Dungeon Design Tips: You Need To Make Social Skills Viable If You Want Players To Use Them

(Apologies on the formatting, but I originally wrote this in my word processor, as my Internet service was down for a week. I don't know why it has chosen to appear this way, and I'm trying to fix it.)

One of the biggest complaints a lot of Game Masters have is that players will always try to solve problems with spells or steel, rather than using their wits or their words. However, while that is a valid complaint to have, it is important to first look in the mirror before assigning all the blame to the players sitting around the table.

In short, did you give them a reason to believe that rolling for diplomacy or persuasion would actually work? Or has that always led to the enemy getting the first shot in, putting the party at a disadvantage for the coming combat?

Now, stick with me here, I want you to NOT roll initiative just yet...

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

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If Words Don’t Work, Players Won’t Use Them

Generally speaking, players understand there are non-combat options to solve issues… but that understanding seems to only exist when their characters are in locations where combat is frowned upon. If they’re in a town, for example, they’ll try to barter for goods, sweet talk their way out of trouble, or threaten their way past a couple of street toughs… but as soon as the PCs step outside of the designated “friendly” zone, it’s like all their non-combat options get grayed out.

Your job, as the Game Master, is to show that just because the party is venturing through the depths of a forest, or they’re entering a dungeon, that doesn’t mean their social skills are no longer viable. And to do that, it pays to sprinkle in some encounters where players can see this in action.

Let's have a conversation, shall we sweet ones?

For example, say your players encounter a flitting fey creature (like one of the ones you might find in 100 Encounters in a Fey Forest, for instance) while they’re moving through the woods. They could attack it and drive it off, yes, but does doing so mean they find the forest ahead of them is now filled with traps? If they speak cordially with the creature, will it offer them guidance through the woods? Or perhaps tell them the location of a buried treasure, in exchange for a promise to take on a small task for it? If they’re merely pleasant, and offer it some of their rations, will the creature watch over them while they’re in its part of the forest, looking for some way to pay back the “gift” it was given?

Expand this idea out in other ways. Do the ogres guarding the wicked sorcerer’s fortress actually dislike the role they’ve been forced into, and they would love to see the spellcaster killed, as long as they get the gold they were promised? Do the rank-and-file members of the Mistwood Raiders think their war leader has gone too far in kidnapping people for ransom, and killing people who weren’t even resisting? If so, could they be persuaded to offer the party information, or even help, if they promise to end the bandit king who wears the bone crown taken from the forgotten tomb of the Mad King? Could they go so far as to open talks with a vampire who seems to be attacking a nearby town, or to engage with a dragon to establish an agreement between it and the terrified people who have lived in its shadow?

Parley? Well, I suppose...

Now, obviously, social skills won’t solve every situation. Clockwork automatons, mindless undead, and territorial magical beasts don’t respond to social overtures, and they will do what their programming, orders, or instincts urge them to do. There will always be antagonists whose goals are directly counter to what the PCs want, and so reaching any kind of agreement will be impossible. And there will always be enemies who think themselves too powerful to bend even an inch to the demands of others, no matter how soft the silk those demands are wrapped in. However, if you want your players to embrace a variety of tactics to solve problems, then it’s important to show them that there are reasonable creatures in the setting who will at least hear them out when they try to be diplomatic.

Lastly, it’s important to consider how this can affect the reputation of the party. If the sorcerer is known for an uncanny ability to bargain with fey creatures, does he earn the name Silvertongue among them (or Ironjaw for those who end up on the worse end of the agreements)? If the dwarven fighter sealed a pact with an orc clan, and upheld his end of that bargain, does that earn him respect among other members of that clan or nation? Perhaps opening doors that would have remained shut to him if he and his allies had merely slaughtered those who got in their way? And if the party takes prisoners, accepts surrender, and treats those who opposed them with honor, that’s something that should also be known to others after a time. On the other hand, if the party breaks promises, lies, cheats, and steals, then they’re going to find those bad decisions catching up with them, and their reputations are more of a weight around their necks than anything else.

For more on this, check out the article Character Reputation in Fantasy RPGs: The Small Legend.

And if you’re looking for more ways to incorporate social encounters into your next campaign, consider checking out some of the following supplements:

- 100 Random Encounters For On The Road Or In The Wilderness (general fantasy RPG)

- Social Encounters For Old School Revival (OSR system)

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Crunch post! To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

What Is Your Character's Vice?

Palavor arrived at the inn with leaves in his hair, and dark circles under his eyes. His robes were in disarray, and his boots had picked up new stains. He swayed where he stood, and he absently scratched the inside of his left wrist. Vitrin was the first to see him, and she sighed as she set her teacup down.

"Palavor," she said, her voice carefully neutral. He winced, ceasing his scratching and putting a hand to his head.

"Not so loud..." he moaned, dropping into a chair. Vitrin poured him a cup of tea, and set a bowl of porridge in front of him.

"You did it again, didn't you?" Vitrin asked. Palavor lowered his head, shame in his eyes. He started eating carefully, his hand trembling on occasion as he brought the gruel to his lips. Vitrin shook her head. "You have to stop this."

