D&D – Player Focus
I just finished a 6 hours session of D&D and it inspired to write about one of the biggest issues in my group. Focus.
From my observations there seem to be two things that get the group into the game. Deadly peril and the spotlight.
Now obviously, the spotlight can’t shine on everyone at once, otherwise it would just be a bright day and not a spotlight… and keeping the group on that razor’s edge of death is difficult to maintain.
A partial solution, at least in so far as combat is concerned, is to axe the initiative system. In the next group I run I plan to keep initiative for surprise rounds and round 1, then switch to alternating players/monsters. The players all decide their actions as a group, as well as what order the characters will take them in. Rather than singling them out and saying “Ok Jim, what are YOU doing?” the DM can turn to the whole group and say “Ok gang, twelve skeletons stand before you, what do you do?”
Ideally, cooperation ensues and everyone has a blast. Furthermore, the DM can narrate an entire round at once.
“Bob slices two deep cuts into the Slaad, leaving it exposed for Terry to stab his shortsword into the base of its spine.”
Fun times.
The issue is how to pull players in during the down time. Partially it helps to monitor the group, see who is engaged and who isn’t… but what this really emphasizes is how truly cooperative D&D is. Players are as much responsible for mood as the DM, possibly even more. Being a good player is tricky because you’re equal parts actors and audience. Different players enjoy different ratios, and it’s unlikely a group shares the same preference.
So as a DM, watch your players, see what they like, see what they don’t and try to engage them as best you can. Rather than trying to spread the spotlight time, look for ways to spread the spotlight itself, get your players working with each other as much as they work with you.
As a player, just go along with it. Work with other players, work with your DM, and maybe even consider talking to each other? I brought up the issue of focus with everyone in the group, even though I’m just a player, and asked them what would make them pay attention? What do they want to do? I talked to my DM about it, and that lead to this blog post. D&D is an interactive game, so if you aren’t already… start interacting!
