How to RP IC Conflict without causing OOC Conflict
4 Steps in Rping conflict-centered scenarios without incuring conflict with your partners.
Conflict. One of the big ingredients to great stories and sometimes really bad rp experiences.
In-Character conflicts can be a lot of fun to engage in but they can also be a hot bed for god-modding, power plays, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings. This is often caused by miscommunications and boundary crossing in rps, which leads to hurt feelings and bad responses from both rp partners and portions of the rp community at large.
So to help prevent bad conflict situations and make a smoother rp experience for both you and your partners, here are some pro tips.
( 1 ). IM/Ask/Chat OOC with the partner you want to rp with BEFORE you initiate the conflict.
Yes, it can be scary IMing someone about things but you need to make sure your partner is okay with what you have in mind. Because if they arenât okay with it, they will try to turn things toward things they are more okay with. This is doubly so for those who donât know what you have in mind and whose interactions will more likely end in bitter, sour, or unfulfilling ways.
( 2 ). Plot the conflict out.
After IMing your partner and confirming that they are up for doing the RP conflict, plot it out. Decide how it ends, who will be hurt, and what will happen. You donât need to plot it out post by post, but you do need to have plot points to measure things by so that you know in what direction you both are going.
This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT when dealing with OP/High Powered/Boss-level characters (Especially canon-based Boss characters).
All of us want to win or at least donât want to lose, and nobody likes feeling like the continual punching bag. But we also donât want our muses skills, abilities, and experience to be completely disregarded. Having a white-belt karate kid defeating a black-belt karate master without the masterâs consent isnât fun.
By plotting things out, you and your partner can determine your charactersâ strengths and weaknesses and how they would be able to match up and make things fun without stepping on each otherâs canon/character aspects.
Conflict: Bonely faces off with Lancelot.
Desired end: Bonely bests Lancelot but doesnât kill him and leaves him with points to think about instead.
Thread plot point ideas:
P1 wants Bonely to lead Lance & his crew into the forest.
P2Â agrees so Lance will follow & get ambushed.
P1 suggests that Bonely use the trees to swing himself around into the knights like a pinball (bc that would be funny).
P2 likes the idea of it but doesnât want Lancelot to be hit. P2 says so and offers that Lance is very limber so heâd be able to dodge even if others canât.
P1 agrees and has an idea: what if Lance gets an idea of Bonelyâs pattern and uses a thing to break his rolling attack? Just knock over a big log and send him flying?
P2 loves it and adds that the two could tussle it out since Bonelyâs not a big troll and Lance is beef-cake central.
P1 laughs and thinks on how the fight would go. With them tussling theyâd be an even match. But Bonely is underhanded so heâd probably use a cheap shot like throwing dirt in Lances face before pinning him.
P2 likes the idea and sees how it would make Lance have an even bigger vendetta towards Bonely for later threads. P2 also notes that Lance would probably be mad and accuse Bonely of foul play.
P1 returns to the original idea of Bonely pinning Lance and instead of killing him, leaving him with things to think before retreating into the wood until their next encounter.
 All of these are interchangeable and editable, giving freedom to the rpers to because the end point is always the same, helping unify and smooth their rp experience.
By using plot points/plot bunnies, you and your partner are able to determine what you both want in and out of the conflict. What skills or cool moves you want to show off, what effects you want to happen to your characters, pretty much what you want out of the fight.
As you do this though, be sure not to make your character invulnerable or unhittable unless something to counter it is already plotted between you and your partner. Because being in a fight where one party always hits or misses is not fun and is a very susceptible to becoming a point of contention and ruining the experience for everyone.
( 3 ). Leave your characters attacks open.
Write down the effects of if it hit, not when it hit. That way your partner can decide if their character is hit or dodges the move. This helps the other rper know what would happen if it hit without their character being godmodded.
Example: Lancelot blew a lock of his hair out of his face and raised the crossbow. With Merlinâs Zapon magic filling each bolt, just one shot would send even the toughest the troll into a fit of electrified paralysis. With a squinted eye, the knight pulled the trigger and let loose the bolt.
This type of rp response allows the other Rper know what will happen if theyâre hit and decide if it would be more fun to be hit or dodge, and determine what would happen next
( 4 ). Keep in contact with your partner.
Whether for plot bunnies or letting them know something is wrong and might need changing, keep in contact with your partner. Doing this will help you and your partner tie up loose ends, smooth out plot points, and keep the conflict rp running smoothly for both you and your rp partners.
Donât forget: if something IC is making you uncomfortable, tell your partner and try to work it out. If you canât work it out, donât feel bad for dropping the rp and doing some retcon work so things can be a bit more comfortable for you.
By following these tips, I hope you will have less fear and uncertainty with conflict rps, and that you and your partners will have an amazing experience exploring this side of the RPC!
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