"I will," Palavor said around the tea as he poured it down his throat.

"I mean it," she said.

"So do I," Palavor gasped, reaching for the kettle.

"You always do on the morning after," Vitrin said. She pushed herself up from the table. "We depart in half an hour. We aren't waiting for you."

"I'll be there," Palavor said, wincing. "And I'll... try to clean up between now and then."

It's the only thing that lets me feel free from this prison of flesh...

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

What Vices Does Your Character Have?

We are all just collections of experiences, memories, learned responses, and habits... and some of those habits are bad ones. Those are usually the ones we think of when it comes to vices. Whether it's the habit itself that's bad (they tend to indulge in random acts of violence against folks who don't deserve it) or merely the length to which someone takes it (they can never have just one drink, or one hit, but will go on a full weekend bender if no one stops them), vices often define characters just as much as their virtues.

So take a moment to ask yourself what your character's vices are, but in addition to that, where did they pick them up? How much of a problem are they in their day-to-day life? And are they trying to leave those bad habits behind, find some healthy outlet for them, or are they simply giving into their worst impulses with gusto?

What day is it? Huh... I seem to have lost a whole week. What MONTH is it?

As an example, does your sorcerer find their day-to-day life difficult to live because of the power burning inside of them? Do they seek out drink or drugs to dull the edge of living in a body that can only handle so much magic at a time? And is their vice the substances they abuse, or is it the magic itself, which they can only dip into so often before they burn out or burn up, feeling empty all the way to their bones?

Does the fighter have a need they don't like to talk about? A part of them that feels excited when they draw blood, or crush bones? Do they crave the sensation of watching the light bleed out of someone's eyes? Did they take up the life of a soldier, or a bodyguard, hoping they'd be able to shed blood with impunity? Does the cleric have a weakness for the pleasures of the flesh? Do they fight against it, or do they find themselves giving in when their will is weak? Or has it created problems with them being tricked by fey, or falling victim to devils in disguise?

Even if a character's vice doesn't put them or their companions in mortal danger, or risk losing their class features for violating their tenets, they can cause other sorts of problems. For example, if the bard has light fingers and a compulsion to steal things, that can put a bounty on their (and their companions') heads. Greed could lead to someone taking terrible risks in the pursuit of treasure, and those who have a need to gamble (with either their money or their lives) might end up taking foolish risks, or biting off far more than they can chew when it comes to their adventures.

Finding Balance For Your Vice(s)

All of us have vices. Some of them are small, and are really more of an indulgence, like smoking a pipe of an evening, or having a second cup of strong brew with breakfast to start the day. Sometimes they don't really rise beyond this "personal quirk" level. Sometimes they do, and they can become small (or even large) problems for a character and their companions.

However, and this cannot be overstated, make sure that your character's vices don't become an undue burden on the rest of the table.

We are not breaking you out again. Not after what you did.

On the one hand, there's the mechanical issues that can come with certain vices. Characters with addictions who can't get their fix often operate under serious negatives. Characters who have psychological compulsions might have to spend resources to resist giving into said compulsions, and so on and so forth. And this is something you need to consider as a player, because it might mean that under a lot of circumstances your character might end up becoming a burden on their companions. No one wants to deal with someone going through withdrawal while they're about to raid a dragon's lair, after all.

On the other hand, it's important to ask about the larger implications of your character's vices. Does giving into their vices create a pattern of arrests, angered NPCs, or tortured prisoners that actively creates problems for everyone else? And are these problems serious enough that the character's companions might decide it's better to part ways with them?

There is no right answer to this question; it's a matter of the sort of game you're involved in. One game might be focused on evil characters where someone flaying prisoners might be seen as little more than a hobby that others will just put up with if it keeps them on-task. However, if there's a game where everyone is trying to play a noble hero, that might not be a game that will appreciate a fighter with an old war injury, a taste for blood, and a monkey on his back thanks to the alchemical treatments he's taking to manage his pain.

Talk to your Game Master, and your fellow players, and find the answer that works for all of you!

Lastly, consider grabbing some of the following supplements to help flesh out your characters in the future:

- 100 Questions To Ask About Your Characters

- 100 Dark Secrets

- 100 Character Goals and Motivations

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

When You Alter Or Ignore Rules, It Changes The Game's Challenge

All of us are familiar with the first rule of RPGs (or the 0th rule, depending on how you count)... namely that if you don't care for a particular rule that you can just change it, replace it, or even toss it out entirely at your table. It's been my experience, though, that a lot of players and Game Masters take this as carte blanche to do whatever they want, but then they're surprised when the minor change they thought they were making ends up being the flapping butterfly wing that leads to a completely unexpected monsoon in another area of the game!

So, while you are absolutely free to change, ignore, or otherwise customize your gaming experience when playing an RPG, it's a good idea to ask why a particular rule exists in the first place, and how this alteration is going to affect things going forward.

No movement penalty? Oh I'm comin' for ya!

