How to create Powerful Inter-Player Character Relationships
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- We take a look at inter-player character relationships between your characters in your role playing sessions. This is not relationships with NPCs but with your fellow player's character, ie, being both brother and sister etc.
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GM: “So what’s with you two?”
Player 1: “Well... he’s a cleric.”
Player 2: “And he’s a paladin.”
Purging heretics, now you can do it in pairs!
A Dwarf, an Elf and an Orc did enter the bar.
Someone ask the three: "What connects you together?"
They answer: "We are siblings!"
In fact, they were all adopted by a dragon and see each other as actual family.
And the dragon was slayed by the town hero, so now they seek revenge for Mama Crimsom Scama.
turns out the dragon wanted them to do it so no one else could
That town hero wares their dragon-mama's hide as a dapper set of armor he flaunts about daily, without hesitating when it comes to getting dirty. After all Mama was waterproof.
While the townsfolk see a trophy worthy of praise, the siblings sees their mother's dead hide, and empty-eyed face, being worn by some arse that happened upon their home cave one day.
The matter is even more insulting by the fact the "Hero" killed Dragon Mama looking for the cuase of a local famous cow, and town mascot's, disappearance, only for that same cow to be found alive and well near some out-of-sight Creek over the hill, while the "Hero" was peeling Mama's face off.
Not only do the dwarf and orc want vengeance on the "hero," but now they wish to rob the town of their mascot, Tripe the Cow, as well. The dwarf wonders how to cook it, and the orc wonders what they should turn its hide into so they can discreetly flaunt around the town with it, while saying that maybe the townfolk should look for more creeks in the search for their missing mascot. The elf sees it as a bit excessive, but in this situation he simply asks himself "what would mom do?"
And so forth carry on Eeree WindCry the elf, Muddy Rock the dwarf and Pale Grog the orc misadventures, showing us that great quests and great parties are not only for player characters but instead only for those with a heart big enough to change the world. Thanks for tunning in, see you in the next episode of Collective Narratives in the Comments Section. ;)
"I take a block of cheese and stick it-" Guy gesturing below the camera
best quote ever
One of the great things about the "work relationship" is that it provides a plausible reason for characters from vastly different backgrounds to be adventuring together. If the basis for the relationship is the characters are friends or family, that requires some kind of common point in their background.
But people work with people they wouldn't _choose_ to hang out with all the time. And over time, actual friendships can spring up. But until that time, the glue that holds the party together is the same thing that prevents a real person from kicking Dave From Accounting in the nuts.
OH MY GOD GUY, you finally said it. Emotional intelligence! You need to talk about that topic in how to be a great player please! It's what every roleplayer needs to be a better player, and to understand how their characters would feel and behave naturally but also to add their own layer of profundity to the stories they are part of. It's a major thing because it not only helps you to modellate a more realistic pc, but also helps you in your every day real life
Might just add, that there SHOULD be a certain "emotional detachment"... a space or healthy proximity from Player to PC. It's just my experience that RPG's serve as a GREAT testing ground for exploring a lot of the general emotional contexts and states of human nature... Sure, the adventuring and warfare are fun and all, but most of us (especially who grew up around the tables) are awkward in public and like to try "proof of concept" before we go complimenting the cute women on their beards... (lolz... not sorry)
In any case, DEFINITELY agreeing with you about the episode(s)... It's a subject that should be further explored! ;o)
@therandomdot man you did wrote a lot, but it was worth it. I hope guy sees it.
In our group, I am currently playing a witch and one of the other players has a knight. They have grown up as siblings in a very strict militaristic society. He (the knight) loved it and rose in the ranks and files of the military. My character hated it. She wanted to choose her own path and ran away.
Now the two have met again after several years and have completely different world views. Unfortunately, roleplaying isn't as big a thing in my group as I would like, otherwise I imagine that relationship would make for some pretty interesting character moments.
The knight always talks of honour but he acts quite sadistic (he loves tossing severed heads around). I imagine this as the wild side he has been hiding all this time. Now his sister comes and teaches him independence or something like that.
But as it seems, that is not going to happen.
Very cool. Hope your gm runs with the theme.
"he loves tossing severed heads around" the reason why being the gm is hard sometimes...
We had two characters that stopped speaking to each other. It was very silly, "tell her that if she wants healing she'll need to grow up a little". Of course, when one of them died, the other was racked with guilt. When she went to tell the dead character's parents, there was a little shrine to the dead daughter, with her favourite childhood toy. Yep, the DM played it up for all it was worth. Great stuff.
