MATT: Hello! My name is Matthew Mercer. I'm a voice actor, and the Dungeon Master
for Critical Role here on Geek & Sundry, and welcome to today's episode of GM tips.
Today's theme: getting your players to engage in more roleplay.
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Now, I want to preface this with the idea that you cannot force your players to roleplay.
Some just may not be comfortable with it. Some may not be into this game for heavy RP,
and instead want more of a Diablo-like kill shit, take loot experience--
and that's totally fine, it's totally great-- a little worrying, but totally great!
However, you can certainly engage them with some of the following tips,
and you may be surprised which elements they pick up and end up liking.
My first recommendation is to talk to your group in advance about wanting to
actually RP more in the campaign.
You don't want them being caught off-guard with an aggressive change in GMing style
that asks more of them.
It puts them in a weird, awkward place where they feel like they have to
perform more for you. You want it to be natural and fun, so listen to them.
Engage with their eagerness, and adjust your expectations accordingly.
Next, if the group is on board, have them develop some written background stories,
or history about their character, or general personality traits if they haven't already.
I mean, not everyone has to write a multi-page backstory, you just have to
have a half-page or one-page history that helps them become more invested
in their character, if anything. It aids them in finding elements of
their history and informing them of their own personality traits, impulses,
and general reactions to elements they may encounter throughout the campaign.
It's a useful tool for anyone involved. You can even award bonus experience
or some other small reward if you feel inclined if you need just a little push to finish it--
which you will, because we're all human beings who are busy... and lazy...
I'm very lazy.
Some systems, like fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons have a whole section
of the source book on characters, personalities, and backgrounds that can be a great guide
to fleshing out a character's personality-- or just rolling for it if you just don't give a [beep].
Get comfortable enough with your early NPCs and their dialogue points to try and engage
players with a lot of eye contact and direct gestures.
Do not read the entire encounter off the page, because they'll disengage immediately and
not really be willing to meet you on a level that you're not willing to meet them.
When you begin your endgame foray into upping the RP with your players, you really need
to speak to them as the NPCs in the same nature that you wish them to RP in return.
Make direct eye-contact with whichever party member or members who are
leading that encounter. Lean in and gesture, or point them when asking a question
for their character! Let them know that they are in the moment, and
this is their moment to seize! When a player begins to describe
the gist of their response instead of in-character, gently remind them to try and respond
in-character, like, "Great! How would Durmans ask that question to me, the jailer?"
or "Sure! And as those angry thoughts fill her mind, how would Leila express that verbally?"
Now, players, sometimes a different or silly voice can help. Textures, speaking
in a lighter place in your palate, or something that's a little different than your normal speaking voice.
Fun voices and accents are by no means necessary for the game, but they can help
you as well as your fellow players and GM separate your in-character dialogue from
your own thoughts and comments in the game. Physicality helps too! Think of how different
your character would hold themselves compared to you. Would they sit up straight,
broaden their shoulders-- or curl up and act like a crazy person?
Maybe they give giant, bombastic gestures! You may find yourself physically embodying
your character in RP moments more often once you think on these little details.
For all you GMs, you need to be patient. For some players, it's a really big step
in letting go of their own insecurities and embracing the play that makes these games so wonderful.
Don't expect a huge, sudden change. It may just take a while-- sometimes
a very long while, if at all. Be supportive. Compliment players after a session for good
roleplaying and don't scold them for any missed moments or opportunities during the session.
Players, also be supportive to your other players and willing to elevate your
less comfortable players. Let them have the spotlight.
Pay attention to them when they're speaking, and back up their statements with your own
in-character moments: "Indeed!" or "Exactly, Leila!" if they make a good point in RP.
Most of all, have fun! Even just the slightest shift in this direction can lead to some of
the most immersive RP experiences, but you have to make sure that all these
experiences are still fun for everyone involved. That's the key to the game,
and that's the key to making your players want to engage more on a roleplaying level.
Anyway, I hope these tips have been useful to you at all.
You can find more GM Tips here on geekandsundry.com.
I look forward to seeing you somewhere on the Internet in the future.
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