More gaming silliness

[noahgibbs]

The comic Chainmail bikini (which hasn't gone far enough to really interest me yet, but hey, Shamus Young) points out more silliness about roleplaying games:

Adding a new PC to the party means inviting an unknown and dangerous-looking stranger to join your group of otherwise paranoid and greedy adventurers. There's pretty much no way to roleplay it so that it doesn't sound stupid.

Imagine if someone did this to you in real life: You're walking down the street and bump into a three random guys who invite you to to join in on assault and robbery; offering you a one-quarter stake in everything and a very real chance at severe bodily harm, without bothering to ask for your name or qualifications.

It's ridiculous. That sort of thing never happens unless you're in Detroit.

Comments

[tsgeisel.livejournal.com]

It's ridiculous. That sort of thing never happens unless you're in Detroit.

Or you've bumped into OJ Simpson.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

That's exactly the problem I always have with roleplaying! It takes, like, at least half a dozen sessions before I can start feeling my character has known the other characters long enough to trust them at all, and in the meantime I have to be constantly suppressing the impulse to act like (what in gaming terms would be) a paranoid sneak.