As you mentioned, what would you do if it was an animal companion or a familiar? What if it was a cohort? Basically, use the same rationale for the sword as you would any other "attached" NPC.
Best bet is probably to talk to her and say you don't mind roleplaying it but you can't dedicate as much time to it as she wants and keep the game flowing for everyone. Good luck!
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Next session I'm going to tell her that since the blackblade is part of her character that it's her burden to roleplay it. I have enough NPCs to deal with. Is this being unreasonable?
I would say its was her onus to roleplay the blackblade, but I would hold the right to interject some information if it benefited the group/story and fit what the blade would know.
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I mean, the player is implying they'd have more fun if you could give the roleplaying of her sword to yourself. I generally like to give them extreme personalities; it's a sword, it wants blood, this dictates ALL of it's decisions. If asked about social matters, have it scoff, saying "I have little interaction with these meat bags, if you want to deal with them on a more permanent basis, let me know". On battle suggest going the direction of the most carnage; or at intersections just be impatient and say "who cares? Just pick a direction so I can taste blood once more".
They'll still have the burden of all major decisions, you and the player will have more fun, and they'll enjoy the character more. Try it that way :). On the flip side, I do this for players only when they specifically ask me, I usually do expect the burden to be on them, but she's looking to add a little more RP to her character, and you should encourage this.
Next session I'm going to tell her that since the blackblade is part of her character that it's her burden to roleplay it. I have enough NPCs to deal with. Is this being unreasonable?
If it's causing more work for you, as well as problems with the other players, then it absolutely is not unreasonable.
I would even use it as motivation to get her to talk to the other PCs, especially for non combat advice.
Another suggestion would be to ask if one of the other players wants to take over RPing the weapon (make sure this is a player you trust to do it without raking over the magus). If one is willing, you can give them some information in private about what the sword wants, and then give them something at the game (like a toy sword would be perfect) to hold up when they're talking as the sword.
White Wolf does this with some of it's 'natures', especially eastern vampires and their Po souls, someone else in the group RP's it and tries to trick the other PC into giving in to it.
Another suggestion would be to ask if one of the other players wants to take over RPing the weapon (make sure this is a player you trust to do it without raking over the magus). If one is willing, you can give them some information in private about what the sword wants, and then give them something at the game (like a toy sword would be perfect) to hold up when they're talking as the sword.
White Wolf does this with some of it's 'natures', especially eastern vampires and their Po souls, someone else in the group RP's it and tries to trick the other PC into giving in to it.
The Shadowguide in Wraith: the Oblivion works in a similar manner. Each player also runs the "dark side" of another player's character. Done well, it lets everyone share the RP time.
The Shadowguide in Wraith: the Oblivion works in a similar manner. Each player also runs the "dark side" of another player's character. Done well, it lets everyone share the RP time.
White Wolf does this with some of it's 'natures', especially eastern vampires and their Po souls, someone else in the group RP's it and tries to trick the other PC into giving in to it.
Yep, both products are part of White Wolf's World of Darkness system. The old one at least, dunno about the reboot, never bought any of them.
You could just roleplay the sword as not really liking her PC and kind of being nasty and sarcastic all the time, like it is being put upon to serve as her sword.
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RP an intelligent item is a lot of fun as a GM. However I can certainly see the issue here if the player is not concerned at all with the game and only with RP-ing with her Blackblade.
You can be as obnoxious as possible when role playing it. So obnoxious that she would rather not RP with it. Might just do the trick. If you like this person and don't want things to end badly, you may not want to take this advice no matter how hilarious it sounds.
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HappyDaze you probably shouldn't need to RP any thing for her sword, and personally I wouldn't either, communication between her and her sword is telepathic, unless her character actually chooses to speak out aloud to her sword, no other character can actually hear what is going on, at best they get one side of the conversation. Now i'm all for RPing, but when i say that i assume it's RPing that other players at the table can join in on, this is not the case though, this is just her talking to her sword.
She probably wants to bring some RP value to the fact she has a sentient sword. My suggestion would be to have her 'translate' for her sword, but make it seem like an imaginary friend sort of thing. I had a bladebound magus for a few sessions in PFS, everyone considered him fairly crazy, constantly talking to and getting into arguments with his sword. I remember one time I had to roll knowledge (arcana) so my magus promptly pulled out his black blade and asked the sword what it thought of the runes etched on the wall (didn't actually roll for the sword because it didn't have any ranks but, hey who cares?). The only 'downside', if you'd call it one, is that a lot of characters will consider you insane shortly after meeting you.
