How to be a Better Roleplayer

Ok, so I had a guide for non-roleplayers, so now it's time for a guide for roleplayers, so... if you aren't a roleplayer... um... I dunno, go read a magazine or something... us gamers gotta talk. :)

Today we're going to talk about becoming a better roleplayer.  Before we get to that, though, we're going to define a few types of roleplayers and discuss why you might or might not want to be that type of player.

First up, we're going to cover the Casual Gamer.  This type goes by various titles, but we're just going to call him Casual.  Casual is the guy who came to your game because that's what his friends do, or he had nothing better to do.  Casual usually doesn't get too into it, but he at least participates when he should, but he's liable to get distracted.

So, what are Casual's good points?  Well, in a combat-oriented game, he provides an extra pair of hands in battle.  Where he shines is the fact that Casual usually doesn't care too much about what kind of character he plays, so he doesn't mind picking up whatever character type the group needs to balance it.

Why shouldn't you be Casual?  The simple answer is because Casual isn't really following the story, and as soon as he finds something better to do, he'll probably stop showing up altogether.  Casual can be inattentive until it's his turn to do something, too.

Next up we'll talk about the Rules Lawyer.  Judging from the name, you can probably guess what this guy is.  A Rules Lawyer knows the books forwards, backwards, inside out, upside down, can quote stats in his sleep, and won't hesitate to let you know when you're wrong.  It is easy for Gamemasters to become Rules Lawyers when they play in someone else's game.

The good?  Well, if you ever need to reference an obscure rule, it is often quicker and easier to ask the resident Lawyer than to look it up and read through a page of text to figure out how to handle the die rolls.

Why shouldn't you be a Rules Lawyer?  Well, first of all, the GM's word is law, and GMs typically don't like to be contradicted.  Also, in some game systems, there are spells and abilities some enemies could have that let them get around certain situations in the rules, and the Rules Lawyer wouldn't be aware of these special situations, so questioning the GM's apparent disregard of the rules in this instance is actually a result of being ignorant of a rule-bending ability the enemy may have that the GM doesn't want to divulge yet.

Alright, let's look at Power Gamers, Min-Maxers, or Munchkins.  This type of player likes to build characters that "win".  In a combat-oriented game, that means this guy is going to play the party tank or artillery.  The name Min-Maxer comes from the tendency to build your character focusing only on a few stats you think are most useful for your win condition and ignoring the other stats.  If this means you're playing a tank, you try to maximize your strength and stamina, if you're playing the party sorcerer, you buff whatever stat your magic is dependent on to the exclusion of most others.

Why do we like Power Gamers?  Well, honestly, because the fights become a lot easier when you have a character or two built around destroying the enemy as fast as possible.

Why do we not like Power Gamers?  Because a Power Gamer builds his character around one task, usually combat, the PG often gets bored when not performing that task, which usually leads the PG to become a Casual Gamer as well.  Some PGs will get distracted with their cell phones, perusing through a book or something until they need to do something in combat.

The last group we're going to talk about is Actors.  I can't really think of a better name for this group.  Actors sit attentively at the table and enjoy interacting with NPCs and solving puzzles and avoiding traps just as much as fighting the bad guys.  Actors try to design their characters around a theme or a concept as opposed to trying to max a particular set of stats.  That doesn't mean that Actors don't design their characters for combat, but that isn't their sole objective.

What is so great about being an Actor?  Actors are attentive to the story and the NPCs.  They love the details and like to feel that they're part of an imaginary world.  They will participate openly throughout the entire game and usually end up becoming the party leaders because of this.

Why would you not want to be an Actor?  Um... really, I can't see a downside to this one.  Unfortunately, though, not everyone can be an Actor right off the bat.  Some players can jump into their role and get immersed in the story easily, and some end up as one of the other types, but may gravitate towards being an Actor later.


Alright, now that we've covered the different types of players, let's discuss ways you can become a better player.

First of all, respect your GM and your fellow players.  When you come to the table, you came to play, and your GM probably put a lot of work into designing his world and writing his story and, if he's anything like me, he wants to share it with you.  You should leave all distractions behind.  You came to participate in the story.  If your cell phone rings, don't answer it, it can probably wait.  When you get to a point in the game where the action has slowed down, request a break from your GM and return the missed call.  Obviously, if it's from your spouse, fiance, parent, or maybe sibling, if you feel it may be urgent, excuse yourself from the table and take the call in another room.  Your GM won't make you miss anything important.  Oh, and above all else, don't text during the game!  You may be able to pay attention while texting, but your GM won't know that.  Texting, in general, not just during a game, sends a message to everyone around you that what you're doing is more important than what they're doing, so don't text while you're with friends.

Second, if you're going to be a Rules Lawyer, be a respectful RL.  Don't contradict your GM at the table.  If you feel the GM has made a major mistake, and it may happen, despite what they want you to believe, GMs aren't perfect, speak to the GM during a break or after the game.  Nothing breaks the flow of the game like having to stop and look up a rule because there's a disagreement between the GM and the RL.  Remember, within the GM's game, his word is law.  If it turns out he was wrong about a rule, and it didn't drastically affect the game, he may just decide to go ahead and follow the rule correctly in the future, or if the misinterpretation had a major impact, he may decide to rememdy the situation right away.

Third, pay attention, especially during combat.  I feel that the GM is well within his rights not to repeat something if you weren't paying attention, especially if you're at the table, and even moreso if the information is regarding an enemy in combat and you're using miniatures on a map.

Fourth, if you're thinking about using a rule that isn't used often, or casting a spell you haven't cast before, look it up before your turn so you don't have to slow down the game while everyone waits for you to make your decision.

Finally, when it comes to combat, tactical planning is the best form of power gaming.  You don't have to min-max your character to optimize him or her for combat.  Using good tactics can go a long way towards winning a fight.  For example, the wizard may be able to deal 15-20 damage with a blast spell to 2-3 enemies in one turn, but he might be able to cast a spell that gives all of his teammates a bonus to attacks or damage that last multiple turns.  That one spell could easily add up to much more total damage than that single blast, especially if the enemies have a chance of negating or reducing the damage from the blast.  Power Gamers playing tanks would do well to wait until after being buffed by the party caster before taking their turn.  Look for chances to gang up on a single opponent and take it down before engaging the other enemies.  Try to identify the major threats first.  Eliminating easy targets early in combat could prevent them from ganging up on you and becoming a major threat later.  Party healers... remember that an ounce of defensive magic can prevent a pound of healing spells.