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Change The Rules, Change The Game

I will be the first to admit, rule changes are not inherently bad. Even the professionals sometimes get things wrong, or maybe you just want to simplify something in a way that doesn't boomerang back and smack you in the head as a GM because the deeper changes to the rules never have an effect on the monsters you use, or the characters and classes your players pick. But it is important to stop and ask why certain rules exist the way they do, and to ask yourself what removing those rules does to the challenge of the game, but also to the balance you're working with.

For example, let's talk about wizards.

Say you're running a wizard in the first edition of Pathfinder, or in the 3.5 edition of Dungeons and Dragons (this example might work for other games and other editions, but I don't want to make assertions I'm not fully confident about). So, you are a prepared caster, and you need your spellbook in order to properly prepare your spells every day. That spellbook is both your advantage (since you can learn new spells from other books, and from magic scrolls), but it is also your weakness. If something happens to that item, you are in deep shit, as you can't refresh your spells until you come across a new book.

Most GMs aren't big enough dicks to deliberately target a wizard's spellbook, as that is a surefire way to upset and frustrate a player. However, even if you don't have goblins trying to snatch it away, or enemy wizards casting disintigrate on the book, there are a slew of other rules that we often ignore regarding this jarring weakness. For example, if a character winds up in the midst of an area of effect spell, like fireball, they're supposed to roll saves for particular possessions on their person... and for wizards, that often means a spellbook. There's also the question of what happens when a character's possessions are exposed to the elements, such as when they're thrown overboard into the ocean, trapped in a downpour, or just fording a river on their journey. All of these situations have rules that can affect character possessions (scrolls, black powder, alchemical items, rations, etc.), including one's spellbook.

This is the reason (not to shake my walking stick at the clouds) there were so many alternatives for wizards specifically, and for other prepared arcane casters in general. There were warded spellbooks, spellbooks made of specific materials, spells that kept your spellbook safe in a pocket dimension where it wouldn't be affected, tattooed spellbooks that would be safe as long as you didn't get your skin flayed off, and it was why some campaigns just gave you thick tomes of extra spells that you could use to copy over your existing spells, ensuring you had a copy back at the cart, the inn, your castle, etc. if something happened to your in-the-field grimoire.

A lot of us ignore these rules entirely for making separate saves for player equipment when they're exposed to particular hazards. And on the one hand, yes, that means wizards, magi, and similar characters don't have to worry about a single bad roll taking away an item they need. That also means they aren't spending their resources to ensure their books are safe from harm, and that they have back-ups in case something happens. It also means that the advantages of other casting classes like the sorcerer (who requires no spellbook, and often doesn't even require material components) are far less powerful by comparison.

I've run the numbers here... they check out.

This doesn't just apply to the one, specific example I listed. It also happens when you ignore rules that say spellcasters need one hand to hold a focus component, and one hand to make somatic gestures. This undercuts special class features and powers that let weapons, shields, etc. double as necessary components to free up a character's hands. Ignoring the requirements of a holy symbol for divine casters (something that is also subject to the above rules for environmental damage in many cases) devalues features that may give you tattooed or birthmark symbols that can't be destroyed so easily, or which may free up a character's hands for other actions. It happens when you completely ignore encumberance rules, and you have your party carrying a literal ton of magic and alchemical items into the next dungeon, and it happens when you don't bother keeping track of ammunition (special or otherwise), and you wonder why the long-ranged characters have such a major advantage.

Again, we can all run our games however we want to. It is important to remember, though, that game designers don't just make up rules to fill more pages and expand our book so it looks more impressive... rules are made to solve issues in the system. Kind of like the safety precautions you're supposed to follow at work. Yes, they might be annoying, or you might wish you could ignore them, but the powers-that-be required that rule because the boss kept putting barrels of toxic waste in the crew's sleeping quarters, or the machinery kept ripping off people's fingers... the alterations were made for a reason.

The easiest way to find out what that reason was is to ignore the rule, and see what happens as a result!

Players Change To Reflect The Rules

This isn't a white room thought experiment, either. If the rules shift, that has the potential to encourage players to use different avenues and mechanics to reach their goals. I told a story about this very thing happening in real-time in episode 34 of Discussions of Darkness, How Rule 0 Creates Ripples in Playstyles.

This warning is basically the other side of the coin. Because the examples I talked about in the previous section were all things that GMs could do to throw players a bone, and relieve the burden/pressure on certain classes or characters... however, when you institute rules to limit the effectiveness of particular options to control player behavior, players often find alternatives and workarounds in directions you might not have expected them to go.

For those who don't have time to listen to the full story in the video, it was about how Minds Eye Society limited the damage a single character could do in one strike. 5 levels of lethal damage was the universal cap, regardless of what someone's powers were, what magic items were play, etc. Whether it was a mortal security guard who got off a lucky shot, or a Promethean who threw an exploding tanker truck at someone, 5 levels of damage was the most that could be done... and since an average character has 7 levels of health, and 6 at a minimum, it became impossible to kill anyone outright with one attack. So players started investing in the ability to hire goon squads of their own, bringing teams of characters with tooled-up armories as back up and fire support. Because no one of them could deal a death blow... but if you have 10 elite troopers at your side, and you also get into the fray, well, now you've got superior firepower and a bunch of extra attacks on your side of the fight.

