Is PFS roll-play, or role-play?

[Mezegis]

Hello,

I recently played my first game of PFS, and I have a question/concern about the game style. I like to have a character with personality, and to RP with the NPC's and my fellow characters. Is PFS the right place for this?

The game I played in, the first 15 minutes was everyone trying to complete their faction side quests, and it consisted of:

GM: Where do you have to go?
PC: XXXXX location
GM: OK, you get there, and ask for your contact, roll a Blah Blah check.
PC: *rolls* and tells GM
GM: Advise on pass/fail of check and results.

No chatting up the NPC, no discussion of options, no RP to try and find alternate solutions.

The rest of the game was a dungeon crawl, with no conversations IC and just the DM explaining that in room A3 you find 3 goblins, roll init... Very little fluff, no real mood, and 3/4 of the time, the goblins just did random silliness and ignored the PC's while we killed them. I understand there is only so many ways you can flavor up a great axe one shotting a gobbo, but it was just hit/miss, X damage, live/dead. The game ended after the final fight with a: "You get the treasure, return to base, give your reports, and head to bed. Game over"

Over-all, a fairly unsatisfying game. Is PFS usually like this?

Now, if my GM and/or other players read this; this is not a knock on you or your play style. I had fun shooting the breeze and chatting with you out of character, and it could have just been the scenario, hence my question.

[Cheapy]

Oh boy.

[Benrislove]

It depends on your group and your GM. I have had sessions of both. At gencon my buddy and I role-played the whole thing, and the 4 other guys at the table seemed disinterested until combats began.

in an organized play campaign you'll see some of both, that's just how it goes. If you're an active Roleplayer others will often follow suit, but sometimes that's just not the way those folks play.

[hogarth]

Mezegis wrote:

Over-all, a fairly unsatisfying game. Is PFS usually like this?

It depends on the players and (to a certain extent) on the scenario.

[Abyssian]

The easy answer would be that your success conditions are largely roll-play based, but there is plenty of room for role-playing for those who want it.

Like Benrislove and hogarth mentioned, it has a lot to do with your group. You have a lot to do with your group, too, so if you want more or less role-play in your games, just adjust yourself. Most GMs will follow the cue.

[BigNorseWolf]

varies a lot by (in order) DM, group, scenario, time limit.

Dm: controls the most aspects of the game, largely sets the tone

Group: its a lot easier to role play with people that are bringing it out in you

Scenario: A party, wedding, or investigation is going to bring out a lot more role play than a dungeon crawl.

[Mezegis]

That's why I asked, want the get a general feel for how the game is played on this level.

Cheapy, what does the "oh boy" mean?

[Nebten]

Oh boy

[Oncoming_Storm]

Expect a lot of table variation. I hope you stick around and enjoy PFS, it's full of great people, even if all of them aren't the best roleplayers.

[KestlerGunner]

No, it's not normally like that.

Maybe email your local VC and ask which local GMs and players run the best roleplaying games? You actually need to do a bit of searching to find the players that care about roleplaying sometimes.

It sounds like you were playing a dungeon delve scenario. There are a fair few scenarios that are all dungeon delve with very little roleplaying. IMHO, these are really dull when there is no actual combat challenge presented and can often lead to an unsatisfying game. However, there are more and more great roleplay scenarios being released, so don't think everything PFS is combat.

[Kyōrinrin]

Short answer? "roll" play

Long answer

Its complicated. PFS is, at its heart. A series of one shot adventures loosely bound together by an often inconsistent series of rulings, both in the "overworld" and at the individual tables.

This is complicated by the PFS venues, which are often boisterous conventions with limited time slots resulting in packed to overpacked tables running on a deadline to complete the module before the time is up.

That being said most dm's will reward creative flair, within limits. The above statements mean that creativity that involves a complete rewrite of the scenario will be treated as more disruptive (again, with variance)

This is not a knock on the DM's (in general)

in most cases the time it would take to handle a major deviance from the written plot line of the scenario would result in the failure to complete in the time allotted for the session. And because the DM's must adhere to the limits of the society play, that means they must keep everything on the rough and wobbly keel provided. Which means that ultimately the dice are king. Now, good rp that speeds things along, greasing the wheel as it where, or giving everyone a laugh to keep the moods bright are appreciated and help out. However sullen roleplay from the person who's "trojan rowboat" got rejected is not appreciated.

