RE: [DL] Reluctant Player Member

["Heivilin, Jim" <banzai@missouri.edu>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: matt ryan [mailto:mrr15@cornell.edu] 
> Subject: [DL] Reluctant Player Member
<snip>
> We've got a reluctant player in our group. Each time 
> adventure awaits, he doesn't want to go. 
>
What *does* he want to do?  

> Last night we players spent nearly an hour trying to 
> urge this player's character to come along with us.
> 
That's more of a waste of good playing time than the usual digressions "You
remember that time when ..." or quoting movies.  

> Thinking I was helping the Marshall, I had my character make 
> a Persuasion roll to persuade the reluctant cowboy to come 
> 
Rolls of that sort are intended mainly (in my opinion) for use on NPCs.  If
you take action directed toward another player's character then you might
use rolls.  Role play it.  And if his character is so reluctant would your
character just leave him behind?  If so then do it.  

In the games I play in (not Deadlands unfortunately) the GM often moves
people out of the main room in order to role play something the whole group
doesn't necessarily know of.  And since the rest of the posse is going have
that player go into the next room.  That does seem sort of mean but he's not
there right?  And moving him is easier than moving everybody else.  And the
proportion of time spent (having read the rest of your note) should be
commensurate with the number involved.  Meaning he spends 5/6ths of the time
with the main group and 1/6th with the loner.  Eventually he'll get the
message I suspect.  

<snip>
> How do other people handle this? How do other players handle 
> this? 
>
I had a character in a Blue Planet game a few years ago who was the
owner/operator of a struggling charter business.  And when confronted with
mystery or adventure I reasoned out that he would avoid it since his
overriding goals were to keep the business afloat and to find his missing
uncle.  Unfortunately that resulted in some conflict between players and
frustration for the GM since I wasn't falling for his hooks.  We talked it
over and I decided I needed to play him more curious so that the game would
go better.  After that things were much smoother.  And my reasoning (role
playing wise) was that he was also out for any advantage that could help him
keep the business operating (looking for that "one big score").  

> What can I, as a player, do to move things along. 
>
My perspective is it's not really your place.  You can talk to the Marshall
about your concerns but it's his responsibility to take care of that.  Just
MHO. 

Jim