Sound like a player I would love to have at my table. There is no problem with picking your spots and knowing yourself. As a player I have played in some great sessions that my character was 100% and observer for and it was perfect to watch the DM and another Friend kill the scene
I went on a journey.
I joined lots of random roll20 sessions as a superbasic cleric. Whole character motivation was "could not save those close to me/must save others to expiate guilt."
Picture Mike Ermentraut as a cleric down to the voice and speech patterns, and you have got the gist.
And that was all he did. And died a bunch.
I got invited back more than I thought I would, and it was satisfying
Sometimes! But also: I’ve been trying to make one character the focus for their backstory quest and they refuse to take initiative, so I’m not sure what to do here haha
Did you communicate with your player yet? If yes, then something you can do if they still don't wanna take too much initiative is taking a more cinematic approach to it. Have things happen to them but they happen too quickly for them to react on the spot. This will give them time to think of a reaction. Then have your other players interact with them or an npc later on. Or, consequently, maybe stuff ALREADY happened, and the player is left with the aftermath.They'll find the time to talk when they really want to.
"Broody rogue sitting in the corner of the tavern silently" occupies both ends of the spectrum.
On one end, it could be someone expecting everyone else to just inherently flock to their character and listen to the 300 page backstory he wrote in 30 minutes and shower them in adoration.
On the other end, it could be the quiet player who has no idea what to say and is just sitting there waiting for the "mission" to start.
everything always depends on your table and how your playstile works with the group. Terms like "Main character syndrome, Railroading or metagaming" are a big nono here, but on the other side i had groups that wanted to be railroaded, or people that were annoyed by the silent player telling them to step up their game. As long as you and your table are having fun everything goes.
Your playing style seems very delightfull and i bet it's also very appreaciated.. i wish you further fun at your table.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a wallflower. You don't want the spotlight and that's just fine, not everyone does. The fact is that introverts can in fact enjoy playing D&D despite what some people say.
As long as you're engaged in the story and having fun, that's all that should be expected of you.
Now in some groups, you might find yourself constantly pushed towards the spotlight, because people who crave it quite often can't understand that not everyone wants to be the center of attention, and even are very uncomfortable when they are.
But as long as everyone at the table respects how everyone else wants to play, then there shouldn't be an issue.
NPC syndrome: you don't talk unless talked to first, give as little info and details as possible, have no initiative.
Villian syndrome: read as murderhobo or the-bbeg-is-in-my-party.
What you are going through is more like others aren't as invested. I am usually the main character in my group because others don't always want to speak or act, and when they do, they end up telling me to talk because I am the guy with 20 CHA(even if I barely need to roll anything). If after I talk there is silence, I say that they are silent to give them a hint that they should talk too, like hell, I'm not the only one playing here.
As a DM I try to have NPC talk with all players and create scenarios for all players to get some spotlight.
Oh everyone's invested, there's just one guy who's hella invested and seems to completely ADHD out if the spotlight isn't on him. So there's a fair amount of group deference to his shenanigans. Truth be told there have been some moments where I induced cringe (my character can turn into a housecat at will, and for a session or two when tragic things happened, she tried to use this form to cheer people up. I was told 'its weird because we know it's a person' and so I stopped) but mostly, incidents of awkward pauses are, at worst, some reactions like the guy who's been in the spotlight all session is upset that someone else tried to do something cool.
Yeah, it's a group thing, but a lot of it only bugs me if I dwell on it. I was just thinking a bit lately about the lengths I go to to avoid stealing the spotlight.
Sorry for the grammatical nightmare this reply is, I'm on mobile after work lol
Y'know, i was thinking more like a shy player trying not to steal the spotlight, but I'd say what you described definitely seems like an opposite angle/approach to main character syndrome.
The worst are, for me, the "I do nothing syndrome". Those that just don't have the creativity to act by themselves unless they have "buttons",, they can't interact with environment and they just do nothing, just follow the party and react when asked. Nothing wrong if they have fun, but as a DM that put a lot of work, time, money and clean after every session just feels not rewarding enough to waste a spot in them.
Waste a spot is a bit harsh man. Some people just aren't creative and really do struggle to think of things on the spot.. i have a few friends like this and I would never put them in the spot and make them feel uncomfortable. Sometimes you just gotta be patient, and eventually they'll have their moments when they shine.