The only time I've ever been in a familial relationship with a PC is when i was playing a halfling and discovered another player was also a halfling. Long story short, he's my mother's cousin, we came from the same Shire, that Shire is a place where religion and magic are practiced by two main branches of a grand family: my cousin once removed from the arcane side, me a cleric on the religious side
You know what helps pc relationships? Down time and time jumps.
My players were TIE pilots and went through all sorts of hijinks, but once we jumped ten years, we covered what they did together, they all ranked up, they became even closer.
Perfect timing! Starting an new game and me and another player decided to be brothers.
It makes the game so much more alive
This topic has always been an interesting one for me. I play in 3 groups, and they are all vastly different when it comes to level of role play. In one game Its role play focused, and the others are more hack n slash combat games. My characters are a part of these types of interplayer character relationships in all 3 games and yet the role play focused game is just so much more impactful to me. My character is young elf fighter, and another player is playing his mother, an elf sorceress. I do think there is a connection between the real players and their characters they are role playing even though its just a role, and not real. For example. In this role play focused game im the youngest player. Its mostly my older brothers friends who play and they asked me to join a few years back. The woman playing my characters mother is actually around 8 years older than me and I think that makes it easier to role play this specific relationship. Its easier for me to look over at her and speak to her as my mother when she isn't my age or younger.
My partner and I play in a pathfinder game where she is a half elf and the sister of another pc and i am a dwarf and the twin brother of another pc. No romantic connection at all in game and it wouldn't bother me if she developed that for her character with anyone. Pc or Npc. We are there gaming together. I want her to experience everything the game can offer. We have a blast with it.
" grab a block of cheese and stick it- ... "
*BRUH*
I’m in a Curse of Strahd campaign right now and I wanted to work with a handful of people to build character relationships between the party members, the main villain and our allies. One relationship I wanted to focus on are my character’s (Zelda) friendship with a vampire named Anthony (another party member) who saved her life in our last session. My friend and I talked it over and thought my half elf cleric noblewoman and her antisocial vampire rouge could become best friends before our final confrontation with Strahd. This would definitely raise the stakes and provide a lot of drama between Strahd, Anthony and Zelda, especially when you consider that everyone in the party has a connection Strahd in some way.
Thank you for this informative video! I was amazed when you casually mentioned LGBT+ and polyamorous relationships
I think your definition of friend-zoning is pretty different from what most people would be talking about. Usually if someone is talking about friend-zoning they're talking about someone who is too shy to tell their friend that they're interested in them, and the friend is either oblivious or doesn't want to address it to be nice
Really? Everytime I've heard someone explaining what friend-zoning means or read an article about it, the idea was basically "women denying men sex bc the man who don't forcibly push her into sexual stuff and now the woman can't respect him as a man anymore"... that's why it gives me the creeps when someone mentions being "stuck in the friend-zone"
I'd never had guessed someone would use this term to just say that opening up to people you know feels more risky than opening up to strangers -- but that's what you mean, right? I guess that's true for some people, especially if your social circle tends to stay largely the same for a long period of time. Personally, I can't keep myself from being honest even if it means losing people who mean the world to me.
Thank you for the explanation =)
Xenia A. There certainly are some people who feel like they're entitled to sex for being nice (see /r/niceguys if you want some examples), and those guys started using being friendzoned as a way to gain sympathy from others and legitimise their creepyness but the idea of being friendzoned was around a long time before that and most people use it innocently.
I once played a NG orc fighter, whilst another player was a CN orc Barbarian. it was super fun holding him back (and being a hype-man) from time to time
Do you think you could do a video on ways to get PCs into a relationship? By which I primarily mean friendship and getting this ragtag bunch of misfits with varying backgrounds and motivations to actually like each other enough to adventure together.
Or if you’ve already done that one (I’ve only recently discovered the channel and there’s quite a backlog) could I get a link?
don't think there is a video on this channel yet that covers this, though I would also like to see it.
in my opinion friendships can grow sort of organically just by the way adventuring goes, even starting as a ragtag bunch you'll eventually all have saved each other's lifes at various occassions so it makes sense to slowly drop the stranger/coworker-style of interaction and start taking more interest in the other players.
take legolas and gimli in lord of the rings, they are pretty distant at the start of the series but over the course of the story they grow closer as they are journeying together, their rivalry and banter carry them from being just some thrown together bunch to having that wonderful moment near the climax of return of the king, fighting and expecting to die side by side, not just as an elf and a dwarf, but as friends.
I was thinking of me and one of my friend’s characters starting as old friends who got back together because they (and the rest of the party) get exiled to an island.
