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Dungeons & Dragons - Role Playing Tips
Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #111
10 Tips For Roleplaying Rulers
Contents:
This Week's Tips Summarized
10 Tips For Roleplaying Rulers
- Rulers Should Be Special NPCs
- Never Reveal Weakness
- It's Better To Stall Than To Hesitate
- Use The Chain Of Command And Bureaucracy
- Be Careful With Questions
- The PCs Are Disposable
- The PCs Are Not Equals
- Talk About The PCs In The Third Person
- Avoid Overusing The Friendly Leader Archetype
- Speak Like A Ruler
Readers' Tips Summarized
- Hand Out Pics Of NPCs Only When The PCs First Meet Them
- Finding Pics of NPCs On The Web
- The Battledome: A Way To Give Or Remove Items From PCs
- Alien Voices Tips
- Easy, Consistent Name Creation
Return to Contents
A Brief Word From Johnn
Looking For More Game Master Information?
Here's a cool site with a ton of free game master articles
written by RPG author Heather Grove. I also highly recommend
her free newsletter:
Twilighttime -- Tabletop Roleplaying Magazine
http://two.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/twilighttime
New Campaign Starting -- Wish Me Luck
I have a new D&D 3E campaign starting this week. Thanks
again for your Temple of Elemental Evil tips, as per my plea
in #105. I'll be GMing four players who will be completely
new to me and I'm quite excited. Hopefully they won't be
bringing any tomatoes or rotten vegetables with them. :)
Cheers,
Johnn Four
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
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Return to Contents
10 Tips For Roleplaying Rulers
- Rulers Should Be Special NPCs
Kings, Presidents, Generals, and leaders of all shapes and
sizes should be very special NPCs in your campaigns. They
should be roleplayed well and deserving of the respect that
your world's inhabitants give them. Too often PCs expect to
meet with rulers and demand, say, and get what they want
with impunity. Or, even worse, they finish the encounter
with a yawn.
I recommend giving extra care and attention to scenes in
your stories that involve leaders. Spend a little extra time
thinking about the NPC's personality, responsibilities, goals,
and behaviour so that your players are left with a sense of
awe, respect, or even fear after an encounter with a capable
leader.
Encounters and scenes that involve nobility, leaders, and
rulers should be saved for key moments in your adventures
and campaigns. This will help prevent the yawn factor and
help players to not take such meetings for granted.
Examples of key moments:
- Just before the story's climax
- Just before the PCs begin a dangerous encounter
- The reward for a successful mission
- To enhance a dramatic scene or moment of the plot
Imagine that the PCs are hired by the King for a mission
whose success is vital to the kingdom. It's tempting to have
the King meet directly with the PCs at this point, but there
is no drama or tension yet in game play. It's just the
beginning of the story, and possibly, the beginning of the
game session when the players are still half in and half out
of character.
Instead, have the King's advisor hire the PCs and send them
on their way. Perhaps the characters see a dark figure
wearing a crown standing high up in the shadows of a castle
window wordlessly watching their departure.
The PCs overcome great adversity and return triumphant.
"Come this way to meet the royal advisor" they are told. And
they are re-united with the advisor again. Only, the advisor
quickly whisks them away to the throne room where they are
surprised by a rushed meeting with the King who briefly
shakes each PC's hand and congratulates them personally. The
appearance of the King at this point is guaranteed to seem
as part of the reward, whereas this would not have been
possible if the PCs had met the King at the beginning of the
story.
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- Never Reveal Weakness
A leader revealing weakness is like dripping blood in a pool
of sharks. A ruler must always appear strong, even during
moments of great weakness, otherwise ambitious rivals will
step up their plans for a take-over.
What this means for you as GM is, during every moment of
every scene that features a leader, you must roleplay that
NPC with strength, confidence, and decisiveness.
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- It's Better To Stall Than To Hesitate
Roleplaying a confident and decisive ruler is tricky,
especially when the PCs gang-up on you! Any time you:
- Can't think of what to say next
- Start to hesitate
- Don't know how the ruler NPC would react
- Feel torn between playing the leader true-to-character and covering up for a PC's mistake or breach of etiquette
You're better off stalling for a bit while you think up a
solution than to hesitate and make the NPC appear weak.
