Does using the Inspiration rules for character defects encourage My Guy Syndrome? Announcing...

Sorting the characters in a utf-16 string in java

What is the definining line between a helicopter and a drone a person can ride in?

Who's this lady in the war room?

Why aren't these two solutions equivalent? Combinatorics problem

What were wait-states, and why was it only an issue for PCs?

Is "ein Herz wie das meine" an antiquated or colloquial use of the possesive pronoun?

When does Bran Stark remember Jamie pushing him?

Pointing to problems without suggesting solutions

Coin Game with infinite paradox

Why did Bronn offer to be Tyrion Lannister's champion in trial by combat?

Why do C and C++ allow the expression (int) + 4*5?

Putting Ant-Man on house arrest

Does the Pact of the Blade warlock feature allow me to customize the properties of the pact weapon I create?

Marquee sign letters

Compiling and throwing simple dynamic exceptions at runtime for JVM

Will the Antimagic Field spell cause elementals not summoned by magic to dissipate?

Lights are flickering on and off after accidentally bumping into light switch

A German immigrant ancestor has a "Registration Affidavit of Alien Enemy" on file. What does that mean exactly?

Does Prince Arnaud cause someone holding the Princess to lose?

Why isn't everyone flabbergasted about Bran's "gift"?

Knights and Knaves question

FME Console for testing

Is there a verb for listening stealthily?

How to ask rejected full-time candidates to apply to teach individual courses?



Does using the Inspiration rules for character defects encourage My Guy Syndrome?



Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
Planned maintenance scheduled April 23, 2019 at 23:30 UTC (7:30pm US/Eastern)What is “my guy syndrome” and how do I handle it?Is using Inspiration to give the enemy Disadvantage an issue?Sacrificing character integrity for the gameplay?Are there rules for using gaming sets?How does Pathfinder's Investigator inspiration system work with 3.5's Factotum inspiration system according to a strict reading of the RAW?As a player, I am approaching a situation where “My Guy” syndrome seems inevitable and almost appropriate. What can I do to soften any problems?Are there rules for using manacles in combat?Does using an inspiration point give you automatic advantage, overriding even disadvantage?Does Combat Inspiration require the GM to announce attack roll totals?How to avoid “My Guy” syndrome while roleplaying a flawed character?What are the rules for traveling using different movement speeds?





.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty{ margin-bottom:0;
}







10












$begingroup$


The rules on Inspiration, from the Basic Rules state:




Typically, DMs award it when you play out your personality traits, give in to the drawbacks presented by a flaw or bond, and otherwise portray your character in a compelling way.




If you choose unwisely, giving into drawbacks, this could potentially lead to the detriment of your fun or someone else's fun.



Does awarding Inspiration for this kind of behavior cause issues with My Guy Syndrome among players?



Please support your answers with evidence from actual experience.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$








  • 1




    $begingroup$
    This is a discussion prompt that can only result in opinion-based answers.
    $endgroup$
    – mxyzplk
    12 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Fair enough. Any suggestion for an edit to make the question focused on the perils of promoting give in to ..drawbacks without any further suggestions that would elicit rules-based answers?
    $endgroup$
    – Wyrmwood
    12 hours ago






  • 4




    $begingroup$
    Based on the edits, I'm voting to reopen on the basis that players/DMs specifically citing their experience in awarding Inspiration for characters that play into their vices can provide what I believe to be high quality answers to this question. Having said that, I definitely agree the question should be watched closely for the risk of low quality/unsubstantiated answers.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    11 hours ago


















10












$begingroup$


The rules on Inspiration, from the Basic Rules state:




Typically, DMs award it when you play out your personality traits, give in to the drawbacks presented by a flaw or bond, and otherwise portray your character in a compelling way.




If you choose unwisely, giving into drawbacks, this could potentially lead to the detriment of your fun or someone else's fun.



Does awarding Inspiration for this kind of behavior cause issues with My Guy Syndrome among players?



Please support your answers with evidence from actual experience.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$








  • 1




    $begingroup$
    This is a discussion prompt that can only result in opinion-based answers.
    $endgroup$
    – mxyzplk
    12 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Fair enough. Any suggestion for an edit to make the question focused on the perils of promoting give in to ..drawbacks without any further suggestions that would elicit rules-based answers?
    $endgroup$
    – Wyrmwood
    12 hours ago






  • 4




    $begingroup$
    Based on the edits, I'm voting to reopen on the basis that players/DMs specifically citing their experience in awarding Inspiration for characters that play into their vices can provide what I believe to be high quality answers to this question. Having said that, I definitely agree the question should be watched closely for the risk of low quality/unsubstantiated answers.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    11 hours ago














10












10








10





$begingroup$


The rules on Inspiration, from the Basic Rules state:




Typically, DMs award it when you play out your personality traits, give in to the drawbacks presented by a flaw or bond, and otherwise portray your character in a compelling way.




If you choose unwisely, giving into drawbacks, this could potentially lead to the detriment of your fun or someone else's fun.



Does awarding Inspiration for this kind of behavior cause issues with My Guy Syndrome among players?



Please support your answers with evidence from actual experience.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$




The rules on Inspiration, from the Basic Rules state:




Typically, DMs award it when you play out your personality traits, give in to the drawbacks presented by a flaw or bond, and otherwise portray your character in a compelling way.




If you choose unwisely, giving into drawbacks, this could potentially lead to the detriment of your fun or someone else's fun.



Does awarding Inspiration for this kind of behavior cause issues with My Guy Syndrome among players?



