Rping when a DM is around

[Anauroch]

Anyhow, I think the point is that, personally, I'm scared of disappointing the DM and running instead of doing "what needs doing", like the previous poster mentioned. If I was a DM, that I placed a stiff challenge and that the players would scurry away like mice, I might get a tad irritated at them for being scaredy wussies.

Seriously, think about this.

How many characters are more or less the heroic types? And how many more are immediately played like this when a DM event is on? Above 90% I'd wager.

So... do you really think a DM would be exasperated or disappointed when the characters run and hide? Well, I do not think so. What about running and getting help?

Unfortunately, I am often in a bind; my PC would be one of the last ones to run if others were in danger; at the same time he's not stupid, plus I'm playing with a personal rule of 5 respawns max before he's permadead, which makes you RP a lot more realisticly.

Well, that is very courageous of you, Ithildur... but you do have a PC which might survive very, very long with this rule of yours. There's no way it will work as easily for others.
But I see the predicament you are in... and I agree that the light death penalty is to blame partially. I would hope that the players don't just do the math and run back in, but rp appropriately, but... oh well...

[Ithildur]

Well, that is very courageous of you, Ithildur... but you do have a PC which might survive very, very long with this rule of yours. There's no way it will work as easily for others.
But I see the predicament you are in... and I agree that the light death penalty is to blame partially. I would hope that the players don't just do the math and run back in, but rp appropriately, but... oh well...

Heh, my PC doesn't have a lot of HP for a meleer at this point. One good greataxe crit and he's gone. And a natural 20 will hit, no matter what the AC...

Most players are pretty good about not running right back in... but the light death still translates into even good RPers doing silly things in/around combat situations, taking tremendous risks without much deliberation. I saw several party wipes or near wipes this week; when I see that I think that either players were being stupid, there was bad lag, or the DM didn't think things through; it gets old real fast when people start taking death so lightly that every other DM quest has at least one party wipe.

[Multiplicity]

it gets old real fast when people start taking death so lightly that every other DM quest has at least one party wipe.

Good point. When I DM'ed in the past, I always like to make dangerous situations have consquences if the players do not go about that obstacle in the right way. In any case, the way NwN/NwN2 is designed, it makes certain things seem laughable. Like, for example, I hate how poison and disease is handled here and wish it could be more consequential. This is where good RP'ers can stand out when they go above and beyond game mechanics and RP something through and through.