Hi everyone!
Currently, I am developing a TTRPG more focused on the aspects that I enjoy: character progression, dungeoneering, and combat. I have a lot of intricate mechanics and scenarios written up for each. But when I think of the role-playing, I am stumped.
I both DM/play a lot in my group, but I have always struggled with the role-playing aspect of many TTRPGs. I am just not good at improv, and often blank on what to say in the moment. If I have a script I can act it out no problem, but thinking on the spot is a challenge for me.
I don't want to just skip it, because ultimately, it is a core pillar of the genre (It's in the name ffs). But personally, I never found it fun or engaging. One of the biggest problems I have when I play is that there is rarely an incentive structure for role-playing. In fact, I would say if you have poor improv or speaking skills, you are actively disincentivized from participating. Nothing is worse to me than flubbing a line during a role-playing moment and it resulting in major story consequences or grinding the flow of the game to a halt as you try and fail to articulate yourself. I was wondering if there were any good systems that gamify the aspects of role-playing that would make it fun to engage with on a mechanical level beyond just the ideal of living out a fantasy.
I feel like a lot of systems lack good frameworks on how to role-play opting instead to leave it up to the players. This is great! It can elevate the game to have a lot of emergent situations with beautiful resolutions that feel more like musical theater than a simple game. But for me, I am more systems focused. I would like something that can guide the flow of conversation, keeping the participants (Both the GM and PC) actively involved while also being able to act as a crutch for players that might struggle to role-play. Something less swingy than simply "Roll a dice and add a modifier" as I find that often leads to disappointing non-moments. I would love to treat role-play as a little mini-game that keeps players on their toes, and allows for specialization and strategy just like combat would.
I am sure this is not the first time something like this has been pitched. What are some examples of systems that do a good job gamifying the role-play aspect of TTRPGs and why do they work well? What mechanics have you cribbed for your own game, and what stuff do you find is underserved in the market?