Running The One Ring well

[Ferretz]

Right, so the subject line might seem a bit unclear, but something's been bothering that's been bothering me as long as I've run a The One Ring campaign is that I might be demanding too much of my players. Or do I?

The One Ring is my favorite rpg. Top of the shelf. But that makes me expect more from how the players actually play the game.

When I run TOR, I'm always hoping for good roleplaying and for the players to actually try to remain in character and in the setting, so to speak. I realize that all players are different, but what I wanted to ask about is if other GMs and players might describe how they actually play the game. I'm especially interested what GMs (or LMs in this game) expect from their players when it comes to good roleplaying, immersion, and how the group handles themes like tragedy and drama.

I fear that most of my players comes from the not-so-grand tradition of "kill the monsters and grab their loot", which is sad to see in The One Ring. Being a big fan of Tolkiens books (and even a bigger fan of the movies... I know, I know, but to my defense, I work in film production, and I'm a film geek), I get a bit fed up after a session that's been more "D&D than TOR".

I realize that much of this might be up to me as a GM, but I really do try.

So, any thoughts? Are other people's TOR campaigns deep immersion into Middle Earth? How do you handle tragedy (Darkening of Mirkwood is full of it), other important themes in the setting? Or is it more "kill the monsters and grab their loot"?


-Eirik

[Valarian]

No, demanding more from the players in terms of narrative and play is a good thing. It should be a shared experience. The GM guiding the story based on the player narrative and presenting situations for the players to face. It's different to the old rail-road D&D adventure where the players are mere actors in the GM's story. A good game of TOR should be a combined storytelling experience, with the player's characters as the main protagonists in the story.

The attitude of "kill the monsters and grab their loot" should, strictly, earn the players lots of shadow points. It's not in keeping with the setting that the characters would be interested in collecting "orc-stuff". Treasure hoards maybe, but not sifting through Orc bodies for the odd trinket.

Invite them to narrate a roll result, in keeping with the story.
Try to add to the player narrative in an "yes, and" or a "yes, but" way rather than negating the suggestion.
Encourage "good" behaviour with bonus XP.
Discourage looting by adding "cursed" items which will corrupt the character.

[DaviSalles]

Very nice tips from Valarian, I also have a table and at start we were not very focused, many players did not grasp all the feeling of tolkien narrative, but very quickly they understood that the story I was telling them, was going to be melacholic, sad, heroic and a good vs evil story. Even though the players should be the ones taking the plot forward, in the beginning of the campign the lore-master should push a good story inside the theme he wants, unless his players are really plot weavers, and have done so from character building. imho.

The use of shadow points is really helpful to keep them on the theme, as Valarian had said, the GM may use them everytime the players go to D&Desk mode. Even when they do evil, because they have to do evil, (my players cut a wargs head, to attract its alpha male to a fight) they should earn shadow points. Even though evilness should never be the only way approach.

FOr the rest, make Valarian mu words, just reenforcing: XP is a magic formula, always work, just like dogs' biscuit.

[Hermes Serpent]

I had a player in my last run at the club who, when finding an inn that had been attacked by orcs, said that he wanted to take any remaining items of worth (I loot the inn!) so I promptly gave him 2 shadow points and told him that he was playing a Dwarven hero and to think before acting. That was in the first 30 minutes after character generation and I did not have any further attempts to play D&D with TOR rules during the whole 12 week session.

[Shieldmaiden]

I know exactly what you mean. I'm very lucky in that I think my regular weekly group will get it. They like fantasy adventure, but they're also good role-players who will appreciate the tone and the focus on narrative. I know for a fact that it wouldn't have worked with some of the people I've played with in the past; I remember Igor screaming "Let's mobilise the Shire!" in a Dork Tower strip and know that's exactly what many of my friends would want to do.

[doctheweasel]

No, demanding more from the players in terms of narrative and play is a good thing.

I'm going to have to disagree with this one here. As much as I prefer more involved character development and focus on story, I don't think it's productive to label combat driven games bad and narrative ones good. We all want something different from gaming, and the people who are having a great time with their monty haul game are doing just as well as the ones heavily immersed in the story. If people are having fun, I'm not going to go to their table and tell them they are doing it wrong.


The problem may just be, Ferretz, that you and your players appear to have different expectations and wants from a game.

Sit down and have a talk with them about what you would like from the game and what they would like (which is just as important). If they are amenable, or you can reach some form of compromise, then wonderful. If not, it could be that what you all want is just not compatible – if someone wants to go see a football game and is expecting to see a football game, you can't make them go see an opera instead.

If that's the case, then you probably should find a group that wants to go see an opera.

[Elmoth]

Basic rules of RPGing. In descending order of importance:
1. Fun. The game must be fun/interesting for everybody.
2. Consensus. The RPG experience has a social contract at the table where all the players (that includes the LM) agree on what is that they want to do in the game. In case of conflict, the Table decides.
3. Coherency. If the game is already consensuated and everybody is having a great experience (which might include shitting their pants in a terror story) and you have several ways to confront some problem, better the coherent (for the setting) option.

All the other rules are optional and should be ditched if they interfere with the 3 rules above.

Cheers,
Xavi

[Rubycon]

My personal experience is that as a GM, you have to have a deep look at what you wat to accomplish and what the players want to accomplish. In the end, the game is about having fun togenther. That includes all players as well as the GM. So, in order to reach that goal you have to know what you and your (potential) players have in mind when talking about having fun. If all people are on the same page, great. If not, talk about what you had in mind when creating your campaign. Se f your players can get involved in your style of playing. If not,let them walk away. hat sound hard, bt in my personal experience it's the best way to handle it. I have some very good friend I stopped playing with because of issues like those you described and as I see it, this step saved our friedship. With others, I only play certain systems. Want to have a game of D&D? Great with them. TOR? Better not. (To be fair, I have some other friend where it is the other way around). So, to communicate ver cleary your motivation to play TOR and your goals is the key...

[alien270]

Yeah, TOR didn't go over too well with my FtF group for exactly that reason - they kept trying to play D&D, and they hated the idea of Shadow Points. So I started up a PbP game to find like-minded players, and it's still going strong after more than a year!

I get more requests to join my game than I can accommodate, so there are certainly potential players floating around online just waiting for a good LM!

[Ferretz]

Sadly, I'm strongly considering ending my TOR campaign for because Darkening of Mirkwood is too damn good. I don't want to spend time running it with a group that would mangle it they way they've mangled Tales from Wilderland so far. :/

PbP... how does that work?

-Eirik