Please support your answers with evidence from actual experience.







dnd-5e roleplaying inspiration






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 6 hours ago









V2Blast

27.6k598168




27.6k598168










asked 12 hours ago









WyrmwoodWyrmwood

5,51611543




5,51611543








  • 1




    $begingroup$
    This is a discussion prompt that can only result in opinion-based answers.
    $endgroup$
    – mxyzplk
    12 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Fair enough. Any suggestion for an edit to make the question focused on the perils of promoting give in to ..drawbacks without any further suggestions that would elicit rules-based answers?
    $endgroup$
    – Wyrmwood
    12 hours ago






  • 4




    $begingroup$
    Based on the edits, I'm voting to reopen on the basis that players/DMs specifically citing their experience in awarding Inspiration for characters that play into their vices can provide what I believe to be high quality answers to this question. Having said that, I definitely agree the question should be watched closely for the risk of low quality/unsubstantiated answers.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    11 hours ago














  • 1




    $begingroup$
    This is a discussion prompt that can only result in opinion-based answers.
    $endgroup$
    – mxyzplk
    12 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Fair enough. Any suggestion for an edit to make the question focused on the perils of promoting give in to ..drawbacks without any further suggestions that would elicit rules-based answers?
    $endgroup$
    – Wyrmwood
    12 hours ago






  • 4




    $begingroup$
    Based on the edits, I'm voting to reopen on the basis that players/DMs specifically citing their experience in awarding Inspiration for characters that play into their vices can provide what I believe to be high quality answers to this question. Having said that, I definitely agree the question should be watched closely for the risk of low quality/unsubstantiated answers.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    11 hours ago








1




1




$begingroup$
This is a discussion prompt that can only result in opinion-based answers.
$endgroup$
– mxyzplk
12 hours ago




$begingroup$
This is a discussion prompt that can only result in opinion-based answers.
$endgroup$
– mxyzplk
12 hours ago




1




1




$begingroup$
Fair enough. Any suggestion for an edit to make the question focused on the perils of promoting give in to ..drawbacks without any further suggestions that would elicit rules-based answers?
$endgroup$
– Wyrmwood
12 hours ago




$begingroup$
Fair enough. Any suggestion for an edit to make the question focused on the perils of promoting give in to ..drawbacks without any further suggestions that would elicit rules-based answers?
$endgroup$
– Wyrmwood
12 hours ago




4




4




$begingroup$
Based on the edits, I'm voting to reopen on the basis that players/DMs specifically citing their experience in awarding Inspiration for characters that play into their vices can provide what I believe to be high quality answers to this question. Having said that, I definitely agree the question should be watched closely for the risk of low quality/unsubstantiated answers.
$endgroup$
– Xirema
11 hours ago




$begingroup$
Based on the edits, I'm voting to reopen on the basis that players/DMs specifically citing their experience in awarding Inspiration for characters that play into their vices can provide what I believe to be high quality answers to this question. Having said that, I definitely agree the question should be watched closely for the risk of low quality/unsubstantiated answers.
$endgroup$
– Xirema
11 hours ago










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















24












$begingroup$

No, not when used properly.



DM has control over what inspiration encourages



The key thing here is that the DM controls when inspiration is awarded. As a DM, I give it freely and often and have never had a case of My Guy Syndrome (MGS) come specifically from this mechanic. In fact, I use it (successfully) as a way to reward players for non-MGS behaviors (behaviors the group as a whole find fun).



It could be used to create a worse problem though if you encourage the wrong things. In this case, you can make an MGS issue worse if you keep rewarding actions that are negatively affecting group fun in the name of good character RP. However, I think inspiration can only amplify a problem that already exists.



I sincerely doubt, and have never observed, that inspiration as a mechanic is powerful enough to actually cause MGS behaviors to appear outside of any other factors. And, on the flip side, when I have had problems with MGS at my table, inspiration has never been enough to fix it (and also runs afoul of my policy to fix out-of-game issues with out-of-game solutions as a first step).



My Guy Syndrome vs. Roleplaying



You seem to be conflating two things: role-playing and My Guy Syndrome. Role-playing often involves having a character have some sort of flaws or acting out drawbacks related to their personality or backstory. That's all part of storytelling. If every character was perfect and unflawed, stories about characters overcoming those flaws or developing as a character cease to exist. This is the kind of thing this passage is providing a mechanic to encourage.



On the other hand, My Guy Syndrome is what happens when you role-play any part of your character in a way that negatively affects your table's enjoyment and fun and then justify it as the only way you can act because it is what your character would do and that you have no choice but to do this.



If you are acting out a character flaw, and there is no issue with how much fun it is at the table and is not causing any other issues, then there is no problem and thus no MGS.



Other parts of the book provide more guidance that should be used with this



MGS is something that only occurs when a player is roleplaying as their character problematically. Anything that encourages more roleplaying without explicitly telling the player not to do so could be construed as "encouraging" MGS. However, the rules must be read in context. The portion that you read is in the DM's guidance for inspiration. In the PHB it says:




When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, you can give up your inspiration to give that character inspiration.




Not the emphasis on group fun and story? That is pushing the players away from MGS. Taking one section of one part of the DM's manual without any of the other guidance the books offer on the matter is bound to give a skewed view of the guidance it offers. As with most things: context matters.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    To be clear, are you saying here that MGS vs RP in your view comes down entirely to "Are people having fun?"
    $endgroup$
    – Ethan The Brave
    9 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @EthanTheBrave almost! The difference between MGS is just RP behavior that causes unfun at the table but the key part is that the player justifies it by character motivations and believes that it is the only way they can act. There are lots of ways to RP in unfun ways, but MGS is specifically referencing the justification.
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    9 hours ago



















9












$begingroup$

No



There is a difference between being a "my guy" and roleplaying well and within the constraints of what your table considers 'fun' and 'engaging.'



You can play a roleplay character without being that guy.