Here are some ways to stall gracefully:
- Have the leader turn aggressive. "Do you know who you are
talking to? You will show me respect when you speak to me!
Now leave me and next time I summon you, if I choose to do
so, you will demonstrate manners appropriate to your
lowly station."
- Let an advisor save the day--that's what they are there
for. An advisor can:
- Step forward and whisper something in the leader's ear
(and while you're roleplaying this out, you are buying
time to think)
- Interrupt: "If I may be so bold sire, I happen to
know/be an expert on..."
- Create a distraction (see below)
- Turn aggressive: "Do you question the king?! My Lord,
shall I summon the guards to take these rogues to a
dark, cold cell?"
- Create a distraction:
- "Fire! Fire!"
- A messenger stumbles in, out of breath with an
important missive
- The leader's charismatic wife/husband/mate enters
the room
While this method isn't very graceful, you can turn this
potential disaster into a compelling encounter with fast
timing. As soon as you start to get stuck or hesitate
immediately execute your distraction. If you do it fast
enough, the players will think it's part of the show, or at
least become distracted enough to not dwell on the leader's
gaff.
- Have the leader turn coy:
- "The Captain throws his head back and howls with mirth.
'You've got guts', he says, 'I'll give you that!'"
- "That's an interesting point. You seem quite confident in
yourselves..." (Then remain silent until the PCs grow too
uncomfortable and speak first--meanwhile, you're busy
thinking up a way out of the situation)
- Stall with a story. "When I was about your age, something
similar happened to me in the Darkspine Mountains..."
- Stall with a dismissal. "I'll take your opinions and
questions under consideration. Do not leave the town proper
until I have granted your leave, I may need to summon you
again."
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- Use The Chain Of Command And Bureaucracy
By their very nature, most characters are egotistical. By
this I mean that they expect to utter some magic words like
"I bear an important message for the King!" and be granted
an immediate audience.
It's probably not entirely the PCs' fault that they act this
way either. They most likely do have an important message,
and modern life makes players impatient with bureaucracy and
formalized procedures.
However, it's important that you stick to your guns and have
the PCs follow whatever procedures you have established. As
a general rule of thumb, the more powerful and important the
leader, the more hurdles PCs will have to leap in order to
gain an audience, make a request, or get noticed.
It's important that you reserve direct interaction with
important leaders for powerful moments in your stories and
campaigns.
Some example hurdles to place in front of PCs are:
- Paperwork
- Guards with some, though limited, authority
- Bureaucrats (clerks, supervisors, managers, ministers)
- Personal guards (often authorized to shoot first, ask questions later)
- Advisors
- Spouses and significant others
- Etiquette ("You wish to see the Prime Minister in those...garments? I think not.")
- Policy (i.e. public hearings held only on the Tenday)
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- Be Careful With Questions
Questions are very powerful things in parleys. Aside from
answers, they can reveal two important items:
- What you don't know
- What the other person doesn't know
Unless the leader is quick-witted (and therefore, you as GM
as well) you should be careful with questions:
- Avoid asking questions that reveal the leader doesn't know
something important--especially if it's something the leader
needs to learn from the PCs. That instantly gives the
characters leverage that they can wield to the leader's
disadvantage.
Two ways to get around this are:
- Ask in a round-about way. If the leader needs to learn
where his enemy hides the magic orb, have the leader ask the
PCs to tell him "everything and anything you can think of
regarding the Baron". Hopefully, the PCs will cough up the
hiding place in their ramblings without knowing how
desperate the leader was for the orb information.
- Have a third party ask the question and make the leader
look disinterested in the answer. Usually the third party is
pre-instructed to ask the question, possibly after a signal
from the leader.
