I've ran into a bit of a dilemma with a 5e campaign that's soon coming to a close. It's been running for about a year, and one of the primary goals that I had when I started the campaign was to focus as much as possible on the journey of each player character in my party. Unfortunately, as story arcs are completing, it's become clear to me that this approach has only really worked for a single character out of four. Let's call him Carl.
Why has this only worked out for Carl? The reasons are varied, but they basically boil down to this.
- Carl invested a significant amount of effort into developing a compelling backstory hook for his character. He is also by far the most talented performer and experienced D&D player out of the group.
- One of the players has strong roleplaying ideas and a highly developed character but struggles greatly with improvisation, leading to moments falling flat as he searches for words.
- Another player is highly engaged in roleplaying moments and reacts realistically and appropriately to his character, however he hasn't established a compelling backstory or strong character motivations.
- The last player is simply is not interested in "immersive" roleplaying (i.e. he enjoys roleplaying from a humor and shenanigans standpoint but has never responded to or made attempts to delve into exploring emotions, motivations, etc.)
- Carl is the only player that takes an active approach to roleplaying his character. He's constantly seeking to advance his storyline through his own actions, while the other players have only really shown a capacity to react to events.
Unfortunately, from a story-telling standpoint, this has resulted in a storyline that seems highly Carl-centric. I've frequently found myself writing long sequences purely focused on Carl's story arc, and I'm beginning to worry that he's become the "main character" in a campaign that was supposed to focus on the entire party.
Of course, I've made efforts all throughout trying to include the other characters and trying to solidify their storylines, however after seeing these attempts fall flat (for various reasons, like characters forgetting their own backstories, failing to respond in a way that feels logical or genuine) I found myself getting discouraged and sort of giving up on trying to create more character moments for them.
That said, I'm left with a bit of a troubling question in retrospect:
How can I ensure that everyone feels involved when only a single player is driving the story?
As we draw to the end of the campaign, I've been able to sense that some of the other players grow disinterested when we arrive yet-again at another crossroads in Carl's story. These moments, in my opinion have been the most interesting and compelling moments from a story-telling perspective, but I'm worrying that they might feel like they've been neglected all this time.
Have any of you had experience with this kind of problem? Is there something that I could have done differently?
Best Answer
Step 1: Communicate with the group
I know, it's cliche here on SE. But it's really the best way to handle these things. Although you may feel they are disinterested, there could be various reasons for their behavior. Sometimes at a session I had a rough day at work, and it's just hard to focus on playing. I still enjoy it, but probably doesn't seem like it to anyone else. There are an infinite amount of reasons that could be a cause for this feeling. So... Talk to them, just simply ask them how they feel about the story. If you want to do it privately with each one to avoid them feeling like they're walking on eggshells around Carl, then do so. You won't ever really know how everyone feels until you ask. It sounds like the guy who doesn't care about backstory enjoys what they're doing as long as they're playing. Figure out likes and dislikes from the whole party, and ask what they would like to be done differently. But make sure they understand you're getting the pulse, not trying to make wholesale changes yet. It's ALWAYS a good idea to hear the players thoughts once in a while. And people will be more honest in 1 on 1 conversations. It might be best to do 1 on 1's first, THEN bring the group in together for a discussion.
Step 2A: Your group is fine with how things are going
Yay! You don't need to really change anything. Turns out they just ate a bad lunch and their stomach has been upset. Once it has been verbally communicated that there aren't any issues, you are free to continue with your story. As long as everything has been discussed honestly and to the full extent, there should no longer be any doubt as to how they feel.
Step 2B: The other players are feeling excluded, time to make a change
This will be a harder one to deal with. Although the easiest solution is to stop writing party quests for specific characters, that might not be in the cards right now. What other ways could you change the game that would make them enjoy it more? I would try to identify specific things in sessions that these players love doing. Although it is a Carl story, it could still be an adventure tailored to the rest of the group. Maybe they're super into combat, not so much RP. Make the sessions combat intensive, with some tidbits of lore and story for Carl. Being able to hone in on what they enjoy might be what they want. They might be bored with listening to Carl doing all the important RP while they sit idly.
Some other things to consider: