Fear RP - The GOOD Option
(Alt title
Arrogance vs. Powergaming, & How to Fear RP.
Hello fellow mineman roleplayers! This is a topic that I have wanted to write about for a while now, but I wasn't sure how to approach it until recently when I got into a situation which required a lot of it. In this thread I'm going to talk about fear RP, and how to react to situations appropriately which involve it. Please remember that this is all my opinion and experience and not any official guide, so if you disagree with my points you can completely ignore this thread. However, I think that everyone should try and at least understand this point of view to lessen frustrations in RP.
What is Fear RP?
Fear roleplay is, quite simply, roleplay in which your character is made to become afraid (or conversely, causing another character to become afraid). This can be plain intimidation, all the way up to torture and removing limbs. Compared to many other kinds of roleplay, it can be a difficult one for many players--after all, most of us have no OOC experience with shambling undead, torture, and extreme bodily harm. Not only that, but we are also subject to OOC knowledge, such as knowing that our characters cannot die due to kill perms. In order to play out fear correctly, we need to be able to put this information aside and really get into our character's heads, and understand how they would react to the situation.
Why should I care about Fear RP?
It's easy to think of Fear RP as something solely enjoyable for the intimidating party. After all, their character gets to laugh and be jolly while yours is subject to some pretty gnarly situations. However, it doesn't have to be this way! And more importantly, even if you do struggle to find enjoyment in tense roleplay situations, it is still necessary to react accordingly (or open communication lines with the other party, which I will explain more later).
Imagine the following scenario: your character is a member of a nefarious slum gang, and has been captured by the Violet Order. They have probed you for information, but being the good little gang crony you are, you kept quiet--so they have moved on to worse measures, strapping you down to a table and threatening to slice off your hand if you don't squawk.
There are four main ways you could react to this situation:
- You could be cocky and taunt the guards, spit in their faces and tell them you'll never spill.
- You could hold your tongue and remain silent through clenched teeth.
- You could try bargaining with the guards, perhaps try to buy them out or offer your services to the Order.
- You could give in; your character will either spill the beans, beg to keep their dirty little fingers, or even cry if so inclined.
Option 4 is most likely to have your character spared, and is fitting for most characters, who would be crippled and traumatized to lose their hand.
Option 3 is befitting of arrogant or manipulative characters, and opens up a potential avenue for more roleplay, but may also segway into one of the other options if denied.
Option 2 is befitting of extremely loyal / arrogant characters, but is unlikely to be a repeat occurrence, as their hand will be taken and punishments may get more severe.
Option 1 is not realistic for any character (bar magical enhancements, silven muter, or extreme disorders) when placed in a situation with no escape. They will not only have their hand taken, but may even receive worse punishment.
As you can see in the above example, reacting to the roleplay with fear is most likely to get your character away unscathed. Additionally, it is also the most realistic way to respond to a situation in which you have no (or little chance of) escape, and your life rests in another's hands. If a stranger held a gun to your head, would you laugh in their face? No! Because they would shoot you. The only true situations in which responding in a cocky way is permissable is when your character has a history with the other, and therefore is ICly aware they will likely not hurt them, or has some kind of effect applied to them to make them fearless.
How can I Fear RP in a more 'realistic' way?
While this might not be easy for everyone, try to imagine yourself in your character's situation first and foremost, to get an idea of how dire it is. How close are you to the edge of a blade? Is it feasible to make a getaway and not be recaptured? If you were recaptured, would it be worse for you? Do you know the individual putting you in this situation? What do you know of their ability to kill or harm without remorse? If you saw this creature in real life, would you be scared of it? Try to remember that even if your character is arrogant, unemotional, and generally stony, everyone has an innate fight-or-flight instinct. Nobody is willing to put their life on the line for something stupid. If a robber held you at gunpoint, and you had no protection or weapons of your own within reach, you would give the robber the money--it's worth far less than your life. If you are unsure of how to respond to a situation, (especially if your character is at risk of losing life, limb, or something of value to them), it is always best to play on the safe side. You wont win any awards for trying to play the stoic badass. However, you may just get away with all your fingers intact if you drop the sword and run.
How can I Fear RP with a cocky/arrogant/'fearless' character?
Now we move on to my favourite topic! There is a very definitive line between being cocky/arrogant, and being downright foolish. Even if your character is foolish, nobody is going to run into the jaws of a Jungle Cat just to get a piece of toffee unless they truly had no regard for their life (and even then, it might be best to refrain so as not to look like a glory-seeker). There are many ways that you can play out arrogance without coming across as powergamey or avoiding the fear rp altogether.