- Give a thoughtful pause after each PC question, even if
the leader is ready with an answer. This creates drama and
tension, plus buys you time for questions you aren't sure
how to answer right away. It also slows the pace down to a
manageable level for you, and takes a little power away from
the questioner (i.e. the PCs).
- If the leader is asked a question that she does not know
the answer to, and does not want to reveal her ignorance to
the PCs, you can:
- Respond with a question. ("Why do you ask that?" or "What
do you think?")
- Refuse to answer. ("Due to national security reasons, I
can't answer that")
- Play games. ("Wouldn't you like to know!" or "Hah! If I
told you then I'd have to tell everyone else!")
- Purposefully ask a series of questions that the leader
believes the PCs don't know the answers to. If successful,
this can damage the PCs' credibility, reputation, and/or
good standing with the leader and other NPCs within hearing
distance. It's also a good way to put uppity characters back
in their place and to re-gain the upper hand in a parley.
Just be sure the questions are pertinent and important.
Asking "Why is the sky blue? What's that stain on your
shirt? What's my middle name?" would just make the leader
sound silly.
Return to Contents
- The PCs Are Disposable
Assuming that the characters aren't relatives, ultra-
powerful allies, or close friends with the leader, they will
be ultimately regarded as disposable. And this attitude
subtly conveys power that separates roleplaying this kind
of NPC from others.
Rulers have a single, almost back-breaking responsibility:
the welfare of their followers. If the leader isn't corrupt
and involved in a get-rich-quick scheme, then he must weigh
all actions and decisions against the welfare of the state
and its citizens.
This means that ruler NPCs are generally willing to
sacrifice the brave few (i.e. the PCs) for the sake of the
many. Some leaders will regret this loss, other won't; but
the bottom line is that the characters are expendable in the
eye's of the NPC and are treated as such.
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- The PCs Are Not Equals
Another key to roleplaying rulers is that they do not regard
people like the PCs as equals. Not all rulers have this
attitude, but many do and it's a great way to set these
kinds of NPCs apart from other types that you roleplay.
Before your next PC-to-ruler encounter, take a moment to
visualize this in your mind:
- These people (the PCs) have no land or position in
society.
- They are hardly better than vagabonds or homeless rogues.
- Peasants, at least, know their place, pay me taxes, and
work my land.
- They come from peasant stock, and there are others out
there like them, so they are easily replaced.
- They have no breeding and no manners.
- They tread in places most foul so it's best to deal with
them quickly lest they transfer some disease to me or
spoil the air with bad vapors.
- Their loyalty swings to the highest bidder and they cannot
be trusted, just like any other mercenaries.
- Their type often believes themselves to be overly clever
and can be like dogs who let you pet them and then attack
when your back is turned.
Now that you're in the right frame of mind, start the
encounter!
Return to Contents
- Talk About The PCs In The Third Person
A great trick to quickly establish who's in charge is to
talk about the PCs in the third person to their faces. This
will, of course, antagonize the characters, but that's what
power is all about.
Return to Contents
- Avoid Overusing The Friendly Leader Archetype
Friendly, confident, just, fair, and fatherly rulers make
excellent mentors for PCs. They are also great for seeding
stories and adventures, providing rewards, and moving plots
along in the right direction when needed.
However, beware of over-using this archetype in your
campaigns. This type of NPC should be special and rare in
order to provide good contrast for all the evil and not so
black-and-white leaders in your worlds.
It can be tough roleplaying unjust, belligerent, or jerkface
rulers and bosses. Your players show up to escape real life,
not re-enact it. ;) To compensate, you can:
- Have a chat with the players out-of-character, letting
them know that the ruler NPC is just being true-to-character
and true-to-role, and that you're not doing this to be
spiteful or arbitrary. It's just the way it is in your
world, and they shouldn't take it personally.
- Introduce a valuable contact NPC who can act as a friendly
and sympathetic go-between between the ruler and PCs. This
way the characters get what they want and you can avoid
direct ruler-to-PC interaction.
- Allow the leader one redeeming quality so the whole
encounter isn't as frustrating--but keep the rest of the
flaws!