Change Requires The Whole Table

We usually think of rule changes as something the Game Master does, and that players have to deal with, for good or for ill. However, changing the rules of the game is something that should be done with the consensus of all players. If you want to change things up, explain why you think a rule isn't working, what you'd like to do instead, and make sure everyone has buy-in for it. Also, make sure that you make it clear that if this change doesn't work, or creates more problems than it solves, this is something you can come back to in the future and talk about more.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. Everyone at the table needs to be playing the same game, and rule changes should be made with the consent of everyone so that each person believes this is more fun (and potentially more fair) than the system that's already in place. And while not every change is going to work, everyone should be onboard for it, and be part of the discussion for how to structure the game you're all playing.

Lastly, if you're looking for some extra reading along these lines, consider checking out my ice cover supplements 100 Tips And Tricks For Being A Better Game Master, and the sequel I wrote soon after 100 Tips And Tricks For Being A Better RPG Player.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Crunch post! To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

More Meta Supplements Are Coming Your Way!

Folks who've been following my work over the past few years have seen all kinds of different supplements with my name on them. I've had general fill-in content for Game Masters like 100 Random Oracular Pronouncements, or 100 Random Mercenary Companies. I've released DND 5E adventure modules such as my murder mystery False Valor, or the horror-themed Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh. I've written 14 different supplements for my Sundara setting at time of writing, all of which are conveniently listed out in my previous entry What Do You Want To See Next in Sundara: Dawn of a New Age? And that's not even counting the various World of Darkness supplements I've put out, or the short stories I've got on the market, like my contributions to the Werewolf: The Apocalypse collection Tales From The Moot, or my Pathfinder Tale The Irregulars.

Needless to say, it's been a busy few years.

However, something that was meant to be kind of a one-off palate cleanser for me as a creator ended up making a far bigger impact than I expected. So, in a classic case of, "follow the audience's interest," it looks like I'm switching to a new project for at least the next few months. And for lack of a better term I'm calling them my meta supplements.

Just in case you didn't see this when it dropped.

Before we get into it this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Making More of The Meta

Typically when I put together a supplement it's full of stuff that's meant to be in-world. It's NPCs you might meet, or encounters you might have, taverns you could meet in, guilds or cults you might cross, things of that nature. However, when 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better Game Master first dropped, it went Silver within the first few days. I won't say that's never happened to me before, but it is rare enough that when it does happen I sit up and take notice.

Since the response to that supplement was bigger than I expected, I figured I'd try another couple of titles out to see if the response was similar. And while 100 Character Goals and Motivations didn't explode quite as hard as the Game Master tips supplement did, it still went Silver faster than most of my other supplements have. While the third installment, which will be 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better RPG Player hasn't dropped yet (though it should be out this weekend, and I'll update the link to reflect that when it comes out), I am currently plotting more of these supplements for the future as long as readers keep checking them out.

So, what makes a meta supplement, exactly? Well, one thing is that they tend to have a lighter tone, as evidenced by Why Are You Here? the introduction from the goals and motivations supplement where we find that the fighter's true motivation is nowhere near as dark, serious, or gritty as everyone else in the party.

Perhaps more important than a lighter tone mixed with a little humor, though, meta supplements aren't in-game resources that are meant to be plopped down as a piece of set design. Instead they're advice on how you can be a better player, a better Game Master, or a discussion of the meta aspects of the story you're trying to tell. In a lot of ways this makes these supplements less concrete than some of the other examples I mentioned in the opener, because they were meant to be point-and-shoot. If you need a bartender, open this supplement. A cult, open this one. A knightly order, a mercenary company, a guild, there's a supplement you can pluck them out of and fill in the blank.

At the same time, though, I have a sneaking suspicion that it is the less concrete aspects of these supplements that might be what makes them popular. There's dozens of splats out there full of character names and the contents of treasure piles, but not a lot of them discussing character motivations, story beats, player habits, and general table behavior. But we'll see how folks respond to the upcoming releases, and whether the demand maintains. Because as I repeatedly say on this platform, as long as readers are buying copies and asking for more, that's a vein I'll continue to mine until I'm completely out of ideas.

Also, if you enjoyed the little audio drama above, consider subscribing to the Azukail Games YouTube channel. We need every set of eyeballs we can get, since YouTube won't monetize it till after it gets 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watched content within the past year... we're nowhere near either of those, and every drop fills the bucket up a little bit more!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Players, Remember, Nobody is a Jerk to Everyone All The Time

We've all shared a table with this character at least once. Maybe it was the rogue who always seemed to have a veiled threat when they interacted with anyone. Perhaps it was the barbarian who always bullied people to get their way. Or the wizard who talked down and condescended to everyone else because, as evidenced by their stats, they were clearly the smartest person in the room at any given time. Even if you liked the player, or you recognized what they were trying to do with their character, after a while you just couldn't put up with it anymore.

