RPGaDay 2019: 10 Focus

I would be willing to put cash money on a wager that the cell phone is one of the most hated objects at the gaming table by dungeon masters everywhere. Worse than the guy who bangs the table for emphasis, worse than Mr. Cheeto-Fingers and his orange crime scene-dusted character sheets, even worse than “I forgot my dice” guy. The cell phone.  That infernal contraption that signals to you in real time that you have lost the interest of that particular player and they would rather talk to anyone else than listen to your table rap.

I don’t subscribe to the idea of any mystical significance to good dungeon mastering; it’s not magic, it’s practice. But I do think that keeping the players engaged is one of the most important things a DM can work on, whether it’s through the use of stirring oratory, animated description, or improvisational acting. Or all of it. Or none of it.

Deep in thought about what to do next.

Every group is different, every DM is different. Players are all different, and it’s hard to accommodate them for every second of a four-hour session. In fact, it’s impossible. And I think it’s folly to try it; you end up more frustrated and angry than anything else.

It’s not unexpected, after all. There exists in every game session and ebb and flow between in-game situations and the real world. Players need time to process new info. DMs need a minute to take useful notes that make sense and aren't gibberish. Bio breaks. Tension relief. 

Every player is drawn to some particular aspect of the game: Combat, role-playing, exploration. They come alive when you roll for initiative and glaze over when the NPC starts talking about the thing that happened fifty years ago.

Aside from the No-Cell-Phones rule at the table, I have a few things that I do to keep my players engaged during and between sessions.

1. Cliffhangers are my friend. I try to end every session before or after a major scene, or just as things go from bad to worse. Amid the howls of outrage, someone will ask, “We’re playing next week, right?”

2. Anytime I need to take a break, I give them instructions. “Okay, I’ve got to stand up for a minute, so while I’m taking a bio break, I want y’all to figure out how to get across the chasm.”

3. If there’s a way to bring the whole party into a role-playing scene, I will do it. Asking the people not directly involved in the conversation to do something, or roll to notice something that the people in the conversation wouldn’t notice ensures that everyone is engaged. “As Earl and the sage are talking about the book you found, I need you two to make a d20 roll and tell me if you get a 13 or higher. You did? And you didn’t? Okay, Hakim, you notice that as they are talking, there’s a shadow visible in the window, as if someone is listening to the conversation…”

Even if it turns out to be just the sage’s manservant, it creates a moment of tension and gives everyone something to do.

4. Whenever I am talking to the party, I vary my vocal inflection, tone, and speed to clue them in that they need to listen. “The crowd is busy, people milling about, and there’s a thousand smells all blending together. (Pause) But what you all immediately notice is…in the distance…there’s a ship pulling into the docks…and you all immediately recognize the red and black sails.”

That will put the shopping trip on hold as the group runs down the docks for a little payback. And it only takes one of the other sailors to drop the clue that you wanted them to get during the session.

These are things I do in nearly every session that keeps the players focused on the game at hand. If you think any of them would work in your game, give them a try. And as for cell phones…usable only during bio breaks.