DM may not reward "my guy" actions



As inspiration is a DM thing to hand out, they are in total control of what type of behavior they want to reward. If you're heading into My Guy territory, you're likely going to be talked to and not rewarded.



If a DM feels that roleplaying is heading into My Guy territory and others at the table aren't having fun, there is no requirement for them to hand out Inspiration for it - and they can discuss such potential issues with that player if they feel like they should.



DMs can and should provide inspiration for roleplay of flaws/bonds or other traits or builds that make it enjoyable for the player and their tablemates. And that can be done without venturing into My Guy Syndrome territory.



How I treat inspiration - suboptimal isn't always MGS



When I DM, I do my best to provide inspiration to those who do fun/interesting/clever things with their character. That can be through combat actions, through roleplaying their traits, and it may be doing so with optimal or sub optimal strategies. It's whatever added to the table experience positively. It doesn't always happen, but I try to be open and fair about when//how I'll do it and what I'm looking for.



What I'm not looking to do is promote actions that take away from the fun of the table. My Guy Syndrome does that for me as a DM, so I would actively discourage this by not providing inspiration and by discussing table antics like that with the player to help them improve and work with them to figure out positive ways in which they can 'be' their character.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$





















    6












    $begingroup$

    No, because the DM doesn't reward disruptive activity.



    Good answers to this question already, but let me phrase it this way:



    The key difference between Inspiration and My Guy Syndrome is that receiving Inspiration is an extrinsic motivator which rewards what the DM considers good play.



    Flaws like those of the Criminal background can indeed validate a player character who puts personal gain before party, but the player who acts this way is usually doing so out of an intrinsic motivation: personal gain (I'm stealing the magic boots because I want my guy to become stronger), fun (I find pranking the other players amusing) a sense of authenticity (I enjoy playing the villain), and so on.



    But those players will do that even if you don't reward it. Players have been pulling "that's what my guy would do" as an excuse since long before Flaws and Background appeared in the games. The DM traditionally doesn't decide a player character's personality or actions, so players hold most of the power here.



    Conversely, the Inspiration mechanic is purely up to the DM, and rewarding players for playing their character's negative traits isn't mandatory. In fact, it's the opposite: you can reward the rogue with Inspiration for not stealing from the party (hey, it's character development!) and openly refuse to give Inspiration when they do misbehave.



    Inspiration therefore creates a situation in which the player is still free to invoke the Wangrod Defense ("it's what my guy would do"), but they are openly rewarded for choosing the more amicable alternative.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$





















      5












      $begingroup$

      No



      My Guy Syndrome is what happens when a player plays to their character no matter what, even if it means that other players aren't having fun. It means that the player does not take responsibility for the character's actions, and instead uses the character's personality as an excuse.



      The main thing here is that My Guy Syndrome isn't fun for the other players.



      It is perfectly feasible to play a flawed or not-entirely-cooperative character in a way that other players still have fun in spite of (or maybe have even more fun because of) it, so playing to a character's flaws or bonds is not necessarily My Guy Syndrome.



      Remember, a flawed character can still be a fun character, both for that character's player, and for the other players in the group! As long as those flaws and bonds aren't such that they'll stop people from having fun, playing to them isn't My Guy Syndrome!






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$









      • 1




        $begingroup$
        I think this answer really highlights the core of the argument here. Even if the system did mechanically "encourage" MyGuySyndrome (MGS), it is still your, the player's, responsibility not to play a character that will fall into MGS.
        $endgroup$
        – goodguy5
        12 hours ago












      Your Answer








      StackExchange.ready(function() {
      var channelOptions = {
      tags: "".split(" "),
      id: "122"
      };
      initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

      StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
      // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
      if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
      StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
      createEditor();
      });
      }
      else {
      createEditor();
      }
      });

      function createEditor() {
      StackExchange.prepareEditor({
      heartbeatType: 'answer',
      autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
      convertImagesToLinks: false,
      noModals: true,
      showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
      reputationToPostImages: null,
      bindNavPrevention: true,
      postfix: "",
      imageUploader: {
      brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
      contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
      allowUrls: true
      },
      noCode: true, onDemand: true,
      discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
      ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
      });


      }
      });














      draft saved

      draft discarded


















      StackExchange.ready(
      function () {
      StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2frpg.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f145635%2fdoes-using-the-inspiration-rules-for-character-defects-encourage-my-guy-syndrome%23new-answer', 'question_page');
      }
      );

      Post as a guest















      Required, but never shown

























      4 Answers
      4






      active

      oldest

      votes








      4 Answers
      4






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes









      24












      $begingroup$

      No, not when used properly.



      DM has control over what inspiration encourages



      The key thing here is that the DM controls when inspiration is awarded. As a DM, I give it freely and often and have never had a case of My Guy Syndrome (MGS) come specifically from this mechanic. In fact, I use it (successfully) as a way to reward players for non-MGS behaviors (behaviors the group as a whole find fun).



      It could be used to create a worse problem though if you encourage the wrong things. In this case, you can make an MGS issue worse if you keep rewarding actions that are negatively affecting group fun in the name of good character RP. However, I think inspiration can only amplify a problem that already exists.



      I sincerely doubt, and have never observed, that inspiration as a mechanic is powerful enough to actually cause MGS behaviors to appear outside of any other factors. And, on the flip side, when I have had problems with MGS at my table, inspiration has never been enough to fix it (and also runs afoul of my policy to fix out-of-game issues with out-of-game solutions as a first step).



      My Guy Syndrome vs. Roleplaying



      You seem to be conflating two things: role-playing and My Guy Syndrome. Role-playing often involves having a character have some sort of flaws or acting out drawbacks related to their personality or backstory. That's all part of storytelling. If every character was perfect and unflawed, stories about characters overcoming those flaws or developing as a character cease to exist. This is the kind of thing this passage is providing a mechanic to encourage.



