Don't Be Shy: DMing 2.0

We’ve all seen that player.  The one who never interacts with the group, and only really exists to jam their “slash” button during combat. 

No one wants their players to be this way, and these players aren’t having much fun, either.  The only real issue is shyness, or unsureness of what they’re “supposed” to do.  This, of course, can be remedied, and that’s today’s topic.

Ask the Player Directly

One of the best ways to get players to interact is simply to ask them to do so.  This is very simple, and equally effective.  Essentially, when players are doing something, such as talking to an NPC, and one player isn’t saying anything, simply say something like “Jeff, do you have anything to say?”  They may say no, and if they do, just say “Okay” and move on.

Reward Roleplay

In psychology, this is known as Positive Reinforcement.  In short, when you reward good actions, people tend to repeat those actions.  In RPGs, you can do this in a variety of ways to promote Role-Playing.  When I run a D&D campaign with shy players, I give them +1 to hit if they narrate the attack.  This breaks combat from the ‘slash’ button, and it encourages players to think creatively.

Out of combat, you need to be more subtle.  For exploration, a good way of rewarding players is by making things happen when they try creative actions, even if you hadn’t planned on it.  For example, when a player slices open a cushion, let them find a pouch of gold hidden there.

Social encounters are the most tricky.  Because there really aren’t that many rewards that you get from talking, you can’t really reward players for how they talk.  What you can do is encourage them to talk to as many people as possible by having each side character give valuable tidbits about monsters, local sites, folklore, etc.  For example, the grizzled old man next to them at the bar mentions that the gems inside a Slaadi’s head grant it’s holder control over them.

Give the Player Something to Say

This may be something you already do, but if not, it’s something you should start doing whether or not you have a shy player.  Always, always, always tie the character’s backstory to the game.  Before the game, read everything related to the character’s past if they’ve written it, and help them make something if they haven’t.  Then make sure that you include the character into your story in a significant way.  Don’t just visit the farm of their aunt;  Make the character’s past matter to the group’s present.

A Body in Motion

Once players get in the habit of role-playing, they’ll do it on their own.  That means that you won’t have to do all this stuff forever.  Of course, some players take a harder kick than others to get started.  If the above doesn’t work, you may need to give the them an AP course.

My favorite way to train a player to RP is to play a solo game with them.  In a solo game, players have no choice but to make choices, and there’s no one else to ‘horn in’ on.  A fascinating fact about humans is that they act differently in groups of different sizes.  When you’re alone, you do things that you would never do in public, and when you’re talking to just one friend instead of four or more, you act more freely.

Done & Done!

That’s about all I have to say for now.  So what do you guys think?  How do you get your players out of their shells?  As a player, did you have to overcome this yourself?  As always, I love to hear anything you have to say, so please comment, and, of course, keep on geekin' on!