So when they start out they’re like “Gorak the destroyer of worlds? I haven’t seen you in seven years! How’s it been going?”
I *always* have crushes on NPCs, lol. And I want my characters to date them. The last D&D game we played, it was an evil campaign and the entire group were siblings who were cast out of their dimension and were trying to get home.
Two of my players have a thing going where they got drunk from spiced punch at a wedding reception and “slept together” after beating up thugs in an alleyway. Little do their characters know, all they did was beat up thugs. The best part? One is a Paladin of Sarenrae and the other a Paladin of Iomadae, who just so happens to be the daughter of the captain of the Hero’s Guild in the city. Ohhh the amount of times the Sarenrae Paladin has to run from him is priceless!
You look cool in this outfit, Guy.
I created an evocation wizard for this campaign I was invited to earlier this year. Coincidentally, another player created a wizard as well and instead of switching classes to balance out the party, we decided to stick with it and used that aspect as something for our characters to bond over. They ended up being close friends over the adventures, working on studies during down time or on the occasional prank when the other members of the group decided to pick on the two nerds. After watching a few of your videos, I was really inspired to delve deep into character and game dynamics, and i enjoyed discussing this a lot with my wizard friend. Eventually, there were a few events that occurred in story that really pushed our characters closer together and I brought up the idea of potentially having them starting to like each other. He agreed and we are still having a lot of fun with it to this day. Though, at the time I was a bit confused as to whether or not I had feelings for him or I was getting too into character. (We eventually talked it out like adults, long story short, we've been dating for a few months now and it's been going great). But I just wanted to relate how it's fascinating that when you really put effort in creating a story, it's true that you learn more about the people you're playing with. And the same has gone for the other people I've played with, it really creates an experience that creates strong friendships. It may not always get you a date, but hey, you never know what the dice may roll for ya. Just keep the conversation going and let things happen as they go.
In a recent campaign a friend and I played Dwarves one of which was noticeably older, we decided they were uncle and nephew like Scrooge McDuck and Donald Duck
Lol! In one of my campaigns l asked my players to build into their backstory a relationship to another party member AND a secret about their character. The half elf thief's secret and relationship was that he was the bastard half brother of the elf mage.
The elf mage (female) was played by a gay man. Right from the beginning of the game, the mage started hitting on the theif as a potential boyfriend. The thief was horrified since he knew it was his sister
Then the gay mage's player came to me; "Am I creeping Justin out by playing a girl who likes him? Because I'm a gay man? Am I making him uncomfortable?
We had planned to postpone the reveal but I couldn't. 'No because your his Sister"
Where... where are you sticking that block of cheese, Guy?
My partner and I play together but we’ve never been in a relationship in any game. More often than not we’re antagonistic to each other, in a humorous way, because that’s sort of what we’re like in real life. We like to give each other a hard time. I don’t think I would be comfortable with an overly romantic relationship in the game at all, but playing it out with him in front of our other players would feel weird to me.
I wish this vid had been longer! cool topic as always.
Thank you so much Guy! I have been looking for a video like this for a while!
I feel the only issue with these, which I think are great for role play, is that they kind of care more about the person they’re in the relationship with than the other players. So, basically, if you have 5 players and two are in some form of a relationship, the 2 in the relationship may enjoy it but the other 3 will feel left out and when their characters try to fit in with it, it just makes them feel awkward. At least, maybe that’s only when my characters are in some form of relationship that people don’t like. Nobody seems to feel comfortable when I am, but when someone else is doing it all of a sudden everyone is chill with it. Maybe I’m the problem?
Most groups I play with these days aim for each character to have some form of connection with at least 1, preferably more, other character. If you look at any of the Powered by Apocalypse games (Apocalypse World, Dungeon World, and Masks to name a few), that's built into character creation.
I obviously don't know what's really going on in your group but from my gaming AND real-life experience, it's always the people in the relationship who have to make room for others. If they're trying to fit in somehow but the relationship doesn't give them a specific role, it will become awkward. Let's say, your characters are constantly fighting each other... if they try to win over the other characters and allow them to have an important part in your relationship plot, it's like another layer of adventure for them, but if there's nothing for them to do, the players will feel left out. Always have the whole group in mind when you're playing a scene. You're basically running a side plot, so think like a gm, not like a player.