      On the other hand, My Guy Syndrome is what happens when you role-play any part of your character in a way that negatively affects your table's enjoyment and fun and then justify it as the only way you can act because it is what your character would do and that you have no choice but to do this.



      If you are acting out a character flaw, and there is no issue with how much fun it is at the table and is not causing any other issues, then there is no problem and thus no MGS.



      Other parts of the book provide more guidance that should be used with this



      MGS is something that only occurs when a player is roleplaying as their character problematically. Anything that encourages more roleplaying without explicitly telling the player not to do so could be construed as "encouraging" MGS. However, the rules must be read in context. The portion that you read is in the DM's guidance for inspiration. In the PHB it says:




      When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, you can give up your inspiration to give that character inspiration.




      Not the emphasis on group fun and story? That is pushing the players away from MGS. Taking one section of one part of the DM's manual without any of the other guidance the books offer on the matter is bound to give a skewed view of the guidance it offers. As with most things: context matters.






      share|improve this answer











      $endgroup$













      • $begingroup$
        To be clear, are you saying here that MGS vs RP in your view comes down entirely to "Are people having fun?"
        $endgroup$
        – Ethan The Brave
        9 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @EthanTheBrave almost! The difference between MGS is just RP behavior that causes unfun at the table but the key part is that the player justifies it by character motivations and believes that it is the only way they can act. There are lots of ways to RP in unfun ways, but MGS is specifically referencing the justification.
        $endgroup$
        – Rubiksmoose
        9 hours ago
















      24












      $begingroup$

      No, not when used properly.



      DM has control over what inspiration encourages



      The key thing here is that the DM controls when inspiration is awarded. As a DM, I give it freely and often and have never had a case of My Guy Syndrome (MGS) come specifically from this mechanic. In fact, I use it (successfully) as a way to reward players for non-MGS behaviors (behaviors the group as a whole find fun).



      It could be used to create a worse problem though if you encourage the wrong things. In this case, you can make an MGS issue worse if you keep rewarding actions that are negatively affecting group fun in the name of good character RP. However, I think inspiration can only amplify a problem that already exists.



      I sincerely doubt, and have never observed, that inspiration as a mechanic is powerful enough to actually cause MGS behaviors to appear outside of any other factors. And, on the flip side, when I have had problems with MGS at my table, inspiration has never been enough to fix it (and also runs afoul of my policy to fix out-of-game issues with out-of-game solutions as a first step).



      My Guy Syndrome vs. Roleplaying



      You seem to be conflating two things: role-playing and My Guy Syndrome. Role-playing often involves having a character have some sort of flaws or acting out drawbacks related to their personality or backstory. That's all part of storytelling. If every character was perfect and unflawed, stories about characters overcoming those flaws or developing as a character cease to exist. This is the kind of thing this passage is providing a mechanic to encourage.



      On the other hand, My Guy Syndrome is what happens when you role-play any part of your character in a way that negatively affects your table's enjoyment and fun and then justify it as the only way you can act because it is what your character would do and that you have no choice but to do this.



      If you are acting out a character flaw, and there is no issue with how much fun it is at the table and is not causing any other issues, then there is no problem and thus no MGS.



      Other parts of the book provide more guidance that should be used with this



      MGS is something that only occurs when a player is roleplaying as their character problematically. Anything that encourages more roleplaying without explicitly telling the player not to do so could be construed as "encouraging" MGS. However, the rules must be read in context. The portion that you read is in the DM's guidance for inspiration. In the PHB it says:




      When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, you can give up your inspiration to give that character inspiration.




      Not the emphasis on group fun and story? That is pushing the players away from MGS. Taking one section of one part of the DM's manual without any of the other guidance the books offer on the matter is bound to give a skewed view of the guidance it offers. As with most things: context matters.






      share|improve this answer











      $endgroup$













      • $begingroup$
        To be clear, are you saying here that MGS vs RP in your view comes down entirely to "Are people having fun?"
        $endgroup$
        – Ethan The Brave
        9 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @EthanTheBrave almost! The difference between MGS is just RP behavior that causes unfun at the table but the key part is that the player justifies it by character motivations and believes that it is the only way they can act. There are lots of ways to RP in unfun ways, but MGS is specifically referencing the justification.
        $endgroup$
        – Rubiksmoose
        9 hours ago














      24












      24








      24





      $begingroup$

      No, not when used properly.



      DM has control over what inspiration encourages



      The key thing here is that the DM controls when inspiration is awarded. As a DM, I give it freely and often and have never had a case of My Guy Syndrome (MGS) come specifically from this mechanic. In fact, I use it (successfully) as a way to reward players for non-MGS behaviors (behaviors the group as a whole find fun).



      It could be used to create a worse problem though if you encourage the wrong things. In this case, you can make an MGS issue worse if you keep rewarding actions that are negatively affecting group fun in the name of good character RP. However, I think inspiration can only amplify a problem that already exists.



      I sincerely doubt, and have never observed, that inspiration as a mechanic is powerful enough to actually cause MGS behaviors to appear outside of any other factors. And, on the flip side, when I have had problems with MGS at my table, inspiration has never been enough to fix it (and also runs afoul of my policy to fix out-of-game issues with out-of-game solutions as a first step).



      My Guy Syndrome vs. Roleplaying



      You seem to be conflating two things: role-playing and My Guy Syndrome. Role-playing often involves having a character have some sort of flaws or acting out drawbacks related to their personality or backstory. That's all part of storytelling. If every character was perfect and unflawed, stories about characters overcoming those flaws or developing as a character cease to exist. This is the kind of thing this passage is providing a mechanic to encourage.



