Comments on: What Your Character Knows That You Don’t

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:23:02 +0000

I agree fully. Really, I wish there was better player/GM dialog in a lot of groups. It would avoid a lot of that mess

By: justaguy

justaguy — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:38:53 +0000

@Tom

Good point, yeah they do (in general). But that’s an important part of the GM-player discussion at the start of games.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:14:12 +0000

@FatAlibert: FWIW, I’ve taken that same route, explaining to him that I don’t know how to do everything my character knows how to do. Of course, I don’t play with that DM any longer thankfully!

I now ask the GM that question before I start playing as well, unless of course I already know the GM, like with Liambic.

@Scott: Very true. As a GM, I’d allow that one, but I’m the type that gives bonuses if you describe the action and doesn’t penalize you for not actually knowing a skill

@justaguy: The important question is, do your players know what you’re asking for? I’ve had GMs who wanted a bit of fluff, and other GMs who wanted me to describe how to perform surgery (luckily, I could BS my way through that one pretty good). The problem is, they asked the same questions to start with.

@Tommi: I agree completely. If I take a skill that I’m not that familiar with in reality, I do a quick ‘net search these days and find out a bit about the skill and those who possess that skill. It’s always easier to make that smart guess when you’ve done a bit of research ahead of time

By: Tommi

Tommi — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:00:18 +0000

If someone in the group knows something about the activity in question, consult that person. If not, describe it as well as you can. Descriptions bring life to roleplay, and if nobody knows better, make a smart guess.

By: FatAlibert

FatAlibert — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:10:55 +0000

“And if I had a GM really expect it of me, I’d start to ask him how every NPC did everything they did… and then see how long it took them to stop asking me to describe every skill I had.”

Good idea, I’ll have to remember that one : )

By: justaguy

justaguy — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:40:22 +0000

As a GM, I might ask a general “what are you doing?” to get an idea of what sort of fluff to describe the action with but would never expect a technical explanation for a skill… I mean, do you expect players to describe how to perform surgery? Or how they cast that heal spell?

And if I had a GM really expect it of me, I’d start to ask him how every NPC did everything they did… and then see how long it took them to stop asking me to describe every skill I had.

By: Scott

Scott — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:13:50 +0000

Pretty much, yeah. Although “By using my Computers skill” is a pretty good answer to that question, in all seriousness.

By: FatAlibert

FatAlibert — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:08:27 +0000

I would try explain to the GM you are aiming for character representation based on the skills and knowledge of the character not the player. Stress that are you not a “roll-player” role player but you are not a method actor either.

Ask him to have a look at this website article on character representation:
http://www.roleplayingtips.com/readissue.php?number=363

This may not sit well with your GM, especially if he is lazy or is an “adversarial style” GM. Your other options are then to either: find a better GM, play a character who only does things you know about, or start reading up about the skills your character has that you do not.

I’ve had this frustration a few times as a player and its now something I ask the GM about before I agree to play in the game. If they don’t (or won’t) get it and I’m keen for a game I will create a character with mainly combat, physical and discussion skills that tends to encounter this problem less often.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:07:05 +0000

@Liambic: We don’t know ANYONE who’s like that, now do we?

@Scott: You’re just pulling stuff out of your ass, aren’t you? Well…works for me

@Patriarch: I thought of something similar, but instead of a rolled up newspaper, I was thinking a sledgehammer. Same difference though

By: Patriarch917

Patriarch917 — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:55:28 +0000

I think the best way to handle that situation is to swat the GM on the nose with a rolled up newspaper.