It’s the time of year when most campaigns wind down and players go on vacation or leave their Drow character’s behind to venture into the brightly lit campaign knows as “outdoors”. Most of the campaigns I have ever been a part of have suffered from player hemorrhaging as the weather becomes nicer and the attire of females disappears like the ale at your favorite tavern before a brawl. This is the first year where I will be in the unique position of having a larger party during the summer than I have had all year. We shifted our D&D session nights to accommodate our group and most of my players have started bringing their girlfriends and wives to play at our table. It seems that with the onset of summer we will be running a group of 6-7 players a night which I am comfortable with as long as it doesn’t slow things down too much.
I have read lots of blogs and forum posts about how to run things quickly, or “10 steps to the fastest combat ever”. In the end I have discovered my own methods and strategies for making things run the way I and my group want. These pointers wont necessarily work for every group but they certainly work for this group as it is private and friendly.
1. Every player should be there to play.
This is a tough one because we all have our off nights where we feel like we’d rather be doing something else, be somewhere else, or be fighting something else. Engage your characters AND your players. Let them take breaks if you are losing them but set clear limits for time and bring them all back to the table promptly. This gives them time to chat and talk (the girls) and then get right back into the game. I usually try to do this while i’m setting up combat or right after combat before loot and xp are awarded. A good way to get players back at the table is with bribes of XP and swag.
2. Every player should know what their role isn’t. (no player can fill every role)
I don’t mind when people try to role play or bring more depth to their character. What does bug me is when the paladin tries to steal, when the fighter tries to be diplomatic (with his +3 bonus at level 6), or when the sorcerer tries to tank. I understand that these things might happen or even be necessary in the course of a campaign but when players try to play every role except the one their character was designed for it bugs me as a DM. My solution to this is to remind character of their strengths by giving them repeated opportunities to use their strengths and shine so they aren’t looking for creative ways to get involved. If a player continues to try to fill every role and isn’t a bard, I would talk to them after and remind them they are not a 1 man party. If they continue as a 1 man party I would setup 1 man encounters for them to fight and lose. If they beat an encounter single handedly there are other issues and I would ask to see their character sheet. This isn’t 3.5 anymore and no character should be a castle unto himself.
3. Keep everything moving and delegate.
I can’t say how much I love my girlfriend for being the initiative tracker, combat instigator, and no-nonsense woman that she is. She keeps me and all my players on our toes, on track, and in initiative. Sometimes thing will get bogged down in role play, sometimes they will get sidetracked by movie X, or topic Y. As a DM you should either be able to control things your self or if you are as guilty as the rest of your party find someone who can keep you all in line. For me and my group it means getting smacked every now and then by my girlfriend as we get off topic and things slow down.
Hope these suggestions help groups find their own way of dealing with things that I personally find annoying while we game but have always had (still have) a hard time avoiding. Sometimes you can’t change things but you can at least be ready for them and have a plan in place.
