by Magdalena Roeseler

In previous posts in this series, I provided basic advice on creating a character, table etiquette, and dealing with problems.

This post is all about going one step beyond and creating an interesting, deep character.

Any character is (simplistically) made of two things: nature and nurture.

The nature comes from the character’s inherent physical and mental makeup: their biology. Does the character have any unusual physical or mental attributes that would have changed his/her path through life, like poor eyesight, a bad leg, or shyness? In other words, what’s fundamentally different about this character, in a way that the character can’t easily change?

Also, importantly, how did the character react to that nature? Did the character with a bad leg exercise and become even stronger than an average person, or favor that leg and use it as an excuse to get out of physical activities?

The nurture comes from external circumstances in the character’s life: his or her backstory. What major events in the character’s life significantly affected him or her, and changed his/her mind? Did the character face a trauma that affected his or her ability to cope with something? Did the character have a particularly positive experience that bolstered his or her confidence, like a child who grew up in the theater and is thus more comfortable speaking in front of crowds? Personality is often driven by circumstance; a child surrounded by unstable personalities might grow up to be adept at talking to people without upsetting them.

Okay, so how do you put this into practice in a tabletop role-playing context?

First off, before play, invent 1 or 2 unusual physical or mental characteristics for your character. You may already have these. Importantly, these characteristics should be more or less beyond your character’s control, like an ugly face or an extremely analytical mind. Your character just can’t help it when it comes to these characteristics.

Then, define 2 or 3 major life events that affected your character’s outlook on life. They can be positive (a long stay with an old relative that made the character appreciate the contributions of the old or the sick) or negative (the character was constantly bullied, which gave him or her a very strong sense of justice).

Then, invent catchphrases that sum up the character’s reactions to those characteristics and events, like “I’m Just as the Gods Made Me,” “Sherlockian Mind,” “The Weak Deserve Respect,” and “Always Protect the Oppressed.”

Then write those catchphrases down and have them in front of you while you play. No matter the situation, consult that piece of paper like an oracle. Look at your catchphrases constantly as a guide to how your character should act, and act accordingly.

Hope this helps!

Welcome to the third part in a series about playing tabletop RPGs. The first post gave you some basic advice, while the second covered more advanced topics like improv. This post offers guidance on problems you may run into.

The Inflexible DM

‘Running Deathwatch’ by 8one6 on Flickr

Some DMs aren’t really running a role-playing game; they’re narrating their novel, within which the PCs happen to be characters. You’ll know this if the DM regularly denies or routes around reasonable character actions. In other words, if most of the things in the game happen no matter what the characters do, you’ve got an inflexible DM.

Action: Talk to your DM. Describe specific situations in which you weren’t allowed to do something for plot reasons, and how frustrating that is for you. Note that the DM might not change. In that case, if you want to keep playing, ask the DM how you can make your character better fit the campaign. If you’re at an impasse, offer to DM yourself, or find another DM to play with.

The Controlling Player

Some players dominate the game, insisting that everyone else follow their plan. Sometimes they’ll even move other players’ minis or insist that other players take specific actions.

Action: To address this in game, use a clear word like “Stop” when they do it. Then explain, calmly and politely, that you appreciate their advice but you’re going to do whatever action you chose instead. If the controlling player complains, say “It’s my character, not your character,” and continue. Be upbeat, totally polite, and firm.

If the controlling player continues, talk to him or her outside of the game. Describe their specific behaviors, and tell them that if they continue doing this, what you’ll do as a result (probably leave the game).

The Passive Player

Some players just aren’t interested in engaging with the story. They won’t react to your suggestions, and their actions in game almost always amount to “I attack.”

Good news: This isn’t your problem! Some players are naturally more passive. For them, D&D night is a time to relax and clear out a dungeon; they don’t want to get deep into a character.

Action: Let passive players be passive.

Summary

Here’s all the advice in this series, combined into one place.

When creating a character:

• Look for a class, race, and other options that interest you.
• Send your DM a message containing the following:
  • A description of your character, in as much detail as possible.
  • One family member, one knowledgeable friend to whom your character can go for information, and one influential acquaintance. Write down their names, classes, races, needs, fears, specific professions (guard, lord, dock worker, etc.), and physical locations in the world.
• Ask for any unusual details about the setting, and for a list of house rules.

Once you’ve created your character, memorize your character’s attack-related stats and passive Perception, and as much of the rest of your character’s abilities as possible.

When you go to a face-to-face session, bring your character sheet, at least one pencil, extra paper, and snacks and/or drinks. If you’re hosting, clean.

