(Today's entry provides another fun gaming aid for adventurers who like to delve into rich story-driven campaigns with ongoing plot threads and characters who change and develop over time!)
The interactions between player characters are some of the most interesting situations to unfold during a campaign. If you are as entertained by the storytelling aspect of tabletop gaming as I am, you will want to see your players build friendships and come into conflict with one another. Dungeon World, FATE, and other systems have built-in mechanics for bonds and aspects that represent connections between the player characters. But a lot of times players have difficulty knowing how to play out these out during the campaign, and there is rarely an opportunity to share such moments between characters. The kind of moments that redefine relationships and establish new stakes between the party's heroes. And even when the time comes, players often struggle to find a resolution or know what they want to say.
With that in mind, I devised a system for aiding player characters in interacting with one another. Its main goal being to give the player a framework that will lead to a conclusive result from their interaction. If a PC offers an olive branch or starts up a rivalry, it should be significant in some way. It should redefine their bond and set their relationship in a new direction. With these cards, your players can more clearly view their options for interacting with their team and get some ideas for what kind of story they want to build together. Remember, these tools are not for casual banter, so don't pull them out too often!
When and How to Use the Cards
I recommend printing or copying the text from the samples below onto whatever size of index cards you prefer. I also like the idea of using three different colors of paper to mark each card as an Initiation, Response, or the Tone card. The cards are primarily intended to be used as an activity during down time between actions, while the players gather at home base or their encampment. Like a TV show, the characters get to gather their thoughts and resources and share a moment before moving on to the next adventure. These cards could also be used in a more impromptu way if your players want to have a heart to heart conversation after a particularly harrowing scene. If your players would like a bit of inspiration for their role playing, or if their major character interactions with the other players just aren't going anywhere, these cards are just the ticket!
Download a PDF copy of the card text here!
Here is how to use the cards:
STEP 1: SELECT A CHARACTER TO SPEAK WITH
One player chooses another with whom they have been meaning to exchange words.
STEP 2: SELECT A TONE
This is how the character will choose to address their fellow party member. This helps to define what state their relationship is currently in, and perhaps their general mood at the moment. Notice that there is no middle ground, to avoid neutral conversations and motivate the dialogue to a certain direction. Also, the attitudes on either end of the spectrum cannot be used against one another, to avoid weirdness like one PC firing off barbed remarks while the other smiles and offers a hug. This list of tone options should all be on one card.
*Hostile
Defensive
Polite
*Friendly
*Hostile/Friendly tones cannot
be used as responses to one another
STEP 3: THE PLAYER CHOOSES AN INITIATION
These cards each have a statement or approach to take with the chosen player character. They also include a brief sample of dialogue that sums up what that statement might sound like when presented to that character. Finally, each of the seven cards also includes a list of the relevant responses that the other player can choose during the last step. Remember that whenever a player chooses a card, they are then also free to role play their character and act out their conversation however much they please.
1 Ask for advice
"What do you think?"
You try to get the honest opinion of a
party member on a situation.
-Accept
-Share
-Deceive
2 Question them about their past
"Tell me a little more about yourself"
You attempt to get the party member to
open up about their past, sharing a story
or detail about their background.
-Share
-Befriend
-Turn Against
3 Give them a gift
"I have something for you"
You offer an item or service to the party
member without asking for compensation.
You need not have the gift on hand at
the moment.
-Accept
-Befriend
-Challenge
4 Propose a deal.
"I have an offer to make you."
You propose a trade or business arrangement
with the party member.
-Accept
-Challenge
-Negotiate
5 Tell them what you really think about them.
"You know what you've been doing? I'll tell you."
You inform the party member of the particulars
of your bond with them and your feelings about it.
-Challenge
-Befriend
-Deceive
-Share
6 Ask them if they need help
"Need a hand, pal?"
You offer to provide a service, advice or
mentorship.
-Accept
-Befriend
-Challenge
7 Threaten
"Don't cross me, you will regret it."
You warn the party member of an aggressive action
you will take if they do not meet your demands.
