RP Your Character Sheet Challenge

[metaquad4]

Foreword: I'm going to be intentionally difficult here, for the sake of challenging the "RP your character sheet rule". Try to be mature, don't get mad, and bear with me here. Don't break fourm rules, don't go off topic, blah blah. . .

We all know (I hope) what the rule is there for. Someone might want to play a dragonborn and make a tiefling with a tail. Someone might want to play an ice devil in the form of a 16 year old Kara-Tur resident, and roll an elf. The rule is there to prevent someone from creating something utterly lore-breaking or obscene, and in general to present limits to what our character can do and how they can interact with other characters. It is there so we don't fill our characters with strengths that we shouldn't have.

It is there to form a base-line from which we can begin to RP, so that we can't make characters capable of literally anything (the supermen of the playground).

However, this is covered within godmodding*.
*Godmodding is when you made a character who cannot exist in the setting, is limitless in their abilities, can do things that their character should not be able to, is invincible, and/or can direct other player's actions. Its also an IRL Chaotic Evil action when it comes to RP.

This rule always struck me as odd, given it is both a redundancy and has several key flaws in it:

How do we RP mental/physical states? They are not in our status bar in our character sheet, and so can things such insanity even exist within our characters? Can our characters be sickened without the "sickened" debuff? Can our characters be afraid without the "shaken" or "fear" debuff? Or wet, without the "wet" debuff?

How do feats come into play? Can we dash, without the dash feat? Can we dodge, without the "dodge" feat? Can we RP smacking someone with our shield, without the "shield bash" feat? Can our characters be true believers of our deities without the "true believer" feat? Are we not permitted to RP a thug without the "Thug" background feat? What about a survivor?

What about basic actions? There is no "sprint" feat, so are we allowed to RP sprinting? What about tackling someone?

And a big question, as well.

Can a DM punish a player for doing the above actions, as they are technically all fouls as far as the "play your character sheet" rule goes? Can a DM tell a player "no, you are not insane", "no, you are not a thug", or "no, you are not wet"? As of now, what is stopping them from doing so (besides not wanting to be a (person), presumably)?

[mrm3ntalist]

I dont see the issue here, other than nitpicking.

You can rp dashing, roleplaying a thug etc.

As far as your question, No, a DM wont penalize you unless of course you are being a (person) about it. Then of course you will be penalized for being a (person) no matter what you do.

[Dragonslayer]

What you're discussing is the difference between mechanics and roleplay.

Of course you can do things that aren't explicitly listed on your character sheet. Otherwise, we'd all stand around literally doing nothing at level 1. Feats like dash and dodge are there to provide a context for the bonus you're selecting. Anyone can dodge, but you've mastered it to the extent that you've developed a specific skill that translates into a constant mechanical bonus.

But what you're asking is, are players bound literally to their character sheets? The answer, obviously, is no. That's why you have stats, with bonuses. In a traditional PnP setting, you'd have the DM decide on the success or failure of your actions. That success or failure is dependent on your stats and skills, in addition to a random number.

"I'd like to dash away from the angry orc."

"Ok, roll X."

This is the basis of DnD. As opposed to god modding, where the conversation goes like this:

"I dash away from the angry orc, and use the Wail of the Banshee scroll I conveniently have in my pack."

"Uh, you can't do that at level 1. Or as a fighter. Without UMD. And you don't have a scroll in your pack."

"Yes I do, so there."

A player's actions are always governed by the DM and the boundaries the character has placed on themselves. Just as the DM can't (theoretically) change the DC's to ridiculous numbers, the player cannot refuse to play by the rules of the game.

[Steve]

Don't over think it mate. A rule like this is for having Words to leverage against people having Dwarf on their Character Sheet but saying they are an Elf.

But if you cannot stop yourself from thinking too much on it, think about how the Character Sheet is a guideline to your RP of that Character. For example, if your Sheet says STR 10 and INT 30, you shouldn't be playing that Character as a weight lifter and unable to read or do math.