Because no matter what happened, no matter what you did, or how you tried to roleplay with them, the character had one setting, and it was being a jerk. That was their whole thing, and no matter what buttons you pushed they just didn't seem interested in shifting gears.

Got a problem? Fight me!

This week I want to remind players of something; no one is a jerk all the time, and to every person they know. Everyone has their moments of thoughtfulness, apology, camaraderie, and even support. Everyone has people they want to stay friends with, whom they want to like them, or who they know they cannot afford to burn bridges with. Being unpleasant all the time is just playing one note, and it's a note people get tired of really, really fast.

As always, if you want to make sure you get all of my updates, sign up for my weekly newsletter! And if you want to help me keep the blog going, consider becoming a Patreon patron... even a little support can go a particularly long way.

You Don't Have To Be Nice (Just Don't Be a Pain in The Ass)

To get out ahead of the strawman criticisms on this point, I'm not saying that all our characters need to be kind, good, nice, or accepting. You don't have to bake cookies and give everyone cool nicknames like you're coaching a little league team. What I'm saying is that to avoid a concept from becoming a one-note character, you need to develop their attitudes more. Allow the character to change and grow, and let them have more than one way of interacting with the world around them.

And in this context, remember that a tabletop RPG is a team sport. All of you are in this together, which means you've got to be able to work with each other.

One more word out of you, and I won't heal you till next week. We clear?

I talked about this back in Make Sure Your Character is as Fun to Play With as They Are to Play, but that entry mostly focused on the meta concerns of gelling with the rest of the table as a player. For this entry I want to look at characters who always seem to respond with snark, hostility, or some sort of aggressive dismissal, and point out that it's a pretty shallow take.

Because you can totally still play characters who act this way... but you need to understand why they act that way, who they act that way toward, and to ask how that element will add to the story rather than taking away from it.

Hey! Nobody Talks That Way To The Wizard But Me...

As an example of what I'm talking about, take your stereotypical barbarian/wizard friction. The barbarian is distrustful of the wizard's academic approach, and dismissive of their use of magic instead of muscle. The wizard considers the barbarian ignorant and savage, always escalating situations pointlessly out of ego, or some backward idea of honor. This situation starts out rough, probably with the two of them either ignoring each other, or trading barbs because neither can do what the other can.

Over time, and the progression of several levels, their relationship begins to change. Uther charged in, sword swinging, to save the wizard from an assailant who could have killed him. And when battle was joined another day, Egregor used his spells to fill Uther with strength, and to protect him from the onslaught of their foes. Their barbs became duller as they began to understand each other, turning into a kind of rough camaraderie that one would expect between soldiers who'd served together, or brothers whose fights camouflaged their affection.

The sort of relationship where Uther might call Egregor a thin-wristed, moon-eyed wren, but let anyone else talk to the wizard that way and Uther will knock that person's teeth out.

Now apologize, before I get upset.

Characters who spend time together, and who face danger side-by-side, should see their relationships change over time, and the layers should be peeled back to reveal what's actually happening.

As a for-instance, the rogue who ran with a gang of toughs is used to insults being exchanged as a form of greeting, or friendship (with certain insults being signs of good relations, and others still maintaining their original, hurtful intent). So what seemed like a barrage of disrespect is actually how you can identify who their friends are. Over time a few party members pick up this patois, while the rogue learns to instead speak to the cleric in a lighter tone that still implies respect and familiarity, without shifting entirely to cold formality. Alternatively the grim, taciturn fighter who always kept to herself slowly comes out of her shell, learning to trust this group of adventurers she's signed on with. In time we find out that she's lost so many comrades that she simply didn't let herself get attached, using stoicism and silence to stop anyone from reaching out to her. After half a dozen levels, though, her party finds out she can cook, and when she's comfortable around you she'll even sing.

This Applies To Evil Characters, Too

The other side of the coin is that you might have a character who is a genuine bastard. There's no cultural misunderstanding for how they act, and no deeper trauma they're hiding; they're just nasty to other people because that is what gives them feelings of power. The ability to hit someone with a really nasty insult, or to outmaneuver someone socially, just makes them happy. Maybe they're not actually evil, just toxic, and they need to keep a strict social hierarchy (and to make clear where they are in the pecking order) in order to function.

Even in these situations, it's important to let characters change and grow as their relationships develop. And, generally speaking, to examine the goals, motivations, and self-preservation of the character in question. And while I covered some of this in 5 Tips For Playing Better Evil Characters, it's worth returning to.

Words are weapons... don't wound your allies, or they won't be your allies for long.

Consider the black knight. His handsome face is constantly twisted by a sneer of disgust, and his every word to those he sees as beneath him is dismissive and arrogant. He'll be the first to backhand a commoner for not bringing him his drink fast enough, or for what he sees as talking back to him.

