[RPG] How to make the players stop speaking out of character

problem-players

I'm a GM running my own homebrewed system, in a campaign with three players.

My players rarely talk to each other about what to do, forcing me to make suggestions that basically give away plot.

The real problem is that, even when they do have discussions, two out of the three break character when it's not an acceptable context to do so. They stretch it out as much as they can. I've talked to them before about how it'd benefit everyone if they discussed more and in-character.

I have tried penalizing their health and even their gold, but it doesn't seem to send them the message. Worse, when I subtract anything from them they just laugh and say, "It was worth it."

Subtracting from their health nearly leaves them dead when combats happen, and if I penalize their gold they run short in interactions involving currency.

Should I just begin killing them off and give them new character sheets if it goes too far?

Best Answer

Address the players in Character

Address the players as the NPCs who talk to them. Look them in the eye, make the statement or question, and then hold the gaze until the answer. Even if they answer in the third person, continue in character responding to what is said. It sets the tone, gives them the example and if you're acting in character they will be more likely not feel weird about being in character.

Reward

The rules for some games allow the DM to give rewards. D&D 5e, for instance allows for XP and Inspiration. Inspiration is nice because it is immediate reward for doing the action you want to reinforce. If your game system doesn't have inspiration, you can house rule some form of immediate reward.

Treat Table Talk as in Character

One way I've seen this done is take their OOC banter/side talk as in character comments. Especially if they are discussing some course of action they think might be funny.

GM: The well dressed gentleman passes by and eyes you up and down.
Player (to other player): We should rob him. Right? It'd be funny.
GM: (as the gentleman) "Rob me? Should I call the town Guard?"

This is a trick I got from Matt Mercer in Critical Role. I noticed how it worked to refocus the players on what is going on in the game, and encouraged more roll play.

Talking Through Things in Character

Give them puzzles they have to work together to solve. If the character doesn't say something (the player does), the other character's didn't hear it. This works well for timed challenges, but could be useful in other puzzles.

Sidetracked

Set a time limit, especially in battle, on what the character wants to do. If a player is taking an unreasonable amount of time deciding or is asking too many questions he should already know the answer for, the character loses his initiative and gets moved to the end of the round. The serious players who have been paying attention will thank you. Another one you will see Matt Mercer do, but that wasn't the first place I'd seen it. The nice thing about this is that it keeps the game moving which makes it easier for everyone to stay engaged.

It's a Game

Sometime, if they aren't in battle and there isn't any threat, letting them get a little off topic can be alright. It is a game, and games are meant to be fun. I don't think the whole session should be taken over, but a little levity might just be what they prefer in the game. It could be that what they want out of the game and what you want out of the game are different, and brief talk about what everyone wants might be in order. Especially if you never had a session 0.