General Player Advice For RPGs
I published this in my newsletter here a while back, and discourse reminded me I wanted to put it more public. I probably should get around to actually doing a proper blog for this kind of stuff. You can sign up to the newsletter here.
One of the things which Iâve been chewing over since getting back into RPGs is that thereâs so much advice for GMs and so little advice for players. I keep thinking over why - though the whys arenât what Iâm about to write about. However, some other folk think any worthwhile advice is system/genre specific.
This got me chewing over whether I agree with that. As the list below shows, I donât.
The first four are ones where I think I succeeded, and as principles generally guide you towards better play no matter what game youâre playing. The last three are mainly applicable to games with a significant story component (the last especially). Thereâs a few more I played with, but they were more about being a good at the table generally â about being a better player in any game rather than specifically about role-playing games. I also avoided ones which were more GM-and-player advice rather than just player advice (if thereâs a problem in game, communicate out of game, use appropriate safety tools, etc).
I also didnât include âBuy The GM Stuffâ.
Anyway â here they are. See what you think.
GENERAL PLAYER PRINCIPLES FOR BETTER PLAY
1) Make choices that support the tableâs creative goals
If youâre playing a storygame, donât treat it like a tactical wargame. If youâre playing a tactical wargame, donât treat it like a storygame. If itâs bleak horror, donât make jokes. If youâre in a camp cosy romp, donât bring in horror. It also varies from moment to moment â if someoneâs scene is sincere, donât undercut it.
2) Be A Fan of The Other Characters
This is GM advice in almost all Powered By the Apocalypse games â for the GM to be a fan of the characters. Itâs a good trait for a player to cultivate. Be actively excited and interested in the other charactersâ triumphs and disasters. Cheer them on. Feel for them. Players being excited for other players always makes the game better. Players turning off until itâs their turn always makes it worse.
3) Be aware of the amount of spotlight time youâre taking
This is a hard one for fellow ADHD-ers, but have an awareness of who is speaking more and who is speaking less. A standard GM skill is moving spotlight time around to players who have had less time. Really good players do this too. Pass the ball.
4) Learn what rules apply to you, to smooth the game, not derail it.
To stress, this isnât âcome to the table knowing everythingâ but learning the rules that are relevant to your character along the way, especially if they are marginal (looking at you, Grappling and Alchemy rules). Doing otherwise adds to the facilitatorâs cognitive load and hurts the gameâs flow. The flip is being aware that knowing stuff isnât an excuse to break the gameâs flow with a rules debate either â thatâs an extension of the third principle.
5) Make choices which support other charactersâ reality
If someoneâs playing a scary bastard, treat them like a scary bastard. If theyâre meant to be the leader, have your character treat them like the leader , for better or worse. A fictional reality is shared, and you construct it together.
6) Ensure The Group Understands Who Your Character Is
This is the flip of the above â having a character conception that is clear enough that everyone gets who you are, what you want to do and how you want to do it. If you donât, the table will be incapable of supporting your choices. This links toâŚ
7) If asked a preference in a story game, a strong choice is almost always better than a middling choice.
Donât equivocate. If asked âYouâve met this person before. How do you feel about him?â either âI love himâ or âI hate himâ is better than anything middling. The exception is if itâs something youâre really not interested in pursuing.