The easiest way to involve everyone is to construct a group relationship, not just something between 2 characters. You can all be coworkers, a circle of friends, a family, polyamorous lovers etc.
seems like good points, however I would caution anyone thinking of roleplaying a romantic type relationship that you know your dm and fellow players and make sure they won't support negative or harmful relationships. You need someone at the table who is firmly grounded in the logic, reality, history, and ethics of such things and who will keep the game and the relationship in check, both in and out of character.
another thing is that this works well when inter character friendships can still form for characters who were not originally part of a relationship. that initial relationship is part of your character's backstory and shouldn't get in the way of good roleplaying
In my last session (pathfinder) I played as a male half-ork cleric with the name Tiffany, who had a really hard speech impediment (due being possessed) and a somewhat different view on healing methods. For example our Pala suffered from memory loss so I had a surgery on him. My tools were a hammer and three nails. He was out for a whole day but it worked. End of the story every character (a thief half elf, a dwarf barbarian, a gay elf Rouge, a half elf mage and a human palla) liked my char. At the same time they all wanted to kill each other for whatever reasons xD
For my entire RPG experience, I've never had the pleasure of D&D relationships with people outside of the internet. In my family, my sister never got into it, as she lacked enthusiasm in "theater of the mind" stuff and as for my parents, the closest they've gotten to understand the hobby is seeing it in Stranger Things. With close friends, there's just been a lack of interest, and I'm not really the type of person to push things in peoples' faces, I'd rather be approached by genuine curiosity and interest.
So, my groups are formed by people, who at the time of starting, were complete strangers around the world. Of course today, we're close friends, but they're relationship that got built around the D&D table that just happened to slip outside the table. I've met some truly interesting and wonderful people due to this hobby that have helped me widen my picture of the world around me, but it's funny to think how all of that got started, because we wanted to sit around and make-believe at each other.
Whenever I approach a new D&D game, the first thing I look for is a way to attach certain character quirks or playful dynamics with either the whole group or individuals in them. Something like in one game, my character, a sort of seasoned ranger caught in a bad situation, made a running joke off calling the party's sorcerer a kid, because I originally confused him as under-aged due to his chosen portrait, yet continued to do it because of his slightly naive disposition and angry reactions to being called that, which fit to my character's aloof and fun-loving attitude. In another game, my own sorcerer-character clashes heads alot with the group's fighter, due to how willing he is to sell his humanity to a cursed sword in desperation, which for personal reasons, get's under his skin in a "You think you have the right to do this to your loved ones!?" kind of way. In another game, my Hobgoblin Monk is an emotional anchor that maintains the party's stability with his tranquil and gentle nature coupled with the wisdom befitting his old age.
HAHA!! Guy gets into this thing and finds "Game of Thrones"...
My Table gets together with inter-PC relations and ends up with something more "Fritz the Cat"!!!
SURE, it's a classic, but that's not to say it's anything but a RED HOT, BEAUTIFUL DISASTER!
Great video, anyway!!! ;o)
Work relationships work for RPGs. My tie pilots got along, somewhat bashing heads, rivalry, friendship, trust. No love, that's for npcs.
Next one, the griffon squires will train and raise griffons together, then do missions together for the king. Then, plenty of intrigue options, choices on loyalty, where they go from there.
On family, I would chortle if a player said to another, "you're not my dad!"
"We've got brothers and sisters and... sex." yup, I play GoT, too!
NO murder hobo-ing is the big help to it . but then again it may be the reason for such a twisted relationship . ....... why are you 2 are such good friends .....slayed a whole or 2 village.
both are want dead or live by the families of that was not their.
In Heroes Unlimited game, we have I suppose it is more of a Justice League Dark type of team. Only, instead of swam thing you, have Eco (Eric Di'Medichi) who is basically a cross between an Atlantean stone master and an earth warlock. There's his wife, Envira (Angelina Fortunato) who basically is Storm from X-Men, but unlike Storm she can change into mist. Jayson Di'Medichi, Mage, who is brother or cousins of Eco. My character, who is Jayson's his boyfriend, Darrack (Draco Draconis) a Draconid who is also a Mage with a ring that completely masks his true identity. But yes, Jayson knows that his boyfriend is a Draconid. Alex (Alexandros Daiose), the detective/worldly martial artist/true Atlantean, who is the half brother of my character through our ancient True Atlantean mother, Circe. Alex's love interest is Spectoria (Amy Fortunato) and she can pass through objects, and can control people with a lower ME, yes she is kin to Envira. Duncan Sinclair, who's basically an Atlantean undead slayer and werewolf hunter, and from a different clans, but distant cousins of Alex, but through Alex's father's side and Duncan's mother's side. Jade Jasmine Jung, the beautiful and silent Chinese flower with the sonic fans that cause vertigo to anyone with in 25 feet, and other sonic weapons...dated Duncan for awhile...They are in and out of a relationship.. There's Edward Livingstone, the wampyr, who is the apprentices/assistant/work partner of Duncan. Finally, there's Shawn, the homeless guy we found hurt and unconscious on the street outside our apartment building. Who has yet to tell us in game that he is a nightbane mage or anything about his character. But he is the new guy, who was added at the end of the last session, after watching us play for a few sessions.