Show up on time. If you truly can’t make it, communicate that to everyone as early as possible.

When the session starts, mute your phone.

During the game:

• If the DM’s talking, be quiet and listen.
• If you can’t decide what your character would do, choose one course of action and just do it. If the entire group is inactive, do something reasonable, but do something.
• Choose courses of action that include other player-characters.
• When a player introduces a new fact, accept it and add to it.
• Don’t look at your phone.

Between sessions, ask each other player what you can do to help their character achieve his or her goals. Write these down and have them with you during the game.

Hope this helps!

‘Deep in thought’ by 8one6 on Flickr

This post is for players who have played enough sessions to have the game’s basic rules under their belts. If you’re completely new to role-playing, read this first post in the series.

Work With Your DM

Accept your DM’s house rules

Your DM has certain guidelines and parameters for the world, and house rules to play by. Accept them.

Seriously, part of the DM’s job is to figure out these things. Your DM probably has good reasons for using them.

That said, you can certainly ask questions about any special rules or restrictions. Your DM wants you to understand them, so if they don’t make sense to you, absolutely ask questions. Just don’t get into arguments about them. If you really dislike a particular restriction, it’s better to find a different group than to get into multiple arguments with this one.

Action: Ideally before the campaign begins, ask your DM for any unusual details about the setting, and for a list of house rules.

Don’t play against your DM

Some players think of the DM as their adversary, as an enemy to be outwitted. In fairness, some DMs think this, too.

While your DM is certainly inventing obstacles for your characters, he or she is running a game that he or she thinks will be the most fun for everyone at the table.

Don’t look for a way to avoid every plot hook, or to defeat every villain immediately, or to figure out what’s “really going on” and find a way around it.

Play the game.

Create Hooks For Your Character

Invent family members, friends, allies, contacts, and other people that your character knows in the world. Tell your DM about them.

These will create allies that your DM can bring into the game to help you. Don’t worry about whether your DM will use them against you or not (again, don’t play against your DM).

Action: Create one family member, one knowledgeable friend to whom your character can go for information, and one influential acquaintance. Write down their names, classes, races, needs, fears, specific professions (guard, lord, dock worker, etc.), and physical locations in the world. Send them to the DM and ask for feedback.

Collaborate With Other Players

You’re not the only player! Talk to the other players about their characters. Look for ways to support them in-game, not just statistically, but also by backing them up when their characters suggest courses of action, and proposing in-game things their characters can do (with your character’s help).

The game’s a lot more fun when player-characters are working together towards their goals.

That said, your players are also figuring out their characters in play. Watch for unexpected moments of character development during the game, and do your best to support them.

Action: Ask each other player what you can do to help their character achieve his or her goals. Write these down and have them with you during the game.

Improv and “Yes, and….”

Many gamers consider improv the Holy Grail of effective, in-character role-playing. While improv doesn’t map precisely onto tabletop role-playing, learning and practicing improv will certainly improve your role-playing skills.

Look up articles and books on improv (one of the best is Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre by Keith Johnstone). Look for ways to integrate that into your play.

One of the more useful rules of improv is “Yes, and….” When another player introduces anything, such as mentioning a side character or a bit of backstory, accept it as part of the story, then build on it. In other words, if a player says “Hey, remember that time we hunted goblins through the snow into Fardeep?” don’t say “No,” or “What are you talking about?” Instead, say “Oh yeah, I nearly lost an eye! I remember we let one of the goblins go; I wonder what happened to him?”

There are two main exceptions to this rule. First, if someone introduces a fact that contradicts already established history, step back out of character and ask the player to clarify. Second, if someone tries to act for another player in the moment (such as “Your character attacks me”), step out of character, point out that the other player doesn’t get to choose your character’s current actions, then move on.

If you don’t like what another player introduces, you can use “Yes, but…” to describe a complication to the fact. This is a way to take a problematic situation and turn it to your favor. Just don’t do it often.

Action: When a player introduces a new fact, accept it and add to it.

Don’t Dominate

If you’re actively doing things in the game, it’s easy for your character to become central and overshadow other characters. You can turn a group story, like The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy, into a solo-hero story like Indiana Jones. Some players are okay with that, but many aren’t.

Fortunately, this is relatively easy to fix: choose actions that include other characters. Invite another character to help you with your intended action. Don’t just wade into battle; ask another character to cover you.

Also, spend a session where you take a back seat. Let other players push the story forward. Certainly act and react, but if you’re consistently the one acting first, try being more passive and see what happens.