But would he treat those in his party, his chosen band, the same way? Probably not. It isn't out of the goodness of his black heart, of course, but it might be out of a sense of respect, of honor, or simply of self-preservation.

The knight doesn't respect the hulking brute Caligras, but he knows the half-ogre is dangerous. So he plays the friend, treating him more like a favored hound than as an equal (or even as a person). The witch Tiberius is common-born, and claimed by fell magics to boot, but the knight respects his power, so he treats him the way one might a favored vassal, or a distant cousin. He doesn't want the witch turning those arcane arts from the enemy, onto himself. The same is true of the dark priest Fenethor, whose talk of blood and pain would be frightening were it not so constant. He doesn't waste time intimidating the servant of a flayed god, nor in trying to bully them. Instead he treats their interactions formally, as he would when discussing strategy with an advisor or a lieutenant upon the field of battle.

This lets you play the character as you envision them, but it also means your fun isn't rubbing the other players the wrong way. And even if you establish starting attitudes and opinions regarding others in the party (or even other PCs), those things can always change over time.

Just because a character felt, acted, or behaved one way at the start of the game doesn't mean they can't change as they go through the game. They're getting experience, after all, and experience is what allows all of us to grow and become different over time.

Also, for further reading on the subject, check out:

- Remember, The Party is Under No Obligation To Adventure With You

- Let Them Reap What They Sow (Actions and Consequences For PCs in RPGs)

- 6 Dos and Don'ts of Character Flaws

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

"It Is Always Better To Do The Thing" Made My LARP Career Far More Interesting

The monarchs sat in conclave, heatedly discussing what to do. Every season had a different strategy, and none were willing to give ground to the others. So they sat, gridlocked, while the rest of the freehold held its breath. It was as they were preparing for another round of verbal sparring that a heavy hand hammered on the door. Eyes went wide, and each of them exchanged glances. Their time, whether they knew it or not, was up.

It was Spring's Queen who floated toward the door, her feathers twitching as she tried to maintain her composure. Every instinct the songbird had told her not to approach that door, or the scent of the thing on the other side of it. But she steeled her spine, and opened the door.

The figure on the other side of the door radiated raw, animal menace. Though he possessed the rough form of a man, with a thick mane of hair and cables of hard muscle beneath his scarred skin, the Hedge had tainted him. The nails on his hands were thick claws, like those of some fanciful predator, and the teeth in his jaw were too long, and too sharp. The eyes were a piercing blue that never seemed to blink. Worse, while he stood still, the coat he wore seemed to twitch and sway as whispers just on the edge of hearing burbled from the depths of the shadows between its folds.

"I'm going out," the creature called Mr. Sainte said. The Hound glanced at those who ruled the freehold, unbowed by their authority or their combined power. He leaned in, his nostrils flaring as he drank in the scent of the Spring Queen's primal fear of hunting beasts. "If you've made some plan, now's the time to mention it. Because once I step out that door, I'm not coming back till the job is done."

And once I step into those shadows, you won't find me unless I want you to.

There's No Time To Waste! Let Us Discuss This For 3 Hours...

There is something that happens in LARPs that has become the bane of my existence as a player; the Meeting of the Authorities. This is what happens whenever a plot point drops, and the powers-that-be retire to a closed-door meeting to discuss what to do about it. Whether you're playing Vampire, Changeling, a traditional fantasy game, or something else entirely, as long as the leaders of the community are player characters, this happens. And what's worse, it can take anywhere from half an hour to half the game for these PCs to reach a decision, and to then distribute that plan out to the rest of the venue regarding what we all need to do about this latest development.

And while they're doing that, the rest of the players are just sitting on their hands, feeling their makeup run, and their wigs start to itch.

Man, I hope I get to actually play at some point today...

Enter the infamous Mr. Sainte, and the phrase that ended up becoming my motto as a player.

Mr. Sainte was a character of mine in a Changeling: The Lost LARP several years back. Born Shepherd Black, he was caught by the Wild Hunt by chance while he was at the police academy. Molded into one of the lead hounds, he led uncounted hunts before he stumbled back into the real world following a scent. Eventually his nose led him to his fetch. The fetch, not well-adjusted to begin with, was cracking under the pressure of his position. He'd become a cop in Shepherd's place, and he'd been undercover for vice. Planted deep with the Russian mafia, living two lives on top of seeing things that shouldn't exist, and having awful nightmares about what Shepherd was living through in the Hedge, the fetch was at a breaking point.

It was only too glad to give Shepherd the life of the infamous Mr. Sainte, and to disappear for a while. Of course, with that identity, Shepherd also acquired a badge, and enough sway that he could smooth things out for the local freehold... or make life very unpleasant for those he felt had crossed a line.

Sainte was an enforcer, and the savagery of the hunting hound was never far beneath his skin. In addition to his claws and teeth, though, it was his ability to seemingly vanish into thin air, and to track people who'd thought they couldn't be followed that made him so unnerving. A black bagger of the first order, if Sainte took it into his mind to make someone disappear, it was only a matter of time before they dropped completely off the radar to anyone but those who could read the skeins of the Wyrd itself.