In general, I roleplay out Intelligent weapons (as the GM) that fall into my players' hands. I'm currently running a campaign with a Blackblade Magus, however, and unless I'm mistaken the sword itself takes on a lot of the character's aspects in terms of alignment and personality --
confirmation:
A black blade is independently conscious but features some personality traits reflecting its wielder. A black blade always has the same alignment as its wielder and even changes its alignment if its wielder does. The blade typically works toward its wielder’s goals, but not always without argument or backlash. Each black blade has a mission, and while sometimes two or more black blades will work in concert, each mission is singular in purpose (the black blade’s mission is usually up to the GM and the needs of the campaign or the adventure, or a GM can determine the weapon’s purpose randomly using Table: Intelligent Item Purpose). Some black blades are very open about their missions, but most are secretive. Certain sages have speculated that an invisible hand or arcane purpose moves these weapons.
-- which means it might be a little redundant for someone to constantly have involved conversations. I more or less agree with the OP's stance, though. Roleplaying the sword every now and then would be the easiest route, but if the player is constantly trying to steal the spotlight to talk to a sword that is almost a copy of the owner, you should feel more than justified in glossing over those details (to be fair to the rest of the players at the table). I rarely give voice to the Magus's blade in our sessions (and he seldom seeks its advice), although another player had found an entirely different intelligent weapon whose purpose and personality were not at all in line with the owner. The non-Blackblade intelligent sword had a lot to say.
I guess it would boil down to relevance for me. There's certainly no harm in speaking for the character's sword, but as has already been mentioned, if it's dragging the pace of the game or too distracting/annoying for the rest of the people at the table, go with your gut. It's your table, after all.
I had an Orc axe named Boe my character thought he could talk with it but he was just insane
In the end I only talked To it if combat or Rp got boring or carried on to long mostly when we had a rouge check every square/door/wall for traps.
I was half Orc Barb so u can imagen how deep the conversations where
I never expected the GM to take on the responsibilitys of my character Bio
Another suggestion would be to ask if one of the other players wants to take over RPing the weapon (make sure this is a player you trust to do it without raking over the magus). If one is willing, you can give them some information in private about what the sword wants, and then give them something at the game (like a toy sword would be perfect) to hold up when they're talking as the sword.
White Wolf does this with some of it's 'natures', especially eastern vampires and their Po souls, someone else in the group RP's it and tries to trick the other PC into giving in to it.
We do this with henchmen and followers (you cant RP your own follower somebody else at the table does)... The people I play with are mature enough to make them interesting and more than just meat shields or portable heal bots.... The only problem we have encountered is the follower becomes more interesting than the players character and they ditch the PC for the henchman.
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I hated Lilarcor, it was so annoying.
don't let her do it herself, that's no fun at all. The most sensible thing I've heard is to let another player roleplay that bit, perhaps introduce him as "secondary GM" so it's official. Or you may let her choose the player (don't know if that is a good idea).
This is a highly situational thing -- some GMs are happy to RP NPC "companions" and prefer to do so; others really want their players to do it. Likewise some players want the responsibility out of their hands, some players don't. There's no "right" answer as to what to do as a general rule. BUT---
As regards the original question -- is in inappropriate to ask her to play her own sword? No, it is not inappropriate to ask her. Not at all.
Whether it will make her happy or not, I don't know, but it obviously sounds like a GM to player conversation must be had, and it may as well be started off with that.
If she's not happy with that, ask her what kind of compromise could be reached so that she does not monopolize your time, and other players get a chance to interact with her and each other.
I had a player who LOVES NPCs... she has a bizarre obsession with them. But she started talking to my game's NPCs more than the other players, which was starting to get frustrating (it was a hard group to run in general and this was one of many straws building up on the camel's back). I said very simply to her, "Look, I'm flattered you like to play with my NPCs, but this is a cooperative game and I'm worried you're ignoring your teammates. There's lots of cool backstory and conversations to be found with them too! And if you talk to them more, it gives me more time to give you cool story to throw at you."
She responded positively and began to talk to the PCs more--to great effect. I think when she learned she could get as much attention from her fellow players as she could from me---and also see me being less stressed making me a more fun GM to be around--she realized she didn't have to interrogate every random messenger the party stumbled across.
Very profound awesome wonderfully put post above
Very well put I haven't read something so well put together in a very long time anyone can see that you are a very intellgent and deep person who not only knows how to handle others but handle them in away where everyone is happy.
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Here's my problem: Im a GM and one of my players took a Blackblade Magus and she wants me to roleplay the personality of her blackblade. She's always asking if the sword has any opinions on various things and otherwise trying to engage in conversations with it. Great character hook, right? Well, not really since she never wants to interact with other NPCs and somtimes not even with the other PCs. At times, it almost seems like a way to steal spotlight time since she expects me (as GM) to participate one-on-one in these interactions. I heard from the other player that came with her that she often plays wizards or sorcerers with familiars and does the same thing.
Next session I'm going to tell her that since the blackblade is part of her character that it's her burden to roleplay it. I have enough NPCs to deal with. Is this being unreasonable?
Ranger "Wheres the magus?"
Cleric "In the corner...talking with her sword"Ranger "uh...."