• Hello game master! Welcome to our growing community. Please take a moment to Register (top right button, see how: Slides).

    If you use Campaign Logger, you can use the same login details - we've linked the app to this forum for secure and easy single sign-on for you.

    And please drop by the Introductions thread and say hi.

RPT Newsletter #1,200 | When Players Go Feral — How to Clarify Actions of Misunderstood Players

Do you have miscommunication at the table?

  • I have never experienced anything like this.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It is quite often at my table.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I usually just move on, answer those questions and that's it.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It often leads to discussions afterwards.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Help please!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No, my players are just dumb. Or drinking alcohol while playing. I am used to this kind of things...

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    4

Stephan Hornick

Community Goblin & Master of the Archive
Platinum WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Borderland Explorer
RPT-Banner-800w.png

When Players Go Feral — How to Clarify Actions of Misunderstood Players

From Jonathan Hardin, sojournersawake.com | Published April 25, 2022


Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #1,200


A Brief Word from Johnn​

Today's tips from Jonathan cover a problem I've experienced many times, especially at conventions. What do you do when one player goes off the rails? I especially like the example of the ranger who seemingly isn't on the same page as the party and wants to ask "dumb" questions.

While the solution is simple, and these tips are a good reminder, we often forget in the heat of the moment. So you might create a Post-It or prompt on your GM screen for the next time a player seemingly loses their mind, the plot, or both.

This is the type of stuff we talk about in the Wizard of Adventure Zoom Q&A on the last Saturday of each month. The next call is only a few days away. I'll also be running a special real-time demonstration of polishing a boring encounter using methods from the Adventure Building Master Game Plan. You'll discover how to turn an encounter from bleh to awesome.

If you are not a Wizard of Adventure yet to take your GMing to the next level, it starts at just $2/month. Get more details here.

I hope to see you on the call Saturday!

Now, onto Jonathan's tips for herding cats.

Meme graphic of herding cats


Section Divider


How to Clarify Actions of Misunderstood Players
By Jonathan Hardin, sojournersawake.com

Everyone plays for one reason — to have fun. But through misinterpretation, a player may inadvertently direct the story away from the party’s plans. This might look like taking lone side quests, diverting from the task, or making actions that confuse everyone.

To resolve this, ask clarifying questions that showcase not only the player’s actions, but their intentions.


Example 1. Combat
The final boss walks into the chamber and greets the characters. Everyone rolls for initiative.

But when combat turns to the cleric, they announce they begin to search for loot while the boss is distracted.

The table holds their breath. The fighter shifts uncomfortably. The wizard laughs mockingly. And then everyone looks to the game master to get the thieving player back in line.



Example 2. Interaction
The store keeper supplies the characters with much needed provisions for their journey ahead. Each player describes their actions and mentions they are ready to move on.

The ranger asks the storekeeper a question. To the table, it seems irrelevant, and the game master has no prepared answer. But the ranger persists.

“How long have you lived here?”
“What sort of shops are in town?”
“Do you have any quests?”


As before, the GM obliges but everyone shifts uncomfortably as the one player goes off the party rails. How can the game master manage this situation?


Example 3. Exploration
While trekking through a monster-ridden planet, the space marines gather the fallen remains of a ship. They must get it rebuilt before the scorching sun rises and burns everything to dust.

The scientist sees a cave within the mountainside and expresses interest. And to the dismay of the rest of the table, the scientist goes on their solo mission, seemingly obtuse to the rest of the party goals.


Solution: Clarify Intentions
Ask questions of a misunderstood player

Anyone can misinterpret another’s actions. By asking clarifying questions, then a player reveals their intentions so all may understand. After intentions surface, players are more likely to understand the actions of another player and what they're trying to accomplish.

GM: Hey Billie, I had a good time playing last night. What do you hope happens in the story for next week?

Billie: I really want to find an armor upgrade. And I think that shopkeeper's appearance made me think he was lying to us about something. Also, that tunnel you described on the planet - I wondered if there was anyone hiding in there.

GM: Wow, I had no idea you thought of all that! You seemed pretty quiet in the game. Had I not asked, I would have assumed something else.

Billie: It’s all interesting to me.

GM: I’m glad to hear that! I don’t want you to appear as a loner. I advise you to share all of this with the rest of the party. I know they need to hear you think out loud so they don’t misinterpret your actions in game.

Billie: How do I do that?

When the game master teases out intentions from the player, notice the change in gameplay within the following scenarios:


Example 1. Combat
“... they begin to search for loot while the boss is distracted."

GM: Cleric, I want to give you an appropriate skill challenge, so clarify your intention.

