I was on instagram and saw a meme that said "+1 if you do it in character" and that made me think of a good way to get people to stay in character.
Some backstory, my group wants to roleplay more and want to do character voices and what not, but after session 3 or 4 of each campaign they tend to just be themselves as their characters. I know inspiration can be awarded for doing something that you wouldn't do, but your character would (at least, I award inspiration for that), but I was also thinking of letting my players add a d4 to any roll they make if they do it in character. Any attack any intimidation/deception roll, or mimicking anything that isn't really possible at the table (i.e. lifting a 300lb door in the game or something).
Thoughts on this? Would it be broken? Are there other ways to create an incentive to stay in character? Again, not trying to force anyone to stay in character, they all agree they want to, it just sort of fades.
Seems a little over powered adding a d4 to roles to lead your characters to act.
I wouldn't stress too much for voices if your players are staying in character and not breaking the meta. Some people just don't like acting or tend to forget. Just mention the voice in session if it bugs you. If it needs repeating multiple times, drop it as that just ruins the fun.
If you do need an incentive reward players who act when treasure is found and let them know why. Don't make it something excessive in comparison to the others. Keep it at tipping levels or finding something that suits their character.
Seems a little over powered adding a d4 to roles to lead your characters to act.
I wouldn't stress too much for voices if your players are staying in character and not breaking the meta. Some people just don't like acting or tend to forget. Just mention the voice in session if it bugs you. If it needs repeating multiple times, drop it as that just runs the fun.
If you do need an incentive reward players who act when treasure is found and let them know why. Don't make it something excessive in comparison to the others. Keep it at tipping levels or finding something that suits their character.
It's not even much that it bugs me, it's sort of like the group is looking for a reason to stay in character, when just speaking regularly is easier. Which is why I'm looking for a reward. Treasure can work, but I think at higher levels, when gold seems to be like superfluous it will revert back.
Seems a little over powered adding a d4 to roles to lead your characters to act.
I wouldn't stress too much for voices if your players are staying in character and not breaking the meta. Some people just don't like acting or tend to forget. Just mention the voice in session if it bugs you. If it needs repeating multiple times, drop it as that just runs the fun.
If you do need an incentive reward players who act when treasure is found and let them know why. Don't make it something excessive in comparison to the others. Keep it at tipping levels or finding something that suits their character.
Agreed, so many people try to emulate Matt Mercer and the cast of Critical Role when it comes to role-playing.
Using a Voice != Role-playing
I've seen plenty of people stay "in character" with their character's voice, but be out of character in how they act.
That being said, I feel as though the biggest "driver" for encouraging role-play is the DM. And (in my opinion) offering metagaming rewards such as Inspiration or "+d4 to stay in character" breaks immersion. If you want to encourage role-play, it starts with you. Some examples:
Don't break character yourself, even player's break character. If you stay in character it will encourage them to stay in character.
When getting a player's attention, use their character's name, not the player's actual name. It unconsciously keeps their mind in the game. I make it a habit to only use character names once the session starts. I've found that this greatly increases role-play chances.
Furthermore, by constantly reminding player's to "stay in character" you are actually breaking immersion and making it more difficult to stay in character since you are constantly breaking immersion yourself. It is like a director shouting from the side "DON'T LOOK AT THE CAMERA!"
Role playing is making choices as the character with their perspective and knowledge, and not as the player, with their perspective and knowledge.
It is notacting, or using an accent.
I really dislike the idea of mechanically rewarding so-called acting - even with Inspiration - because it penalizes players who are really good at making in-character choices but not voices, and elevates those that can do voices but not choices.
What people are usually trying to do with accents is to differentiate between Player Mode ( or DM Mode ) - where someone around the table is speaking and acting - from Character Mode ( or NPC Mode ) - where someone in the game world is speaking or acting ( it's the reason that all Dwarves can sound Scottish in Critical Role - it's really just a signal that the NPC is speaking, and not Matt Mercer ). However, an accent is only one means of doing that.
Accents are a quick, flexible, and unambiguous ( usually ) means of indicating mode, but it's also something your Players don't seem to want to do ( or it wouldn't fade away ). I wouldn't force them; find another means. I'm not sure what would work for your table. Maybe all things to be said in Player Mode are to be prefaced with Player name of the person they're speaking to, or they're talking in Character Mode ( "Hey DM, do I know whether or not .... ", "Bob, can you pass me the ... " ). A stupid but clear way would be for them to hold up little signs :p
Once you have a means of unambiguously differentiating between those modes, the rest is simple. Speech and actions done in Character Modeare, by definition, done by their Character, and nothing said out of Character Mode is done or said by their character. Under that structure, they are role-playing all the time when in Character Mode.
These rules should apply to the DM as well! Which means that anything you say in NPC Mode is said or done by that NPC.