      On the other hand, My Guy Syndrome is what happens when you role-play any part of your character in a way that negatively affects your table's enjoyment and fun and then justify it as the only way you can act because it is what your character would do and that you have no choice but to do this.



      If you are acting out a character flaw, and there is no issue with how much fun it is at the table and is not causing any other issues, then there is no problem and thus no MGS.



      Other parts of the book provide more guidance that should be used with this



      MGS is something that only occurs when a player is roleplaying as their character problematically. Anything that encourages more roleplaying without explicitly telling the player not to do so could be construed as "encouraging" MGS. However, the rules must be read in context. The portion that you read is in the DM's guidance for inspiration. In the PHB it says:




      When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, you can give up your inspiration to give that character inspiration.




      Not the emphasis on group fun and story? That is pushing the players away from MGS. Taking one section of one part of the DM's manual without any of the other guidance the books offer on the matter is bound to give a skewed view of the guidance it offers. As with most things: context matters.






      share|improve this answer











      $endgroup$



      No, not when used properly.



      DM has control over what inspiration encourages



      The key thing here is that the DM controls when inspiration is awarded. As a DM, I give it freely and often and have never had a case of My Guy Syndrome (MGS) come specifically from this mechanic. In fact, I use it (successfully) as a way to reward players for non-MGS behaviors (behaviors the group as a whole find fun).



      It could be used to create a worse problem though if you encourage the wrong things. In this case, you can make an MGS issue worse if you keep rewarding actions that are negatively affecting group fun in the name of good character RP. However, I think inspiration can only amplify a problem that already exists.



      I sincerely doubt, and have never observed, that inspiration as a mechanic is powerful enough to actually cause MGS behaviors to appear outside of any other factors. And, on the flip side, when I have had problems with MGS at my table, inspiration has never been enough to fix it (and also runs afoul of my policy to fix out-of-game issues with out-of-game solutions as a first step).



      My Guy Syndrome vs. Roleplaying



      You seem to be conflating two things: role-playing and My Guy Syndrome. Role-playing often involves having a character have some sort of flaws or acting out drawbacks related to their personality or backstory. That's all part of storytelling. If every character was perfect and unflawed, stories about characters overcoming those flaws or developing as a character cease to exist. This is the kind of thing this passage is providing a mechanic to encourage.



      On the other hand, My Guy Syndrome is what happens when you role-play any part of your character in a way that negatively affects your table's enjoyment and fun and then justify it as the only way you can act because it is what your character would do and that you have no choice but to do this.



      If you are acting out a character flaw, and there is no issue with how much fun it is at the table and is not causing any other issues, then there is no problem and thus no MGS.



      Other parts of the book provide more guidance that should be used with this



      MGS is something that only occurs when a player is roleplaying as their character problematically. Anything that encourages more roleplaying without explicitly telling the player not to do so could be construed as "encouraging" MGS. However, the rules must be read in context. The portion that you read is in the DM's guidance for inspiration. In the PHB it says:




      When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, you can give up your inspiration to give that character inspiration.




      Not the emphasis on group fun and story? That is pushing the players away from MGS. Taking one section of one part of the DM's manual without any of the other guidance the books offer on the matter is bound to give a skewed view of the guidance it offers. As with most things: context matters.







      share|improve this answer














      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer








      edited 10 hours ago









      V2Blast

      27.6k598168




      27.6k598168










      answered 12 hours ago









      RubiksmooseRubiksmoose

      62.4k10301459




      62.4k10301459












      • $begingroup$
        To be clear, are you saying here that MGS vs RP in your view comes down entirely to "Are people having fun?"
        $endgroup$
        – Ethan The Brave
        9 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @EthanTheBrave almost! The difference between MGS is just RP behavior that causes unfun at the table but the key part is that the player justifies it by character motivations and believes that it is the only way they can act. There are lots of ways to RP in unfun ways, but MGS is specifically referencing the justification.
        $endgroup$
        – Rubiksmoose
        9 hours ago


















      • $begingroup$
        To be clear, are you saying here that MGS vs RP in your view comes down entirely to "Are people having fun?"
        $endgroup$
        – Ethan The Brave
        9 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @EthanTheBrave almost! The difference between MGS is just RP behavior that causes unfun at the table but the key part is that the player justifies it by character motivations and believes that it is the only way they can act. There are lots of ways to RP in unfun ways, but MGS is specifically referencing the justification.
        $endgroup$
        – Rubiksmoose
        9 hours ago
















      $begingroup$
      To be clear, are you saying here that MGS vs RP in your view comes down entirely to "Are people having fun?"
      $endgroup$
      – Ethan The Brave
      9 hours ago




      $begingroup$
      To be clear, are you saying here that MGS vs RP in your view comes down entirely to "Are people having fun?"
      $endgroup$
      – Ethan The Brave
      9 hours ago




      1




      1




      $begingroup$
      @EthanTheBrave almost! The difference between MGS is just RP behavior that causes unfun at the table but the key part is that the player justifies it by character motivations and believes that it is the only way they can act. There are lots of ways to RP in unfun ways, but MGS is specifically referencing the justification.
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      9 hours ago




      $begingroup$
      @EthanTheBrave almost! The difference between MGS is just RP behavior that causes unfun at the table but the key part is that the player justifies it by character motivations and believes that it is the only way they can act. There are lots of ways to RP in unfun ways, but MGS is specifically referencing the justification.
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      9 hours ago













      9












      $begingroup$

      No



      There is a difference between being a "my guy" and roleplaying well and within the constraints of what your table considers 'fun' and 'engaging.'



