Players: Ask to make a roll

The is a transcript of the video titled “Players: Why you should ask to make a roll”

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Your GM’s going to ask for specific rolls in combat but especially if you’re playing a game that has any kind of story or is narrative-driven, there may be a lot of time that goes by without a roll. It may just be NPCs interacting with the PCs. For me, when I’m GMing this way, I’m just super into being present with what my players are doing and I forget to ask for a roll to see if they succeed I’m sorry man, I’m just having a ton of fun having this exchange with you as the ship’s crew member, I didn’t realize you were trying to mechanically persuade him to let you into the cargo hold. So tell me. “Can I make a persuasion check to see if I can get into the cargo hold?” A lightbulb will go off in my head “OHH THAT’S what you’re trying to do” This happens a lot particularly with charisma-based or social-type actions because it is very easy, as a GM to mistake you trying a mechanical social thing for just RP.

Please ask for the roll. I’m  not withholding that option from you as a player, I literally just forgot to ask you for it,  and I would never say no to a player wanting to mechanically try something - and you know know what, your GM probably won’t either. Even on the off chance they say no, that at least opens up the conversation of what options are available to you in this moment. 

 “Can I make a persuasion check to see if I can get into the cargo hold?”

“No, sorry.”

“Oh… any particular reason?”

“His shift is ending and he’s not about to take the extra time to take you to the hold. Try again later, or with someone else”

So if they say no, you can totally ask why. It is highly unlikely they’ll say no though. And you asking doesn’t need to be this weird confrontational thing, its literally just ‘im trying to do a thing, how do i get there in this scenario?’

People ask all the time if you notice things, and that prompts a perception check or a notice roll or whatever but people rarely ask for social-based rolls. Try it out. Rolling dice is fun.