Do you roleplay serving tea?

[torrente]

Just wondered because there are chapters where little happens but the serving of tea.

 

Do any of you participate in PBEM or other roleplays where the roleplay isn't fighting or politics but the serving of tea?

 

And why so many chapters about serving tea?

 

Discuss?

[Pokeriser]

Because tea is the ultimate filler.

[blazetheearth]

Yes, during various RPG's I have done the equivalent of serving tea. Doing laundry, watching a movie in game (where a couple of characters including myself were commenting on the movie in game), sharing a few beers at a bar or in our own rooms, sharpened swords/axes/daggers or repaired armor, prepared meals/eaten meals. Any of these can be considered the equivalent of "serving tea" as the advanced the plot of the game very little, but advancing the plot is not the only reason to play RPG's.

 

Getting into character is actually the point of true role-playing. Immersing yourself totally in the character (or as much as possible) is the whole point of RPG's. When you play them for nothing more than combat or character advancement, it is called "hack-and-slash role-playing" and is poorly looked upon by those that are serious about roleplaying. Every RPG group that I have ever been a part of (which goes back to 1981 playing original D&D) has shunned people that role play just for the combat or just the politics. If it is a part of the character's life then it should be a part of the game. Whether it is 5 minutes of game time dedicated to it, or, if a conversation takes over the time, the episodes can last for a couple of hours.

 

And if you stop and think about it, it makes total sense. If your character is going to spend a few hours angry about something that happened during a conversation that occurred while you were drinking tea with another character, then it makes sense for the GM to help you get into character by making you go through the conversation. If your character is angry about something then you should be able to identify totally with that and portray that character appropriately.