-Turn against
-Deceive
-Challenge
-Share
THE OTHER PLAYER CHOOSES A TONE:
Now the player being approached gets to choose a tone from that first card. Remember that agressive and friendly tones can't be used against one another.
THE OTHER PLAYER CHOOSES A RESPONSE:
This is how the targeted player chooses to respond, and in the process fundamentally change the relationship between them and a team mate. There's no middle ground of just ignoring the situation, it has to be addressed in a decisive manner. Once again, this player can RP and act out their reply as much as they want. After the conversation resolves, you may allow another two players to have an interaction, or even let the first two players switch places and have a follow up interaction. Encourage your players to take note of this interaction, and the result it had on their relationship.
1 Accept
"Of course, sounds like good idea."
You agree with the request, offer, or
observation made by the party member.
2 Befriend
"I really appreciate this."
You respond in a tone at least one level
friendlier to the party member and consider
them more trustworthy and important to you
3 Turn Against
"How dare you?"
You respond in a tone at least one level more
hostile to the party member and consider them
less trustworthy and more dangerous
4 Deceive
"Don't worry about it."
You try to convince the other party member that
you are trustworthy, though they may see through
the ruse
5 Challenge
"You are wrong about that because ______.
So I will ______ instead."
You strongly disagree with the party member
and refuse to take their side.
6 Negotiate
"Okay, I can agree to that. But only if _____."
You agree with the party member, but only under
the condition that you set.
7 Share
"There's something you should know about me."
You feel willing to open up and share something
about yourself that may change someone's view of you.
Example of Play
Tasselhoff and Flint have just returned from a pulse-pounding adventure. While making camp and collecting their thoughts, Flint chooses to confront Tas about that moment in the goblin mines when Tas ran away and left his dwarven comrade to brave the tunnels alone. Since it was something that Flint's player feels he would take very personally, he chooses to take a defensive tone with the halfling.
Flint is probably very annoyed and ready to vent his frustrations upon his teammate, so he chooses his initiation to be card 5: Tell them what you really think about them. Flint stomps up to Tasselhoff as he builds a fire and in a gruff voice berates him for his cowardly and dishonorable behavior.
Tas now chooses his response. He knows that he shouldn't have left his friend behind like that, so he takes a polite tone when replying to him. Then his player looks at Flint's initiation card to see what options he can reply with. He sees that he can challenge, befriend, deceive, or share. Since he is in agreement with Flint, he doesn't want to challenge him or attempt to mislead him. Flint isn't really offering friendship either, so that's out. Tas chooses to share about his past. He apologizes and explains that years ago he was trapped in a cave in for days. He still has nightmares about it and he is sorry that his fear got the best of him. He promises never to abandon his friend like that again. Flint understands and in exchange he decides to make the same promise to his halfling pal.
The players take note of this on their character sheets: "Ever since the mines, Flint and Tas always watch each others' backs." This could lead to some interesting new developments down the road. If one of them is ever endangered, they will be beholden to their vows. If that vow is broken, it could have consequences for their friendship and honor. How will they be tested in future adventures? What dangers might this place them in? Only time will tell!
Example of Play 2
Sam has been worried about Frodo for the past few days. He seems tired and unable to carry on at the pace they have been keeping. Sam chooses a polite tone and offers to carry the Ring of Power for a while. He can choose either card four, Propose a Deal, or card six, Ask If They Need Help. Sam chooses to propose a deal in which he carries the ring at night to give his comrade a chance to rest. Frodo's player decides that the evil ring's corrupting influence has made him very irate and protective of it, so he takes a hostile tone. His options to respond are accept, challenge, and negotiate. If he negotiates, that would imply that he would still agree with Sam's offer, but on different terms. Instead he chooses to challenge. He refuses Sam's help, and berates Sam for suggesting it.
The challenge card requires Frodo to make a counter-argument. Frodo says that Sam seems jealous of his mission, and he will keep a sharp eye on him from now on to make sure he doesn't try to steal the ring. The players make a note "Serious trust issues between Frodo and Sam." This may lead to trouble down the road, or a problem that they will soon seek to amend.
Download a PDF copy of the card text here!
Happy ventures!
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