Think of it like this, in a home game reaching the end of the adventure is like walking across a parking lot, there's a lot of room, and no matter how twisted the course you'll eventually get there. In Society play though, its more like a bridge across a river, there's room to wiggle around, and you can even look or lean over the side, but go too far and you'll get swept away.

~ just an observation

(in case you're wondering what i mean by inconsistent, review the "additional resources" it should start popping out the deeper you look)

[pathar]

Mezegis wrote:

Is PFS roll-play, or role-play?

Expect table variation.

[Matthew Pittard]

Also keep in mind time. Ive noticed that sadly cons seem to have to force these 4 hour slots (when in actual fact a scenario is designed for a 5 hour session). I dont think this lends any grace at all to roleplaying.

As a GM, Im not a fan of the Bard (or any similar type) with +17 diplomacy who just rolls and wins. I like the player to give me something. Anything. I understand that the player might not be anywhere the diplomat of their character. Still , you at least have to try to get your point across. Many people when they speak make their diplomacy seem like intimidation of the npc. Some people also say ' I want to assist' but thats all they say.. not actually saying anything IC to smooth things along.

Its actually consistent in most living campaigns actually so do ont think PFS is being singled out here.

[Netopalis]

The game that I ran today gave one of my players the moniker "Chastity Crow". Roleplaying is there to be had, you just have to find the right GM and play it up. You may want to look for one of the following Tier 1-5 scenarios:

Severing Ties
The Gods' Market Gamble
The Quest for Perfection
The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment
The Frostfur Captives
Murder on the Throaty Mermaid

Any of these will give you a good roleplaying experience, so long as you have a reasonably-invested GM. When you hit level 3, look for a table of The Blakros Matrimony.

[NWOrpheus]

Did 'Way of the Kirin' the other day, and that had a lot of RP involved, as well. It was a really fun chronicle.

The place I did it actually had 2 tables running it, and the two GM's actually both took the part of different NPC's, giving it a really fun and interesting dynamic.

A lot of online games are going to be, for the sake of brevity, roll-play. But, I imagine PbP/PbF games to be more Role-play. In person sessions it's just going to depend on your group.

[Matthew Pittard]

Be careful here we may be going into spoiler territory in regards to discussion of Way of the Kirin

Spoiler:

I wouldnt call Way of the Kirin a heavy rp scenario. It has 1-2 core npcs to talk to and the battles which are there are appropriate. It can get frustrating to find some monsters shoehorned in because they would be 'interesting and cool'

[TriOmegaZero]

I have been part of roll-play PFS tables and role-play PFS tables, often at the same event.

[trollbill]

For the most part it is up to your DM and the rest of the players as to how much of either you are going to get. At a convention setting with timed slots, however, there is going to be a heavier emphasis on Roll-play as all PFS adventure have a minimum required amount of combat in order to complete the adventure. Thus role-play, which is less required, may get reduced in order to end at the required time.

[Fromper]

Netopalis wrote:

The game that I ran today gave one of my players the moniker "Chastity Crow". Roleplaying is there to be had, you just have to find the right GM and play it up. You may want to look for one of the following Tier 1-5 scenarios:

Severing Ties
The Gods' Market Gamble
The Quest for Perfection
The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment
The Frostfur Captives
Murder on the Throaty Mermaid

Any of these will give you a good roleplaying experience, so long as you have a reasonably-invested GM. When you hit level 3, look for a table of The Blakros Matrimony.

I would definitely add The Disappeared to that list.

There are also a couple of adventures where it can go either way, depending on the party. I know at least one adventure where you can have anywhere from 2-6 combats, depending on your group approaches the adventure. Either you fight everything, or you talk your way past half of them.

[Sammy T]

GMd Cultist's Kiss last week. Went 3ish hours before the first combat. (They managed to avoid/bypass an potential earlier combat.)

[Jason S]

Mezegis wrote:

I like to have a character with personality, and to RP with the NPC's and my fellow characters. Is PFS the right place for this?

Then play that character. Nothing is stopping you.

