Written By: John Henry with “Hammered Out Homebrew”
In the intricate world of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), where adventure and imagination collide, there’s an underappreciated yet profound aspect – the bonds of friendship and camaraderie forged around the gaming table. Let’s look at the upsides to working on those bonds and some tips for building them organically at your table.
Friendship and camaraderie play a pivotal role in shaping memorable TTRPG campaigns. At the core of every TTRPG adventure, a group of players comes together to embark on a collaborative storytelling journey. These characters, each with their unique backgrounds and abilities, must unite to conquer challenges, uncover mysteries, and achieve their quests. In doing so, they not only craft in-game alliances but also build genuine connections with fellow players, resulting in friendships.
The foundation of strong player bond and relationships in general is open communication. Players must feel comfortable discussing their characters’ motivations, actions, and concerns both in and out of character. This transparency ensures that everyone is on the same page and minimizes misunderstandings and conflicts. If you are the GM, make sure that if your players doesn’t wish to bring up a problem in front of everyone, they can reach out to you. Employing safety tools helps this alot.
Players and the Game Master (GM) must collectively understand and embrace the campaign’s tone, role-playing expectations, and any specific house rules or preferences. When everyone is aligned with the game’s vision, it creates a harmonious atmosphere for friendship to flourish. One player may not get the experience they want if they are shooting for a grimdark fantasy while the rest of the party emulates the fantasy shown in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Out-of-character conversations are equally vital. These moments of sharing experiences, memorable scenes, and even jokes strengthen player bonds. These connections extend beyond the gaming table, creating shared memories that deepen the camaraderie. Don’t be afraid to let this be a joke at a character or NPCs sake. Jokes about how the cleric always seems to get the worst of it in combat amongst others can be good fun if made with good intent.
TTRPGs inherently demand collaboration and teamwork. Characters with distinct skills and abilities must cooperate to overcome obstacles and fulfill their objectives. To nurture collaboration and teamwork, consider establishing group goals within the campaign. These objectives should resonate with the overarching narrative and necessitate collective effort. Individual goals for the characters that build toward the overall narrative will have them all invested. This is important on both the players and GMs side of things. You can’t dump all the plot responsibility on the GM just because you’re a player. Building this narrative with the game master and later the other players should help.players and the GM feel all the more invested in the game and with aligned goals and themes, strengthen the bonds for the characters.
Moreover, ensuring that each player has opportunities to shine is crucial. Players should feel valued and integral to the party’s success. These moments of character development and spotlight help in building stronger player bonds.
One of the joys of TTRPGs is the creation of memorable moments and inside jokes. As characters navigate challenges, they often find themselves in humorous or bizarre situations. These shared stories and inside jokes, born from these shared experiences, serve as constant reminders of the fun and laughter shared during the campaign. These in-jokes strengthen the bonds between players but need to happen naturally. Feel free to set up opportunities, let things get weird but feel the room. A climatic death scene might not be the best time for your best fart joke.
Practical Tips for Building Strong Player and Character Bonds
To create and nurture strong player bonds in TTRPGs, consider the following practical tips:
1. Promote Role-Playing: Encourage players to immerse themselves in their characters, enhancing their connection to the game world and their fellow adventurers.
2. Celebrate Character Growth: Acknowledge and celebrate character development and personal growth, as these moments can be pivotal for player connections. When the edgey rogue puts the trust in someone else, let the moment play out. Then acknowledge it. Let the player know their roleplay was appreciated.
3. Establish a Routine: Create a routine outside of gameplay, such as post-session discussions, a pre session recap, weekly check ins and whatever else you can think of.
4. Foster Communication: Encourage players to provide feedback on the game and campaign, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and valued. There are tools on services like Discord that can allow anonymous feedback if you wish to have that
5. Set Boundaries and Comfort Zones: Establish what topics are off-limits for everyone and which ones might be explored with caution, remaining open to easing back if players feel uncomfortable.
6. Connect Through Backstories: Encourage players to incorporate elements into their characters backstories that can work with both the other characters and the
7. Rotate Leadership Roles: Consider rotating the role of Game Master among players, providing everyone with a chance to experience the game from different perspectives. Letting the usual game master relax can do wonders for them and letting players run the games occasionally can improve their time as a player with an increased appreciation for the usual GM.
8. Acknowledge Achievements: Celebrate campaign milestones together, creating a sense of shared accomplishment. This can be for the party as a whole and the individual players. This works well and is part of the reason a lot of games have moved to milestone leveling over the years
9. A Common Enemy. Nothing unites people quite like a good villain. You’d be amazed at how my gaming group became a well oiled machine when they were presented with McClinton, a smug wizard who played them all. The months where he was at the forefront of the campaign are some of my favorites. This is because I got to play a charismatic villain and this was the most interesting between sessions I had ever seen from my players.
Bonds between players and characters lie at the heart of these games. The bonds forged around the table, marked by trust, shared stories, and a love for the game, enrich the TTRPG experience. Whether your characters are embarking on epic quests or confronting their deepest fears, rallying an army against a lich, finding their way in a cyber punk dystopia or goofing off at the magical bakery, remember that the real treasure lies in the friendships cultivated during the adventure. These friendships are the true magic of TTRPGs, making every quest, every challenge, and every shared laugh an unforgettable part of the journey. So, embrace the bonds, embark on epic adventures, and may your TTRPG sessions be filled with lasting friendships and unforgettable stories.
About the Author
John’s TTRPG experience: He has played D&D off and on for 14ish years. Starting in 2019, he has consistently run campaigns and one shots. Starting soon after that John started publishing his homebrew to the internet. He has written enough homebrew that he has plans for a book of it to be released sometime in 2023(DrivethruRPG). He has also played Monster of the Week, many RP board games, Call of Cthulu, and Pathfinder. You can see other of his work on Instagram!
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