      You can play a roleplay character without being that guy.



      DM may not reward "my guy" actions



      As inspiration is a DM thing to hand out, they are in total control of what type of behavior they want to reward. If you're heading into My Guy territory, you're likely going to be talked to and not rewarded.



      If a DM feels that roleplaying is heading into My Guy territory and others at the table aren't having fun, there is no requirement for them to hand out Inspiration for it - and they can discuss such potential issues with that player if they feel like they should.



      DMs can and should provide inspiration for roleplay of flaws/bonds or other traits or builds that make it enjoyable for the player and their tablemates. And that can be done without venturing into My Guy Syndrome territory.



      How I treat inspiration - suboptimal isn't always MGS



      When I DM, I do my best to provide inspiration to those who do fun/interesting/clever things with their character. That can be through combat actions, through roleplaying their traits, and it may be doing so with optimal or sub optimal strategies. It's whatever added to the table experience positively. It doesn't always happen, but I try to be open and fair about when//how I'll do it and what I'm looking for.



      What I'm not looking to do is promote actions that take away from the fun of the table. My Guy Syndrome does that for me as a DM, so I would actively discourage this by not providing inspiration and by discussing table antics like that with the player to help them improve and work with them to figure out positive ways in which they can 'be' their character.






      share|improve this answer











      $endgroup$


















        9












        $begingroup$

        No



        There is a difference between being a "my guy" and roleplaying well and within the constraints of what your table considers 'fun' and 'engaging.'



        You can play a roleplay character without being that guy.



        DM may not reward "my guy" actions



        As inspiration is a DM thing to hand out, they are in total control of what type of behavior they want to reward. If you're heading into My Guy territory, you're likely going to be talked to and not rewarded.



        If a DM feels that roleplaying is heading into My Guy territory and others at the table aren't having fun, there is no requirement for them to hand out Inspiration for it - and they can discuss such potential issues with that player if they feel like they should.



        DMs can and should provide inspiration for roleplay of flaws/bonds or other traits or builds that make it enjoyable for the player and their tablemates. And that can be done without venturing into My Guy Syndrome territory.



        How I treat inspiration - suboptimal isn't always MGS



        When I DM, I do my best to provide inspiration to those who do fun/interesting/clever things with their character. That can be through combat actions, through roleplaying their traits, and it may be doing so with optimal or sub optimal strategies. It's whatever added to the table experience positively. It doesn't always happen, but I try to be open and fair about when//how I'll do it and what I'm looking for.



        What I'm not looking to do is promote actions that take away from the fun of the table. My Guy Syndrome does that for me as a DM, so I would actively discourage this by not providing inspiration and by discussing table antics like that with the player to help them improve and work with them to figure out positive ways in which they can 'be' their character.






        share|improve this answer











        $endgroup$
















          9












          9








          9





          $begingroup$

          No



          There is a difference between being a "my guy" and roleplaying well and within the constraints of what your table considers 'fun' and 'engaging.'



          You can play a roleplay character without being that guy.



          DM may not reward "my guy" actions



          As inspiration is a DM thing to hand out, they are in total control of what type of behavior they want to reward. If you're heading into My Guy territory, you're likely going to be talked to and not rewarded.



          If a DM feels that roleplaying is heading into My Guy territory and others at the table aren't having fun, there is no requirement for them to hand out Inspiration for it - and they can discuss such potential issues with that player if they feel like they should.



          DMs can and should provide inspiration for roleplay of flaws/bonds or other traits or builds that make it enjoyable for the player and their tablemates. And that can be done without venturing into My Guy Syndrome territory.



          How I treat inspiration - suboptimal isn't always MGS



          When I DM, I do my best to provide inspiration to those who do fun/interesting/clever things with their character. That can be through combat actions, through roleplaying their traits, and it may be doing so with optimal or sub optimal strategies. It's whatever added to the table experience positively. It doesn't always happen, but I try to be open and fair about when//how I'll do it and what I'm looking for.



          What I'm not looking to do is promote actions that take away from the fun of the table. My Guy Syndrome does that for me as a DM, so I would actively discourage this by not providing inspiration and by discussing table antics like that with the player to help them improve and work with them to figure out positive ways in which they can 'be' their character.






          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$



          No



          There is a difference between being a "my guy" and roleplaying well and within the constraints of what your table considers 'fun' and 'engaging.'



          You can play a roleplay character without being that guy.



          DM may not reward "my guy" actions



          As inspiration is a DM thing to hand out, they are in total control of what type of behavior they want to reward. If you're heading into My Guy territory, you're likely going to be talked to and not rewarded.



          If a DM feels that roleplaying is heading into My Guy territory and others at the table aren't having fun, there is no requirement for them to hand out Inspiration for it - and they can discuss such potential issues with that player if they feel like they should.



          DMs can and should provide inspiration for roleplay of flaws/bonds or other traits or builds that make it enjoyable for the player and their tablemates. And that can be done without venturing into My Guy Syndrome territory.



          How I treat inspiration - suboptimal isn't always MGS



          When I DM, I do my best to provide inspiration to those who do fun/interesting/clever things with their character. That can be through combat actions, through roleplaying their traits, and it may be doing so with optimal or sub optimal strategies. It's whatever added to the table experience positively. It doesn't always happen, but I try to be open and fair about when//how I'll do it and what I'm looking for.



          What I'm not looking to do is promote actions that take away from the fun of the table. My Guy Syndrome does that for me as a DM, so I would actively discourage this by not providing inspiration and by discussing table antics like that with the player to help them improve and work with them to figure out positive ways in which they can 'be' their character.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 12 hours ago

























          answered 12 hours ago









          NautArchNautArch

          62.7k8228414




          62.7k8228414























              6












              $begingroup$

              No, because the DM doesn't reward disruptive activity.



