Be a good PC Part 1

There are a ton of articles about how to be a good GM, how to prep, how to yes and, how to do npcs, how to use your GM screen to watch porn while you play. It seems pretty endless. You would think that the success or failure of an rpg rests solely on the shoulders of the game master, but they are just one person at the table. You could have the best gm in the world, but if all the players are slugs, it won't matter the game will still fail. So! This is the first in potentially a series of blog posts of advice for being a better player.

Also this is hopefully the beginning of something resembling a schedule, look here Monday Wednesday and Friday for something in the way of content.

"That's What My Character Would Do!"

Whenever you hear someone say, "Not to be a dick but..." you can be pretty sure they are about to say something dickish. The same goes for, "Not to be rude" or "This probably isn't my place to say" or even "You know, every time I say this I end up in jail..." If you find yourself about to say any of these things you are probably better off not saying anything at all.

There is a similar line that has been played out endlessly by troll players no doubt since the age of Gygax. It is of course, "But that's what my character would do." Every time a player steals from his party, or spends the whole session trying to get drunk in the tavern, they always lay the blame on their misbehaving character. As if they didn't have any control over what happened. As if they didn't have any choice in the matter, and everyone else at the table has to be cool with it.

The attitude that the sanctity of a players control over their character is inviolable is pretty common. After all the players have control over a single thing in the game world, their character. So it follows that a player shouldn't have to curtail their actions, that the game is there in service of the player. There is some truth to this, the interplay between players making choices and changing the gm's plans is the best part of rpgs. It is the magic that makes rpgs so memorable. But it is a mistake to think that the players obligations lie only to themselves. The players are there to work together with the GM, and the other players to make all the pieces come together for the best game possible.

Even a good player can fail on this front. They will take perfectly reasonable actions, that are entirely consistent with their characters, and the game world, but at the same time they still work counter to the overall enjoyment of the game. A good example is a character not showing up for some climactic battle because they feel their character would instead be busy rushing their family out of  city that's about be devoured by a giant salamander. Sure that is what a reasonable person would do, but it puts the GM in an bad spot. Now they have to consider a few courses of action, do they find some awkward way to bring all the PC's together for the final salamander battle? Do they nerf the salamander so that an under powered party can fight it? Do they just let the salamander destroy the rest of the party while the errant player saves his family? Also does the GM have the obligation to keep things entertaining for the player who decided to split the party?

A player's obligation to the general enjoyment of the game is equal to his obligation to be true to his character. It is a fine line to walk. A player who just does what the GM expects might as well be on the dreaded rpg railroad, but one who just goes crazy with their own agenda can take the game to a spot the train wasn't even headed. Some games tolerate more extreme character freedom, but I don't think that is true for the majority of rpgs. Even in the deepest sandbox, it can't hurt a player to consider how his actions will impact  both the game and the other players.

So what can a player do when they find themselves presented with a choice between doing what their character would do, and doing what the plot of the game wants them to do? The first resource in a situation like this is the other players at the table. Make it a role playing moment where you let the other characters convince yours. To a lesser extent the npcs that are important to the characters can be used in this way. If a character's husband implores the PC to go off and fight the Nega Salamander, it gives more depth to the relationships there. Even back to the trolliest action like stealing from other player characters could potentially be an opportunity for roleplay between players.

The second thing you have to consider is if what dissenting action you are doing is a worthwhile moment with your character that warrants the whole table's attention. Is this the moment that you want your character to stand for, to be remembered by. If the moment really feels like a bridge your character should die on, embrace it, but be ready to deal with the repercussions. In fact give explicit permission to the GM and the other players  to allow real consequences to come to the character. If you steal from the other players, don't expect them to bend over backwards to keep your character around. Decide not to show up for the fight with the big bad, don't be surprised if you are asked to leave the party after the fact.

So it's time to retire, "That's what my character would do."

Let's replace it with "I'm ready to deal with the consequences."

Or even the preemptive, "Someone talk me out of this."