Mezegis wrote:

Over-all, a fairly unsatisfying game. Is PFS usually like this?

It depends on the GM and other players. And it depends on what you bring to the table as well. A good table can make something out of nothing.

In general the PFS community is roleplay lite, but it's what you make it. I've had some good and awesome tables playing PFS, I can't complain.

I can see a good/bad local scene influencing whether you play or not, but just understand that you might like PFS better/worse in other locations or conventions.

[Netopalis]

Sammy T wrote:

GMd Cultist's Kiss last week. Went 3ish hours before the first combat. (They managed to avoid/bypass an potential earlier combat.)

Lucky. I ran this last night, and the party inadvertantly made a beeline for combat. It still was an hour before the first combat, and 5 for the scenario.

[Franko a]

Its a series of tactical combats with a limited weapons loadout.
Sort of like battletech, with unknown repair abilities.

[Katie Sommer]

It really is a question of your GM and the rest of your table. When I started PFS I was much more comfortable at the roll-play portion of the game and uncomfortable with the role-play portion of the game. But being at a table with other players that encouraged role play helped a lot. Playing regularly with a group of role-play minded players has helped even more. I am still more comfortable in the roll-play portion of the game, but with the right people to play off of, I am becoming more comfortable and better at the role-play portion of the game. It's simply a matter of finding the right GM and the right players to play with. Granted some of our session go long because of the role play, but we never seem to mind :)

[Lamontius]

At a recent convention, I played in five PFS games all with different GMs and for the most part, with different players apart from my wife Lamontia:

#1: Great Roleplay, well-executed Roll Play
#2: Good Roleplay, a bit shaky on the Roll Play execution
#3: Bone Keep *twitch shudder* (Little roleplay, too busy trying not to die, but incredibly awesome and inspiring experience)
#4: Virtually all Roll Play, with one player really hindering the scenario through poor inflexible roleplay
#5: Great Roleplay and Great Roll Play encounters

Different tables, different players, expect variation, as TOZ and Pathar mentioned.

[Adam J Wells]

I say both.

I personally don't allow a roll to get you through a roleplaying encounter. I abhor the idea most of the time.

I say most of the time because you kind of have to be aware of how important something is. I'm not going to roleplay the guy at the harbor you're trying to get the name of a boat from. Sorry. Not helpful to the story and a waste of time, that kind of thing is why we have dice in the first place so we can get to the interesting stuff. You know, like the tense negotiations with the bad guys holding your rescue target hostage. That's good roleplay, and a good use of game time. So is combat, so long as it's kept quick. I like a five minute limit on turns.

But now that I'm off topic... A gm at society has to strike a balance between satisfying the roll player and the role player. I pick my battles on this, so that everybody gets a chance to be the star.

[Cold Napalm]

You can have both...and expect table variation is true to some degree. That said, remember that faction mission requirements are set in the scenario. So it's not the GM saying roll for skill X, it's the scenario. Also remember that your on a time table. You have 4...maybe 5 hours to get everything done. People will not appreciate if you all fail to complete because you wanted to spend 1 hour describing your characters backstory, 30 min to describe what you had for breakfast...and that is BEFORE the session even starts. These mission can not be replayed (mostly) so if you cause a failure to complete with overtly long and complicated RP session, your fellow players will get a bit cross with you. IF run properly, the combat section of PFS can be covered in about 1-2 hours. That leaves you with 2-4 hours of RP you can do. If your RP section for ONE of the 4 encounter is taking more then 30 min, your taking too long. And this assumes that the GM is good enough to run the combat session smoothly. There are many GM who need the full 4 hours for combat because they have to constantly look up rules. So assuming a good GM and a good group who can balance the RP, your looking at pretty much a half and half split with more for RP side.

[Rogue Eidolon]

I think the OP played Rise of the Goblin Guild. As for the faction missions at the beginning, it does have them so more than others, and Matt hid some really cool easter eggs in there if the GM is dedicated and owns Magnimar: City of Monuments which can unfortunately turn them into a dull slog if the GM is not dedicated and doesn't own the book.

