Discretion, communication, and compromise.
As roleplayers some of us may at times forget that we are playing this game with several other real people who have spent time developing their own characters to play and enjoy. We may even forget, or fail to acknowledge that going out there does not mean that everyone will cater to our character's story, power levels or personality -- and this goes for both the high and low ends of the power spectrum. The people who try to force ridiculous levels of average dirt joe in areas where they'd amount to no more than a street walking peasant are JUST as guilty as super multiclass world class seen-everything ultima-belchers. Expecting people to accept an overpowered character is in the same boat as expecting everyone to play an underpowered one.Â
What must happen is simple: a player must think outside of their own sphere, and assess the situation, the setting and the other live players/characters in the environment. From there, no matter what they've written their character to be, a prudent roleplayer can present their character in a manner that fits the situation.Â
For example; I'm sure Berrod can take on a big ol' Roe bouncing at a party. Hell, I'd probably LOVE to see that and play that out. However, I understand as a player that an event is going on, and that bouncer has been placed there to provide flavor and a sense of in-character security. Likely, I won't try anything and just make it so that my character toes the line -- hell, or at least throws a couple words for the bouncer and doesn't do anything more than that. If I WANT to have Berrod stir some trouble -- communication comes in. I whisper one of the organizers. I whisper the player of the bouncer. I try to ensure that the organizers and the bouncer are in communication with one another. If I get the go ahead to cause a little ruckus that's where compromise comes in. I don't want to ruin the event. I see what the organizers want to do. I know what the bouncer is there for. So I stir a bit of trouble in a manner where my character does not breach the security of the event. Sure there was a scrum or something, but in the end the event stays intact and the participants have something extra to talk about. It's a character memory that goes forward. It's something players talk about and have fun with. That's how roleplay goes. It's not just about me and my character and his awesomeness or fearlessness. Whether he's fearless or not, -I- as a player realize that the event requires a certain level of order, and that there must be boundaries and limits regarding interruptions and the like.
All this business and talk about power levels, who can do what in the story, what we see in the game world, it'll end up going in circles of overthinking. It doesn't matter if the character just swings a sword in some chainmail or can slice through steel with an aetherically powered blade. What matters is that the player behind the character has the discretion to know when these abilities and traits are best applied to a scene, and when they are best put away in favor of an approach that accommodates as many collaborators as possible. Most of everything else is just us being bratty snobby roleplayers who secretly and sometimes not-so-secretly think everyone should do things our way. I'm guilty of it too!
As roleplayers some of us may at times forget that we are playing this game with several other real people who have spent time developing their own characters to play and enjoy. We may even forget, or fail to acknowledge that going out there does not mean that everyone will cater to our character's story, power levels or personality -- and this goes for both the high and low ends of the power spectrum. The people who try to force ridiculous levels of average dirt joe in areas where they'd amount to no more than a street walking peasant are JUST as guilty as super multiclass world class seen-everything ultima-belchers. Expecting people to accept an overpowered character is in the same boat as expecting everyone to play an underpowered one.Â
What must happen is simple: a player must think outside of their own sphere, and assess the situation, the setting and the other live players/characters in the environment. From there, no matter what they've written their character to be, a prudent roleplayer can present their character in a manner that fits the situation.Â
For example; I'm sure Berrod can take on a big ol' Roe bouncing at a party. Hell, I'd probably LOVE to see that and play that out. However, I understand as a player that an event is going on, and that bouncer has been placed there to provide flavor and a sense of in-character security. Likely, I won't try anything and just make it so that my character toes the line -- hell, or at least throws a couple words for the bouncer and doesn't do anything more than that. If I WANT to have Berrod stir some trouble -- communication comes in. I whisper one of the organizers. I whisper the player of the bouncer. I try to ensure that the organizers and the bouncer are in communication with one another. If I get the go ahead to cause a little ruckus that's where compromise comes in. I don't want to ruin the event. I see what the organizers want to do. I know what the bouncer is there for. So I stir a bit of trouble in a manner where my character does not breach the security of the event. Sure there was a scrum or something, but in the end the event stays intact and the participants have something extra to talk about. It's a character memory that goes forward. It's something players talk about and have fun with. That's how roleplay goes. It's not just about me and my character and his awesomeness or fearlessness. Whether he's fearless or not, -I- as a player realize that the event requires a certain level of order, and that there must be boundaries and limits regarding interruptions and the like.
All this business and talk about power levels, who can do what in the story, what we see in the game world, it'll end up going in circles of overthinking. It doesn't matter if the character just swings a sword in some chainmail or can slice through steel with an aetherically powered blade. What matters is that the player behind the character has the discretion to know when these abilities and traits are best applied to a scene, and when they are best put away in favor of an approach that accommodates as many collaborators as possible. Most of everything else is just us being bratty snobby roleplayers who secretly and sometimes not-so-secretly think everyone should do things our way. I'm guilty of it too!