Action: Choose courses of action that include other player-characters.

That’s it! Stay tuned for some troubleshooting tips tomorrow.

Welcome to tabletop role-playing! We’re glad you’re here. You’re going to play an important character in a story, and you want to do the best you can. Good on you.

This blog post (and a few more coming later) provides advice to players of tabletop role-playing games, helping them to be better players. Each section will end with a specific action to take.

For simplicity’s sake, this paper will assume that you’re playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Help! I’ve Never Played Before!

‘Hooligan’ by 8one6 on Flickr

Don’t panic!

The other players won’t expect you to memorize every rule. It’s like playing a board game; if you’re invited to play, you won’t be expected to have learned the rules ahead of time, but you will be expected to pay attention to them.

In other words, follow the advice in this blog post, and you’ll be fine.

Create the Character You Want to Play

Online, you’ll find advice about the “best” race, class, and abilities to choose to create a “balanced” party. But here’s the thing: that advice is usually aimed at experienced players who want to optimize their experience.

D&D is very tolerant of a variety of different characters, even several of the same characters. If your DM hasn’t given you specific parameters, create the character you want to play.

That said, a “lone wolf” character is very difficult to integrate into a group game like D&D. Avoid this trope if at all possible by giving your character in-world relationships.

Action: Look for a class, race, and other options that interest you.

…And Check With Your DM

The DM may be running a game in a very specific setting, where your character concept will have specific in-game consequences. For example, spellcasters or rogues may be seen with some level of suspicion by common folk. Some official races just won’t fit into the game world.

Also, the DM may suggest a particular race or class for you. That’s okay! Talk it over with your DM. If you really dislike the DM’s suggestion, suggest an alternative. Work it out until you find a character concept you like.

Action: Write down your character in as much detail as possible and send it to your DM, asking if it’s okay.

Know Your Character

Once you’ve built your character, spend some time memorizing as many of your character’s abilities as you can. In particular, pay attention to these stats:

• Attack bonuses
• Damage dice and bonuses
• Passive Perception
• Ability score bonuses
• Unusual abilities, like a resistance to one type of damage

Focus particularly on combat abilities, since you’ll probably be under some time pressure when you need to use those.

Don’t worry about memorizing everything! Just learn as much as you can.

Action: Memorize your character’s attack-related stats and passive Perception.

Show Up

If you agree to attend on a particular day, show up on time. Only cancel if you’re physically ill or something really unexpected and serious comes up, and give your group as much advanced warning as possible. Your DM put a lot of time into preparing the game for you; don’t waste it.

Bring Supplies

If you’re playing face-to-face, you’ll be interacting with other players for several hours. This requires some social niceties.

Bring your character sheet, at least one pencil, and extra paper for notes. If you don’t have dice, download a dice-rolling app onto your phone.

If you’re hosting, clean the play area and the nearest bathroom. I’m not talking hospital-level antiseptic; just clear enough for people to get around.

If you’re not hosting, bring snacks and/or drinks.

Action: Bring the supplies listed above.

Pay Attention During the Game

You don’t want to miss a vital clue! Your DM will be giving you lots of information during the game, and if you’re chatting with somebody else, checking your phone, or otherwise distracted, you may not notice something important.

And by “clue” I mean anything in the game: an enemy who seems weak, a side character who knows something she shouldn’t, a pool of water; any of these might take only a few words of description, so they’re easy to miss.

Your DM isn’t the only player at the table, though. The other players are playing, too! Watch what they’re doing and what their characters are doing. React to them! Agree with their decisions, suggest other options, and generally push the story forward.

Action: Mute your phone when the session starts, and don’t look at it during the session. If the DM’s talking, be silent and listen. (This assumes your DM doesn’t talk over you; see part 3 of this series if that happens.)

Do Things

Be active! This is a role-playing game, not a role-listening game. It’s almost always better to do something than to sit back passively.

Remember that you’re playing a character, not a series of die rolls. Your character will have opinions and take action even if the rest of the world isn’t pushing for it.

A few caveats here: don’t constantly poke at anything nearby just because there’s a brief lull in the action. A hopelessly ADHD character will cause problems for most groups; lots of things in the game poke back, and constant activity can be very frustrating for your fellow players.

Also, this applies to your own character, not to everyone else. It can be a lot of fun to spend an hour planning a heist, debating many different options for what to do.

Action: If you can’t decide what your character would do, choose one reasonable course of action and just do it. If the entire group is inactive, do something reasonable, but do something.

That’s it! Stand by for more advanced advice tomorrow.