anything, I grinned and told them all to roll a will save verses the REVENANT's Baleful Shriek. It was the brother returned to right his wrongful death.
:D
This was one of my proudest moments. They were all aghast and after the session I got more than a few remarks that, after describing the scene quietly and breaking that dull, quiet description with a sudden scream at them, they were actually quite shaken.
ManyAsOne, you are an awesome GM. Thanks for those stories. I would love to play at your table.
ManyAsOne, I like your style, though something I'd change with the first idea is to make the BBEG someone they love and respect. I'd even change the BBEG to one of the fallen party members if ever a PC died. I think it delivers more emotion if the PCs have to fight someone they grew up with.
Or even the opposite. Create a hardy NPC that seems bent on the disadvantage of the party, reveal some heart to him that could twist the players' views on him, then the PCs gain knowledge of his death. The next chapter would begin a completely unrelated story, but hint a few clues to the backstory of this character and the man he really was.
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ManyAsOne, you are an awesome GM. Thanks for those stories. I would love to play at your table.
But wait. Where are the Flaming Swords of Awsomeness and the Artifacts of Immense Power and, and the Superhero Characters of Supreme Epicness?!?!?!? Ohhhhhhh, you mean you don't need epic magic and mongo characters to have a immersive game...hmmmm... ;)
ManyAsOne does sound like he's got it together as a solid GM, but I have a feeling that he also has some pretty good players. It really is a great feeling when a game clicks together so well. Congrats.
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That's a fine idea, Squack, and depending on the story itself, having an ally turn villain can be heart-wrenching. In this case, however, I wanted the players to have someone they could just hate, hate, hate.
My rules for evoking emotion are pretty direct.
1. If you want emotional response, you have to be emotional. Give your NPCs some additional kick. Don't be afraid to bang your fist on the table and if the NPC is enraged, or wail and bemoan if he's been harmed or slighted.
2. The more human the situation and the characters in it, the better. Emotional reaction comes from relatability. The same applies for writing characters in novels. If the character is inhuman, without motivation other than to 'be evil', or paper thin, they're harder to love or hate.
3. If you want them to respond to a villain, its a good idea to make sure he's villainous. Not just on a grand scale, but in a personal, direct way. Maybe he's a warlord that has butchered a settlement nearby without cause, but what has he done to the PCs specifically? Give them plenty of cause to detest you villain (but be careful that you don't overdo it; no player likes abuse).
4. If you want them to love an NPC, again - give them cause. Let them come across the NPC frequently. Spend more time on interactions with the NPC. Routine and familiarity are quick building blocks to establish an emotional connection.
5. These are all useless of course if you haven't fleshed out your NPC. Every NPC I've ever made I've had a motivation made for them. Sometimes its as simple as a single sentence: 'this man is a merchant seeking profit'. But I always keep it in the back of my mind. For major NPCs, I'll often draft up multiple pages about who they are and what they want. This'll give me the ability to answer unusual questions on the fly. But be sure you keep your motivations flexible. They can change at the drop of hat for some people. The merchant above suddenly goes out of business because the local economic balance is tipped when the PCs spend all their massive amounts of wealth at another shop. New motivation: revenge?
6. Story, story, story, story, story. Make sure the players understand your story and give them the freedom and ability to affect its outcome. The more you show them that your grand tale is - in part - the sum of their own actions and that their deeds can have affect on the world around them, the more engrossed and invested they'll be. Never stifle player creativity, especially when it can advance the story in a way that can give them that boost of tabletop pride. The more invested they are, the more easily you can evoke emotion.
7. Pull the rug out from under them from time to time. Nothing is black and white. Real feelings stem from conflict. If the PCs truly like an NPC, stir it up from time to time with minor disagreements that become a little heated. A perfect, always agreeable NPC runs the risk of being paper-thin. Just make sure you make wounds you can soothe over if you intend on continuing the NPC as the party's friend. Likewise, for villains, its not a bad idea to temper their actions once in a great while by letting them display some manner of kindness to the party. Nothing puts a party on edge more than a smiling villain. It becomes a matter of paranoia as they all wonder 'okay, what the hell is this bad guy planning now? He's never been nice to us'.
8. Feedback. After each session I run, I have a 'pros and cons' breakdown with my players. Here I look for the stuff they really enjoyed and the stuff that they hated and I try to make sure my game can, as much as is reasonable, alter to better suit their individual tastes. If you run a 'pros and cons' you need to be ready to accept criticism. If you run it for self-adulation, your players will know and you'll come off as a jerk. Give them the chance to 'pros' one another as well. A good solid team mentality can help players get emotionally invested in one-another's characters.
