What happened to RP?

[Maevan2]

Ok, i must admit this topic is not about RP in general but "only" about RP in dungeons. But it bugs me anyway

Why does RP stop immediately once people enter a dungeon? I don't mean that people start to act OOC, but i only rember a few times when i met somebody who continued RP in a dungeon. And every time it was great. Most of the times it was in low level dungeons like the weak goblins or the crypt. And everytime we were just two or maybe three characters. But as soon a party is bigger than this nobody even thinks about RP in a dungeon. People are just to busy with killing things (or being not killed by these things). Communication? Forget it.

Another thing that annoys me: people often don't really bother what class you are. You could be a cleric with healing domain and augment healing and nobody cares. Whats even worse: whats the point in being able to reaise dead when everybody runs around with wand that does the same? I have been in parties where people didn't even think about letting me heal them or even raise the dead, they just used their potions or wands and moved on. I understand that there are many clerics that don't care about helping other characters. But i feel quite annoyed by the fact that it seems not to be possible to play a healer even if you want to.
Or you can be a rogue and unless you run around "Me! Me! Let me take care of the trap" nobody will really care

Or is it just me? Or did a just party with the wrong kind of people?

[Crispy]

Or is it just me? Or did a just party with the wrong kind of people?

That's mostly it, I think. Although I do agree that RP does stop once inside dungeons for the most part. A lot of it has to do with the dynamic of the group. If you're together with more powerbuild-type characters, all they really want to do is to rush forward, heedless of the group, and kill kill kill. I hate to generalize but that's what I've seen. It bugs the crap out of me because, as a RP-oriented character, I depend on those players to stick with the group and, well, to protect me!

Only a few times since I've signed up here has there been a plan to start an encounter with any preemptive magic strikes. I've learned to adapt, but it's still a little weird, especially for D&D.

If the dungeons were made much harder, I think we'd see a lot more true roleplaying, in terms of the rogue needs to be a rogue, a cleric needs to heal, the fighters need to be the front line, etc.

As it is, and I'm not complaining, there's no need. Free for all for everyone.

[Minuvas]

I find that Roleplaying in Dungeons is very difficult, probably one of the reasons I avoid groups in general - because it becomes an OOC event.

The nature of the game mechanics, the nature of the game itself, cannot but help lend-itself that I feel an effective and efficient group cannot remain 'in character'.

Especially when some characters are lengthy typers/writers and everything needs to be analyzed.

Having to communicate the use of certain spells, potions, and others becomes difficult when obviously you can't say "Use that Cat's Grace Potion" (IC) but instead have to 'beat around the bush' so to say, to IMPLY to use that potion. Its less direct, and may produce the wrong result.

[Mon-da-oth]

I try to RP while in one of the dungeons but it is very difficult. Most of the time because Rhode is staying to the shadows he moves slower than the rest of the party. In the few times that the party has allowed him to scout ahead to remove traps and see how many enemies are ahead they soon get bored of the slower pace and the fighters just rush ahead because the traps don't bother them that much. These same traps however could kill Rhode while he is trying to disarm him.

Some of the RP I attempt is for Rhode to try to get to all the chests before the others including opening them while others are fighting. After clearing the loot I RP that his pack is bulging or he is finding it difficult to move. Never has he been called on this and most don't seem to care because once he is loaded up he can't gather anything more than coins so the others get the benefit of his looting anyways.

It seems the smaller the group the better the chances for RP though. I perfer maybe three people at most in the group as that seems to offer the best chance for RP.

[Elrith]

It is difficult to RP in dungeons with larger groups. I really don't like going in large groups because of that. The more people you add the more likely it is you'll get some that are in a hurry who won't want to stop unless absolutely necessary or do any kind of tactical planning before a battle.

A lot of people here are new to D&D as well or never played the table top game. It's hard to get into the mind set of having a dynamic conversation while you are trying to run around and do all these different things at once.

Just keep looking. You'll find someone out there that enjoys RPing in dungeons.

[The Explorer]

There are those of us in Das who do Rp in a party in a dungeon, thats how I met some really good players here that I hope I have learned from. My mage doesn't Rp much in a dungeon with a group of "grasswalkers" he doesn't know well because he comes from Cuhanna and Intelligent enough to know that "accidents" can happen in a Dungeon.

In this past week I have come across quite a few who rarely Rp but occassionally talk OOC when not in a dungeon let alone in one.

Don't forget to attend the tournament tonight then Maevan there should be plenty of Rp there.

[hannahcoldkiller]

I made a similar point in another thread just now. I have two characters that I RP dungeons with are Titus, my gnome bard, and Vort, my H-Orc berzerker, mainly because Titus is a fairly one dimensional character and so is Vort. Titus is just plain silly and Vort, well, only says Vort. As far as class roles go, it is kinda hard to be a bard when everyone rushes ahead.

Something to keep in mind, though, if people have been around for a while, they've prolly done all the quests a billion times. It's kinda hard to walk up to a door and say, "I wonder what's on the other side?" I think more DM participation would add to the RP experience as well by changing things up from time to time.

[The Explorer]

Actually I have to agree with Hannah on that.

