Essentially the party meets from reasons I've yet to decide, the sovereign of this dark, from, foggy town says something like "go down here and figure out a rat problem, then you discover a full necromancy cult planning to resurrect a killed tarrasque, full story here
This is both a general question and a specific question, but basically, I have a bunch of newish players who's only experience with DnD mechanics is Baldur's Gate 2. I've played a couple of games, and they've been having fun, but it really feels like they're not actually engaging with the roleplaying side of the session and are more concerned with "winning" dice rolls I give them. This is especially excacerbated in the combat encounter we did, but that was less concerning, as i figured that them locking them in was what one wants in a combat encounter.
Any advice or thoughts? How do you try to break players out of this mindset that dice rolls and any kind of encounter have to be "won"? I'm also a fairly new DM, but I'm learning that I enjoy the rp side over the combat, which is almost at odds with what the players are used to with Baldur's Gate, which is a shame because i can't even blame them because it's really the only thing they've known until now.
TL:DR; players are used to video gaming DnD, how to get them to engage with the actual story as characters, not as players playing game?
Excalibur is a scaling magic longsword that begins at Uncommon rarity and can eventually awaken all the way to Legendary, but simply gaining levels isn’t necessarily enough.
The blade first has to decide that its wielder is worthy. Courage in overwhelming danger, mercy when vengeance would be easier, accepting responsibility for others, keeping one’s word at personal cost, and putting others before oneself can all cause Excalibur to recognize a potential bearer.
As it awakens, the sword gains stronger radiant damage and increasingly powerful abilities focused on courage, leadership, protecting allies, and refusing to fall. At its Legendary stage, Excalibur can keep its wielder standing when they would otherwise drop to 0 hit points, protect nearby allies from fear, and fully recognize its bearer as the inheritor of its ancient legacy.
The progression can also be handled narratively. The included advancement rules suggest milestones such as Drawing the Sword, Accepting Responsibility, Becoming a Leader, and finally facing The Trial of the King. There are also alternative paths involving the blessing of the Lady of the Lake, advancement by level, or even Excalibur becoming dormant if its wielder repeatedly betrays the ideals that earned its trust.
You can download the complete Excalibur supplement for FREE on DmsGuild.
If you’d like more items in the same vein as Excalibur, Mythological Items for 5E and 5.5E is now live on Kickstarter. It includes 300+ myth-inspired magic items, many built with the same focus on lore, narrative significance, and relics that can become more important as the campaign progresses.
For more previews, scaling relics, creatures, magic items, and other D&D content, you can also visit r/JonnyDM.