Thursday, March 8, 2012
What Do You Do When...
Over at the Knights of the Black Blanner, Brendan retells a tale I think all of us can sympathize. Where one player's actions (and sometimes through no fault of his own) is caught up in a situation where it consumes most of the session. I know with my experience with GURPS a single battle can take up a lot of time. So what do you do when this happens? How do you resolve it? Or do you just let it play out?
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If the system doesn't allow running a combat in a few minutes I would house rule one that does.
ReplyDeleteI've handled this different ways. Sometimes, I've just let it play out. Other times I've had some deus ex machina break things up or resolve the issue.
ReplyDeleteWell I guess it depends on if other characters are involved.
ReplyDeleteIf the answer is no, but the player really wants to pursue this action. I give control of his opponents (guards he is talking to, whatever) to the other players to control.
I'd just go with it. Really, so what if it takes the whole session?
ReplyDeleteI figure watching other players have cool stuff (or bad stuff, or odd stuff) happen to them is part of gaming. A session always involves a lot of waiting, and enjoying other people's actions and the results of those actions. You have to accept that to really be part of a roleplaying group, not just playing at the same time and location as some other people.
If the other players are bored, yeah, that'll happen sometimes. You aren't assured of being the focus of X % of the session every time. It might be more, it might be less. You have to accept that in a group situation - it's not always about you, sometimes it is. Sometimes it is literally all about someone else. Enjoy it vicariously - next time it might be you.
What goes around, comes around. Sometimes your character is front and center, other times everyone's on stage, and once in a while you're in the wings.
ReplyDeleteI'm blame the Tyranny of Fun for expecting it to be otherwise.
I just go to my Happy Place.
ReplyDeleteI think it all depends on the maturity level of the players. An all adult group wouldn't mind watching but I can tell you a group with anybody younger than that would be a struggle.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't really anyone's fault, it just spiralled into a real time sink.
ReplyDeleteHad I suspected the encounter (optional as it was) would take over the session I would've taken steps before play begin to fix it, but until the fight was well under way none of us realised it would go on so long (or end so tragically for the new character)
Personally, I usually let it play out unless the player is continually trying to shove their face in the spotlight. It happens and sometimes creates interesting events.
ReplyDeleteThis past game session a random encounter ended up taking up most of the session, but I think it played out well. It put the players in a odd situation they were unsure how to handle. While the encounter could have involved only one or two of the players, I developed it on the go to get everyone involved.