Roll Playing Fixes

1) The roleplay modifier is a D&D/ D20 tool, or for any gamesystem that does not have a built in roleplay reward system (rolemaster).

Rate the character's roleplay performance from 1-10. 1 is for no roleplaying (like your example); 10 is the level of roleplaying you expect of your players (not what they do, but what they should be doing). The RP modifier for a given session is that number divided by 10, giving you a range between .1x and 1x

Take the amount of experience points the characters earned due to defeating threats, taking out traps, and so on, for that session. Multiply that by the multiplier. That is the amount they earn for that run.

Yes, bad roleplayers earn a fraction of their expected experience.

Watch your roleplay dead players scream, especially if one player is adequate in their roleplaying. They will begin to see the metagaming advantages of roleplaying. Those that don't will only advance a tiny amount, while those that do will advance at a good clip in comparison.

This technique has been used by several GMs with several different power gamers and rules lawyers and tacticians. In every case, they improved their roleplaying level to at least the minimally acceptable amount.

2) Conception bonus:
A player turns in a written history of their character, that explains where the character came from, where they learned the skills they have, what their characters are like, and some of the people they know. Upon completion, they receive 1-1000 Exp based on completeness and usefulness of the conception. Allow players to rewrite their conception piece every now and again, in an attempt to get a better score. ('Okay the old one was worth 325, it is now worth 500, take the 175 exps).

If you have a back history that you actually understand, then you have something that you understand to build upon and roleplay with. If players start linking their conceptions (oh you have a master of the sword in Altair.. cool then I will use him for my sword master too), then it gives them something to work with each other with.

3)Bonus Chips:
Pull out some poker chips. Whites are 1, Reds 5, and Blues 25.

Bonus chips have three functions in the game: 1) they are traded in to allow you to reroll a die roll, 2) they are traded in to allow you to dictate the result of a non dramatic roll, 3) they can be use to make an NPC reroll (if you the GM choose not to allow the reroll, they earn a chip), 4) they can be converted into a nominal amount of experience (50 to 100 xp for D20)

How do you earn bonus chips you ask? You do something that is a bonus to the game. You roleplay a scene well, you come up with an ingenious plan, you contribute something to the overall campaign. (An optional one is bringing your GM Pizza or suitable food bribe).

The advantage of bonus chips is that they are immediate rewards for good roleplaying or in genre roleplaying, as well as superior play in other area. They are a teaching reward; a great pavolovian training device; an obvious reward for an immediate action. All of a sudden, like the rats looking for pellets, all the players will be trying to earn these things. They will begin to try harder to earn chips, sometimes putting in more effort than they are worth. Turn it into a competition on who can earn the most in a given night. Get their own 'win' natures on your side.

I have a number of roleplay tips at www.openroleplaying.org/tools/tips/ Search for Player, Roleplay, all the world, and a few others that escape me right at the moment. Or just F5.... alot.

Yes, I am something of a gaming guru. You are warned.
Yes, I have been gaming for a while, since 1975-1976. So I have seen it all.

Now if we can head back to topic....

Most games suffer from the GM's lack of organization. Most GMs do not have a nearly photographic memory, so they are constantly forgetting little things that impact the campaign. That is why taking note and being organized lets you take your game to the next level. If you start organized, with world creation, then it is easier to maintain the organization (less work in the end) and gives you the advantage having players that know the things they should know.

Think about it... When we read a story, the characters in the story know a great deal about the world (in general). They learn new things over the course of the story, but as a general statement, they know the basics of their world. When we game, we create a story, with the players writing their character's actions and dialog, and the GM writing the rest and functioning as the editor. What good does it do anyone if the story is marred by stupid mistakes that could of been avoided if the character knew something basic about their world?

Besides, if the players are not creating functional characters... you can remind them about how their character is coming across to other... so they begin to treat the characters like simpletons and children... because that is their apparent level of knowledge.