I have played as one half in a PC/PC marriage twice. Once from the start where we where two crazy criminals on the road together. The other time two characters fell in love during the game - maybe 20 IRL session while one of the other PCs was my character’s ex. The drama! Lots of fun.
Haha “brothers and sisters! The sex” a little to GoT I think 😂😂
Hey brother cannot be a sorceress lmao
I thought that the chair was part of your shoulder
I don't think me and my girlfriend have ever had our characters be involved. Two of them were checking each other out at one point, but then one offered herself as host to a Slaad baby and the rest of us were eaten by a dragon.
funny enough, i dm a game that my boyfriend is a part of along with two of our good friends. his monk has been fruitlessly trying to sleep with one of my npcs for the past few sessions, but either me as the npc dodges his advances or the other two player characters drag this horny monk away. it creates a really fun dynamic in character and doesnt really take away from our romance outside of the game either. we ALWAYS have a good laugh about it as "jude mathers once again fails to seduce the hot bartender."
what video on power plays? I tried to look it up and could not find it.
That cheesie comment tho... Quite unexpected and hilarious
I found this informative since i know some of my friends have planned sibling charaters. This did make me think of an odd situation I am currently in. In my character's back story I said they have a lover waiting for them when they finish adventureing since they are seeking a gem worthy of an engagement ring.However, next think I know my gm brings the lover in as a npc but like fully rolled as a character. on the surface it seems whatever till I remember my gm had a crush on me at one point. I am not sure if I should talk to them about it or just role play it out? The npc followed the party for a while but I kept my character focused on the missions. Has anyone had something similar?
Damn that's awkward. I reckon you won't be able to get free of your backstory lover dmpc, but you could always dump them via rp and say your heart is with adventuring and wanderlust. RP to freedom.
I give characters romance and deep rp options in npcs, but let them go with whatever they wish. I'm moving the focus along to other players next game.
I would agree with this. Even if the GM has a crush on you; the table is not the correct way to conduct things and that I get the impression that while the character might want to obtain the gem for their love interest; it's more of a motivator to the quest then anything else, in the same way that a king won't allow you to marry a princess unless you prove your worth for example.
My PC has had love interests, either fleeting or permanent, but it's always been a motivation to act rather then something I spend a lot of time roleplaying at the table. Infact, part of the reason he is adventuring is so that his bastard child won't have to deal with the hardship's he has had to endure in this lifetime. Me and the GM have never roleplayed romance at the table, though elements of it trickle back down. The focus is always on the adventure.
I'm bringing in an npc sister for one of my players. there's some things in the character background story that opened up for a sister she's never met. any advice or pitfalls in this?
Where are you putting that cheese, sir?
Question: since a teifling can be born between two humans can a half-elf or half-orc, aasimar and the like?
Aasimar are more complicated. But generally, in order to actually have a elf or orc linage as a species, it does require it in the genepool somewhere.
Treiflings aren't a separate race of demons in the DnD lore, but rather anyone born of a union with a teifling, or without with an ill omen is born a Teifling. There's no reason that a elf can't have a teifing shame for example.
i have always wanted to play some type of relationship with another player, but my SO also plays and we don't want to do the "in a relationship" tag. We play to do things different from our norm.
If you are emotionally close and trust each other, you could try playing some kind of adversaries. Negative relationships are something I'd _only_ play with my partner or very close friends and it comes with the additional bonus of not annoying the other players.
Maybe your characters even have a romantic interest in the same person (instead of each other) and are both trying to impress that person. I suppose, that'd be very different from your RL dynamics and it could be very fun to explore with a RL romantic partner.
Hi Guy. Have a wonderful day.
Raistlin and Caramon Majere
Nice
First
How about we don't do that. PC relationships are always awkward...even if they're nonromantic. Just say "hey, we know each other (who cares how), we fight as allies of each other, but we have no emotional attachment to one another because we are each likely to die tomorrow and be almost immediately replaced by someone with a very similar voice."
Not very realistic or immersive, but for people who arent super strong rpers i could see that.
As an alternative, how about we let those who are comfortable with it do it. If it works for the table, why not? All in all, no harm no foul, right? Why should you dictate what other tables do?
Oh god how is this so hard online. I need this video for the games im dming lol