Heroica Theatre

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Wow, wow wow. Amazing Flipz. :thumbup: It was interesting and humorous to read. I realized that I'm actually not as bad as I thought at RP.

[Darkdragon]

Really neat idea Flipz. It took me a while to read but definately worth it and I hope a lot of folks take the advice and especially new people that maybe have never done any kind of roleplay online or in paper/pencil games.

[Jebediahs]

Good job. Next you'll be working on a Heroica RPG wiki.

[Sisco]

That was a great read, Flipz!

And I'm honored that Jess and Haldor were included in it.

[Scorpiox]

A very interesting and amusing read here Flipz.

I'm sure that many of us can learn from this great guide on how to build a character, and I'm overjoyed at the references.

[Flipz]

In the spirit of the Theatre, I'm going to point out an example of fine roleplaying, and present Bilbert's thoughts on the matter.

Eric leaned against Freeda's shack, crossing his arms across his chest. Craftily he put on his best seductive smile and replied:

"I can say I have an eye for all thins exquisite and fine, and I must say your shiny and scaly skin have not escaped my gaze. The green hue of your scales matches your benign eyes perfectly"

He chuckled softly and moved in a bit closer. "I'm kind of thirsty and longing for some of that great ale. I'm willing to take ten bottles of your sweet hands. I'm sure a fine damsel as you can give me three bottles for free?"

Eric let his hand slide through his blond hair as he finished the last part of his sentence. He put on his best smile once more and waited Freeda's reply.

"Ordinarily, I would worry about including moments involving flirtation, but as you can see Eric has pulled it off quite well. His deliberate and manipulative seduction of the lizard-woman Freeda borders on disturbing--which is exactly what makes it so interesting, compared to the boring, stale flirtation we normally see. Don't be afraid to make choices that make you seem unlikeable; we all have our flaws, and those flaws are the foundation of the conflict that makes us interesting. So, excellent choices, Eric, and, erm...don't show us what happens next. For all our sakes. "

"This is Bilbert Wigglepike, reminding you...that character counts."

Edited May 31, 2012 by Flipz

[CMP]

I think that had more to do with free Mead than the roleplaying, but it was very-well executed nonetheless.

[Scubacarrot]

And here is where we learn Eric is actually a mead addict, and when not given the mead he wants, will go into a state of depression, followed by sudden acts of rage and violence.

[Darkdragon]

In the spirit of the Theatre, I'm going to point out an example of fine roleplaying, and present Bilbert's thoughts on the matter.

I agree that it was excellent role-playing and more fun than the typical "I don't want to pay that much" negotiation.

Was really difficult for me to read and post because I was laughing the whole time (and I'm at work, so I shouldn't be laughing).

[CMP]

There should be a section where all the particularly good bits of roleplaying like that are archived here, if you're not planning one already.

[Scubacarrot]

There should be a section where all the particularly good bits of roleplaying like that are archived here, if you're not planning one already.

That is incredibly subjective though.

[Flipz]

There should be a section where all the particularly good bits of roleplaying like that are archived here, if you're not planning one already.

That's the purpose of this topic; to point out and discuss good roleplaying. Not in the sense of a true archive, but when good roleplaying appears, someone can point it out here and give the person who wrote it a pat on the back, and explain for the benefeit of less experienced players why it's great.

I DO plan to index great roleplaying advice; the two quotes listed in Opening Night, for example, will be indexed as soon as I get around to formatting the index, as well as other great quotes as I find them.

Edited May 31, 2012 by Flipz

[Bricksandparts]

That is incredibly subjective though.

But this is not to mock less experienced Role-players, but to promote more experienced ones by giving advice through experienced Role-players advice/quotes. Plus, isn't a lot of this game and discussion subjective?

[Scubacarrot]

But this is not to mock less experienced Role-players, but to promote more experienced ones by giving advice through experienced Role-players advice/quotes. Plus, isn't a lot of this game and discussion subjective?

I'm not going to go into specifics, but there are some examples of role-play other people could like more than some, I don't think having indexed "good roleplay" is a good idea, pointing out great examples like Flipz did a bit earlier is cool, but not archiving like this: This is good, this is good, this is not. Blah blah. See what I mean? How Flipz stated it earlier is good

[Waterbrick Down]

Index advice maybe, but I agree with Scuba in that specific examples of role-playing need only be discussed not cataloged. In other news, I can say as a QM that if you attempt to role-play a solution to something like bartering, or diplomacy, or even fighting, then we are more than likely to reward your attempt. Often we have a set answer to a puzzle or some other problem, but if the players can figure out another solution through some good role-playing, we are generally fine with letting them do that. Two more recent examples of this I believe would be the "Dark Room" solution in Rumble Strike's Quest 32 and a sequence where Flipz had a character target a wooden block closing a gate in the middle of a battle and KOing an enemy in a single action during Brickdoctor's Quest 31. Don't expect this to always work, but I for one like seeing innovation like this, remember though there is a balance, Heroica RPG does have rules and they shouldn't be widely deviated from.

