This series follows the trials, tribulations, successes, and failures of a fairly inexperienced GM who has recently picked up the hobby after a long time away. It aims to assist new GM’s by examining what worked, didn’t work, and what failed miserably as he spins up new campaigns, modules, encounters, and adventures for his friends and family in Fantasy Flight Games’ Edge of the Empire/Age of Rebellion/Force and Destiny system.
I know that there are a lot of blogs and articles around that give tips and tricks on how to get your players to do more actual roleplaying at the table during your roleplaying games. However, if this is to be a true examination of my trials and tribulations as I become an experienced GM, I need to address the topic… because lack of roleplay is really an issue in my games. And it’s not just my players, I can’t blame them. I’m a big part of the issue as well. I don’t do near enough roleplay myself with my NPCs or with combat or social situations.
Part of this reason is just me getting back my Game Master chops. There are 100 things to keep track of when you GM, and I am thinking of those things while also trying to roleplay or making things more interesting than, “He shoots at Steve.” So I’m hopeful that as I get my feet under me, this will become more natural. But regardless, I definitely don’t do the right things to encourage it and pull the roleplaying out of the RPG at the table.
So for several weeks I’ve been putting several things into practice to help with roleplaying at the table. So here, from a variety of sources and conversations, are my top suggestions for getting players to roleplay more at your table that have worked for me I plan to implement.
(Let me say, many times I could replace the word “roleplay” with “narrate.” Because I have to admit, I don’t “roleplay” in a very intense, traditional sense. Not many do. However, almost all my players can, and aren’t too shy about, narrating. Adding description to their actions isn’t that big a deal, I don’t think. Speaking in a different tone of voice just like an actor would or speaking in different vernacular… that could be a different issue.)
Give ’em a Boost
I have talked to my groups on several occasions about narrating more, talking in character, trying to see if more roleplaying can happen at the table. Despite suggestions and dialogue on the subject, I am taking some advice I heard and I’m rewarding good roleplaying. Many GMs out there give XP for great roleplay moments, and that’s entirely a legit option. I would like to do that sometimes as well. But because that moment for more XP is a rare moment, I wanted something that happened more often. In the Star Wars RPG lines from Fantasy Flight Games, there is the concept of giving a Boost die to a skill check, allowing a slight advantage during the roll. Usually reserved for circumstances surrounding the check, I decided to use the Boost die to reward good narration and roleplay. So if my players go above and beyond the “I shoot the guy” they could be rewarded with a boost to their skill check. If you’re a d20 player, telling players they get a free +1 to any check or +2 or whatever you think is reasonable is an easy thing to throw in.
I am still working out this little trick and seeing how it works in my games. So far the results have been positive. I’m watching to see if any of these extra boosts are making the game imbalanced and so far I haven’t experienced that, but I’m going to keep an eye out.
Lead by Example
Let’s face it, I’m the biggest culprit. I don’t narrate near enough when I run games. I do at times when I’m narrating events or parts of adventures, but actions and such I’m not consistent. When you’re a GM, you don’t only run the game, but you set the tone for the game. If you’re in a giddy mood, the table mood usually lightens. When you’re not organized, the game seems disjointed. Same goes for narrating. When you do not narrate actions or thoughts, the players pick up on that and to keep the game moving, they will stop too. Speed is the biggest reason I don’t narrate. It’s no excuse. I have a lot of players and I’m very conscious of the players being bored or having too much downtime. So, I try to speed myself up. I’m working on keeping a moderate pace going while still narrating events. If you’d like your fellow players to do the same, it all starts with you…whether you’re a player or a GM.
Accept Some Won’t Roleplay (Narrate)
This is something that I have come to grips with. That is, sometimes people just feel uncomfortable or cheesy by narrating what their character is doing. I have a game group I run over lunch at work and I’ve had a couple players say that being at work makes them feel a bit odd narrating and roleplaying. So, I accept that and don’t push the issue. My trick above giving a boost to checks is starting to pay dividends here, though.
So for these players I sort of take over the narration. My player could say something like, “I want to make an Athletics check and try to jump over the pit.” As he’s making the check, I will interject, “So he gets a running start and with everything he has launches himself across the pit.” (He rolls a failure but several advantage.) “Just as he realizes he’s going to come up short on the jump he reaches out and with his hands grabs the edge, and he’s now hanging on, dangling over the pit.” In other words, I sort of do it for him. This helps keep the narration up at the table without singling out or making other players self-conscious.
Alternatives to Fighting
A lot of RPGs with players that don’t roleplay much or narrate devolve into combat encounter after combat encounter. For many players they don’t mind at all and they love RPGs for dungeon crawls and fighting. However, because combat encounters often offer the least amount of narration, I strongly urge GMs out there to build in non-combat encounters as well as alternatives to combat even inside an encounter built for combat. The reason is that when you’re not fighting, to a point, you almost need to narrate and explain what you’re doing, and how you’re doing it.
Luckily for me, most of my players are pretty good at this. In fact, when they feel threatened, they often try to find any way out of fighting. I have gone entire sessions where my players got through all my planned combat encounters by creatively working their way out of a fight. It was one of the most fun sessions we’ve had. As a GM I always try to build in enough alternatives to fighting, and I roll with ideas my players propose to bypass the sword swinging or shooting. If you want more narrating and roleplaying at your table, I recommend focusing multiple encounters on non-combat ideas.
Narrate Thought Bubbles
In RPG’s we often narrate what we say, what we do, and how we do it. But there is one thing that as a GM or player I rarely narrate: thoughts and feelings. I think of it like a comic strip. There are moments we should talk about how our characters feel, and the only way to do that is to narrate and explain things. It also offers a great opportunity if you can’t think of what to say. Narrate how the PC or NPC feels or what he’s thinking. If you’re going to swing your sword, describe what’s going through your character’s head when doing so. “As I bring the sword back ready to slash, I’m worried because if this attack misses, I might not make it through the fight.” See? Narration with nothing more added about the action.
What other tips and tricks do you have for adding more narration and roleplay in your games? This certainly isn’t a comprehensive list of any sort. Have you had challenges with this at your table? Have you had success getting more roleplaying out of your roleplayers? Have you had a tough time yourself? Or are you like me and are a GM that doesn’t do as much as you’d like?
Scott Alden
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