Example--

Rise of the Goblin Guild and also Magnimar City of Monuments:

Qadira wants you to ask some guy about some drugcalled Midnight Milk. To succeed, you need to succeed on a Sense Motive to figure out his reaction. The scenario doesn't really go into detail about what the reaction is, and on first reading, the GM will probably assume that the alchemist is bluffing that he doesn't know what you're talking about because he thinks you'r going to narc on him, and that's the reaction it means. If you've read M:CoM, you'll know that this particular alchemist has been a holdout who refuses to sell that drug until the supplier gives him the formula so he can check it for safety, and his snooping around has caused him to be marked for death by the intellect devourers who use the drug to murder and replace people. So his reaction is really awesome, but you can't really know it without the other book.

[Ferious Thune]

Matthew Pittard wrote:

Also keep in mind time. Ive noticed that sadly cons seem to have to force these 4 hour slots (when in actual fact a scenario is designed for a 5 hour session). I dont think this lends any grace at all to roleplaying.

As a GM, Im not a fan of the Bard (or any similar type) with +17 diplomacy who just rolls and wins. I like the player to give me something. Anything. I understand that the player might not be anywhere the diplomat of their character. Still , you at least have to try to get your point across. Many people when they speak make their diplomacy seem like intimidation of the npc. Some people also say ' I want to assist' but thats all they say.. not actually saying anything IC to smooth things along.

Its actually consistent in most living campaigns actually so do ont think PFS is being singled out here.

I mentioned this in another thread, but to repeat here, there are some players who feel they shouldn't have to have the social or intellectual skills of their characters, so they'd rather roll dice than roleplay their diplomacy. There's not anything fundamentally wrong with that, and players should not be discouraged from playing a character with a different skill set than their own. However, I've been thinking about more ways to encourage them to at least give it a shot.

For one thing, I don't think GMs, or Pathfinder scenarios in general, make enough use of the Circumstance bonus. A certain roleplay heavy season 4 wedding does mention it in the GM notes. Basically, I've started making it clear to players that you can gain a circumstance bonus with good role-play, but you won't get a penalty if you say the wrong thing while making your Diplomacy roll (unless, you know, you charge toward someone waving your greatsword and shouting in Hallit "Why won't you talk to me?!" I might give a penalty for that. Anyway, the potential bonus to the roll gives a mechanical reason for players to try roleplaying the conversations.

A lot of it does fall back on the GM, the scenario, and the other players, though. All the reasons people have mentioned are valid. I have been happy with the level of roleplaying in Season 4, as even some dungeon crawl type scenarios have managed to work some good roleplaying scenes in.

The limitations of the faction mission "go here roll a skill check" stuff is part of the reason the way faction missions work is going to be changing in Season 5.

[BigNorseWolf]

Rise of the goblin guild looses 90% of the role play in it if

Spoiler:

you don't catch the goblin to talk to, or just kill her. My tengu inquisitor had a blast with this one.

Barbarian: We should kill her! She tried to steal from us just because someone else told her to!"

Tengu: So what was your faction mission last week?

Barbarian: ..... dammit. *lets her go*

Tengu starts giving her a tour of the place.

Goblin: Ooo! nice bed!

Tengu: Thanks, its stuffed with my own feathers

DM: Bluff check

Me: "What for ?" -holds strait face-

[trollbill]

Ferious Thune wrote:

The limitations of the faction mission "go here roll a skill check" stuff is part of the reason the way faction missions work is going to be changing in Season 5.

While the Faction Missions do specify a way the PCs can succeed in their mission, in many cases I see nothing that makes these specific ways as being exclusive. Usually there are plenty of creative ways to accomplish a faction mission other than just rolling a single skill check.

[ElyasRavenwood]

I got to play and then replay the Blackross Matrimony once at a convention, and i got to replay it at a game store. I used the same character. My character was a Taldan sorcerer with ranks in diplomacy and sense motive, and other social skills.

At the convention, unfortunately we were late in our mustering, and the GM was handed the Scenario cold. The GM's performance in role playing terms left allot to be desired. We rolled allot of diplomacy checks. Admittedly I would have probably been just as challenged to role play given the same circumstances.

I got to re play it latter at a game store, with out the time slot constraints. The GM she did a wonderful job hamming it up with all of the NPCs. I had allot of fun the second time around. I got to do more "role playing".