Big Dogs Don't Take Well To Leashes

Now, under ideal circumstances, his skills would have been put to use for the good of the freehold. A scout, a specialist in intimidation, a capable warrior, and someone who was more than happy to get his hands dirty, he was built as a hatchet man. But rather than let him off the leash, any time there was a plot development the players with the role of the monarchs sequestered themselves in council. Orders could have been given to other players, allowing them to complete separate tasks while discussions were had (there were enough assistant storytellers to keep more than one plate spinning at a time), but it just never seemed to happen. So 4 players were engaged with a tense scene, while between 6 and a dozen others just sat around doing nothing.

And as anyone who's ever had a high-energy dog can tell you... if you don't give them something to do, they will eventually get destructive due to all their pent-up energy. The same is true of players like myself, as I mentioned in Game Masters, Goal-Oriented Players Need Challenges (Or They'll Eat The Setting).

Who you looking at?

The first time the venue was left to cool its heels, I contented myself with some light RP with other folks. The second time I had a long, in-depth conversation with others about what was going on with the current problem. The third time, though... well, the third time Mr. Sainte tapped an ogre on the shoulder, grabbed one of the freehold's academics with a greater knowledge of the creature who had made itself a problem, and went to solve it himself.

By the time the monarchs had agreed this creature needed to be dealt with, Sainte and his impromptu crew had determined what it was, where it was, and put something of a hurt on it. They were only coming back to the freehold to load up before finishing the hunt. While there was some talk about how communication and cooperation needed to be exercised, a hard look from the Hound made it clear that was going to go both ways if they expected this situation to work.

Which was why, from that day forward, any conclave had an invisible, ticking clock on it. And when the Hound came knocking it meant that the decision was going to be taken out of their hands, or they were going to have to explain to him exactly why he shouldn't task a crew and go kick the hornet's nest.

"It Is Always Better To Do The Thing"

I talked about this broadly way back in 5 Tips To Get The Most Out of Your Next LARP, but it's something I feel this motto really hammers home. Because being proactive is one of the best things you can do in order to really get the most out of a LARP specifically, and in RPGs in general. And if you find yourself constantly waiting for the Authorities to tell everyone to get on the bus, just go without them. Because when you do that, something rather amazing happens...

Other players start getting on the bus, too.

If you're going to Do The Thing, and you make it a point to bring other players with when you Do The Thing, pretty soon it gains momentum. Whether you're hunting down a dangerous fey creature, scouting out a strange location, or digging for dirt on a nosy cop that's becoming a pain in the game's collective backside, anything that allows you to get other people involved not only stops you from sitting on your duff, but it helps other players have an engaging night.

The thing you're doing doesn't have to be super important. It doesn't have to be some high-risk endeavor that the fate of the venue is riding on. Sometimes it's locating an NPC that's important to your backstory, or claiming a new piece of turf, or just gaining access to the restricted section of a library to do some research. But the activity should help achieve concrete goals, allow everyone to participate, and give those involved something to talk about at afters once the game has wrapped for the night.

And once you make it a habit, you'll also find that any Meeting of the Authorities ends up becoming as short as they can make it... because if they take too long they'll come out of conference to find the situation has dramatically changed while they had their heads buried in the sand.

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I help out from time to time. Or, to check out books like my hard-boiled cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

The Convert (A Cleric Concept)

Tarmujan peered at the figure approaching his ramshackle throne. The bandit lord's scarred face seamed, and then recognition dawned on his face. He laughed; a cruel sound that curdled in the ear, but which was echoed by the "court" of brigands who ranged out in a half circle from where their leader sat.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Tarmujan asked, standing and drawing the wicked blade at his hip. "Or has the child of light returned to me again?"

The young man didn't respond. His robes were torn and ragged, crusted with blood. His lank hair hung in his face. He was no bigger now than when he'd been cast out into the waste to die, but there was something different about him. Iron stiffened his spine, and there was a determination in his steps. Some of the bandits recognized it, scenting a change in the wind like wild dogs sensing a coming storm. They weren't sure what was happening, but they took a step back all the same.

"No last words?" Tarmujan shrugged, walking forward, drawing his blade back for a swing. "You had your chance, boy."

The young man snarled a single word, his voice ringing with a primal power. Cracks ran along the length of Tarmujan's blade, and then the carefully honed steel exploded. The bandit lord roared in surprise and pain, shards of metal piercing his neck, his arm, and blinding him in one eye. He cast the hilt aside, snatching at the dagger in the small of his back. He roared as he charged. There were no more words, no more bravado, just the primal, killing frenzy. The young man smiled, and Tarmujan's dogs drew back from that smile. It was a hideous, hateful thing, and it seemed an anathema on the face of the pacifist priest.

What happened next was incomprehensible to those watching. The slender figure grabbed Tarmujan's arm, stopping it in mid-swing. No matter how hard he strained, he could not move the blade an inch closer to the priest's body. He punched at the young man, but the solid, meaty blows did nothing but bloody his smile. The priest bent Tarmujan's arm back further, and further, until something snapped, and the bandit lord screamed again.