[JimBee]

Just got around to reading this, nice job Flipz. I'm still not sure if I'm role-playing Hybros very well at all, but at least some of these examples reinforce what not to do.

Often we have a set answer to a puzzle or some other problem, but if the players can figure out another solution through some good role-playing, we are generally fine with letting them do that.

This is very true. There are many instances during the two quests that I've hosted where I let characters do something that I had not originally thought of. As long as it's not overboard, such as building traps for enemies or trying to create potions out of tree leaves. Stuff like that worked in Quest 17, but it's important to understand that not every quest follows that pattern.

[Bricksandparts]

Just got around to reading this, nice job Flipz. I'm still not sure if I'm role-playing Hybros very well at all, but at least some of these examples reinforce what not to do.

This is very true. There are many instances during the two quests that I've hosted where I let characters do something that I had not originally thought of. As long as it's not overboard, such as building traps for enemies or trying to create potions out of tree leaves. Stuff like that worked in Quest 17, but it's important to understand that not every quest follows that pattern.

Or make a net...

[Khorne]

In the spirit of the Theatre, I'm going to point out an example of fine roleplaying, and present Bilbert's thoughts on the matter.

*snip*

"This is Bilbert Wigglepike, reminding you...that character counts."

Yay! I now got mentioned twice in the Heroica Theatre . As CallMePie said, though, Eric wasn't really interested in the Lizardwoman per se, he just wanted to get as much free stuff as possible. He noticed Freeda's flirtuous behaviour and saw it as a weakness he could use to his advantage.

I think that had more to do with free Mead than the roleplaying, but it was very-well executed nonetheless.

Indeed, the free Mead was what I wanted to get mostly. The roleplaying part was just an added extra. It shows how Eric believes in the 'the end justifies the means'-motto. He'll go that extra mile to gain something he wants. He's got no qualms or issues with manipulating people or using them to his advantage. Other than that, he's a nice guy really .

[Flipz]

"Hello! It's me, Bilbert Wigglepike again! This time, I'm here to chat with you about the Heroes of Quest 28. Now, I, ahem, for reasons of pers--I mean, national security, I can't speak directly about the events involving the three-way turf war among Eubric's criminal underclass. Blasted protection fees are high enough as it is, *grumble grumble*... However, I can point the way to someone who can. I will, however take the risk and point out one particularly exceptional example:"

Barty goes ballistic, yelling after Nur.

"Traitor! You are a traitor!! Do you hear me?! You will burn and freeze and the wrath of all the Gods shall be unleashed upon you! You are a traitor. You allow the cretin of the world to walk free. They soil it. They are like a disease. They spread and spread and spread. You do not understand. None of you understand. Don't you see?! Don't any of you see?! You will all perish unless you wipe out the evil. You can not let one villain walk and kill others. That is not the way of the world! Return, you filthy magic user! Return you traitor to the light! Traitor! You are a traitor! TRAITOR!"

Boomingham swats the pest out of the sky.

"Track him down, make sure he doesn't go far. I trust Nur as much as a mage can be trusted. He hasn't betrayed me yet... but I guess that's the trouble with mages. He's cunning, perhaps he has a plan. Let's no jump to conclusion, alright Barty."

Boomingham looks uneasily down the alleyway that Nur exited through. He sweats profusely. His face is red.

"And you! You, you do not understand. You have no honor. You are no King. Your Kingdom is dead. You are forgotten. You have nothing. And you fill it with meaningless nothings. You are nothing. You are a void. You don't matter. You are nothing."

Boomingham slashes through Barty and the little angel explodes into a silver powder the shimmers and then disperses. Boomingham looks at his King of the Desert.

"That was a surprise," Boomingham whispers. He stares forlornly at the spot that Barty had been floating in a few seconds ago. "Barty... Barty?" Boomingham dabs his forward with his kercheif before returning in to his pocket and redirecting his sword at the Werewolf Thug while calling over to the Metasmian.

"Sorry about this, Metasimian. If the battle isn't going your way, feel free to depart at any time. I won't track you down. Forward, chappos."