Also, consider that the ruler has many large
responsibilities, so that, in some circumstances, noble
things such as fairness and truth are just ideals that have
to be weighed against factors like hunger, national defense,
and keeping the peace.
For example, it might be true justice dismissing the charges
against a PC who slew a corrupt baron, but the ensuing
unrest amongst the nobility who would be outraged by that
verdict prevents the King from letting the character off the
hook, truth be damned.
For this reason, benevolent leaders must often put on a face
of indifference and even severity to do their job.
When a kind ruler does enter the PCs lives, they'll respect
him much more because he is no longer a dime-a-dozen.
Return to Contents
Return to Contents
- Speak Like A Ruler
Some quick speaking tips:
- Speak slowly, as if you expect people to hang on your
every word.
- Speak like you expect to be obeyed: commanding, but not
bossy.
- Make assumptions on what people will do, as a subtle form
of command.
For example: Arton, a PC, stands before the High Magistrate
of The Librarian's Guild, seeking permission to do some
research.
"So...Arton seeks entrance into the Inner Sanctum to learn
more about the history of the Drow, does he?...Interesting.
Brother Demos, draw up a permit for Arton
immediately. And, Arton will be offering us his
services in exchange, as I have the perfect small job for
him. Now, both of you leave, I have other business to take
care of!"
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Readers' Tips Of The Week:
- Hand Out Pics Of NPCs Only When The PCs First Meet Them
From: Tommi T.
I recommend that you should only attach a picture to an NPC
when the PCs initially meet him, since they are quick to
draw their own pictures in their minds and it is really
annoying to look at a pic that doesn't match your mental
image...
- Finding Pics of NPCs On The Web
From: Eric B.
One of the best ways to find pictures is the web. Two of
my top sources are:
- The DEA / FBI / local police files. The people look
slimy and aren't going to complain about copyright
infringement.
[Comment from Johnn: Here's a site with some celebrity and
historical mug shots:
http://www.apbonline.com/media/gfiles/index.html
(By the way, http://www.apbonline.com/ is a great site for
plot hooks and story ideas. Just check out the headlines.)
And here's another site with a few mug shots:
http://www.mugshare.com/index.html ]
- Models pages: Models and talent agencies put high quality
images up on the web with the hope that it will generate
business. They also make excellent props.
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- The Battledome: A Way To Give Or Remove Items From PCs
From: Ryan C.
One of the ways I always enjoy to either give items to PCs,
or take some away, is the BattleDome. This is a place for
PCs to face NPCs or monsters one-on-one and maybe gain
something out of it.
The way it works is: let's say Madgog the Barbarian has a
long sword +1, so he walks into the BattleDome and sees that
there is a Half-Ogre seeking a fight who is willing to offer
up his Maul of Krev Hamfist as an ante to any man or beast
who can beat him in a pure physical fight.
Madgog offers up his sword as his ante and fights the Half-
Ogre, each using a mundane weapon of their choice made
available just for this fight by the BattleDome. If Madgog
wins he gets to keep his sword and he gets to take home the
Maul, but if the Half-Ogre wins he gets the sword and the
Maul.
This is a good way to get those powerful items PCs have out
of their hands or to put items that will be necessary into
their hands. The main thing is, the BattleDome is sealed by
Eldritch forces, meaning that any spell cast will not affect
the spectators and it insures a perfect resurrection if the
character dies.
You could offer up anything like better weapons, cursed
weapons, maps, or even items that will just be needed later.
Another use is for PCs to see certain NPCs in action, such
as the wealthy land baron who sponsors fighters, or the
fighter who fights in the Dome and may be hired. The
possibilities are endless as long as the GM has the
imagination to run with them.
