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As a DM, how do you get your primer PCs working with a Tiefling character?

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Fri, 2010-02-12 20:46
#1
Alainne
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As a DM, how do you get your primer PCs working with a Tiefling character?

As a DM, how do you get your primer PCs working with a Tiefling character?

I'm DMing a game based on the adventure Death and Desire (same in the beginning, with some explores on the planes later). Things look fine at first, but when a Greyhawk human player character met a Tiefling (another PC, actually a primer too, but from Toril), they *just* coundn't bear each other. The human (not surprisingly) thought the Tiefling strange and at least coundn't be trusted enough to adventure together.

I tend to encourage this role-play spirit, and it might be good to just devide the team and let them explore the adventure in each's own way...but it might cause troubles for the DM and PCs in terms of time coordination on plane Earth since we're gaming online in several time zones.

Since the two characters are already quite ill with the other, I'm already considering doing something direct and simple (like throwing them to a hostile plane and force them to fight together) instead of uniting them by the plot (like having two items they are pursuing *coincidentally* in the same place or something more complicated than that).

I know "how to get a tiefling into your team" is an old problem...if I miss some old posts here, plz direct me to them. Thanks.

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Fri, 2010-02-12 23:05
#2
Wicke
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Re: As a DM, how do you get your primer PCs working with a ...

Maybe instead of companionship through adversity, find a situation that brings out the more compassionate side of the characters, to show that despite their differences, they're really on the same side. It's a hard thing to do when characters clash like that.

Fri, 2010-02-12 23:07
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Archdukechocula
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Re: As a DM, how do you get your primer PCs working with a ...

Well, the easiest way by far is to simply force them to work together towards the same ends, one way or another, so that they will gain one another's trust. For example, have the two of them present during an important event that links them together, such as a murder or major crime, making it clear to each player by circumstance that both are innocent and that a third party is to blame. If they both get pinned for it, they will likely have to work together to get out of trouble.

Alternatively, don't be afraid to go full on Deus ex Machina, and have some third party require both players to work together on an adventure. As long as the goal is important to both players, that should give their characters reason enough to suppress their grudge.

Also, having a few NPC's explain to the clueless what a tiefling is and why there is no reason to mistrust them (at least, not too much more than the average cutter).

Sat, 2010-03-06 17:30
#4
Jack of tears
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Re: As a DM, how do you get your primer PCs working with a ...

Just like introducing any other character - you put the PCs in a situation were they need the skills and talents the other provides and don't provide them with viable alternatives - making the other possibilities less attractive or non existent.

The Tiefling will likely speak/read languages the others don't - so translation can be a good reason to have one around; the tiefling will be in a better position to deal with certain underworld (and very underworld) types, etc. Give them reasons to need and rely on one another then throw them into situations that help to build trust and/or mutual dependence.

Sat, 2010-03-06 20:27
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Aik
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Re: As a DM, how do you get your primer PCs working with a ...

Tell them to work out out OOC between themselves how they've come to get along. Have a brief scene showing this happening (or just them drinking together afterwards wondering how they could ever have been so stupid) and then continue.

If keeping the party together is important - don't leave it up to the characters. Just metagame it together so you can get on with the meat of the game, because fuddling around hoping that it will come together isn't very reliable or necessarily very enjoyable at all. Generally if I want the characters together I'd ask them to come up with a reason that they're together before play begins ... because otherwise the characters end up hating each other, pretty much inevitably.

Sun, 2010-03-07 01:39
#6
Alainne
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Re: As a DM, how do you get your primer PCs working with a ...

Aik wrote:
If keeping the party together is important - don't leave it up to the characters. Just metagame it together so you can get on with the meat of the game, because fuddling around hoping that it will come together isn't very reliable or necessarily very enjoyable at all.

Agree. I usually tend to prioritize "the story" when I design my game. I've been in games where DMs let PCs/NPCs/elements interact freely and try to have an "objective" outcome, and the experience is less fun, because most of the time PCs are excactly "fuddling around" without knowing where the "plot" is.

Thanks for all your ideas. In the most recent game, I've got the group together by a bit of OOC discussion + a bit of "letting them know each other's strength" + a bit of "showing they can empathize with each other while trying to achieve each's own goal." As it turned out, players are actually willing to cooperate if only the DM can give their characters a reason to move on.

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