So your experience can vary widely as others have pointed out.

[Katie Sommer]

Ferious Thune wrote:

I mentioned this in another thread, but to repeat here, there are some players who feel they shouldn't have to have the social or intellectual skills of their characters, so they'd rather roll dice than roleplay their diplomacy. There's not anything fundamentally wrong with that, and players should not be discouraged from playing a character with a different skill set than their own. However, I've been thinking about more ways to encourage them to at least give it a shot.

I agree with you, and I don't even make them roleplay it if they don't want to, I just ask them to give me an idea of WHAT they want to say. Same if people want to assist - if they wish to assist, they have to say something...

[Matthew Pittard]

I am not expecting a speech or a UN discussion, I just need something. Last thing i want to do is discourage people from playing types of characters they dont normally play.

[Ferious Thune]

trollbill wrote:

Ferious Thune wrote:

The limitations of the faction mission "go here roll a skill check" stuff is part of the reason the way faction missions work is going to be changing in Season 5.

While the Faction Missions do specify a way the PCs can succeed in their mission, in many cases I see nothing that makes these specific ways as being exclusive. Usually there are plenty of creative ways to accomplish a faction mission other than just rolling a single skill check.

True, and that's a good thing. Season 4 added the nebulous further your factions overall goal thing, too. But sadly, when it comes down to implementation, a lot of early season faction missions, and a fair number of season 3 and 4 missions, amount to a die roll. John Compton called that out on the podcast as part of the issue and why faction missions are being eliminated in Season 5 (in addition to things like faction leaders knowing about an item in a tomb that hasn't been explored in 10,000 years, or of a specific person you will encounter, etc., and lessening the burden on the scenario authors, so that they can concentrate on the main story).

[nosig]

ok... sounds like time to trot out one of my wife stories again...

My wife is a bit shy. She enjoys playing, and for the right group she can really come out of her shell. When she does, everyone at the table enjoys her PC and her gaming.

Sometimes she plays a Diplomat. Yeah, a shy Diplomat.

My wife is a good player. Both role player and roll player (and yes, I know you can be both). But it doesn't come naturally for her. She is a shy person... some times, with strangers this hits her pretty hard. With the right group though, in a welcoming group, she comes out of her shell and can really add to the fun of the table.

She has practiced the speach "My character is much more diplomatic than I am. I would like her to convense (insert NPC here) to (insert what we need to know here)." She has this speech printed on the back of the table tent for her "Diplomat", where she can read it when she needs to, when she finds herself overcome with shyness.

I've seen judges "hold her to the task" and say "What EXACTLY does your PC say?" and watch helplessly while a fun game turned into a painful experience for her. Anyone else trying to help her (me, or any other player) was hushed by the judge ("you're character isn't there!") while he stares at her struggle to say anything. Holding her to every word that she utters, ever stutter. With her realizing that every miss step is being reflected in a penility to a roll that she has said she can handle for us, a role she is trying to play. Needless to say, we never played for that judge again.

This is a lady who can get up in church and sing solo in front of 200 people. The same lady that can brake an entire table up in laughter with a sly comment ("That's going to leave a mark" when the monster charges into the invisible door.) But, sometimes she is shy, and needs to just roll the dice. Sometimes we role play, sometimes we roll play. It's all part of the game.

...
Now for my part to add to the story.

If you are going to do Role Playing right, you need to roll the dice, figure out what your score is, and then match your performance to that roll. Roll poorly? Spit on the carpet and look guilty. Roll high? Polish up the complements and flirt with the target.

I have been RP for a long time. I can "smooze the judge" with the best of them. I've had a judge require me to "tell me what you say" and after a rousing performance that got the tables around us interested in our game... I said "I take 10 on the roll for a.." - Judge "you can't Take 10 on a Diplomacy roll, you might fail!" ...so I roll...
A "4". No problem, my friendly luck cleric gave me a re-roll, which I rolled... a "3". so I took my shirt re-roll and turned it into a "1". Boy did I give the wrong performance!

(I made the DC by the way - I looked it up later, and the judge was just yanking my chain. He knew I couldn't miss it.)

