Changes to a character during a one-off

Community Larp discussion
#1

At Chimera this year, I played in a couple of games where some aspect of my character could have changed through the course of the game. Basically in one I was playing a drunk, and thus I was pretending to drink from a hip flask through the course of the game. In the other, I was playing a character who was supposed to have, for lack of a better description, a personality disorder become more and more of an issue throughout the game. In both instances, I was somewhat expecting the GMs to come over and say something like “You’re getting quite drunk now”, or “That problem of yours is getting worse”, which I would take as my cue to start acting that up more. But in both games nothing like that happened, and so those changes never really got played - I managed to stay sober in one, and my problem was never really even hinted at to anyone in the other.

Later on I realised that the GMs had probably been expecting me to do it myself, without them telling me that now was the time to change how I was playing the character. So, my question is, as both players and GMs, do people expect players to just start acting these things out of their own volition, or is it expected that the GM will give them a cue that they should change how they’re playing the character? And which way would people prefer it to happen?

Personally to my mind it makes more sense for the GM to do it, because things like addictions and worsening personal traits aren’t really in the control of the character, thus the GM, as the representative of everything else in the world, would signal changes at what they saw as an appropriate time, but I’d like to hear what other people’s thoughts are.

#2

Speaking as a GM, expect the players to escalate those things of their own accord. The only time I would expect them not to is when I specifically state in their character sheet that a Gm will cue them. If many people have negative personality traits it is often unrealistic to be prompting everyone, or the time is better used running plot related things, either way, there is limited real estate of things that can be overlooked and remembered during a game so if the trait is more of a character driving/roleplaying point then I will leave it to the player completely.

As a player, I like the freedom to run with it and adjust to the situation.

#3

I would pretty much agree with Vanya there, both from the view point as a player and a GM. I would play out the trait or changes unless it specifically stated the GM would tell me when. Heck even if I start to play it up a GM might come and give me more specific info. GMs are often quite busy and may not be aware of everything a character is doing or seeing.

There are some cases when you do need input from a GM. You may get poisoned, with or without knowing, a GM may tell you that you are feeling a bit light headed and weak or nauseous, later they may come and tell you the pain is increasing and you are cramping up. And so on…

I don’t think it has to be one way or another or you were doing anything wrong. I guess I just assume if the GMs have written it on the character sheet they want me to play that up.

#4

Players, GMs and writers approach this differently.

Personally I see things like alcoholism, drug-addiction and anger control problems as internal character traits, that I’d expect to play up myself. As a GM, if I wanted some trait of a character to increase during play I’d put that in the briefing. “You often become increasingly angry and violent until you get your way.” In the absence of an instruction like that I’d assume as a player that it’s up to my interpretation of the character whether some trait will increase during play.

On the other hand if my character had unexpected things happening to their personality, because they’re being influenced by aliens or something, then I’d expect something like a re-briefing from a GM or a contingency envelope.

Overall, I prefer games that don’t require re-briefings or contingency envelopes where possible, because it can removes the sense of agency of the player (the feeling that they are in charge of their character’s actions). However, sometimes re-briefings are necessary to achieve particular effects.

#5

I concur with everything the males said, but do beware of this LARP stereotype below which can erupt when players decide they are going to ‘make the most’ of their PC in the worst way possible.

#6

As a woman, I have no idea why you feel the gender of the previous posters matters enough to make comment. :neutral_face:

#7

As a writer, yeah, I would generally assume that giving someone a trait like “drunkard” or “prone to angry outbursts” would get picked up by the player and escalated of their own accord. I might also do something like specify that they should have a hip flask prop, or put a note like “GM Note: you have a strong desire for alcohol and will pursue opportunities to get a drink whenever you can.” Depends on how much it mattered to me that they roleplayed the character that way, I guess - sometimes it’s just inviting the player to take their character a particular way, rather than something plot critical.

I’d save contingency envelopes/approaching someone in play for stuff that the player can’t reasonably predict might happen - like the actions of another player, or something that’s supposed to be a surprise to them. (Too time consuming otherwise, and my general attitude to running a game is that if you can push the button “Go” and spend the rest of the game enjoying the show, you’re doing well.)

Oh, another one is giving people objects at game start - from a writing point of view, you kinda want the objects to circulate around the room or be spottable or whatever, but it’s the players’ choice what they do with them and sometimes they choose to conceal that they’ve got stuff. I’ll never forget the game where I gave someone a gaudy pink umbrella assuming that another character would spot it ‘by accident’ and it would trigger a particular conversation - the player with the umbrella spent the whole game with it hidden under his coat. Good times! (I think he assumed that someone would be looking for it, and it needed to be protected. But it’s good to write multiple plotlines for each character, because there’ll always be something that doesn’t trigger the way you expected it to.)

#8

As a woman, I have no idea why you feel the gender of the previous posters matters enough to make comment. :neutral_face:[/quote]

perhaps we can discuss this somewhere else, i don’t want to derail a LARP themed thread.

#9

Hmmm, sounds like I did it wrong at Chimera :blush: I’ll remember this for the future.

[quote=“Stephanie”]But it’s good to write multiple plotlines for each character, because there’ll always be something that doesn’t trigger the way you expected it to.[/quote]This reminded me of my experience in one of the Chimera flagship style games (I’ve suddenly forgotten the term for that style of game). I think my character was supposed to have two major plots/activities - one of them was canned by the GMs before the game because in a previous run of the game it was found to be really just detrimental to the overall experience of the game. The other in character I had no idea about (out of character it was obvious), and I think I was supposed be pulled into it by one or more of a few characters. One of said characters made a comment right at the start of the game to me that in character seemed like a bizarre statement by a weird man, and I had nothing more to do with the character for the whole game, and I think it never even occurred to the players of the other characters to try to involve me, because my character’s connection to the plot on the surface wasn’t really that strong (in actuality I could have probably told them exactly what they wanted to know, but had no idea of its significance in character). I just thought that it was a good example of a plot kinda fizzing for a character, and it meant that I had stuff all to do for the game, since I’m no good at getting myself in on other people’s plots without being invited. So I wholeheartedly agree that multiple plotlines are good :slight_smile:

#10

Nah Jarak, I don’t think you were doing it wrong at all, remember every player and GM is different, and personally as a GM I know that as soon as I give that character to a player it is out of my hands, they will interpret it and play what is interesting for them. That ties into your other point about lots of plot, I try to give my characters lots of plot hooks they can get involved in, as you never know what will fizz or what the players will want to follow up on. And I would always prefer to have a player say wow there was so much going on in that game that I couldn’t get involved in all of it, compared to them running out of stuff to do and standing around.

You did ask the question though, and I think it’s actually a good one for a lot of players. And now with the feedback you can decide if that works for you.