Rob's Reasons to Roleplay


Mike, here are my answers.

 
:   1.3  Love of role-playing
It's fun to temporarily play a lascivious, hairless thief covered with tattoos who never fights when he can run or a noble, but beleagured priest of Poseidon trapped in a party of chaotic neutrals (eventually this character woke the Gods of Lankhmar to save the city from a monster invasion--which they did--and got withered by a diety for his efforts).
 
:   2.1  Fantasy Fulfillment
Similar to 1.3, this reason has perhaps more to do with the act of creation than some sort of wish fulfillment. It's why I want to GM (even though I keep stalling and backing away from that sort of responsibility): I can create a universe of my own, full of interesting things and twists on old tales.
 
:   4.1  Between characters involved in interesting relationships,
:        events, etc.
:   4.2  Between a number of players sitting around a table laughing
I'm going to through the 4's together. Combat, strategy, and tactics are fun, but sometimes they can get a little tiresome (one reason why my aforementioned AD&D thief Bendrazir has recently been adding acrobatics to his combat, jumping down on giant spiders from a height in order to backstab or going hand-over-hand along the outside railing of a ship to get behind the lycanthropic sea-wolves). Interaction with NPCs is much more interesting (the other players in the AD&D group absolutely hated this evil sorceror and old nemesis Vargast. The adventure where he tried to do them in was classic RPing--I've never seen so much hatred toward a concept and a collection of stats. Of course, my character--who the evil wizard had always spared since he didn't know him--promptly spared the sorceror's life when sent to execute him, heh heh heh). GMing that Star Wars adventure taught me this: I'll never forget the looks on my players' faces as they tried to get the Rebel jump coordinates chip from a Power Droid with delusions of grandeur. And of course, 4.2 is the really reason why I roleplay--it's a social and collective (thus suiting my Marxist side) activity. It's why I can never really get into MUSHing and MUDding or computer RPGs; these sorts of games are just too isolating.
:   6.1  Solving puzzles,
Provided the GM gives us adequate clues, a mystery or enigma can be lots of fun. If there aren't enough hints, then it's Chinese water torture.
:  8.0   Getting to dominate a number of real people
:  8.1  Taking out your social aberrations on others
I'm a teacher--I don't need RPGs to take care of the 8's!
 
: 10.0   Opportunity to meet women/girls.
Sigh. If only this were the case . . .

Rob


Return