Edit: I forgot to add about Aid Another on a Diplomacy roll. "My PC stands behind the bard, like a body guard (or servant), thus adding credability to what he says. He is plainly a person of substance - a 'somebody' to have a large, well armed guard/servant such as myself."
(yeah, I did say I can smooze with the best of them).

[Lamontia]

Katie Sommer wrote:

It really is a question of your GM and the rest of your table. When I started PFS I was much more comfortable at the roll-play portion of the game and uncomfortable with the role-play portion of the game. But being at a table with other players that encouraged role play helped a lot. Playing regularly with a group of role-play minded players has helped even more. I am still more comfortable in the roll-play portion of the game, but with the right people to play off of, I am becoming more comfortable and better at the role-play portion of the game. It's simply a matter of finding the right GM and the right players to play with. Granted some of our session go long because of the role play, but we never seem to mind :)

Hey Katie,

I had a similar experience. I am much more comfortable tactically, both as a player and recently a GM, than I am role playing, I've definitely started to role play more recently...but it depends a lot on the make up of the group.
Lamontius, on the other hand is pretty much comfortable role playing anywhere! ;)
Take that gender stereotypes!

By the way, we are headed down to play We be Goblins, too, with you and Joanna this Saturday! Looking forward to it! :)

[Katie Sommer]

It should be a blast! Looking forward to having you both at our Game Day!

[saltyone]

Lamontiuses,

Better roll high on your survival, you'll have a bit of an adventure on the drive down.. Southbound traffic in the summer time due to the Del Mar fair / beach goers can be monstrous, CR 9+ at least.

Enjoy the game day! I'm sorry I'll miss it.

[Lamontius]

it'll be fine

Lamontia has a monstrous daily commute to West L.A. that she handles very well, so I will just let her drive while I sip on a mint julep and try not to get the vapors

[NOG the Demoralizer]

We are fortunate in our area to have some great GMs that welcome role play.

I do wish some times that the adventures had triggers written in to them that would allow the GM to more clearly allow skipped combats if players want to talk their way out of them. I believe that in a home game where a GM has more flexibility this is easier to do, were at sanctioned events folks are expected to adhere more strictly to the adventure.

This should take the form of text in the adventure that states that if the players begin asking specifically about X, or decide to intervene at point Y, then combat/encounter Z happens this way instead... remove the tiers of information that are based strictly on how high of a knowledge local check someone can hit, and require more thought on the part of the PC's.

I suppose this diverges a bit from the OP's question though.

My advice is the same as those above, play a few more games, find a GM or a couple of players that are more role play oriented, and adhere to them like glue.

[Lamontia]

saltyone wrote:

Lamontiuses,

Better roll high on your survival, you'll have a bit of an adventure on the drive down.. Southbound traffic in the summer time due to the Del Mar fair / beach goers can be monstrous, CR 9+ at least.

Enjoy the game day! I'm sorry I'll miss it.

Errr. No, I actually am going to make Lamontius drive! ;) I drive too damned much! But thanks for the warning on the traffic! Ugh.

I totally channeled my inner Krieger while RPing a gnome in the last session I GMed, BTW! I'm sure I didn't do him justice, but wanted to let you know you'd inspired me!

You guys will have to swing on up to the LBC sometime soon! Always great to play with you! :)

[wakedown]

Our plan to take over the Paizo forums advances yet another step.

Excellent.

[Silbeg]

Although it has been said, I have to agree with most of what I've read here. For the most part, it is the players and the GMs that bring the role-playing out... it can be hard to make it happen with just what is in the scenarios.

A couple of examples I have had, that have made it a lot of fun....

In a certain mountain adventure, after defeating the BBEG, my Andoran rogue had to make a speech... which honestly caught me off guard when my GM (and our V-C) had me actually make a speech. I am sure he'd let me off the hook if I really struggled, but I took a moment, and was spouting about Freedom and helping yourselves reach your destiny (getting a LOT of eye rolls from the table... roll-playing at its best!) I made the roll, but it ended up being fun, especially gauging the reaction of the other players around the table. Was glad it wasn't the "typical" Andoran mission of "go whack that bad guy... he's evil!".

I loved both Murder on the Throaty Mermaid and The Temple of Empyrial Enlightenment for their RP. The first had a great murder mystery, where we HAD to interact with all of the NPCs. The latter, was a mystery as well, and we had fun "learning" all of what was to be learned.