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- Alien Voices Tips
From: TabrisKN
This mostly applies to Sci-fi games, or games where there
are non-humanoid races which take an active part in the
game. For best effect, develop a voice for the character or
race. Some examples include:
I was GMing a TMNT RPG game, and the players came across a
mutant squid. Squids aren't very human-like to begin with,
so I was racking my brain for a voice to give him. Something
that would startle the players, just by hearing a single
sentence. On the spot, when he began to talk, I started
speaking in a screeching, hoarse, grating, gurgly voice, and
my players just cringed. When they found out that I was
going to answer all their questions in that voice, they
decided to attack. One character, using a sniper rifle,
managed to blow a hole in the squid, which gave another
surprise for the players: a screeching, hoarse, grating
gurgly voice, now SCREAMING at the top of it's lungs!
This might seem merely annoying, but it's actually very
effective at conveying the NON-humanity of the creature.
As another example, I'll use my GURPS Space game. The
characters are performing a raid on an alien outpost. When
they get inside, I first treat them to the sound of the
alarm, which is completely different from what you would
expect: No high pitched sirens, just a loud, low, hum.
Second, when they encountered a group of the aliens, I had a
VERY weird voice ready. There weren't even any intelligible
words, just a random string of nasal buzzes. And when the
creature took out it's translator, I even had a voice for
that. Developing voices that non-humanoids can use is
tricky, but well worth the effort.
Most of it is made up on the spot, which gives it some
randomness, but it also means that once you start speaking
in that voice, you have to stick with it whenever the
players encounter that character or race. I practice
voices, usually AFTER I have made them at the gaming table;
it may be more effective to do it beforehand.
As for techniques, I try to imagine how does this creature
sound? Some things are very obvious, such as a high pitched,
raspy metallic voice that sounds despicably evil, but does
it fit the race? If the race is an intelligent insectoid or
reptilian, then the answer is probably yes. But if the
creature looks more like, say, a rhinoceros, then a deep,
low, hoarse voice would sound better, especially if you
throw in a few grunts or snorts.
Also, after I have made a voice, the first warm-up I try is
to say the races name using that voice. Obviously, if you
give a race a human-sounding name but they're insects, then
it will be VERY difficult for them to pronounce it, if not
impossible. For that reason, it's better to try out the
voice before you even give the name of the race to the
players. Try making up a simple word or phrase (in their
language), and just try saying it in the voice until you get
the hang of it. To maintain your dignity, don't do REALLY
alien voices in front of others until the game. You will get
some REALLY weird looks from your family.
Sometimes, though, you need a computer to help, or a
commercial voice changer (they retail in Toys 'R' Us for
about $5). The only problem with voice changers is that they
usually have only 3 settings, and it's hard to get
inflection from them. Computer programs for modulating
voices are great, but you should then DEFINITELY practice
well in advance, to get it just right.
Another thing I do is I try to laugh in the races voice.
Then, I come up with a new type of laughter. The squid
monster I mentioned sounded like a toilet backing up!
And finally, as I said before, imagine how that kind of
creature talks. Some general guidelines are:
- Insectoid and Small Reptilians: High, scratchy, hisses or
clicks in the language.
- Large Mammals and Dinosaurs: Deep, hoarse, throaty, grunts
or snorts work wonders.
- Predators: Try a slightly higher tone.
- Birds: Bird-like races are usually excellent mimics; if
you want to remind players that they are alien, use a
parrot-like voice.
- Telepathic races: If you can make a resonating voice, it
gives a better impression of telepathy.
- Really alien creatures: These are a bit tougher. You have
to make it up yourself.
Hope that helps!
Return to Contents
- Easy, Consistent Name Creation
From: Johnn Four
This tip was inspired by an ICQ I received from Kjahti.
An incredibly easy way to create names and words for your
games is to use foreign languages. And a great way to do
that is Google's free translator service:
http://www.google.ca/language_tools?hl=en
- Word translation. Type in the word(s) you want to
translate, the language, and click Translate. This is an
easy way to keep your definitions straight and words
consistent. It's also a great way to generate names.
For example, the word "shirt" from English to Italian is
"Camicia"...a great name!
- Web site translation. For mass word generation with a
single button click, enter a web site URL in the "Translate
a web page" option.
There's a limited number of translation languages available,
but if you're like me and barely have command of the one
language you do know, then this will open up new worlds for
you. :)
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