New DM looking for ways to encourage roleplaying


GM Discussion

Scarab Sages 1/5

So I'm pretty new to DMing and running some new players in Pathfinder Society. I'm having an issue with incentivizing roleplaying in a session. Normally I would reward players with extra gold or XP, and there was the hook of the Faction specific missions to encourage exploration and role playing, but now I'm having trouble getting people into the world.

Example: without using specific details, at the end of a module there was the big bad lair where the last encounter took place. There were various rooms outlined in the module notes but a lot of the flavor was dependent on faction missions. My players had no reason to interact with the surroundings beyond enter, find bad guys, slay, get quest item, leave. We have two experienced players metagaming while the newer characters do what is recommended of them and everyone goes from one fight to the next stomping enemies as they pop up.

Can I still use faction missions and just not attach prestige to them? I'm assuming I can't award bonus gold.

I'm trying out new GM tactics to bring roleplaying into the game, but beyond me changing the way I tell the story is there anything that I can do to encourage players being their characters and not looking at a mini on a map?

Also, can I introduce NPC's and miniencounters between acts? Between traveling from point A to point B? I feel like in character conversations would help break the ice and get people more into the game.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks for the help

Shadow Lodge 4/5 5/5 RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8

First of all, kudos for trying to cultivate a roleplaying environment in PFS! You're well on the way to becoming my favorite kind of GM.

Quote:
Can I still use faction missions and just not attach prestige to them? I'm assuming I can't award bonus gold.

You sure can! Feel free to present the information given in those faction missions however you'd like. They can be off-the-cuff remarks from a superior, a scorched missive found in the rubbish bin, or even part of a conversation going on between a pair of NPCs.

Quote:
I'm trying out new GM tactics to bring roleplaying into the game, but beyond me changing the way I tell the story is there anything that I can do to encourage players being their characters and not looking at a mini on a map?

The best way I've found to get my players to start roleplaying is to start doing it yourself. Verbally and visually emulate whatever NPC is speaking, and react to your players as if they are speaking in character, even if they aren't. "What is this 'pizza,' you speak of, dear knight?"

Also, since it sounds like you have some experienced players, one trick I've used in the past is to have those players lead the charge towards roleplaying. Start the game off by having those players do in character introductions, and then inform them that they've been tasked with gathering the other players for a meeting with the Venture Captain. This way, the players will start roleplaying with each other. When you start GMing, then they can roleplay with you.

Quote:
Also, can I introduce NPC's and miniencounters between acts? Between traveling from point A to point B? I feel like in character conversations would help break the ice and get people more into the game.

Short answer: NPCs yes, encounters no.

Long answer: You can't add encounters because it's expressly disallowed in the guide. NPCs, on the other hand, you should definitely consider fleshing out, adding backstory too, and finding common ground with your players. Maybe that +1 falchion the fighter just purchased was actually once the weapon merchant's personal blade, and there's a bit of a backstory to it, for example.

Grand Lodge 4/5 **** Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento

One nice thing about dropping the faction missions is that it actually leaves more time for roleplaying between the players. (Well, unless your GM is unprepared, then looking up stuff eats all that time.)

3/5 RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

Keep in mind that even though faction missions are gone, Pathfinders still have to go above and beyond the main mission to get their second Prestige Point. So they should be looking for ways to further the Society's goals and improve their position.

1/5

I have one other suggestion about faction missions. As many folks have pointed out, some of the missives come from faction heads who seem have foreknowledge of things that the main story line precludes. I'd exclude these or alter either the message or delivery for these to make them not break the suspension of disbelief. Otherwise, using faction missions for hooks and encouragement of exploration and roleplaying is great!