In the above example, option 2 and 3 are good for characters that are pig-headed. When you have an arrogant character, they have an inflated sense of self: they may believe that their abilities are stronger than they really are, or that they are deserving of more respect than the average person. Therefore, they may mistakenly believe that their adversary will "go easy" on them. I'm going to place a couple of examples here of roleplay situations that involve playing out an arrogant character in a way that's not frustrating to both parties. (Both of these were inspired by my own roleplay experiences).
Situation 1)
Your arrogant character stumbles upon a group of their friends at odds with a powerful Vampire in Varghul form. This Varghul has been searching for your character with intent to kill them--and they know it. But despite knowing this, they believe their skills to be much better than they actually are, and they believe they can outmatch the Varghul. To try and save their friends, they wolf-whistle to draw attention to themselves, before turning and running in hopes of sparking a chase. However, the Varghul on all fours is vastly quicker and more powerful than they. The Vampire catches up with them with ease and grabs them from behind with deathly claws, and your character instantly realizes that they are outmatched and now in the grips of grave danger. Their arrogance drops, and fear RP initiates with them squirming and helplessly trying to reason with the Vampire that has a claw to their throat.
In situation 1, the character's arrogance is conveyed by foolishly drawing attention to themselves despite being clearly outmatched in power and speed. However, fear rp is initiated once they are caught, and quickly realize that their adversary is far more well equipped than they are.
Situation 2)
Your character just stole an extremely rare, highly valuable piece of Starris from a member of a powerful slum gang. They got away with it for a while, but have now been captured, and the gang is demanding to know where the Starris is. Your arrogant character is strong, and has wormed their way out of plenty of sticky situations before. Believing they may be able to get away, they draw a sword, preparing to foolishly fight the 3 gang members who have surrounded them. As to be expected when one is surrounded, they are wiped out with ease, and now the gang's leader has a knife pressed to their throat. They quickly realize that this gang leader would not hesitate to kill them for such a piece of metal, and their life is worth more than however much the Starris is. Dialling back, they begin to reluctantly and shakily spill the beans, praying silently that they will be spared.
In situation 2, the character's arrogance is conveyed through their attempts to fight in a scenario that is very clearly outmatched, and refusing to give over the valuable until they are staring death in the face. However, they still react realistically, as once their attempts at fighting out fail they give in to their natural desire to live.
Parting words and things to remember
I hope this guide may have been helpful to someone. If even just one person sees this and takes a piece of the advice on board to their next death-fight RP, I will feel that it has served it's purpose. I have been on both the receiving and giving end of Fear RP more times than I can count, and if there's one thing I would recommend regardless of your character's personality, it's OOC communication. If things start to get hairy and you fear for your character's life, or conversely if you feel somebody is not reacting well to your fear rp, try shooting them a PM to explain what exactly is at stake, and what can be done to ensure everyone gets away with their character's lives intact. Under new rules, if your character is taken prisoner and given a demand, they must follow it--otherwise you surrender kill perms. This applies to many other situations as well, as if your character refuses to follow demands / give in / surrender to their attacker, they are likely to get hurt. If trying to come to a reasonable middleground in PM doesn't work, remember that your friendly lore staff are there to help mediate comfortable outcomes for both parties in stressful situations — not just for issuing punishments.
I'm going to end this essay off with a few key-points to keep in mind when fear RPing with an arrogant character. Thankyou for reading, and have fun with your virtual mental trauma!
- There is a difference between IC arrogance and powergaming. Don't cross that line!
- Remember: every character has a limit. Even the most highly trained, stoic Viridian Knight has a tipping point, and a point after which they will give in and surrender their honor. Few individuals have the ability to fight until their last breath, and if your character is one of these, you need to be willing to surrender kill perms OOC as well.
- Remember: every character has a fight-or-flight (or freeze) reflex. If somebody draws a sword on you, you must pick one. Leaning against a wall and smirking is not a reasonable option!
- It's okay to lose! Nobody is going to think less of you OOC for having your character lose or retreat in a fight. It's better than trying to play an unrealistic badass.
- Fear rp, and losing by extension, can be fun! I know, it's not always enjoyable to roleplay your character as mentally scarred from an experience, but there are always ways you can spin it into something positive. Use it as a chance to seek social rp with others so your character can heal, or use it as a catalyst to go down a different route with your character. Perhaps they become withdrawn and turn to scholarly arts? Perhaps they strive not to lose again and devote themselves to a combat school? Perhaps they decide to join the guard so they can get back at the gang who hurt them?
- No matter how many times your character experiences something scary, it will still be scary. Perhaps it will be less so than the first time, but your fight-or-flight reflex doesn't go away just because you've seen an undead bone & flesh horror once or even three times before. It's still damn nasty.
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