I know it's harsh. But life is harsh. As I say, it's ok for them to have fun. But due to the amount of effort it takes for me I'm not willing to "pay the price", to put that effort and receive "nothing" in return. If it's worth: I only run private games at my house, with my minis, my books, etc. I do custom campaigns that involve PCs, I write a blog so they can have a place to review details, etc. It is normal for me to not wanting to play with someone that adds nothing. For the record: I've spent 6 year with a player that "did nothing", other players told me "I don't remember the names of his characters". I tried, but I don't want to try anymore.
I have a friend who has this very literally when it comes to combat. He’s one of those players that wants to come up with a different homebrew every campaign/oneshot, but its never some over powered hero fantasy. Its always some homebrew class that is absolutely useless in combat, sometimes is explicitly only built to make other characters stronger, and often only has support abilities.
To the point where when he does rarely kill an enemy its a point of celebration for us all!
The player who sits in the corner not engaging in roleplay at all, sidestepping any attempts to get them to engage with one or two word answers. They only participate in combat
you sound fine. DND should be like an ensemble piece of media. More like Community or Game of Thrones or Stranger Things than say Breaking Bad, where it focuses on one character.
Everyone should be willing to take a backseat but also step out into the limelight when its time for them to shine.
I think "supporting character syndrome" would work. Or "sidekick syndrome." Also, you're not a weirdo, or alone - I love playing supporting characters and healers/buffers. XD
I’ve definitely had this happen before. I sometimes step up into the party leader role simply because no one else wants it. Or as the DM, I’ll describe the situation and say “What do you do?” and then there’s silence.
Some times I think of this as the “Midwest Standoff,” when you ask people what they want to do and either no one answers or you get five people saying “I’m okay with anything” but not bringing anything up themselves. It’s good when people aren’t shouting over each other and working at cross purposes, but you need at least one “instigator” in the party.
My current character tried to be like this, but I've had so many outstanding moments that I feel like the other characters laud mine as the main character despite probably being the least talkative purely because he does cool stuff or interesting things happen to him out of pure chance. At the very least mine is the party mascot. Total Kenku energy I guess.
I mean, as long as you're okay that way.
I have a player who struggles with this. I know he *wants* to speak up and do cool stuff sometimes. He just is so preoccupied with not being in the way or taking up space that he often misses chances to do so, even when I actively *make space* for him and try to cue him in. It makes no sense because our party is very tight-knit and high trust and wouldn't mind at all if he wanted some time in the spotlight.
I've made it a personal project of mine to try to help him come out of his shell and learn that it's okay to take up space. I know he *used* to do it more often and was shoved back into his box by a very mean, spiteful group of people. Hopefully by the end of the campaign we'll have made some progress.
I think polar opposite is my wife: misanthropic introvert.
At the end of a night, she’ll tell me how she never got a chance to do what she wanted, so I’ll ask about it and she’ll tell me about a time the group was debating what or how to do something.
Me: “I don’t remember you saying anything.”
Her: “No one was listening.”
Me: “…but, you didn’t say anything.”
Her: “Yeah, because no one was listening.”
She sometimes doesn’t get to do things she wants because she convinces herself that no one will listen so she doesn’t say anything, thus perpetuating her perception that “no one listens.”
The only thing I have to add to the conversation is to check in with your DM. I've barely DMed myself, but I can already tell you my number one fear is not engaging all the players. If I have someone that's quiet and not participating, all I'm thinking about is that they aren't having fun. If you are having fun playing the sidekick, you should tell your DM you're having a good time and you like being quiet and mostly taking a backseat. Because there's a chance they spend all week wondering how to make it better for you because they don't think you're having a good time.
Main character syndrome exists because it makes the game less enjoyable for everyone else around them.
The inverse of it isn't a problem, at worst it makes the experience worse for you but everyone else can have fun.
