How to get through to the players at your table who aren't really into the whole role-playing thing, and perhaps treat your DND table like a video game. Lots of tips and tricks to engaging even the most douchey of players!
Show Notes:
- The next edition of DND
- If it isn’t fun, it’s probably the DM.
- If you’re the DM, it’s probably your players.
- To summarize, if you’re playing a game with five other people and not having fun, it’s almost certainly not the game system.
- Chad signed up to be a DNDNext playtester, did you?
Tips to Try for Player Penetration:
- Show them maps, pics, letters, etc. Visual Aids.
- Even if they don’t care about the story, everyone reacts to an awesome dragon pic.
- "Holy fuck that's a badass dragon."
- Keep the story simple, but more importantly, keep the story clear.
- Picture a day in the life. Not everything is warring factions and dragon attacks. What do people do when there’s nothing going on?
- You don’t have to explain this to players unless they ask, but it helps to answer questions and get a clear view of your world.
- Reward contribution and creativity heavily.
- Center your story on the PCs individually, instead of on your own story.
- Center your story on loot grabbing and important items.
- Optimizers will love the bonuses that they’re working towards; roleplayers will love the journey.
- "You gotta go reunite me with my hilt, bitch! What's this hilt? Fuckin pewter?"
- Encourage skill feats as opposed to attack/damage feats.
- If a player likes to optimize in combat, reward them for optimizing OUT of combat.
- Challenge your combat monkeys
- The more they get invested in combat, the more they’re going to get invested in other stuff.
- They’ll want to boast!
- Don’t dwell on lack of role playing , remember DM's do not take things personally. Get over it!
- Be subtle when enticing role playing from munchkins.
- Ask for specifics in a backstory, not just generalizations or wide-sweeping stories. Gladly give them time to prep this answer if need be.
- Let them world-build. Optimizers have an great time making stuff. Ask about places in their past, then put them in the game.
- Make sure players know they have permission and leeway to create in your world.
Gadgets of the Podcast:
- Encounter: The ambush into the setting sun
- T-shirt Idea: the dice are trying to kill me
- Character Concept: the revenge-bound aborigine, Suanzi
- Player Tip: Re-skin your mechanics
- DM tip: take a break during sessions
Big Thanks:
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Check us out on iTunes and give us some reviews and/or ratings and/or hurtful criticism!
What do you think?
Welcome all our new listeners to the family of ExemplaryDM! Give us reviews in the comments below, hit us up on Twitter @ExemplaryDM, or shoot us an email at exemplary d m at gmail dot com