"Here, the (ex-)Paladin Lawrence Boomingham has eliminated a class feature (indeed, the one that differentiates him from an average, Ether-less Knight) in the name of staying true to his own nature. This is a great example of a technique we have yet to demonstrate here at the Theatre: Role-playing even when it hurts. Norse Cleric Haldor offers another excellent example of this earlier in the Quest:"

Haldor slunk back into the shadows, out of sight of the other heroes. He said nor did nothing as his friends ingaged in combat with the Vampiric pair. It would have been the ultimate heresy for a Nord to assualt one of the Vampire breed. Lawrence's attack was very akin to being slapped with a large ham, but it provided Haldor with an oppertunity to disappear. Haldor wished for nothing other than any clue from the Gods as to whether he had done the right thing. Now, a man far away would be spared, but likely at the cost of two great beings that should not be slain. The Nord looked into the darkening sky for guidance.

"Haldor allowed himself to be effectively Knocked Out, missing out on the battle experience and rewards, because, as a Norseman, he found it dishonorable to fight them, once again making a sacrifice in the name of staying true to himself. Truly he plays his role well."

"In fact, you know what? Just read all of Quest #28: The Breakthrough. The Quest itself is entertaining and informative, but it is a veritable goldmine of excellent roleplaying. I highly recommend it to all. "

"This is Bilbert Wigglepike, reminding you that Character Counts!"

---

And now, in a non-Bilbet fashion, I'd like to ask for some help. Lately, I've been less than satisfied with Arthur's characterization and roleplaying. I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong, though, likely because I'm too close to the situation to have proper perspective. Perhaps some of you have a few suggestions? I am considering all options--yes, including the more "permanent" ones, if it becomes necessary.

[Scubacarrot]

And now, in a non-Bilbet fashion, I'd like to ask for some help. Lately, I've been less than satisfied with Arthur's characterization and roleplaying. I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong, though, likely because I'm too close to the situation to have proper perspective. Perhaps some of you have a few suggestions? I am considering all options--yes, including the more "permanent" ones, if it becomes necessary.

By no means do I consider myself knowledgeable of any sort on the roleplaying front, and I must admit I haven't been following your roleplaying as Arthur very closely, but if you are having doubts about your own roleplaying, perhaps you could have your character have an identity crisis of sorts, from which he emerges more to your liking?

[CMP]

I don't think Boomingham is actually going to lose his Shield, but I'm not sure. I do have to agree Quest 28 is a great read for roleplaying, among other features. That's what happens when you get some of the most defined, heavily-roleplaying characters (and Docken ) together in a Quest.

Perhaps some of you have a few suggestions? I am considering all options--yes, including the more "permanent" ones, if it becomes necessary.

Just don't drag it (the crazy side of Arthur) out too long or have it come up in the spotlight too often. In small portions it turns out to be cool RPing, but too much and it goes sour. If that's what you mean.

[Scorpiox]

I'm honoured that you like Haldor's roleplaying recently. I guess it just rolls naturally.

[Palathadric]

-snip-

Quest 28 really is superb. Great team and great role-playing. It's especially awesome that they're all fairly long-time members.

By no means do I consider myself knowledgeable of any sort on the roleplaying front, and I must admit I haven't been following your roleplaying as Arthur very closely, but if you are having doubts about your own roleplaying, perhaps you could have your character have an identity crisis of sorts, from which he emerges more to your liking?

I don't know about that. Arthur is one long, continuous identity crisis as I see it. I agree with CMP though, don't let him get too crazy too often. It grows almost annoying more than funny. Oh, I'm one to talk.

[CMP]

Since it's a purely roleplaying discussion...

You do have quite the varied party, any thoughts on De'kra's alignment?

De'kra strikes me as Chaotic Good. It's obvious he wants to do good, but his lack of finesse with normal human interaction makes his actions towards doing so sort of irregular.

I'm afraid I'm not too good on D&D alignments, so forgive me when I ask, whose who?

I'm a big fan of D&D, I just haven't played it. I left them that way for people to guess, but, in order: Tarn, William, Thothwick, Nyx, and Atramor.

[Professor Flitwick]

I'm a big fan of D&D, I just haven't played it. I left them that way for people to guess, but, in order: Tarn, William, Thothwick, Nyx, and Atramor.

Ah, thanks CallMePie. Sorry I couldn't work it out myself, it's just that the first three and the last two sound relatively interchangeable to me. I really should brush up on my D&D knowledge.