I am trying to get my two newest Chars to lvl 12 quickly because they both have serious weakness because they are Rp builds and everyone they know are generally strong or powerbuilds although it hasn't stopped them from getting into brawls at most opportunities

lvl 12 will be the best lvl for both of them because they get to go one the 3 best quests around for groups.

The tower = fun, loot not a walk over and if in a party with me and you don't want to Rp at the top you or I have joined the wrong party.
The Orc's, my favourite quest, definitly lots of Rp fun to be had in there.
Monastry = unfortunatly only a few spots for Rp because my chars are already dead if as Last time Rp is more fun than the monk with the big sword killing my Char.

There are ofcourse exceptions for those who inform the rest of us half way through:

My wife is; (enter whatever you like here)
My kids are growing horns and a tail now calling themselves Kell.
I am feeling a tad hot and a fire engine just turned up.
AFK Grabbing a beer is always excusable.

[Eratai]

I would have to agree with Maevan on this. I'm "new" but I have been around Das2 for long enough to get a feel for a lot of the players that are on at my playtimes. What I have seen is that unless I'm playing Jair and deliberately take control of things and slow everyone down, most times a party of 4+ will run around like mad, not RP, not allow traps to be disarmed, not allow or ask the mage for buffs etc etc. I have an "affectionate" term for those types "Zerg"

Zerg can be effective, but not nearly so much as directed Zerg, which are players who will try and put together a cohesive set of tactics.Everyone, slow down and really enjoy the envoirnments the DMs worked so hard to set up for you...or if you really must continue to be zerg, do it with some direction, job assingments and tactics. It'll protect your exp/profit margin if nothing else

[KoolestLoser]

You know very well that is a legitimate strategy.

I use it in Gears.

And I know what you mean, I try to throw in some RP here and there but it's hard to keep up with everything.

[Evelond Formos]

Man, ya know who was an expert at roleplaying in dungeons?

JAKE THE STEAK!!!

[Kell]

I think that all you gotta do if you want that is stay true to your own principles of roleplaying always and ever. I've met quite some people who continue roleplaying, even in dungeons. And roleplaying encourages roleplaying so stay true to that principle and you'll get it back. Methinks. Stay in character.

What I find really weird is people playing characters who supposedly aren't greedy. Yet, when they are in a dungeon they suddenly become ninjalooters. It's a little strange. And it makes me smirk. At least be creative enough to think of a valid excuse.

My kids are growing horns and a tail now calling themselves Kell.

Imposters.

[coruscadragon]

i too am often turned off by the lack of RP in dungeons, and that is one reason why i tend to avoid either large groups, or groups of people that i don't know... i simple HATE WoW-style "raids" on dungeons, and find that the faster pace of these tends to eliminate almost all opportunities for RP and result in most of the weaker characters dying, often multiple times. This in turn results in another thing that i hate, which is trying to RP your way around the game mechanic of respawning... often this alone is a reason to avoid death, aside from just the monetary and XP penalties...

I must admit that i am perhaps guilty of not trying enough... when i realize that a group has no intention of RPing, and is not communicating or cooperating, i usually just start fending for myself (and for other friends that may be caught up in the same group) and simply trying to stay alive, rarely attempting to RP at all past that point.

I must add that for a community of players that all RP being adventurers in some form or another, it seems silly that the RP is mainly relegated to standing around in huddles or drawn-out exchanges of forum RP, instead of RPing during the actual adventures! I have organized parties with my crafter where the entire premise of the party was that i was hiring them to protect him and carry the heavy loot, and that he was to be given first crack at any and all crafting supplies in the place. As soon as we actually enter the place we've got some guy running ahead and looting all the ingots... i probably should have tried harder to confront him about it IC, but by that point i had simply gone into "lets-get-this-fiasco-over-with" mode.

Another irony i find is that i usually have better RP in groups of lowbies than i do in groups of higher-level characters. This is not always the case, but it does seem to be a pattern, and perhaps has its roots in the fact that characters tend to have to rely on each other to survive at lower levels and perhaps become more self-sufficient at higher ones...

In closing i guess i should say good luck, there are great RPers out there who believe as i do, that RP can elevate a dungeon from a simple quest for loot and XP to a memorable experience, both for the player and their character. Remember that RP tends to engender RP, if it's to be had at all. And finally i must say thank you for all of you who i have had the pleasure of RPing adventures with, i think you know who you are...

[Eowade]

I think there are allot of players like me who can have fun either way if you want to RP your way through thats fine and I am game but if you want to get the dungeon over with before the next crash happens thats fine to. The problem is that when you have a group that is mixed it's hard to try to RP and keep up with those that aren't. I notice allot of times this happens people will stop at certain points and RP then move on in a quick manner.

[Akimbo]

RP in "dungeons" would be enhanced if you wern't always on a respawn time limit. I've been RP with a small group in bugbears, and halfway through a conversation the entire lot respawned on us unprepared....also: ninja looters, people who want xp, people who were soloing who stumble upon other players, people who play anti-social characters, people who worry whether the server/game will crash / rest before they have the time to claim their prizes. Plenty of reasons, some fixable, others not.