My second scenario ever was Rise of the Goblin Guild... and we had a LOT of fun with that one... interacting with the various NPCs (the short evil one in particular).

I also had a lot of fun running (and playing) The Frostfur Captives. It was a challenge to keep ahead of the players and the hijinks that happened... they had a blast as well!

If you enjoy role-playing, I say bring it! It always makes it more fun when players get into the story. Even with the "pure combat" type missions, you can bring stuff along. In Mists of Mwangi, I learned that Magnus (my Paladin) approaches things in a very straight-forward manner... "Our mission is to go to Point A... I am going to Point A in the shortest possible path". Until I played him, I wasn't sure that was going to be the case.

There have been scenarios that we could have had an easier time had we been less concerned about playing in character... but that is what made it all so much fun! Things like... "No, we are not going to bash open that chest. We are hear to protect <redacted>, not destroy his property!" That, from my LN Tiefling Wizard ;)

[Ira kroll]

Mezegis wrote:

<snip>

No chatting up the NPC, no discussion of options, no RP to try and find alternate solutions.

The rest of the game was a dungeon crawl, with no conversations IC and just the DM explaining that in room A3 you find 3 goblins, roll init... Very little fluff, no real mood, and 3/4 of the time, the goblins just did random silliness and ignored the PC's while we killed them. <snip>

It really depends upon the group. Most times, when I GM, I try to get a feel for the players. I, personally, prefer a hack-n-slash mode that gets to the dungeon without all the fluff.

But, if the majority of folk at the table want more role-playing, then I will accommodate that.

When I play, depending upon my mood, I'll fully participate in the role-playing, but, sometimes (particularly after a difficult day at work), I'd much rather just find the targets and eliminate them. On those days, you might see me at the table just being quiet.

Talk to your GM before the game, and let them know that you'd prefer more in character interaction. You'll eventually find the GMs that you prefer.

[Fromper]

Just to point out the obvious: The very nature of organized play does tend to favor more "railroad-y" adventures, where you have to stick to the main plot. And the limited time duration sometimes limits role playing. So in general, organized play has less potential to be focused on role playing over roll playing than a home campaign.

But as has been pointed out repeatedly in this thread, it really varies based on the GM, players, and the specific adventure.

[Furious Kender]

Fromper wrote:

Just to point out the obvious: The very nature of organized play does tend to favor more "railroad-y" adventures, where you have to stick to the main plot. And the limited time duration sometimes limits role playing. So in general, organized play has less potential to be focused on role playing over roll playing than a home campaign.

But as has been pointed out repeatedly in this thread, it really varies based on the GM, players, and the specific adventure.

Yeah, I just wanted to highlight the word "potential" in Fromper's "organized play has less potential to be focused on role playing over roll playing than a home campaign"

I started playing organized play because I had home groups that refused to roleplay at all. I literally once got kicked out of a home game because I refused to quit talking in character when my character talked. They literally just wanted me to say, "my diplomacy is a 26." Talking in character was apparently annoying.

[Fromper]

Yup. I originally worded that differently, then realized I should qualify it to take into account situations like what you describe.

But an RP focused home game will always beat out any organized play for role playing, just because there's more time to focus on the social stuff than you have in the time controlled environment of organized play. That's one of the down sides of organized play.

But PFS does have some adventures that focus on social stuff, and many players and GMs who like to bring some fun RP interaction to the table even if the adventure doesn't specifically lend itself to it. I don't have much experience in other organized play campaigns, but what little experience I do have with 4e organized play, the adventures were even more railroaded and "hack and slash" than in PFS. But again, some of the players brought real personality to their characters, which makes a big difference regardless of the game being played.

[Lamontius]

wakedown wrote:

Our plan to take over the Paizo forums advances yet another step.

Excellent.

what the-

why are you telling them

WE HAVE BEEN MADE

ABORT

ABORT

[spectrevk]

The time constraints for PFS make it rather difficult to really get into the roleplay sections of an adventure, IMO. I made the mistake, as a GM, of really delivering on RP and while the players loved it, we came really close to not completing the scenario because we were running out of time.