And you should hold everyone to that - have your game world react to whatever they say or do in Character Mode. It doesn't matter what their paper character concept is - people react to what they do and say in Character Mode. If they're just playing "themselves as their characters" then that's how the game world sees them, and reacts. They start to lose the benefits of being other people. You're trying to be suave swashbuckler, quick witted, and laughing in the face of danger, the stuff of local legend - and you just "phone in" your performance, don't try to be witty or humorous, while you are in Character Mode? Your reputation and peoples' reactions start to change, in the game world - because you are role-playinga different personality, while in Character Mode. Have NPCs comment on the change. Have children ( or young ladies/men ) be disappointed because this Robin Hood styled character is boring, etc. Don't make it an instantaneous effect - we all have off nights - and don't judge on results, but effort ( not all of us can really be devil-may-care swashbucklers, we just would like to pretend to be one ).
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I was on instagram and saw a meme that said "+1 if you do it in character" and that made me think of a good way to get people to stay in character.
Some backstory, my group wants to roleplay more and want to do character voices and what not, but after session 3 or 4 of each campaign they tend to just be themselves as their characters. I know inspiration can be awarded for doing something that you wouldn't do, but your character would (at least, I award inspiration for that), but I was also thinking of letting my players add a d4 to any roll they make if they do it in character. Any attack any intimidation/deception roll, or mimicking anything that isn't really possible at the table (i.e. lifting a 300lb door in the game or something).
Thoughts on this? Would it be broken? Are there other ways to create an incentive to stay in character? Again, not trying to force anyone to stay in character, they all agree they want to, it just sort of fades.
Published Subclasses
Seems a little over powered adding a d4 to roles to lead your characters to act.
I wouldn't stress too much for voices if your players are staying in character and not breaking the meta. Some people just don't like acting or tend to forget. Just mention the voice in session if it bugs you. If it needs repeating multiple times, drop it as that just ruins the fun.
If you do need an incentive reward players who act when treasure is found and let them know why. Don't make it something excessive in comparison to the others. Keep it at tipping levels or finding something that suits their character.
It's not even much that it bugs me, it's sort of like the group is looking for a reason to stay in character, when just speaking regularly is easier. Which is why I'm looking for a reward. Treasure can work, but I think at higher levels, when gold seems to be like superfluous it will revert back.
Published Subclasses
Agreed, so many people try to emulate Matt Mercer and the cast of Critical Role when it comes to role-playing.
Using a Voice != Role-playing
I've seen plenty of people stay "in character" with their character's voice, but be out of character in how they act.
That being said, I feel as though the biggest "driver" for encouraging role-play is the DM. And (in my opinion) offering metagaming rewards such as Inspiration or "+d4 to stay in character" breaks immersion. If you want to encourage role-play, it starts with you. Some examples:
Furthermore, by constantly reminding player's to "stay in character" you are actually breaking immersion and making it more difficult to stay in character since you are constantly breaking immersion yourself. It is like a director shouting from the side "DON'T LOOK AT THE CAMERA!"
that is already in the manual. its called "Inspiration Die" which a DM grants when someone does something in character or does something phenominal.
I have to agree 100% with Grizzlebub here.
Role playing is making choices as the character with their perspective and knowledge, and not as the player, with their perspective and knowledge.
It is not acting, or using an accent.
I really dislike the idea of mechanically rewarding so-called acting - even with Inspiration - because it penalizes players who are really good at making in-character choices but not voices, and elevates those that can do voices but not choices.
What people are usually trying to do with accents is to differentiate between Player Mode ( or DM Mode ) - where someone around the table is speaking and acting - from Character Mode ( or NPC Mode ) - where someone in the game world is speaking or acting ( it's the reason that all Dwarves can sound Scottish in Critical Role - it's really just a signal that the NPC is speaking, and not Matt Mercer ). However, an accent is only one means of doing that.
Accents are a quick, flexible, and unambiguous ( usually ) means of indicating mode, but it's also something your Players don't seem to want to do ( or it wouldn't fade away ). I wouldn't force them; find another means. I'm not sure what would work for your table. Maybe all things to be said in Player Mode are to be prefaced with Player name of the person they're speaking to, or they're talking in Character Mode ( "Hey DM, do I know whether or not .... ", "Bob, can you pass me the ... " ). A stupid but clear way would be for them to hold up little signs :p
Once you have a means of unambiguously differentiating between those modes, the rest is simple. Speech and actions done in Character Mode are, by definition, done by their Character, and nothing said out of Character Mode is done or said by their character. Under that structure, they are role-playing all the time when in Character Mode.
These rules should apply to the DM as well! Which means that anything you say in NPC Mode is said or done by that NPC.
And you should hold everyone to that - have your game world react to whatever they say or do in Character Mode. It doesn't matter what their paper character concept is - people react to what they do and say in Character Mode. If they're just playing "themselves as their characters" then that's how the game world sees them, and reacts. They start to lose the benefits of being other people. You're trying to be suave swashbuckler, quick witted, and laughing in the face of danger, the stuff of local legend - and you just "phone in" your performance, don't try to be witty or humorous, while you are in Character Mode? Your reputation and peoples' reactions start to change, in the game world - because you are role-playing a different personality, while in Character Mode. Have NPCs comment on the change. Have children ( or young ladies/men ) be disappointed because this Robin Hood styled character is boring, etc. Don't make it an instantaneous effect - we all have off nights - and don't judge on results, but effort ( not all of us can really be devil-may-care swashbucklers, we just would like to pretend to be one ).
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.