Fear - Healthy or Unhealthy?

[GodBeastX]

This thread isn't against one singled out player, or even a small amount of players. It's kind of to the server as a whole since I think most people have this problem. Although I have to say Kudos to one player, and they can speak up if they want.

To the player who gets the props, they were walking in the forest at night when I emoted something along the lines of there being something in the trees. They RP'd out "Must have been the wind" and wound up mugged. As soon as it happened they said on DM channel exactly the message I was trying to send to them "That's what I get for going out in the woods alone at night". So they got a good amount of RP exp from me, especially since they RP'd out the aftermath pretty well. Suspected wrong people of robbing the character, even stayed unconscious until a priest could heal them back at town. This is good.

They DM's have pretty much all agreed, there is a severe lack of fear on the server right now, yes, even from people I know to be veteran RP'ers.

The symptom is this, something that is not every day run of the mill occurs, and instead of players considering the consequences of what they meet, they immediately either treat it as if it was a badger nipping at their heels and toss it aside, or they charge right at it regardless.

Case in point, undead have no effect on 90% of the people I've put them at. None. From ones that kill people and I allow them to barely survive with one hp, down to ones that are enigmatic. Undead are treated like commoners who might have RP experience attached.

Are people that far detached from their characters that they can't appreciate the fact they are entering something they may not be able to come out alive from? Right now I feel if a red dragon landed and stared people in the eyes they're likely to slap it on the face and say "Stop breathing on me! Don't you know who I am?!"

I'll be cracking down on this behavior, but the burden lies with the players in this case more than the DMs. It's not fun to DM when players are just looking for the gimmicks instead of immersing into the event itself.

If the towering giant points at you and says "I'm going to hammer your face in", let's see your characters at least considering the fact "My face might be hammered in!" or you're only increasing the likelihood it'll happen and that you will walk away worse off from the event than you started.

[Ethereal Edge]

Fear needs to exist for advanced roleplay, in my opinion, because fear is a very basic emotion. I'll be helping out with this by trying to track down people who show realistic fear of their surroundings. That doesn't mean to me that you need to be dead scared of goblins and afraid to adventure anywhere, it's just more if you see something shocking... be... shocked, eh?

I'll admit as Dan there've been situations I wanted to seem more afraid in, though. I think I'm a little guilty of this too.

[Clutch]

For a unhealthy example I'd like to point out to Dale, he faints at the sight of a bloody mouse

On a more serious note I do try to rp out 'fear', Darren wanted to get out of the Sestra cave after a vampire showed up and started to throw baddies at the group, but the rest obviously wanted to stay to investigate.. nothing wrong with that, but if I would act accordingly I would have walked out of the cave and go elsewhere.

But, that is no fun for me, and I rather have fun over realism any time (unless the lack of realism is, of course, ruining the fun ). So I had Darren stick with the group. Is that wrong ? I don't really think so. If the DM decided to spawn a ancient demon out of the blue at that time I wouldn't be lingering longer then I can type 'No way!' anyway

[GodBeastX]

I just want healthy fear. I don't expect seasoned clerics of Lethander to piss their pants when they see a ghost... but I don't expect them to say "Oh, it's just a ghost, I got this...". Every now and then characters getting cocky is fine, but a server full of fearless heroes just makes GBX cry inside.

[Ethereal Edge]

Hey, he got brave for a moment! Until I twisted his ear. Wait, that was Dale, right?

[MarleVVLL]

Aye. I need to crack down on this behavior too. Its just hard when you're the only person in your party that wishes to behave like that.

For example...

When you were DM'ing us (GodBeastX) in the caves a few nights ago, skeletons were popping up everywhere. I think my character was the only one out of the whole group that was scared of them - I think.

But, good point!

[marmic]

Im reading the forums and sucking up everything. Good thread....just realized that when my lvl 5 wiz halfling throwed a flamearrow at 3 umberhulks the other day I was way out of line.

Fearless? ...no just stupid.

[GodBeastX]

Well, if your character realizes he's dumb, he can RP that out too. I got no problem with that.

*Slaps dragon, dragon rears up, the weight of the situation finally hits the slapper*

"Bugger all... that wasn't bright of me."