Hopefully, what it also asks of Players is to consider the Ability choices they've made in the Build and how that guides/limits/empowers the Character, in direct RP of that Character. Thus, if you're playing a Character with a Sheet of CHA 6, you should play that Character as with very negative abilities under the definition of Charisma.

Same can be said of Skills. And alignment. And Feats, but with Feats, there are often great mechanical limitations that more or less limit the RP (where the Player themselves does not limit the RP).

Last, I like to think of it as a Good Sportsmanship Rule, really. And who isn't into good sportsmanship, right? Right?!?

[aaron22]

"the orc catches you quickly he is faster than you"

playing my sheet...

https://wiki.bgtscc.net/index.php?title=Long_Gait

but in all seriousness, was there a particular offence that brings this to surface? or is this a culmination of many nameless events? or is this just thinking and possibly over-thinking a possibility (i do this, so i know this is a possibility)?

cause i think it all falls on a case by case basis and a non-descript line that is crossed. i see other's RP and sometimes wonder "is this ok? is it rule breaking?" but i am not the police so i let it go and roll with it.

[metaquad4]

There is no particular reason I bring this up, just a casual thought I had at one point, regarding my status effect question (if you aren't insane according to your character sheet, are you allowed to RP it?). So, I got to thinking more about the rule and that led me to this post.

The rule does strike me as one with an ulterior purpose though, due to the fact that it is regarded as a "general guideline for character abilities" (rather than a hard rule as to what you can and cannot do, as its language makes it out to be) and that violations of it are perceived to be dealt on a case-by-case basis, as was mentioned by aaron22. There are laws like this, where police institute a law that isn't generally enforced (so people may break it in day-to-day life), but is used to catch criminals that police suspect of other crimes, to ease investigations and the like.

So, I was wondering if it added something else that the other rules (like godmodding) didn't add, or if it was dealt as a blanket rule rather than a case-by-case rule. That, and I am curious what other people's perceptions and opinions of it are, as someone else might reach another interesting conclusion regarding it or might have another thought regarding it.

[Endelyon]

The "play your sheet" rule is mainly meant to stop you from playing a race, class, or statistics that are not represented on your sheet. Some examples of things that are not okay under the rule:

- Roleplaying a faithless divine caster
- Roleplaying a half-dragon when your race clearly says human
- Roleplaying a genius level character with an int score of 8

This doesn't mean of course that your character can't LIE and say they're a half-dragon, just that you can't OOCly say "I'm a half-dragon even though my sheet says Human." Beyond that of course you won't be punished for RPing your character's mindset or disposition despite it not being listed "on your sheet."

[aaron22]

what is the character has been told his whole life he is a half dragon and truly believes it.. after all PCs stand out among the GP as being exceptional. in one way or another. this would only cement his own miss conception.

[Endelyon]

what is the character has been told his whole life he is a half dragon and truly believes it.. after all PCs stand out among the GP as being exceptional. in one way or another. this would only cement his own miss conception.

That's a totally fine concept, and the "RP your sheet" rules support it as long as you're aware OOC that you're RPing a Human that is convinced they are a half-dragon, and not an actual half-dragon with all the racial traits and perks it really comes with.

[Hoihe]

what is the character has been told his whole life he is a half dragon and truly believes it.. after all PCs stand out among the GP as being exceptional. in one way or another. this would only cement his own miss conception.

The "play your sheet" rule is mainly meant to stop you from playing a race, class, or statistics that are not represented on your sheet. Some examples of things that are not okay under the rule:

- Roleplaying a faithless divine caster
- Roleplaying a half-dragon when your race clearly says human
- Roleplaying a genius level character with an int score of 8

This doesn't mean of course that your character can't LIE and say they're a half-dragon, just that you can't OOCly say "I'm a half-dragon even though my sheet says Human." Beyond that of course you won't be punished for RPing your character's mindset or disposition despite it not being listed "on your sheet."

What about being a level 10 dragon disciple? How is the class treated nowadays for such purposes?