Sovereign Court 4/5 5/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, West Virginia—Charleston

One suggestion I would make is to select scenarios with heavy roleplaying elements. Unfortunately, the scenario you chose doesn't really lend itself to that. Here are a few suggestions:

Murder on the Throaty Mermaid
The Frostfur Captives
The Gods' Market Gamble
The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment
Severing Ties
The Night March of Kalkamedes
The Stolen Heir

Shadow Lodge 4/5 5/5 RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8

Netopalis wrote:

One suggestion I would make is to select scenarios with heavy roleplaying elements. Unfortunately, the scenario you chose doesn't really lend itself to that. Here are a few suggestions:

Murder on the Throaty Mermaid
The Frostfur Captives
The Gods' Market Gamble
The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment
Severing Ties
The Night March of Kalkamedes
The Stolen Heir

To add to this.

Low level.
#4-11 The Disappeared
#4-09 The Blakros Matrimony

Mid level.
#3-10 The Immortal Conundrum

2/5

I am finding that the best way to add elements of role play is to include material that is not presented in the scenario, but that gets the players interested in the story or location. The +1 falchion having a history was a great suggestion. Adding connecting scenes is another. Players have to leave town for a while to look for something? Have the town guard at the city gates start a conversation.

Basically, try your best never to break the story once you've started it. Don't say 'you go to the house on the other side of town,' describe the streets along the way. Are the townsfolk nervous or carefree? Are there any regional influences/attitudes that you can pull from a book?

Don't say 'make a diplomacy check' until they've actually tried to be diplomatic. Let the players do some talking before they roll. Respond to a few comments said out of character as if they were in character. This gently reminds the players to be in character more. One GM trick I've picked up on the forums is if people are talking or distracted in the venture captain briefing, have the venture captain respond to this. An irritated comment about how they should value their own lives makes the scene more immediate. Also, break up box text where you can. Don't let NPC's monologue at the characters for minutes on end, add breaks for questions and dialogue. Players remember the story a lot better if they can participate in it.

When you get to the epilogue, don't just tell the players what an NPC decided to do, role play it out. If appropriate, have a venture captain debriefing where the 'this stuff happened' text can be covered in character. Perhaps the adventure ends with them being dismissed from the office.

In short, if you want your players to react, give them something to react to. If you want them involved, give them something that involves them. It won't take long before reactive turns into proactive.

All of this takes more work. It's a lot more prep to research the local culture before the game, and envision extra scenes and extra connections ahead of time. It's more taxing at the table to be in character so much, and you've got to know the scenario backwards and forwards. Pacing becomes a concern, because you've got to balance the role play time with the rest of the adventure. (Another reason to know the scenario well.) But coming into a scenario fully prepped and confident makes for a MUCH more rewarding session. Players feel free to add embellishments and make unconventional decisions if they know you aren't going to freeze up the moment the scenario goes off the rails. You get a lot more 'remember that awesome/hilarious' time when...' memories when you can react fluidly to player decisions because you've done some thinking beforehand.

4/5

I try to insert things that make it fun to role play. You need to demonstrate to them that role playing can be a lot of fun. I try to make everyone at the table introduce their characters and then have NPCs react to them according to their introduction. The guy who wears 10 different weapons and full plate and is Varisian is going to be treated differently than a person with 10 wands, a fancy robe, and a familiar and is Qadiran. Usually when I play with a group of unfamiliar characters, I will write down a brief description of each one to remind myself of their looks and demeanor.

I always try to add some sort of humor in the game. I find that is a great motivator to role play.

1/5

lowkeyoh wrote:


Also, can I introduce NPC's and miniencounters between acts? Between traveling from point A to point B? I feel like in character conversations would help break the ice and get people more into role playing.

Depends here. Adding in encounters isn't expressly allowed, but if you are meaning, doing some role playing during the legwork of that Diplomacy check to gather information, by all means. This is a GREAT way to encourage role playing.

One thing I will caution you about this. Remember your time limit. You have 5 hours to complete the game. If your players don't get to complete the scenario, and therefore, don't get full prestige and treasure, all because you spent an hour haggling over the price of tea in Tian Xia, they may be more than miffed.

You also have to understand that some players are there for role playing, and some are there for roll playing. If you know your players, You can try and create a balance they would like.

Also, if you have a say in what scenarios are selected, you may want to suggest ones with more RP.

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