[Pulseczar]

I think it's just over exposure. Obviously people in the real world would be freaked if they saw just one skeleton, but in the D&D world, where the living dead are a bit more common, I don't think they are as much of a shock. Now, a lich, or elder vampire, or perhaps a dragon might instill some fear into PCs (and not just because they have fear auras). This is a good reminder, though, to rethink certain situations where your character might not be all that fearless (unless you're a paladin, or have the good domain as a cleric). I will definetly try and keep this in mind for the future.

[Ithildur]

Speaking of stupid, my PC last night was thinking going into the undead area unprepared was stupid rather than outright fearful... I think Evandor seemed nervous/unsure about the whole thing as well, but the other guy... ugh... half orc in a elf's body, plus he ripped off kin on top of it.

[Sylvanas_Kathar]

I know I try and RP certain character traits with my characters. For example, last night I was walking around Sestra and came across the caves, where Anaya was outside. She warned my character that there were spiders inside the cave. This made Selene double check herself--seeing as how she is terrified to death of spiders (as I am in real life, so it is easier to roleplay it out). She had to be reassured by her familiar, saying to her "it is only a spider, i eat them all the time!"


Turns out, there weren't any spiders, just a ghost. Selene still got a little freaked out, not out of fear, but was being overly cautious because she was alone in the caves. So she ran out before the ghost could do TOO much damage.

I dunno, but fear seems to be a pretty basic emotion. I play a paladin/sorc, and even with the fear aura, if spiders showed up, I would probably have my character freeze up. Just seems logical that even the most stout or hardy characters have SOMETHING that will make them think twice.

[Forlorn]

This topic poses a good point I think. Another thing that I see alot is silly/sarcastic rp. I mean, in a world of magic, dragons, and danger everywhere, do you expect warriors and wizards to stand around town saying stuff like this??:

player A: *chuckles* I need a hair cut
player B: *laughs* yup, ya do
player A: Oh yeah by the way wheres that chick with the big sword I think she digs you.
player B: *ruffles his hair* think she slept in today

I didn't see these exact words on Sundren, but something very similar while standing around Avanthyr. The players are just silly and goofy, and their talk resembles the talk of pizza delivery boys on lunch break. I'm not terribly picky about my rp, but in my personal opinion we need to remind ourselves of the setting and persona that we're in and if we act more like what truly exemplifies a grim, medeival, fantasy setting it would make the game much more enjoyable.

[undeadsteak]

Yes.. sylivia thought it was wind. jeez stupid me. >>, my char cant be the super-wise-know-it-all-person every time. My char also played out when the horned devil casted fear on her. While i had a dwarf next to me who was feared as well, who just told me "Hey there hottie." -.-. Sylivia has a bit of fear from undead, in the Sundra Caverns.

to the post above: Digs? Chick? Wth.... i dont like 21st century or 20th century words used either... Sarcastic roleplaying, as in chars saying sarcastic lines? Im fine with that, my char can be very cold like that. And adventurers are regular people too. They just go adventure for treasure, but once theyre in town, they can act like commoners as well, and mess around. Sure, an adventurer could want a hair cut. Telling somone a chick digs them is just.. weird. I remember when sylivia started throwing the grass at that one person, because somone was whining about being beaten by spoons. She started making fun of that, saying people will soon start fighting with grass. Soon, the whole place became full of grass and spoons waved around XD

[GodBeastX]

if we act more like what truly exemplifies a grim, medeival, fantasy setting it would make the game much more enjoyable.

I wouldn't say "grim" should be in the list. I don't mind silliness at all and have no problem with it if it fits the setting. I definitely don't want to see "You're a hot chick!" even if it's RP.

Now, if that same conversation went:

player A: *chuckles* My beard is getting too thick
player B: *laughs* Yeah, I think I see something stuck in it.
player A: Didn't I see a young lass chasing you? She had a huge sword.
player B: *ruffles his hair* ..Think she slept in today.

Same thing really, but without the word "Chick".

[Forlorn]

Yeah theres alot of good joking in fantasy as well, don't get me wrong...in particular; good natured but grumpy dwarves, halflings that always somehow manage to "accidentally find your equipment in their pockets," drunken sailors at an inn, etc...etc. I wouldn't mind seeing it as long as it makes sense and isn't overly silly. Its just the stuff that I have seen (since day 1 of NWN 1) is a bit *too* silly. It reminds me of real life a little too much, but I guess theres not much you could do but accept it.