Am I the only one to recall a conspicuous kiss in the last session report?

Are you giving away hints now Chatty?

I obsess over flow/timing/pace/action and if it’s been awhile since something has happened I tend to make something happen. This might be ok in moderation but I over do it. I once caught myself before interjecting some “action” cause the characters had done nothing but talk for 10min, aka they were deep into role-play and loving it.

I also enjoy low-level party conflict (fun in game personality clashes Paladin vs Kill’m & Loot’m type stuff). So, I’m often trying to incite that.

My most important point was that instigators are not automatically bad players. But they must be recognized for what they are and the player must mesh with the rest of the group.

I too am not a huge fan of ‘I’m doing what is realistic’ or ‘that’s what my character would do” arguments. At least have the decency to tell me why the character does this… identify a character issue with the situation at hand and explain the behavior based on that.

The one type of player I truly loath is the instigator that argues tooth and nail to justify his action with spurious arguments and a belligerent tone. In fact, I think that both times I actually showed a player the door, i was dealing with such a type.

I’ve only really had experience with one instigator, and it wasn’t a good one (for anyone in the group). A small part of the issue was language. His first language was French, and ours was English. (We’re in Ottawa.) So some of the time he simply wasn’t understanding the scene framing.

… that said, the rest of the time he just did stupid things. I say “he” and not “his character” because it wasn’t in character. I remember one encounter we used up everything we had — our entire “15-minute adventuring day” resources — because he kept running into a courtyard with golem sentries. He just kept getting pounded. Playing a Paladin, I tried to protect him and get him out… and I got pounded. The noble Ranger tried to help… and he got pounded. The Cleric and Druid used up most of their their spell slots healing us all. That is but one example.

So my single experience with an instigator type was horrid. We were all really relieved when he became too busy to continue with the group. Nice enough guy, but a bit dense and definitely a cause for irritation and “What are you doing?!” outbursts.

I’m glad others have had good experiences and, on a theoretical level, I can completely understand and agree how such a player type/personality can be great to have. It’s all about the gamer’s personality. Why is so-and-so an instigator? Answer that question and you’ll know if it’s a good thing or not, case by case.

Rafes last blog post..Burning Shepherd

@Loonook: Thanks for the kudos, enjoy your stay digging up my archives.

@D_Luck: I could write such a column, but I really wouldn’t be putting my money where my mouth is as I don’t actually try to have my players become DMs. Although, Franky is looking at Star Wars Sega edition and I’ve asked Yan if I could get an invite in his 4e game.

I can’t wait for my son to be old enough so he can DM a game and I can play in it! (None of my friends wants to DM…)

He’s 5 years old so I’m not too far away!

@ChattyDM: You should do a post on DM stuck in the DM’s chair! Tricks on ”How to convince players to become masters”…

Slainte,

-Loonook.

Loonooks last blog post..Children Are Our (Gaming) Future: Blog Carnival Returns to Good Gaming

I reiterate that you should probably be a player as the “magnificient bastard”, nemesis to the heroes…

Thought that’s just about as close to DM as can be

Eric Maziades last blog post..The Court of the Final Might

@xerosided: I gathered as much from your initial intervention. Keeping the GM on his toes is always a good strategy!

Sometimes I force myself to act the instigator when the group is feeling particularly sluggish, even though I might be subject to the same inertia.

When I was playing I was an instigator. I argued alot with my friends while we played because of that. I was simply allergic to slow pacing games.

I found my peace with this side of my personnality the day I permenantly took the DM chair. I’m an instigator DM! You get the picture…

D

You description of analysis paralysis is something that we found rampant in many of our 3e games where everything would need to be checked for traps and tricks. I’m glad we moved on from that.

I wouldn’t go as far as wanting a group full of instigators, as I prefer a more mixed group. But I hear your preference.

@Daeryth: Spotlight hogging is a very real issue. Its especially true when the DM has gotten into the pattern of seeking to be entertained over making the game interesting for all. A selfish DM is very very worrisome.

@Eric: I don’t think that an Instigator PC exists. I think that its a trait/motivation of the player that colors the PCs’ personality. In the same vein, I don’t really buy that a selfless player would chose to play a selfish bastard. Too big a difference between player and PC personalities usually lead to the player’s personality taking over sooner or later.

@Michelle: I probably will, although I must say that I have limited experience with overly cautious players. But I would think that it’s related with an aversion to risk and possibly bad experience with adversarial DMs

Let me sleep on this and I’ll see if it strikes a spark for a future Friday discussion.

I also really agree with the selfish player type. A person (psychodramatist) playing a selfish character, but not really that selfish as a person, will be able to take it down a notch with the selfishness if he finds it would REALLY harm the group out-game (often all on a subconscious level). A real selfish person is way too immersed in selfishness to even consider the ramifications of her actions to such an extent.

From my point of view, i “instigate” to bring realism to the campaign. What i hate the most as a player is the bad habit of having cheesy introduction where you see your DM coming from a hundred miles.

The famous quote : “You walk into a tavern…” kinda make me sick these days. There is more to the story then good old cliche that can be used to have something happen to the players. I like chaos and to improvise. Since i liked to be challenged as a DM, i also like to do the same as a player.

I hate to have a group do a whole college degree on the subject of : is it safe to open this door. In real life, most of us would kick the door and deal with what was beyond it OR we would run screaming to our mama and we would never touch it. But we sure as hell would not spend half a day in front of it wondering how/who/where/what/when.

Of course, when i DM, i might know my campaign setting maybe a bit too well for my own good. And since ive been DM’ing without any sourcebook for many years now, my improvisation skills have saved my skin more times then i can count. I kinda crave the feeling of having a player flabberghast me now and then…. yeah im crazy, i know.

Ive tuned down my char in Maze campaign, not because i wanted to play something nicer, but because i knew that at some point, one of the other PC’s would die by my hand because our point of view was too much of an extreme to be realistic. Not that i wasnt willing to let things reach that point, but the group im playing with isnt into that kind of things, even tho im sure the dark side of Maze would’ve liked it.

In short, i think every good gaming group should have at least one instigator to be healthy, and i sure would like to DM a full group of them anytime.

Yeah, I think the non-selfish “hard core” role player playing a selfish PC might prefer to retire is PC and create a softer one than tone down the PC’s personality.

Eric Maziades last blog post..The Court of the Final Might