These rules aren't universal and are simply tools to help me draw my players in. When in doubt, look to your favorite novels, television shows, movies, etc, etc. The Walking Dead is a good example. If you followed season 2 from the first episode of the season to episode 7, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The build up and the ultimate reveal at the end was emotionally jarring.
Anyhow, I'll stop now because I could continue - at length - and no one wants that. :P
ManyAsOne, you are an awesome GM. Thanks for those stories. I would love to play at your table.But wait. Where are the Flaming Swords of Awsomeness and the Artifacts of Immense Power and, and the Superhero Characters of Supreme Epicness?!?!?!? Ohhhhhhh, you mean you don't need epic magic and mongo characters to have a immersive game...hmmmm... ;)
ManyAsOne does sound like he's got it together as a solid GM, but I have a feeling that he also has some pretty good players. It really is a great feeling when a game clicks together so well. Congrats.
Thanks!
I like human stories. Not necessarily in the literal 'they're all Race: Human' sense, but I like to make sure that the characters I present to the players are mentally and emotionally viable. Thought I don't see any reason that the Flaming Swords of Awesomeness and Artifacts of Immense Power, and Superhero Characters of Supreme Epicness can't have their moment in the sun. I can set a serious tone, but its also a game and sometimes it -is- just plain fun to kick in a door, kill the orcs, save the girl, get the money, buy the new bad-assly sword and move on.
And, yes, my players are - for the most part - absolutely awesome. We do have our occasional quarrels (the same as every table), but they're definitely my favorite people to play with and I get equal - if not more - enjoyment from the game because for all the heart I invest into the game, they give it back in spades.
:D
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+1 to ValmarTheMad
It all depends on the group.
Personally, I love RP: heavy back stories incorporated and woven into the main story, memorable and reoccurring enemies, epic plots against Demons and Gods, and truly playing a PC as per the traits, race, class, stats, etc.
However, with one exception, my current IRL group is purely about KILL! FIREBALL! SWORDS! No matter how many plot hooks, interesting NPC's, or choices I throw at them, they just kill everything. I mean everything. No questions asked. The plot is merely a backdrop for them to have martial and magical prowess over the world of things to blow up.
Pick people who WANT to have an epic story, and know how to roll with it. Having a group that puts emotions into their character is the only real way to put emotions into a campaign, for both the players and the GM.
yeah, sadly that's been most of my games since my "Old Group" dissolved.
I can throw out as much story/plot/hook as I'd like, they've all written histories, but when it comes down to playing--it's all something from the 1960s Batman show--Pow! Zap! Zok!
...and then I abort the campaign and go back to various local game forums looking for "better" players...
agree, dont suppose theres any chance you live in auckland, new zealand is there manyasone :P
Afraid not, my friend! California, born and raised.
One of my players read through this thread and suggested I share an example from one of my campaigns that helped root the players in their characters.
Quick foundation: 6 of us get together once a year at a cabin in the mountains for a long weekend dedicated to gaming. For the first 5 or so trips, I was the GM. I wanted it to be memorable, and they didn't have any idea what they'd be doing until we got there. The first thing that wow'd them, was I told them to make 17th level characters and none of them had ever played anything higher than 12 or 13.
The Hook: After several hours of them discussing roles and ideas, they'd each finally come up with a character and fleshed him out on paper. The game began with me revealing that each of them was a general of one of 5 armies that had come together for the token "Last Stand" against the BBEG and his heretofor unstoppable forces.
I had a soundtrack selected specifically for each scene in the campaign, and each of them can recall how awesome they felt as I described them entering the city with Midnight Syndicate's City of Sails playing, all the citizens gathered and shouting their names and cheering.
They then entered into the Great Hall and as each one was called forward individually, I asked each player to describe his character's appearance.
The real clincher though, was after their introductions. It was a 6 day march to their destination and I stopped the game as they assembled their forces and set forth. I shut off the music, and explained that at the start of each day, each of them would have an opportunity to address the army and to give a speech to boost their morale and prepare them for the terrible battle ahead. If they chose to give a speech, I'd give the army a bonus for each speech, but there'd be no penalty for not doing it.
They then spent about 3 hours breaking off into different parts of the cabin with notepads and pencils, and worked on these speeches. Then, when we came back to the table after dinner, they each gave their speech.
They were fully invested at that point, and I've never run a more rewarding or fulfilling campaign.