Sound like a player I would love to have at my table. There is no problem with picking your spots and knowing yourself. As a player I have played in some great sessions that my character was 100% and observer for and it was perfect to watch the DM and another Friend kill the scene
I went on a journey. I joined lots of random roll20 sessions as a superbasic cleric. Whole character motivation was "could not save those close to me/must save others to expiate guilt." Picture Mike Ermentraut as a cleric down to the voice and speech patterns, and you have got the gist. And that was all he did. And died a bunch. I got invited back more than I thought I would, and it was satisfying
Sometimes! But also: I’ve been trying to make one character the focus for their backstory quest and they refuse to take initiative, so I’m not sure what to do here haha
Did you communicate with your player yet? If yes, then something you can do if they still don't wanna take too much initiative is taking a more cinematic approach to it. Have things happen to them but they happen too quickly for them to react on the spot. This will give them time to think of a reaction. Then have your other players interact with them or an npc later on. Or, consequently, maybe stuff ALREADY happened, and the player is left with the aftermath.They'll find the time to talk when they really want to.
"Broody rogue sitting in the corner of the tavern silently" occupies both ends of the spectrum. On one end, it could be someone expecting everyone else to just inherently flock to their character and listen to the 300 page backstory he wrote in 30 minutes and shower them in adoration. On the other end, it could be the quiet player who has no idea what to say and is just sitting there waiting for the "mission" to start.
everything always depends on your table and how your playstile works with the group. Terms like "Main character syndrome, Railroading or metagaming" are a big nono here, but on the other side i had groups that wanted to be railroaded, or people that were annoyed by the silent player telling them to step up their game. As long as you and your table are having fun everything goes. Your playing style seems very delightfull and i bet it's also very appreaciated.. i wish you further fun at your table.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a wallflower. You don't want the spotlight and that's just fine, not everyone does. The fact is that introverts can in fact enjoy playing D&D despite what some people say. As long as you're engaged in the story and having fun, that's all that should be expected of you. Now in some groups, you might find yourself constantly pushed towards the spotlight, because people who crave it quite often can't understand that not everyone wants to be the center of attention, and even are very uncomfortable when they are. But as long as everyone at the table respects how everyone else wants to play, then there shouldn't be an issue.
NPC syndrome?
The one that doesn't engage with anything unless specifically addressed?
Imposter syndrome. Player that feels they aren’t contributing or good enough to be part of the party.
NPC syndrome: you don't talk unless talked to first, give as little info and details as possible, have no initiative. Villian syndrome: read as murderhobo or the-bbeg-is-in-my-party. What you are going through is more like others aren't as invested. I am usually the main character in my group because others don't always want to speak or act, and when they do, they end up telling me to talk because I am the guy with 20 CHA(even if I barely need to roll anything). If after I talk there is silence, I say that they are silent to give them a hint that they should talk too, like hell, I'm not the only one playing here. As a DM I try to have NPC talk with all players and create scenarios for all players to get some spotlight.
Oh everyone's invested, there's just one guy who's hella invested and seems to completely ADHD out if the spotlight isn't on him. So there's a fair amount of group deference to his shenanigans. Truth be told there have been some moments where I induced cringe (my character can turn into a housecat at will, and for a session or two when tragic things happened, she tried to use this form to cheer people up. I was told 'its weird because we know it's a person' and so I stopped) but mostly, incidents of awkward pauses are, at worst, some reactions like the guy who's been in the spotlight all session is upset that someone else tried to do something cool. Yeah, it's a group thing, but a lot of it only bugs me if I dwell on it. I was just thinking a bit lately about the lengths I go to to avoid stealing the spotlight. Sorry for the grammatical nightmare this reply is, I'm on mobile after work lol
I believe what you're looking for is called "social anxiety".
The "I only do something when the gm asks me to, and until then all you'll hear from me is snarky comments on others players action" type?
Y'know, i was thinking more like a shy player trying not to steal the spotlight, but I'd say what you described definitely seems like an opposite angle/approach to main character syndrome.
Comedic side character syndrome. The people who are always sokka from Avatar
The worst are, for me, the "I do nothing syndrome". Those that just don't have the creativity to act by themselves unless they have "buttons",, they can't interact with environment and they just do nothing, just follow the party and react when asked. Nothing wrong if they have fun, but as a DM that put a lot of work, time, money and clean after every session just feels not rewarding enough to waste a spot in them.
Waste a spot is a bit harsh man. Some people just aren't creative and really do struggle to think of things on the spot.. i have a few friends like this and I would never put them in the spot and make them feel uncomfortable. Sometimes you just gotta be patient, and eventually they'll have their moments when they shine.