              Good answers to this question already, but let me phrase it this way:



              The key difference between Inspiration and My Guy Syndrome is that receiving Inspiration is an extrinsic motivator which rewards what the DM considers good play.



              Flaws like those of the Criminal background can indeed validate a player character who puts personal gain before party, but the player who acts this way is usually doing so out of an intrinsic motivation: personal gain (I'm stealing the magic boots because I want my guy to become stronger), fun (I find pranking the other players amusing) a sense of authenticity (I enjoy playing the villain), and so on.



              But those players will do that even if you don't reward it. Players have been pulling "that's what my guy would do" as an excuse since long before Flaws and Background appeared in the games. The DM traditionally doesn't decide a player character's personality or actions, so players hold most of the power here.



              Conversely, the Inspiration mechanic is purely up to the DM, and rewarding players for playing their character's negative traits isn't mandatory. In fact, it's the opposite: you can reward the rogue with Inspiration for not stealing from the party (hey, it's character development!) and openly refuse to give Inspiration when they do misbehave.



              Inspiration therefore creates a situation in which the player is still free to invoke the Wangrod Defense ("it's what my guy would do"), but they are openly rewarded for choosing the more amicable alternative.






              share|improve this answer









              $endgroup$


















                6












                $begingroup$

                No, because the DM doesn't reward disruptive activity.



                Good answers to this question already, but let me phrase it this way:



                The key difference between Inspiration and My Guy Syndrome is that receiving Inspiration is an extrinsic motivator which rewards what the DM considers good play.



                Flaws like those of the Criminal background can indeed validate a player character who puts personal gain before party, but the player who acts this way is usually doing so out of an intrinsic motivation: personal gain (I'm stealing the magic boots because I want my guy to become stronger), fun (I find pranking the other players amusing) a sense of authenticity (I enjoy playing the villain), and so on.



                But those players will do that even if you don't reward it. Players have been pulling "that's what my guy would do" as an excuse since long before Flaws and Background appeared in the games. The DM traditionally doesn't decide a player character's personality or actions, so players hold most of the power here.



                Conversely, the Inspiration mechanic is purely up to the DM, and rewarding players for playing their character's negative traits isn't mandatory. In fact, it's the opposite: you can reward the rogue with Inspiration for not stealing from the party (hey, it's character development!) and openly refuse to give Inspiration when they do misbehave.



                Inspiration therefore creates a situation in which the player is still free to invoke the Wangrod Defense ("it's what my guy would do"), but they are openly rewarded for choosing the more amicable alternative.






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$
















                  6












                  6








                  6





                  $begingroup$

                  No, because the DM doesn't reward disruptive activity.



                  Good answers to this question already, but let me phrase it this way:



                  The key difference between Inspiration and My Guy Syndrome is that receiving Inspiration is an extrinsic motivator which rewards what the DM considers good play.



                  Flaws like those of the Criminal background can indeed validate a player character who puts personal gain before party, but the player who acts this way is usually doing so out of an intrinsic motivation: personal gain (I'm stealing the magic boots because I want my guy to become stronger), fun (I find pranking the other players amusing) a sense of authenticity (I enjoy playing the villain), and so on.



                  But those players will do that even if you don't reward it. Players have been pulling "that's what my guy would do" as an excuse since long before Flaws and Background appeared in the games. The DM traditionally doesn't decide a player character's personality or actions, so players hold most of the power here.



                  Conversely, the Inspiration mechanic is purely up to the DM, and rewarding players for playing their character's negative traits isn't mandatory. In fact, it's the opposite: you can reward the rogue with Inspiration for not stealing from the party (hey, it's character development!) and openly refuse to give Inspiration when they do misbehave.



                  Inspiration therefore creates a situation in which the player is still free to invoke the Wangrod Defense ("it's what my guy would do"), but they are openly rewarded for choosing the more amicable alternative.






                  share|improve this answer









                  $endgroup$



                  No, because the DM doesn't reward disruptive activity.



                  Good answers to this question already, but let me phrase it this way:



                  The key difference between Inspiration and My Guy Syndrome is that receiving Inspiration is an extrinsic motivator which rewards what the DM considers good play.



                  Flaws like those of the Criminal background can indeed validate a player character who puts personal gain before party, but the player who acts this way is usually doing so out of an intrinsic motivation: personal gain (I'm stealing the magic boots because I want my guy to become stronger), fun (I find pranking the other players amusing) a sense of authenticity (I enjoy playing the villain), and so on.



                  But those players will do that even if you don't reward it. Players have been pulling "that's what my guy would do" as an excuse since long before Flaws and Background appeared in the games. The DM traditionally doesn't decide a player character's personality or actions, so players hold most of the power here.



                  Conversely, the Inspiration mechanic is purely up to the DM, and rewarding players for playing their character's negative traits isn't mandatory. In fact, it's the opposite: you can reward the rogue with Inspiration for not stealing from the party (hey, it's character development!) and openly refuse to give Inspiration when they do misbehave.



                  Inspiration therefore creates a situation in which the player is still free to invoke the Wangrod Defense ("it's what my guy would do"), but they are openly rewarded for choosing the more amicable alternative.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 9 hours ago









                  Quadratic WizardQuadratic Wizard

                  33.7k3112182




                  33.7k3112182























                      5












                      $begingroup$

                      No



                      My Guy Syndrome is what happens when a player plays to their character no matter what, even if it means that other players aren't having fun. It means that the player does not take responsibility for the character's actions, and instead uses the character's personality as an excuse.



                      The main thing here is that My Guy Syndrome isn't fun for the other players.