The priest didn't stop until every part of Tarmujan was broken. When he stood, blood dripping from his hands and seeping into his robe, the bandits drew back in horror. Carved into the young man's forehead was a symbol they had only seen among the roving packs of wasteland monsters; an unholy mark that promised death, dismemberment, and destruction.

"You left me in the wastes," he intoned, his voice strong, and his eyes unblinking. "There was no light there. No hope. No peace. But there was something else. You showed me the path to my new lord. So I offer you all this one chance. Step forth, and have your eyes opened... or have your bones added to his throne!"

I have seen what dwells behind the flesh, and it is destruction.

The Convert

When you think of a cleric, you tend to think of someone with a deep, abiding faith. Someone who has a personal relationship with their patron deity, and who strives to embody the ideals of that deity. You know, stuff I covered in my 5 Tips For Playing Better Clerics. However, there are times where even the gods make mistakes, or where an individual can no longer abide the creed of their god.

If a cleric breaks faith with their deity, they sever their ties to the powers granted by that deity. However, that doesn't mean another god will not hear their prayers. That another god may offer them exactly what they ask for, as long as they will bend the knee, and serve the new patron's requirements.

No one wishes to hear my word... tell them anyway.

This might be similar to the story that opened this character concept. Perhaps a servant of a god of light and mercy is pushed too far, and in their pain and rage they spurn that deity for a new patron. A god of destruction, strength, and vengeance who not only allows them to deliver retribution, but gives them the express power to do it. Alternatively, a champion of a dark god or evil cult could stray from that path of wickedness, attempting to become a servant of a god of justice, temperance, and righteousness. A progression that isn't too dissimilar from The Risen Antipaladin.

It is also important to remember that the change in a convert doesn't have to be so extreme, either. Additionally, it can happen slowly, gradually influenced by that character's actions over time.

For example, say you had a reluctant cleric of a god of war. They're trained in combat, and adept at strategy, but they tend to focus more on healing the wounded than in getting into the thick of battle. While a necessity, they may grow tired of the sight of fighting, and of the wounds it inflicts on so many. This could lead them to slowly pull away from the patron of warriors and soldiers, and instead seek induction into an order of healers. They might fulfill the same duties, and have the same role within the party or campaign, but they've found a god who is more suited to their personality and skills.

You could, of course, do that in reverse and have a medic who gradually becomes a warrior with an iron-shod staff as adept at smiting the enemy as they are at healing their allies. It's all about the journey you want your character to take, or how the story pushes them.

How Long Is This Going To Take?

Something I would recommend for this character concept is to have the conversion as part of their existing background before the game starts. This option works best if you're starting the game above 1st level so that your conversion is part of your character's Small Legend (more on that in Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend), and you can enjoy the story element without dealing with mechanical bumps in the road. You could run into people who knew you as a servant of your old faith (for good or ill), people you once served with, etc. This could be particularly poignant if you are helping the party fight against your old faithful, or if there are sore feelings between yourself and your former brethren of faith who now consider you a heretic or a blasphemer.

If you're going to have the conversion happen in-game, though, make sure you talk to your GM beforehand and work out a situation that you're both happy with regarding potentials for cleric conversion down the line.

The reason I say this is that I've seen far too many GMs who want to treat this as an excuse to punish a player, rather than reward them for having an interesting story. Setting a penitent quest, or forcing the cleric to play for a dozen sessions with no spells, no domain powers, and no patron is just frustrating, both for the player and the rest of the party who depending on their cleric to carry their share of the load.

No one wants to carry your dead weight.

My personal recommendation is that, as a GM, you should have interested gods keeping an eye on the cleric in case they want to poach them from their current deity. There aren't that many mortals who can wield that kind of power, after all, so when one is suddenly open to adding their strength, will, and hands to the cause of a new deity, it can only help that deity to make the offer when the cleric is vulnerable to their sales pitch.

In this case, you're not looking for the cleric to prove themselves to a new god; their actions, beliefs, etc. should already have done that; you're simply looking for an opportunity for that new god to offer to take the cleric into their service, and for the cleric to accept the offer.

Maybe it happens in the midst of battle, when the cleric feels another influence on them offering powers that could save their allies, and crush their enemies. You might even go through the whole scenario of the cleric losing their powers, and dealing with that loss, before another patron comes to call when the cleric is grieving and vulnerable. Maybe it's in a dream, perhaps they're approached by a strange figure, or they find themselves near a shrine they didn't know about. They might have followed a glowing white stag into a forest clearing, or met a shrouded servant of a trickster god, but the point is that this should be a new chapter in their character progression. Make it exciting, make it meaningful, make it personal, but don't drag the player over concrete, or reduce their ability to participate in the game, because they wanted to use conversion to a new deity as a plot point in their development. Facilitate the transfer of power, and the cleric's new management, so they can get back in the game!

Your cleric player (and the rest of the table) will thank you.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!