Billie: I mean, this is a perfect opportunity for me to steal something valuable from the villain. I hope to turn the fight towards a win.

The table applauds. The fighter exclaims “Bring it on!” The wizard laughs, “I’ll cover you.” Everyone looks to the GM, returning to the goal.


Example 2. Interaction
“... it seems irrelevant, and the game master has no prepared answer. But the ranger persists.”

GM: So as I know how to answer, can you clarify your intentions, out of character?

Billie: You said that he wore an eye patch, and that just seems strange to my PC. I’m thinking he might have a link to the underground crime gang that attacked us.

The game master receives clarification and the party factors this seemingly random action into the story. They wait to see if the ranger succeeds or fails because this now means something of value.


Example 3. Exploration
“... sees a cave within the mountainside and expresses interest."

GM: Splitting off like that seems pretty unsafe. It also means the party has one fewer pair of hands to help fix the ship before sunrise. What is your goal for exploring the cave on your own?

Billie: It’s pretty simple. I really don’t want to be ambushed by whatever is hiding in that cave. I’ll go look while everyone else works on the repairs.

Through clarifying questions, everyone can witness the intentions of the player and fold the actions into the story.

Marine 1: That’s a great point, do you need any weapons?

Marine 2: Agree. Maybe we could scan the cave to learn if anything hides in it. That could save you a trip and you could still help with the repairs?

Medic: I didn’t even think about that, I’ll prep the rover so we can get away quick just in case.


Final Thought
It’s not enough to have the same goals in TTRPGs. Players should also communicate their intentions to reach the same goals. The game master can help facilitate a fun game even when a player takes a misunderstood or confusing action. By asking clarifying questions, the GM moves the group’s energy from discomfort to one of camaraderie.

May your story continue!
 

Stephan Hornick

Community Goblin & Master of the Archive
Platinum WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Borderland Explorer
Thank you, @JonGraHar. This is a nice example of a common table issue.
Often, if a specific PC goes into a completely different direction, it can derail a whole session. Sometimes the reason might be "my PC would do this or that because he/she is as he/she is". This is a different topic altogether. But sometimes, I as a GM get the feeling that I am missing something here. The player is usually very bright, but now asks dumb questions? What does he do this for? If you don't realize what is happening and you continue anyway, it might quickly (and unfairly) depict the player as dumb and it is something you shouldn't do. It can lead to player frustration of the other players if you allow it, and to player frustration of that specific player if you ignore it. And in any case it will lead to GM frustration.
If you expect a specific reason for their actions but you are wrong, you may be able to smooth out this "blunder", but the player has no chance to rectify what he actually meant. And if you hear the reason later, it is too late to change the story - and in my experience, they are often great reasons!

Thus, I totally agree with Jonathan to friendly ask for their intention if something is unclear and even to correct you if you read their intentions wrong when describing.

Example 1
An example that still haunts me from about two years ago:
The setting is Shadowrun. One of the PCs is a yakuza assassin, often cold-blooded, but yearning for warmth and respect.
He walks up to a bunch of gangers and I as a GM know that not only the PC specifically, but also the player dislikes gangers and deems them worthless scum. So as he calls out to them and wanted them to move out of the way, the player describes that his PC puts a hand onto his katana.
Now, the player later told me that it was just a normal gesture of resting his hand on his katana hilt that he belted on his hip, to show his relaxed stance.
But I interpreted this as a threat (and I had imagined his katana to be strapped to his back). Quickly I described the escalating reaction, without even asking the player for his intention with this "putting his hand on the hilt" description...

Example 2
At another moment, the same PC was alone with a helpless woman in an expensive loft. She had major mental problems and was opening up and told him about it. And all went well. Until she used "the wrong word" and he lashed out. Instantly, his demeanor changed. He attacked her with spiteful words, accused her of getting everything and not knowing the world, standing over her his fists trembled and I already described how her eyes became fearful and her arms went up protectively...
And again, I misread this (same) player. He wanted to express that the fists trembled not with rage but with frustration. He seemed to have imagined the PC to be close to tears. And somehow he imagined that the npc would comfort him instead.
I was trying to depict the inner world of an npc, to have the player understand the npc, to have the PC understand his "girlfriend" for the events that would follow. Instead, the player interpreted the scene to revolve around the PC alone and for npcs to naturally care for his PC...