                      It is perfectly feasible to play a flawed or not-entirely-cooperative character in a way that other players still have fun in spite of (or maybe have even more fun because of) it, so playing to a character's flaws or bonds is not necessarily My Guy Syndrome.



                      Remember, a flawed character can still be a fun character, both for that character's player, and for the other players in the group! As long as those flaws and bonds aren't such that they'll stop people from having fun, playing to them isn't My Guy Syndrome!






                      share|improve this answer









                      $endgroup$









                      • 1




                        $begingroup$
                        I think this answer really highlights the core of the argument here. Even if the system did mechanically "encourage" MyGuySyndrome (MGS), it is still your, the player's, responsibility not to play a character that will fall into MGS.
                        $endgroup$
                        – goodguy5
                        12 hours ago
















                      5












                      $begingroup$

                      No



                      My Guy Syndrome is what happens when a player plays to their character no matter what, even if it means that other players aren't having fun. It means that the player does not take responsibility for the character's actions, and instead uses the character's personality as an excuse.



                      The main thing here is that My Guy Syndrome isn't fun for the other players.



                      It is perfectly feasible to play a flawed or not-entirely-cooperative character in a way that other players still have fun in spite of (or maybe have even more fun because of) it, so playing to a character's flaws or bonds is not necessarily My Guy Syndrome.



                      Remember, a flawed character can still be a fun character, both for that character's player, and for the other players in the group! As long as those flaws and bonds aren't such that they'll stop people from having fun, playing to them isn't My Guy Syndrome!






                      share|improve this answer









                      $endgroup$









                      • 1




                        $begingroup$
                        I think this answer really highlights the core of the argument here. Even if the system did mechanically "encourage" MyGuySyndrome (MGS), it is still your, the player's, responsibility not to play a character that will fall into MGS.
                        $endgroup$
                        – goodguy5
                        12 hours ago














                      5












                      5








                      5





                      $begingroup$

                      No



                      My Guy Syndrome is what happens when a player plays to their character no matter what, even if it means that other players aren't having fun. It means that the player does not take responsibility for the character's actions, and instead uses the character's personality as an excuse.



                      The main thing here is that My Guy Syndrome isn't fun for the other players.



                      It is perfectly feasible to play a flawed or not-entirely-cooperative character in a way that other players still have fun in spite of (or maybe have even more fun because of) it, so playing to a character's flaws or bonds is not necessarily My Guy Syndrome.



                      Remember, a flawed character can still be a fun character, both for that character's player, and for the other players in the group! As long as those flaws and bonds aren't such that they'll stop people from having fun, playing to them isn't My Guy Syndrome!






                      share|improve this answer









                      $endgroup$



                      No



                      My Guy Syndrome is what happens when a player plays to their character no matter what, even if it means that other players aren't having fun. It means that the player does not take responsibility for the character's actions, and instead uses the character's personality as an excuse.



                      The main thing here is that My Guy Syndrome isn't fun for the other players.



                      It is perfectly feasible to play a flawed or not-entirely-cooperative character in a way that other players still have fun in spite of (or maybe have even more fun because of) it, so playing to a character's flaws or bonds is not necessarily My Guy Syndrome.



                      Remember, a flawed character can still be a fun character, both for that character's player, and for the other players in the group! As long as those flaws and bonds aren't such that they'll stop people from having fun, playing to them isn't My Guy Syndrome!







                      share|improve this answer












                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer










                      answered 12 hours ago









                      MrSpudtasticMrSpudtastic

                      1,675313




                      1,675313








                      • 1




                        $begingroup$
                        I think this answer really highlights the core of the argument here. Even if the system did mechanically "encourage" MyGuySyndrome (MGS), it is still your, the player's, responsibility not to play a character that will fall into MGS.
                        $endgroup$
                        – goodguy5
                        12 hours ago














                      • 1




                        $begingroup$
                        I think this answer really highlights the core of the argument here. Even if the system did mechanically "encourage" MyGuySyndrome (MGS), it is still your, the player's, responsibility not to play a character that will fall into MGS.
                        $endgroup$
                        – goodguy5
                        12 hours ago








                      1




                      1




                      $begingroup$
                      I think this answer really highlights the core of the argument here. Even if the system did mechanically "encourage" MyGuySyndrome (MGS), it is still your, the player's, responsibility not to play a character that will fall into MGS.
                      $endgroup$
                      – goodguy5
                      12 hours ago




                      $begingroup$
                      I think this answer really highlights the core of the argument here. Even if the system did mechanically "encourage" MyGuySyndrome (MGS), it is still your, the player's, responsibility not to play a character that will fall into MGS.
                      $endgroup$
                      – goodguy5
                      12 hours ago


















                      draft saved

                      draft discarded




















































                      Thanks for contributing an answer to Role-playing Games Stack Exchange!


                      • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                      But avoid



                      • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                      • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                      Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.


                      To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                      draft saved


                      draft discarded














                      StackExchange.ready(
                      function () {
                      StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2frpg.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f145635%2fdoes-using-the-inspiration-rules-for-character-defects-encourage-my-guy-syndrome%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                      }
                      );

                      Post as a guest















                      Required, but never shown





















































                      Required, but never shown














                      Required, but never shown












                      Required, but never shown







                      Required, but never shown

































                      Required, but never shown














                      Required, but never shown












                      Required, but never shown







                      Required, but never shown







                      Popular posts from this blog

                      VNC viewer RFB protocol error: bad desktop size 0x0I Cannot Type the Key 'd' (lowercase) in VNC Viewer...

                      Couldn't open a raw socket. Error: Permission denied (13) (nmap)Is it possible to run networking commands...

                      Why not use the yoke to control yaw, as well as pitch and roll? Announcing the arrival of...