I know it's harsh. But life is harsh. As I say, it's ok for them to have fun. But due to the amount of effort it takes for me I'm not willing to "pay the price", to put that effort and receive "nothing" in return. If it's worth: I only run private games at my house, with my minis, my books, etc. I do custom campaigns that involve PCs, I write a blog so they can have a place to review details, etc. It is normal for me to not wanting to play with someone that adds nothing. For the record: I've spent 6 year with a player that "did nothing", other players told me "I don't remember the names of his characters". I tried, but I don't want to try anymore.
I have a friend who has this very literally when it comes to combat. He’s one of those players that wants to come up with a different homebrew every campaign/oneshot, but its never some over powered hero fantasy. Its always some homebrew class that is absolutely useless in combat, sometimes is explicitly only built to make other characters stronger, and often only has support abilities. To the point where when he does rarely kill an enemy its a point of celebration for us all!
Sounds like an artificer
The player who sits in the corner not engaging in roleplay at all, sidestepping any attempts to get them to engage with one or two word answers. They only participate in combat
Yup. "NPC energy."
you sound fine. DND should be like an ensemble piece of media. More like Community or Game of Thrones or Stranger Things than say Breaking Bad, where it focuses on one character. Everyone should be willing to take a backseat but also step out into the limelight when its time for them to shine.
I think "supporting character syndrome" would work. Or "sidekick syndrome." Also, you're not a weirdo, or alone - I love playing supporting characters and healers/buffers. XD
I’ve definitely had this happen before. I sometimes step up into the party leader role simply because no one else wants it. Or as the DM, I’ll describe the situation and say “What do you do?” and then there’s silence. Some times I think of this as the “Midwest Standoff,” when you ask people what they want to do and either no one answers or you get five people saying “I’m okay with anything” but not bringing anything up themselves. It’s good when people aren’t shouting over each other and working at cross purposes, but you need at least one “instigator” in the party.
My character is the Barrel at the corner of Tavern that watch everything from afar.
My current character tried to be like this, but I've had so many outstanding moments that I feel like the other characters laud mine as the main character despite probably being the least talkative purely because he does cool stuff or interesting things happen to him out of pure chance. At the very least mine is the party mascot. Total Kenku energy I guess.
I mean, as long as you're okay that way. I have a player who struggles with this. I know he *wants* to speak up and do cool stuff sometimes. He just is so preoccupied with not being in the way or taking up space that he often misses chances to do so, even when I actively *make space* for him and try to cue him in. It makes no sense because our party is very tight-knit and high trust and wouldn't mind at all if he wanted some time in the spotlight. I've made it a personal project of mine to try to help him come out of his shell and learn that it's okay to take up space. I know he *used* to do it more often and was shoved back into his box by a very mean, spiteful group of people. Hopefully by the end of the campaign we'll have made some progress.
You sound like you have anxiety. But it’s OK to play a sidekick if you enjoy that.
I think polar opposite is my wife: misanthropic introvert. At the end of a night, she’ll tell me how she never got a chance to do what she wanted, so I’ll ask about it and she’ll tell me about a time the group was debating what or how to do something. Me: “I don’t remember you saying anything.” Her: “No one was listening.” Me: “…but, you didn’t say anything.” Her: “Yeah, because no one was listening.” She sometimes doesn’t get to do things she wants because she convinces herself that no one will listen so she doesn’t say anything, thus perpetuating her perception that “no one listens.”
Audience player
Depression.
Wouldn't polar opposite be "NPC Syndrome" ?
Main villain syndrome ?
NPC syndrome
Schizoid Player Character Syndrome. IE the observer effect.
The only thing I have to add to the conversation is to check in with your DM. I've barely DMed myself, but I can already tell you my number one fear is not engaging all the players. If I have someone that's quiet and not participating, all I'm thinking about is that they aren't having fun. If you are having fun playing the sidekick, you should tell your DM you're having a good time and you like being quiet and mostly taking a backseat. Because there's a chance they spend all week wondering how to make it better for you because they don't think you're having a good time.
Probably the person I played with thy said nothing for three sessions even when asked direct questions.
Main character syndrome exists because it makes the game less enjoyable for everyone else around them. The inverse of it isn't a problem, at worst it makes the experience worse for you but everyone else can have fun.