Example 3
And now recently, in a fantasy setting a different player had a great plan: A burrowing giant worm (like a sandworm) had breached the wall of the fortification that his PC was guarding. The enemies were about to flood through the gap in the wall and it seemed over. The PC had noticed that the giant translucent worm was seemingly following the smell (?) of dead people as he proceeded, eating everything in-between. So the PC levitated one dead enemy into the air and teased the worm with it to turn around and ignore the other guards. The player said that he was trying to lure that worm out again.
I described how the worm reacted to the levitating corpse and turned around. The player seemed to be exhilerated by this. I took that as the right choice of me.
To make the events more interesting though, I let two of the enemies notice what the mage was doing. One was screaming and hurting himself to attract the attention of the worm back to the castle. The other grabbed the levitating corpse and tried to pull it into another direction. Both failed. A third enemy didn't notice, but was "just" going for a kill. He attacked the mage from behind, who defended himself.
I don't know what the player expected at this moment. The worm was going for the corpse, the enemy was right beside the corpse, the mage behind him, and on the other side the other enemy.
I figured this was clear from the description and the picture, but it seemingly wasn't.
When it was the mage's turn, he didn't follow up on this levitation, but he quickened himself and attacked the enemy behind him and another enemy in a flurry of sword slashes.
When he was about to plunge down his sword for the second kill, I described the moving of ground behind him, the screaming and abrupt ending of screaming only a few yards behind the mage. And as he was about to look back over his shoulder to the enemies beyond, the huge worm was already upon him, swallowing corpse, enemy, dying enemy and the mage in one swoop.
It should have been a breath-taker and very interesting moment. The mage's flailing arm was still outside of the creature as it plunged down into the underground tunnels, his brother only a few yards away and eager to jump after him and rescue him.
I was exhilerated by the scenic possibilities this development entailed. I was already seeing the brother's straining as he tries to pull out the mage in an underground tunnel covered with slime.

But: The player of the mage was just irritated. He mumbled "that was not what I had intended". And he quickly blinked away from this problem.
I was disappointed... It is ok to not have this scene in the tunnels and for the mage to blink away, but I was irritated for a moment by his comment. It didn't sound like "I overlooked this", but rather "I wanted it to go differently".
I assume, he misread the creature's speed. I have still not asked the player what he had intended here.
 

ExileInParadise

RPG Therapist
Staff member
Adamantium WoA
Wizard of Story
This is one of a number of key skills for GMs.

And, I've seen things go badly if you don't address things in the moment they begin to skew sideways.

"Gotta head em off at the pass" before the event becomes "cast in stone".

Plus, clarifying questions encourage the party to "think out loud" together - giving everyone a better chance to stay on the same page, feed into each others' storytelling and give the GM with more ideas.
 

JonGraHar

Member
Gold WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
I do Stars and Wishes at the end of my session, although sometimes I call them Highlights and Hopes.

And some days, I call them Scars and Wishes.

Sometimes the player laughs and says, "yeah, I do have a scar to report." Hopefully, by the end of the session, you can unravel the tension due to "bad calls" by the game master. Oh man, where do I report bad actions by the PCs (yikes!).

Allow me to harmonize with you for a moment!
@Stephan Hornick those are quite the notches in your belt as a gamemaster. I feel that you should earn a badge to have that experience. As I bring up the Multiple Intelligence Theory, I plan to highlight where I feel I fall short in exposition of the setting.

Spatial Intelligence - the ability to assess stuff and it's relationship to the space.
Ugh, so many times have I failed to mention how high, heavy and deep something is and only when the PC interacts with that thing do my eyes bug out as a I realize I haven't conveyed how dangerous their action is. Room size. Where is the well? How big is the ship? How far away is the quicksand? @ExileInParadise said it well and I've come to believe that a big part of RPGs is talking out loud thoughts together before removing your hand from the chess piece. Although it is a work in progress, I've tried to layer my questions with further descriptions of the setting?

"Do you move towards the door, risking a club over the head or stand your ground?"
"Do you attempt to leap from the horse, risking a fall, or do you stay secure upon the saddle?"
"Do you fire your sidearm openly in public, or do you take the insult on the chin?"


It's implying there are only 2 choices (there are more) but in a heated situation I think highlighting two pathways reiterates the risk involved in simply making a move in the game.

Another idea is to crowdsource the information from the rest of the party.

"How fast does everyone think that that worm going?"
"I imagine the katana upon your back, where did everyone believe it to be?"


I encourage anyone to continue communicating, asking questions and ask for feedback.

Last thing I would say is that players trust you with their imaginations. Even the PC in the first two placed themselves in a vulnerable state under your mastery of the game. The tabletop is sacred ground. Your players trust you. And that, sadly means, they believe they can lash out, act up, mutter under their breath or throw a fit. It's because they trust you with themselves, warts and all.

At the end of the day, I plan to create not just a fun world to roleplay, but also a table that fosters comradery.
Keep up the good work!
 
Top